There were dark circles under my eyes. It's been two days and dad was yet to return or send another message. A few more hours and we could report him officially missing. We tried to call mum but her number was also switched off. We didn't know the way to his new office so we couldn't even go check on him.

I was really worried but we still had to go to school. It didn't help that Jerry insisted we stay at home, according to him a missing parent was a good enough excuse to miss school. Wednesday morning, we gathered around the dining table slowly eating our cereals. Jerry was sporting a new bruise on his face. Early on he had refused to open his room door, he didn't want to go to school. I got a screwdriver and Sue and I dismantled his door handle. In hindsight, I could have just used the lockpicking set I got for my birthday. But hey. We took apart the door handle amidst yells and curses from Jerry. Once the door opened Sue landed a punch squarely on his face.

"Dad might be fucking missing and all you can do is act like a fucked up baby" she yelled and stormed out.

I stood by the door looking at Jerry. Although I wanted to smoothen things out his angry and wronged expression just annoyed me. I threw the door handle and screwdriver at his feet "fix that when we return" I turned to leave before throwing them over my shoulder "and Jerry at some point in your lifetime, grow up"

So you can imagine breakfast a few minutes later was quiet. Jerry stood up to pick up his bowl and noisily dumped it into the sink. Sue opened her mouth to yell at him, but I shook my head at her to just let him be.

Before he left the kitchen he turned to us "I hate how you just assume that I don't care just cuz I'm not sulking around acting like the world's about to end"

Sue stood up and stalked to him in a few steps. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall

"If anything happens to mom and dad, our world may as well end" she released him and her fist flew towards his head again. I stood up thinking she was about to hit him again but her fist landed on the wall a hair's breadth away from his head.

She turned and took her phone off the table she waved it at him. "I called mom's office when her number didn't go through, do you know what they said?" She didn't wait for a reply and continued "They said that her new replacement came early and she already left the city on Sunday. They even threw a going-away party for her. I had to make up some stupid excuse so they don't notice anything's wrong, do you know what this means?"

I reacted this time "She was supposed to be here since Monday which means...Mom's missing as well?"

Another period ended I didn't even have time to be annoyed at the teacher's rotten behaviour. Even when Sue and I met her namesake on the stairs I had to drag Sue away before she ends up being arrested for bitch battering and assault. We went our separate ways for the last period. I had natural science while she had arts. I entered and sat on the first seat I saw. A few minutes later, the teacher entered and another class began. For some reason today we were once again learning the biology and nature of wolves. Somehow the class sounded more mystical than scientific.

As our teacher pointed out the different changes in a wolf's genes during the full moon the door opened with a bang and someone walked. The class went so quiet you could hear a silent fart. I raised my head to see who came in this late. 

Okay, first of all, I have seen many handsome men and guys especially after coming to this town but 'oly guacamole he was...Dang!

I was almost excited to see how the teacher will scold this Adonis. It's an instinct to want bad things to happen to people who are too good-looking. But to my amazement, she didn't even say one word to scold him instead she even respectfully greeted him "Sir please take your seat" 

It seems like he's a big shot around here. But Sinbad barely spared her a glance instead he walked directly towards me. My maiden heart went all over the place and I had to resist the temptation of clutching my chest to keep my racing heart in check. There were hushed whispers and muffled laughter in the class. I frowned and looked around. At some point in time, Bitchy Sue had taken the seat beside mine but I ignored her because I thought she just wanted to bug me but now, she was smirking at me and soon I knew why when I heard the deep voice above me

"Get up, that's my seat"

Again?! What's it with these people acting all territorial with their stupid seats? Well, bigshot or not I'm not moving an inch and no one's gonna make me.

So I turned to him and said in my best Royal British accent which if I may add is the worst British accent, ever "Pardonne Moi my good sire but alas I do not see your name on this here chair. I'm afraid you will have to scram now"

Don't even ask me why my British had French in it

He raised a perfect brow at me "so you won't get up?"

He didn't seem angry so I acted even more haughty "I most certainly will not!"

He nodded, and I smiled in triumph, one point for Aria and zero for Adonis. But then he dumped his bag on my desk and held my shoulders. 

My accent fled "W-what are you doing" I panicked

He lifted me like paper and dumped me in the next seat like trash. I felt like a ragdoll being moved from one toy box to another. My face burned red and it was either from anger, embarrassment or the fact that a guy was so close to me. Boys didn't come near me and Sue after what happened two years ago at our old school, something that led to both of us nearly being expelled.

He sat down in his seat. Bitchy Sue leaned into him, her oversized unmentionables were nearly spilling out. She sneered at me before turning to flutter her whip-like lashes at him. I'm surprised that one of those Peacock feathers didn't poke his eye out. Although he barely paid her any attention, he didn't stop her either.

Not that I care. He's stupid. Boys are stupid. It's general knowledge, really.

Urgh is the teacher not gonna stop this nauseating PDA? I turned to look but the teacher continued with her notes on the board. I'm sure that she definitely saw them, and she was ignoring the whole thing. I turned to look at Sinbad, just who is this guy?

I stabbed the blue-green glug in my lunch tray with my fork "Urgh he makes me so mad"

Sue used a straw to poke hers. The look on her face said 'I'm poking aliens on my plate' She didn't turn from her tray "who?"

"Sinbad!"

At this, she frowned at me "The Disney character? I thought you loved that dumb show"

I rolled my eyes "okay first it's not dumb and second Sinbad is this dude in my class"

She nodded "Ah I see...so you like him"

I choked on my gum "cough cough of course, no I just met the dude like an hour ago"

At this point, she was shaping the thick glug into a head with her spoon "so...you like him"

"I don't!"

"Is he handsome?"

I thought back to the bottle-green eyes jet black messy boy band hair. A square jaw and dimples when he talked. His clothes were baggy but anyone could tell that he had a figure girls wanna touch and guys wanna have. But then there was Bitchy Sue clinging to him like velcro. And for some reason, he wasn't repulsed by her

"Hey...HEY!"

"W-what?"

"Dude you zoned out me...one minute you look like you're dreaming about an angel and the next you look like you just ate a mouthful of whatever this is" Sue pushed the plate away and took the single apple before taking a bite "I wonder if the angel's name happens to start with an Ssss"

"Stop it already"

She fully turned to me her expression was worried and I dreaded what was to come

"Aria you know what happened that time had nothing to do with you it was...if anything it was my fault..."

"Look it was both our fault let's just leave it at that okay? Please"

She sighed "fine...and Aria?"

"Hmm"

She pointed at my apple "I'm hungry can I have that?"

"Sure thing"

When her hand reached over I flicked it

"Ouch" 

"You can have the Glug special, no apple for you"

Sue sighed and slouched further into her chair "are we going to file the missing person complaint after school?"

I turned to her "do you think we should?"

"No, if we do they'd realise that we're minors living alone and by tomorrow we'll have child services knocking at our door and distributing us to foster homes faster than we can say 'our parents ain't dead' and I can't deal with that. But not reporting feels..."

"Selfish? Yeah but...mom and dad wouldn't want us to be separated, how do you think Jerry will react? How long are they gonna be missing? How long will we be able to pretend that everything is alright"

"Yeah I know the town is small if people don't see our parents soon busybody's tongues are going to start wagging"

Suddenly a shadow fell on us

From the choking perfume, I could already guess who the person was. Sue and I rolled our eyes before looking up to see bitchy Sue glaring at me

What did I do?

Her posse had the same expression

"Stay away from my man"

I shook my head "I'm sorry, your who?"

Bitchy Sue glared at me "stay away from Sinbad"

Oh him. Territorial much?

I pouted "The Disney character? But I love that show"

Her face turned red "you know who I'm referring to! He's my boyfriend..."

"But you're not his girlfriend...from what I heard it's an obsessive one-sided relationship"

"How dare you! He is my boyfriend" she pointed a finger coated with blood-red polish at me "you better stop throwing yourself at him or else"

I looked at her nearing finger, it looked like she planned to poke my eye out I deadpanned "ooo I'm scared" I eyed her "you better get those bloody Mary hands out of my face unless you wanna meet my claws"

Bitchy Sue and her posse glanced at each other and then burst out laughing 

Beside me, Sue frowned "what's so funny?"

Bitchy Sue ignored her and sneered at me "you'd be adorable if your face didn't make me wanna puke"

A girl behind her scoffed "Stay away from Master Sinbad cuz I'm sure you don't wanna meet our claws and yeah baby they're real hehe"

I rolled my eyes. Tch what's up with that? just cuz they've got sharper manicures.

They turned and walked away but before leaving Bitchy Sue said "As much as it disgusts me to even do this but I've been told to invite you both to the Halloween party tonight at Dead man's float"

After she went away I turned to Sue "are we going?"

"And enter into an obvious trap"

We both smirked "hell no"

Suddenly, a voice said "Don't worry" a redheaded girl our age smiled at us from the opposite table "Her father owns the boathouse so she usually gives it stupid names that she thinks are scary. It was the same girl that told the teacher to 'ignore me cuz we were all humans and stuff'

I scoffed "her father owns the boathouse? Tch all the more reason not to go"

The girl laughed aloud "haha come on guys it'll be fun...name's May by the way"

"Aria"

"Sue"

"Sue? Haha, what sore luck for you your namesake is ..."

"A bitch I know"

A few minutes after 7 pm Sue, Jerry and I stood at the river bank. When May said it was a boathouse, I pictured a small boat with a thatched hut in the middle. But this-this was a floating carnival. I was sure the post and beam-style boathouse covered the expanse of the lake. It had open sun deck. 

Jerry tapped my shoulder and dragged Sue's hand "look over there they have a speedboat"

"No wonder she's such a royal bitch"

"Her Pops spent so much money just for a stupid Halloween party, talk about extravaganza"

Although May said the name was stupid, even I had to admit that the name Dead man's float fit it perfectly. If I didn't know that all the decorations were plastic I'd probably have nightmares after this. Hehe, maybe this was a glimpse of the creepy darkness in bitchy Sue.

We didn't wear any costumes. The only ones we had were from long ago when dad dressed us up in giant dental products. And there is no way in hell's blazes are those costumes ever gonna leave the attic.

In the boat, for the first time, Jerry stuck by us instead of running away.

I asked him "Why are you here?"

He picked and filled three cups of soda before giving Sue and me one each he took a sip of his "why am I here?"

"Here as in with us, I thought you didn't want people to know that we are related?"

"I was just joking"

"Ehn and your joke lasted for a week"

"You guys said that stupid girl with a stupid name has been picking on you"

Sue glared at him

Jerry stepped back and raised his hands in mock surrender "don't worry sis it's only stupid on her...anyway I wanna make sure she doesn't try to mess with you guys"

I reached up and ruffled his hair "awwnn who's the baby bro that cares for his sisters you are oh yes you are..."

He pushed me away "Fuck off"

"Awn baby bro learnt a bad word"

He rolled his eyes at my dramatics

"The other Sue...is she pretty"

I eyed him suspiciously "I guess?"

"Blonde and green-eyed?"

"Yeah?"

"And most likely to were a pole dancing costume for Halloween?"

Sue answered "ha most definitely"

"Ah"

"Buh why did you ask?"

"Oh...she's coming over here"

"What are you guys supposed to be? The Three Mouseketeers?"

Sue took a swig of Soda from a can and belched "we're dressed as humans"

Bitchy Sue scoffed "Humans?"

I smirked at her "Darling don't ya know?

       Humans can be monsters too haha"

She glared at me "Fuck you"

"Eww no thanks"

"You..."

She turned to walk away "I don't give a hoot and a howl about what you do just stay away from the lower deck, three of you"

Jerry "should we go to the lower deck?"

Sue reasoned "it might be a trap..."

Two minutes later at the lower deck

Jerry spoke "there's nothing here and no one's around either"

There was a sealed cabin at the lower deck with stairs descending into the lake. Transparent glass kept most of the water out, there were small cracks here and there that allowed a steady trickle of water, making the stairs damp. The farther we went the higher the water rose

"Why are we still going down?" He asked

"Curiosity" Sue's voice echoed

"Well that stuff killed the cat"

Sue grinned "Then it's a good thing we aren't cats"

I pouted even though they couldn't see me "speak for yourself I have always felt quite feline"

"Right"

We reached the bottom of the stairs there was a door. It looked old and rotten in contrast to the outside of the boathouse. We jingled the handle but it was locked.

Jerry groaned "all this just for a dead-end...why don't you tear it apart as you did to my room door"

I turned to match back up the stairs "stop whining"

Suddenly there was a sound at the other side of the door. It sounded like a knock but I couldn't be sure "errr did you hear that?"

Sue "meh"

Jerry "let's leave from here this is literally how people die in horror movies. Going where you're not supposed to, opening doors you're not supposed to and then dying when you're not supposed to"

Sue touched the door "don't be such a big baby"

"Go jump in a well, I know you've always wanted to die in a horror movie"

"So stupid"

"Hush it both of you"

We listened another knock came but it was weak.

"What if bitchy Sue has someone trapped in there for...I don't know, revenge or something"

"See you don't know so let's go"

Sue raised her leg and kicked the door. At the second kick, the board at the bottom of the door fell off. Sue bent down to look

"I've got a bad feeling about this" Jerry murmured

"Your feelings don't matter tho" Sue said 

Jerry kicked his leg and splashed water on her back. 

I tapped the wall and withdrew my hand when it touched something sticky "what do you see?"

No reply.

"Sue?"

Sue's voice was barely above a whisper "guys?"

Jerry and I "what?"

"Run!"

"What in the hell's blazes is that" Jerry screamed

We could still hear the noises of the creature chasing us up the stairs. When it crawled from under the door at first I thought it was some kind of prank, until I smelt the blood. Its eyes were pitch black the kind that no contact lens could imitate. I was frozen for a few seconds Sue grabbed my hand and we flew up the stairs. At this time Jerry was already way ahead of us, I could see his legs hitting his butt as he ran.

After some time I realised something was horribly wrong "I-is it just me or is the way out longer than the way in"

Jerry whisper yelled "No, it's not just you! I already thought I was going fucking crazy"

In front of me, I noticed Sue was slowing down.

"Why are you slowing down! Move!"

She was panting "It's acting up again"

"What?" I hissed

"M-my leg"

"No no no not now!"

She stopped and gripped a jutting out piece of rock on the wall "You guys keep going I-I'll slow it down"

"Don't you dare play martyr with me! Jerry get back here Sue can't move"

"B-but that thing"

"Jeremiah Huntley Andrews get your ass back here or so help me I will feed you to that thing myself!!"

"I coming calm down jeez"

One at each side we supported Sue up the stairs.

"We can't get far at this pace," Jerry said

"What else are we supposed to do" That thing was getting closer I could almost feel its touch. And the metallic smell of blood was oppressively pungent.

"I told you to leave me here and..."

"Shut the fucking hell up, one more word about leaving you and I will knock you out it's not like you're walking anyway may as well as be unconscious" 

Sue mumbled "sorry"

"You should be" I hissed

"There's a door here," Jerry said. I looked over and sure enough, I could see the outline of a door in the wall. 

"Is it locked?" Sue asked "that thing is getting closer"

Jerry touched the door and it opened with a soundless swing. Instead of rushing in, I paused. It was too easy. Besides I'm sure there was no door on our way down.

"Aargh" the thing behind us screeched. I looked and saw small beady black eyes searching for us. I don't think it saw us. I pushed Sue and Jerry in before shutting the door behind us. No time to waste.

Sue sat down on the floor and massaged her legs. "That door opened so easily...It's not going to be that much of a barrier to whatever that thing is"

The room that we were in was empty and thankfully dry. All it had were some drawings on the wall and a single candle at the farthest corner it wasn't really big...but it was too big to be here. The small cabin we entered to descend into this watery grave was way too small to contain a room this big.

Jerry who had his ear pressed against the wall whispered "It's still there...somehow I have the nagging suspicion that it's eavesdropping on us"

I pushed him away "oh shut up"

Sue stood up and tested her leg. She stomped it a few times when she was satisfied that it no longer hurt she said "How are we sure that this isn't some prank huh? I mean we didn't even plan to come to the lower deck until that royal Bitch told us not to"

"Now that I think about it it feels like a way too obvious trap...why did you guys drag me here!?"

I glared at him "Idiot weren't you the one that wanted to come to the cabin"

"No, I mean only you guys were invited so...why am I here?"

I shrugged "we couldn't leave you at home"

"Why?"

Sue answered "because you are a kid that needs babysitting" 

"You..."

"Shhhhhh...listen" I put a finger to my lips and listened at the door

"It's quiet"

"Yeah we figured that one out genius"

"Shh!"

"Sorry geez Luiz"

"Should I open and check?" I asked 

"And get us thoroughly eaten? Hell no!"

I walked to the wall with the drawings it was a drawing of human evolution. Like from ape to human. Although this one was strange. Instead of ape, it was wolf to human.

Werewolves?

"Come look at this"

Sue and Jerry came over

"A bunch of drawings?" Jerry frowned

"It's the revolution...but with wolves as ancestors"

Jerry scratched his head "so what? You think it's a werewolf? Oh please"

At the other side of the door, there was a growl "grrrr"

"Is it back?"

Something hard hit the door. Bang.

I moved to push against the door "guys!"

Sue and Jerry rushed over and we pushed. Another bang came. A vibration passed through the door and us.

"It's not gonna hold up much longer!" came Sue

Jerry started crying "waaah I don't want to dieee" tears were streaming down his cheeks and his eyes turned red "I haven't even had a girlfriend yet or a first kiss or...or even had s..."

Sue hissed "complete that sentence and I will kill you faster than that thing can"

"S-sushi...I was gonna say I haven't even had Sushi"

Bang.

"We have to leave the door or we'll be crushed under it," I said

"But we-we'll die!"

Sue: "we'll be dead either way...just shut your eyes when it starts eating you"

"Sue!"

"What?"

"Stop it!...let's step away from the door, I still have my pocket knife we can defend ourselves"

"Right we'll wave the measly thing at the beast yelling 'back off sucker'"

"Well do you have a better plan?"

"As a matter of fact, I do;

First, we get killed then when we turn to ghosts we totally haunt the royal Bitch"

Jerry stared at her "In such a situation how did you become even more unserious than I've ever been?"

Bang. And the door caved. There was thick dust. We huddled closer together. Sue nudged me forward "well go on Alexander wave your mighty sword"

I took out the shiny red pocket knife and waved it in front of me "S-stay away"

The dust swished with movement and a figure came into view. The hand that held up the knife dropped to my side.

"May?"

"Do you know her?" Jerry asked

May ignored us and went straight for the candle she yanked it out and walked to the exit "Let's go"

Jerry moved forward but I pulled him back. "And why should we follow you? How do we know that you won't lead us to that demon?"

May turned to us she dipped her hand into her pant's pocket and pulled out a glowing green stone. "This will only keep the Ferals at bay for a while"

"Ferals? And what's with the plural s there was only one if it" Sue said

She glanced impatiently at the door then each of us "There's more headed this way and a small casting stone won't be able to stop them, follow me" this time she ran right out the door.

Her voice echoed when she said "in case you haven't noticed this building changes its distance and position if you are not close to me you might lose me and find yourself right where you started from or worse, separated"

Jerry went after her "let's go guys"

I nodded "wait for us, come on Sue...Sue!"

She shook her head and blinked "huh?" 

"Come on let's go"

"Yeah yeah...do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Oh nothing, come on stop delaying we'll get lost"

After climbing for a few minutes we finally saw the door. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a door, ever. 

"Why did you guys come here?" May finally slowed down

"Bitchy Sue told us not to...so we came," I said

"Sue...I should have known that's why she was acting so strange, If I hadn't seen your scents at the lower deck you all would have been dead"

I shook my head "I'm sorry-you saw our scents?"

May sighed "look I'm here to help but I don't wanna be implicated after helping you, the door's over there just leave"

She turned and started walking back down the stairs. Sue grabbed her hand "where are you going?"

May shook her hand away "to do my job" And she was gone.

There was silence before I said, "should we go down and help..."

Jerry ran out the door before I could even finish

"Coward" Sue yelled

"Better a living coward than a..."

Sue snickered "than a what?" She looked down the stairs shrugged and walked to the door "what Jerry? cat got your tongue"

I followed her out. I'm not being a chicken but to be fair she didn't take for our help. And I don't like forcing my help on people. The cool breeze hit me first before the crowd gathered at the door did. They wore hostile expressions. Jerry and Sue were pinned to the ground by two hefty men and one was headed to me. Before I could scream my face was also slammed in the dirt.

Bitchy Sue was at the head of the snarling mob. She pointed at me "Alpha I told you that they were no good rogues, why else will they try to free the Ferals"

She was talking to a tall imposing man. Beside him was Sinbad who was glaring at me like I broke his trust or something.

My brain was fried. Alpha? Rogues? Ferals? What the blazing asshole is going on here!?!

Someone behind sniffed delicately and said, "But they smell human?" It was the quiet girl from bitchy Sue's posse.

Sue turned and glared at her "They probably got a witch to cover up their scent...or maybe one of them is a witch, I bet it's this one" She raised her heels and stepped on my hand. I resisted the urge to scream. I could feel my skin tear and blood flow to the ground.

Beside me, Sue struggled to throw off the man holding her down "leave her alone you bastard!"

Jerry: "Stop it!"

Sue gave a cruel sneer and pressed down even harder. I bit my lips till it bled but I still didn't make a sound.

"Stop!" I heard a familiar voice roar.

Sue pouted "but Sinbad..."

"Kneel!"

Sue's eyes widened and she fell on her knees "forgive me"

The man who bore a striking resemblance to Sinbad spoke "Take them to the packhouse for questioning" He patted Sinbad's shoulder and spoke to him his voice was low that I could barely catch it "sorry son but she has to be taken in"

Sinbad glanced at me in hesitation. As if he wanted to help me, I hoped he would help, but he didn't move even as the men hauled us to our feet and dragged us away. I didn't expect him to help anyway. We didn't know each other. He had no reason to help me.