From Bad to Worse
That sound caused that uncanny, sixth sense feeling to resurface, and I felt dread settle in the pit of my stomach. I motioned for Dylan to stay with his brother; behind me, Rudy stood up, expression stern. He nodded, hand at the conspicuous black holster in his belt, and I went to open the door a crack.
That dread deepened. It was our landlord, a man who lived on the property with his wife.
“Mr. Lee,” I said, but he raised a hand. He was a short man in his 50’s with a thick head of pepper-black hair and crinkly eyes. In all my time as his tenant, he had always smiled at the kids, had been good and forgiving to us, had never complained.
There was no smile on his face now.
“Ms. Lake,” he said, staring at me with the coldest expression I had ever seen him wear. “I trust you remember the agreement you signed when you took this apartment.”
I felt my heart sink. Not today, I thought. “I do, Mr. Lee, but whatever you’ve heard-“
“There are no werewolves allowed on this property,” he said, heated. He was trying to look past me. “I have seen the news. I saw your face. I saw that boy. I know what you have you in there, and it is not welcome.”
“It?” I stared at him in disbelief. “He’s a kid. He’s harmless.”
“None of those creatures are harmless,” he hissed. “One of them took my brother.”
And one of them took my sister, welcome to the club, I wanted to say, but the kids were behind me. “I promise you, Mr. Lee, Collin isn’t dangerous,” I said, desperate. “Just last week he was helping you put your trash cans away. How the hell can you just turn you back on us?”
“Last week, he was human,” he snapped. “Humans are allowed in my apartment. The agreement that you signed states that breaking this particular rule will result in immediate removal of the premises. If you do not comply, I will call the police.”
Panic bubbled up in my chest, but Rudy came to the door, pushing me aside gently and immediately brandishing his badge.
“I’m Executive Director Rudy Rodriguez with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Department of Werewolf Control,” he said. “I am the one in charge of Collin’s case. I can confirm, directly, that he is not any danger.”
Mr. Lee seemed put out by the presence of an actual government official, but he steadied himself, again becoming this completely unrecognizable version of the man I thought I’d come to know these past five years. “Be that as it may,” he said, “I want them off my property. I have made a promise to all of my other tenants that this is an anti-werewolf apartment, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“At least give us two days,” I said desperately. “Mr. Lee, this is all we have. I can’t afford to replace anything, you know this.”
“Should’ve thought of that before you brought one of them home,” he snapped. He glanced unhappily at Rudy, however, who towered over him. “…But on the basis of your record, I’ll give you… 24 hours.”
“Twenty-four-“ I shook my head in disbelief. “We can’t get everything packed in 24 hours.”
“If you’re not gone, I’ll call the police,” Mr. Lee said flatly. “And I promise you, I will.”
Collin appeared suddenly at my side, and dodged me when I tried to grab him.
“Please,” he said, flinching when Mr. Lee jumped back and swore. “Please, I promise, I’m not dangerous.” A bit of drool slid down his chin again; his fangs were glittering in the sun, and everything about him was different.
Too different.
Mr. Lee pulled a block of what was most likely silver from his pocket and held it up. His normally-kind expression had been replaced with rage.
“Keep that thing inside until you’re ready to leave,” he snarled, before turning and running off.
I grabbed my son and pulled him inside, Rudy slamming the door in disgust behind me.
Collin burst into confused tears.
“I haven’t changed,” he wailed. “I’m still me. I’m still me.”
“I know, baby,” I whispered.
Panic flooded me. I was trying so hard to hold it together, but at this point, I had just lost my job, the twins couldn’t attend their school anymore, and my landlord had just legally evicted me with only 24 hours notice. The werewolf thing changed everything drastically.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up into Rudy’s concerned face. “What are you going to do?”
I shook my head and rubbed Collin’s back unhappily.
“The only thing I’ve got left,” I said quietly. “We go back home to Werewolf Hollow.”