Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (free ebook reader for pc txt) 📕

The orange light from the buried sun still glowed just over the mountain behind him as the shadows grew larger from every bush and tree. They stretched across the rocky parking space near the trailhead until there was no light left to cast them. The forest became noisy with insects, rustling leaves and every unknown creature that scurried through the edge of the woods.

Fueled by the unanswered turmoil that wrestled in his chest and spread into his restless legs, David got out of the car to walk in circles. "Seriously? Of all the places and times." While looking to see if he had signal, he realized how dangerous this situation could potentially become. "Why have me meet here at night, where there’s no signal?" Nobody knew where he was. Not even Janice or Sarah.

Periods of hair-raising silence were shattered by every sound that snapped at David's ears to jump through his spine. He eventually returned to wait inside his car, unsure why as he recalled what happened to Danny's truck. His truck... and his body. 

It was 9:15. Tony should have been here already. David watched the moon, a smoke covered yellow ball veiled behind a deep gray, translucent blanket of thin clouds that floated across the sky.

The air got louder until it rumbled, becoming the sound of a car rolling up with dim headlights that shined across the gravel drive. Tony had finally arrived. After his dark green car parked, David wondered if he would ever step out before his door opened and he strolled slowly toward where David now stood.

"Listen, little bro. I'm gonna tell you, but there's something important first."

David shook his head. "You're not getting out of this that easy."

"It's Vance. He's after you and I think he really means it, bro."

Undistracted, he pressed for answers. "It's you, isn't it, Tony?"

"What's me?" Tony spread his arms out. "What are you saying?"

"Look," David said, slapping his hand against his chest. "It's me. You know you can tell me anything."

Tony looked at the ground with a shake of his head. "You've got it all wrong. It's nothing to do with that."

David tried to think of what to do next. Tony was definitely hiding something. But what is it? Why is he taking so long to get to the point? 

"It's about Pops and your mom," Tony said. "I was the one who covered for him when he was out cheating on her. I came up with excuses and lied about where he was all the time."

"So what? You didn't know any better,” David said with a long pause. “How were you supposed to know?"

There was a long pause before Tony spoke again. "That's it, little bro. I did know."

David’s heart blew fire as his words went blank. "And you kept it a secret the whole time?” David asked, his fists becoming tight boulders, eyes swimming in a pool of deceit “Even helped him?"

"Listen." Tony's words blurred into the fiery rage that rushed through David's arms. He slammed his fist into Tony's face.

"Wait!" Tony's voice shouted as David swung wildly through the dark.

A howl blasted from the darkness that brought the two of them to a standstill. It rang like a siren of impending danger from the forest behind them.

"Could you tell how far away it was?" David asked.

"No. Maybe a mile. It's hard to say."

A second howl, much louder than the first, hit David’s stomach with shock.

"Pretty sure that’s closer than a mile," David said.

"Yeah. I think you're right, little bro."

"Don't call me that!" David said, forcefully pointing his finger at Tony.

"Either way, we gotta go," Tony said, stepping backward toward his car. "Sooner the better."

While heading back to their cars, David stopped. "Wait,” he said. “Who else knew we were coming here?"

"Nobody I can think of." Tony paused before raising his arms out at his sides. "Why?"

"Think harder," David said.

"What are you getting at?"

David paused before finally saying it. “I think that it's someone close to us."

Another howl erupted from the forest, followed by the sharp crack of nearby branches.

"Hey, I got plenty of reason to believe a lot of things right now," Tony shouted from his open car door as he climbed inside. "But how about we get the hell outta here and regroup?"

"Yeah. I'll follow," David said, hurrying into his car.

Tony spun out down the gravel drive as David turned the ignition. His starter screeched. "You can't be serious!" he said as he smacked his steering wheel. "Come on!" He tried again, to no avail.

At the forest's dark edge, limbs rustled about, swinging back and forth as David turned on his brights and looked up in fear at the large shape that began to emerge. He gave the key another turn. Finally, his engine roared and he stomped the gas, sliding into a fishtail on his way out. His hands straightened the course of his car as it flung gravel behind while adrenaline pounded through his chest and tingled across his fingers as his bright headlights burned their way down the tunnel of wooded dirt road where tires slammed through every hole.

After an eternity of tumbling through the gravel mountain road, it smoothed into flat pavement. The long, narrow bridge across the shimmering surface of Moss Lake now reflected the bright moon. David stopped his car halfway across the bridge and got out his phone. "Saw it. Cliffs. Barely escaped. Definitely werewolf," he added to the group chat. Nobody had been active for over an hour.

###

After knocking at Sarah's door, David walked back and forth across the creaking front porch. There was no answer. "But her car is here," he said to himself while his eyes traveled back and forth. The light from her windows casted shadows through the tall grass, making most of her yard invisible to him. "I'll try Janice's.”

###

Now, at Janice's house, it was getting close to 11:00. His adrenaline, still tingling through his skin, pounded in his chest as he beat at the door. "Will someone wake the hell up?" David walked back toward his car.

"I know