A Howl In The Night by Lorelei Sutton (life books to read .txt) 📕

"Were they... Shifters?" Yi asks him slowly, his face drained of color. "The same ones that we saw earlier?"

"Yes, pretty much." Jake nods solemnly. "It almost seemed like they were expecting us, with the way they immediately began to chase after us. Originally they were surrounding us completely, but we managed to tear through them and run into the forest. But they were hot on our trail, and by the time we were close to the coast several of them were gaining on us. One of them grabbed Wes and ripped at his back before he could react, and for some reason the wound weakened him, almost like there was  poison in the Shifter's attack. I sent him ahead of me while I finished up, or so I thought, the Shifters, and he eventually landed at the beach, where you guys were. And then tons more appeared and I had to run too."

"Wow..." Xavier says, his hand gently brushing against Wes's shoulder once to get him out of his moment of shock. Wes literally shakes at the sudden touch, and then snaps his head towards Xavier while glaring at him.

"Well, the moral of the story is, don't go to the castle. Bad things will happen," Jake says, and the casually starts walking towards the small, dying fire. Most of the others leave as well, probably sensing that the discussion must be over. I can hear them talking about the castle, with most of the conversation being negative in tone. Everyone seems to agree with Jake in being cautious, and I can't help myself from feeling alone after that realization.

I sit down on the broken log again, and try to think about the next step that we should take from here.

I feel a presence beside me, and Xavier's deep voice slips in like honey through my concentration. "I know what you're thinking," he whispers. His hand slips around to my waist and rubs my lower back in circular motions, an action that I am very familiar with for some reason. I feel memories emerging from the chasm, at the very edge of remembrance.

"What am I thinking?" I ask him, turning to face him. His bright green eyes are glowing as he looks back at me, his face full of confidence.

"You're thinking that we should go anyways."

My eyes open wide as Xavier smugly stares into my face. He's right. To me, the Shifters' presence is only a further indication that there is something. If there's a guard, there's something being guarded.

"I do think we should go," I confess to him, bringing my hands to my cheeks in frustration. "But I don't know how to convince the others. Wes especially seems shaken up about the possibility."

"You know, Mona, you're a pretty persuasive person. It shouldn't be that hard, especially for you." He smirks, and I resist the urge to slap that silly grin off of his face. He has to be kidding me. I'm the least persuasive person alive, and he knows it.

"Well, I'll leave it to you then, mister leader," I say mockingly, standing up and taking a low bow. I make sure to keep eye contact with him, letting him know that I'm willing to play the same games.

"What are you going to give me if I take care of it?" He winks, and the smile instantly drops from my face. While inwardly melting into a puddle on the ground, I sit back down on the log.

"I mean, this is in your own best interests as well," I reply gruffly. I know that he was probably kidding, but I can't help but try to hide the embarrassment I feel.

"I didn't know leading our entire group into a Shifter's den was in my best interest," Xavier laughs, and gently punches me in the shoulder. Now I know for sure that he's playing with me, but this time I don't really have any comeback. In just about every way you look at it, going to the castle doesn't make logical sense. It could easily lead to our deaths. Wes and Jake already established that the castle is heavily guarded, and that the castle was probably abandoned of any real people. But I really feel like this is the right thing for us to do at this point. Wasting away in this world does not really seem like an attractive option after the amount of time I have squandered by deliberating endlessly over what to do and what not to do.

And then I decide to use the trump card. Feeling guilty for my new strategy but not having an alternative, I stand up and call out to the others.

"What does Ray mean to you?!" Anger flares up within me as I say these words, not for the others' response but for Ray himself. I picture his face, bent in laughter, and the fierce emotions multiply.

As for Xavier, his expression completely changes from one of mirth to a wholly hostile expression. His icy demeanor does not seem to be directed at me, but the overall frustration frightens me more than anything else.

I try to ignore him as I continue. "Ray may be... d-dead right now. He could be taking one of his last breaths. But the fact that the Shifters took his body should strike within us  the desire to fight! Not only for our own guilt and revenge, but for him, and the very idea of what he means to us. Not only did these enemies wound us, but they took one of our own. Our pride has been shattered and our confidence has been destroyed. But one thing we must remember throughout this time of grief is that we do have the power to defeat our enemies! We shouldn't run away from situations that seem improbable when our purpose is higher than that! And even if Ray is looking down from us from above right now, I am sure he would say the same. We owe it to Ray... we owe it to him to find our way home so that we can make true meaning of our lives. Or else... he died for nothing."

Tears start to drip down my face, and I condemn myself for bringing up the harshness of the true reality when it might just be the last thing we needed. I turn my face and Xavier is there, his face devoid of emotion as he looks back at me. He probably feels like I just ripped off the band-aid, and I can't feel any guiltier for it.

"What a load of BS," Jake finally mutters, stepping forward so that he's in front of me. "We'll be walking straight into our deaths, and then Ray truly would be dead for nothing."

We stare at each other evenly, as if judging each other for weaknesses and flaws. "Is there really a difference?" I ask softly.

The silence seems to last for an eternity. And then... I finally remember to breath.

Jake looks at me, and then slowly he nods. He reaches out his hand and I cautiously take it. "Might as well," he whispers, as if to himself, and then looks at Wes with a guarded expression.

Although bitter in his expression, Wes moves to be beside Jake. "Guess this is the manly thing to do," he says, and then quickly looks up at me with a slight smile, "or womanly." He places his hand on top of ours, amazing me with his strength and dedication.

Something warm touches my palm, and I look to the right to see Xavier at my side. "I call touching Mona's hand," he says firmly, his joking manner contrasting with his fierce expression. A hint of a smile appears on my face as Xavier's support fills me with hope.

Because I truly believe my words. We must find our peace, or die trying. The pursuit is what makes life worth living.

Griffin, Yi, and Danae come forward and place their hands on top. We all look at each other, unified by our goals, friendship, and resolution. I count to three, and then we throw our hands in the air, the pointless act having more hidden implications than we could ever possibly realize. I try to send a telepathic message to the Shifters, feeling the effects of my bravado.

We may or may not be ready. But we're coming regardless. So now... it's your turn.

* * *

It's been a long day, but we are finally here.

The brick walls tower over us, marred by several discolorations, cracks, and various ivy plants that have enveloped entire sections of the exterior. Tall, stone fences encircle the area, and it is cracked and even destroyed in several places. Even the architecture of the castle doesn't seem to be that impressive, with its simple roofing and lack of aestheticism. It doesn't look very intimidating in general, besides the factor of its enormity.

But as we come closer, I can feel the buzz. It starts in my head almost like a ringing in my ears, but then intensifies into identifiable whispers. "Come," it seems to say, over and over again. There are several different variations, but that single word is easily the predominant element.

Come to me, and accept your fate.

Xavier falls into step with me, and he leans close to my ear. "Can you make anything out?" he asks slowly. I nod my head, and he frowns.

"I can't hear anything besides a weird buzzing noise. Griffin said he heard the same."

"That's strange," I reply, "mine is pretty... disturbing." Xavier looks back at me in concern, and I smile weakly. "It's okay. Really."

"Don't you dare try to shoulder anything on your own, or I swear..."

"What are you going to do?" I ask slyly, interested to hear his answer.

"I'm going to punish you, obviously." He says this to incite me, but I'm not falling for it this time.

"Well, I'm looking forward to that," I smile, and his eyes widen. I unexpectedly like doing the unexpected, especially during a serious time like this.

My face turns solemn as I return my attention to the matter at hand. I look around the premises, and am surprised to see not a single Shifter. It should have been easy for me to see any of them, but it simply seems like there is no one guarding the castle.

Perfect timing. Come on in.

"Guys, I see nothing," I say softly, turning to both look at the others and scan the area behind us. Similarly, I see no one but ourselves.

"This is pretty strange." Jake walks closely behind us, his nervousness showing through his voice. "Last time I heard definitive whispers. This time I can only hear a loud ringing in my head."

"Who knows..." I murmur, now only a few feet from the stone rods. We travel along the fence until we reach the arch, which is massive in size and has several strange designs etched into the stone material.

"Should I go in?" I ask quietly, pondering to myself. Xavier grabs my hand as I stand inches from the entryway, encouraging me to move forwards. However, a moment of doubt enters my mind and I turn frantically to face him.

"Doesn't it seem like they are ready for us?" I ask,