The Caretaker - 2. Chapter 2

The door shut with a bang behind me and an icy breeze swept up the back of my legs. I reached back and tugged down the hem of my tunic.

I reeked of beer.

Near the corner of the house was an outside faucet. Tucking the inflatable club between my legs, I bent down, turned the faucet on and rinsed the beer off my hands. Having no towel, I wiped them dry on my costume.

As I stood, I wrapped my arms around my body. I felt the goose bumps rising on my skin. A gentle breeze wafted through the trees. The sounds of leaves rustling and crickets filled the night. The waxing moon hung high in the air. The milky way was visible in the sky, but clouds swiftly moved, partially obscuring the moon. I wondered if it was going to rain.

Abruptly, the sounds stopped.

Creepy.

I cut my eyes toward the back door.

Twigs snapped. Leaves crunched.

I peered into the trees, but saw nothing.

Just darkness.

I was about to turn when the darkness shifted. The dark leapt from the trees, a large mass that landed in a crouch several feet in front of me.

Startled, I let out a scream.

The beast rose to stand on his two feet, and I realized it was a man.

It was just a man. Two arms, two legs. “You scared me.” My voice shook and I instinctively took a step backward.

He cocked his head to the side as he stepped closer. Moving from the shadows of the trees, the moon lit his features. His eyes were dark, hidden by a prominent brow. His hair was wild, with pointed ears peeking out the sides of his head. He sniffed the air with an elongated snout. He wore no clothes—his costume was completely covered in fur. It looked like he wore gloves and shoes that gave the appearance of hair, except for over-sized claws jutting from the tip of each digit.

I let out a breath. It was just some dude in a werewolf costume. But…

“My, what a realistic costume you have.” I chuckled nervously, feeling exceedingly awkward. I didn’t like being alone with him. He was creeping me out big time. I gripped the inflatable club, holding it tight in front of me with both fists.

His eyes watched me like a predator. He opened his mouth, exposing pointed teeth. He tugged between his legs, drawing my gaze downward.

The fucking costume was anatomically correct.

Oh hell no!

I drew in a breath and swung the bat as the monster advanced on me. The club hit his chest with a bop and bounced away. With a dismissive swipe of a hand, his claw pierced the toy, and it popped like a balloon.

I threw the limp piece of vinyl to the ground.

Before I could get away, the monster was on my back. I slammed face-first into the ground, and all of the air exited my body. My torso jerked as the wolfman yanked at my underwear and shredded the back of my tunic, exposing my ass to the night air.

I dug into the dirt, clawing, trying to pull myself forward. Inhaling deeply, I tried to draw air into my lungs.

The beast’s weight settled on me and I screamed.

It came out as a hoarse croak.

Oh god, I was going to die. Just like that guy from my biology class.

Coughing and gasping for breath, I reached forward, trying to grab anything I could find. My fist slapped onto the toe of a leather boot. Looking up, I saw Chris brandishing his lightsaber… a.k.a., a painted mop handle.

I tried to tell him to run, but nothing came out.

Chris swung his saber and it connected with the monster with a sharp crack. The weight left my body as the thing roared in anger.

I flipped onto my back and watched Chris battle the costumed beast. He swung over and over, connecting with the monster’s head and torso. It swatted at Chris futilely, growing more and more agitated every time it was blocked by Chris’s fist or the mop handle.

The skill and strength with which Chris fought stunned me. He was obviously practiced in fighting this way.

With a roundhouse kick, Chris connected with the thing’s chest, sending it backward onto the ground. The beast righted itself immediately. Chris advanced, pushing it backward into the trees.

“Hudson!”

Grant was suddenly at my side, crouched as if ready to pounce.

Oh great. In addition to a Jedi master wannabe battling a psycho killer in a werewolf costume, I now had a psych major with delusions of grandeur coming to my rescue. A few after-school karate classes, and now Grant thinks he’s some kind of ninja.

Chris emerged from the trees.

Grant stood. “What was it?”

“Lupoid,” Chris replied.

“Shit,” Grant cursed. “Did you get it?”

“No. Once we got under the tree cover, it turned and ran.”

Grant began to pace. “What do you think it wanted with Hudson?”

Chris shrugged. “What lupoids always want. To feed or fuck.” He glanced down at me, and his eyes roamed my body.

I pushed myself onto all fours, then to my feet. As I stood, a wave of dizziness overtook me. A firm hand around my bicep steadied me. I looked up at Chris. “Thanks,” I croaked. This was as close to him as I’d ever been.

But Chris wasn’t paying attention to me. “We should have taken out the caretaker before the super blood moon eclipse.”

Grant sighed. “Well, hindsight and all.” He crinkled his nose as he looked in my direction. “It’ll be back.”

Chris’s face scrunched in disgust as he let go of me. “Yeah. He’s been marked.”

The fuck? These were not the guys I grew up with. I’d never in my life met the Jedi and ninja who talked so casually about caretakers and lupoids.

I looked between Chris and Grant. “You guys are certifiable. You know that right? Wait a minute. Is this some elaborate Halloween trick?”

Grant shook his head. “Sorry.” He turned back to Chris. “We can’t let the lupoid or the caretaker get Hudson.”

I clucked my tongue and rolled my eyes. “What, so now you’re gonna tell me I’m like the chosen one, prophesized to save the world?”

Grant snickered. “Sorry, Katniss. You’re just a piece of lupoid ass in this story.”