Night Fall

"So, Elizabeth, may I ask you a simple question?" "Sure." "Can you keep a secret?" There were fewer people around more able to do so than Elizabeth Crawford. She was fiercely loyal to those she cared for. If a friend, relative, or even a complete stranger, told her something in confidence, nobody would hear her breathe a word of it. Elizabeth had been privy to many secrets, but one in particular would prove to be more important to keep quiet about than anything else she had heard over the years. Let us begin with the story leading up to this moment...

Elizabeth moved out of her family home at twenty-one. Her job as a receptionist for her father Simon's company, which she had kept since she finished high school, had allowed her to rent a nice place with her two best friends, Debbie Coulson and Claire Whitlock. The girls had been close since the first day of primary school. Being left out of the other groups of kids that were already forming, turned out to be the best thing. It was very true that not all friendships made back then, endured to adulthood.

They couldn't be more different in the looks department. Elizabeth was of average height, with red hair, blue eyes and fair skin that burnt easily. She used to be quite chubby, but a change in diet, regular exercise and some advice from a nutritionist, soon gave her the body she always wanted. Debbie was olive skinned and curvy in all the right places. She had big brown eyes and black hair, which she often added colorful highlights to. After graduation, she went to work for the local newspaper. Claire was the stereotypical blonde haired, green-eyed beach girl, who to nobody's surprise, found employment as a lifeguard.

The three of them shared a strong bond, almost like they were sisters as well as friends. Even guys that came along, wouldn't change or come between their friendship. Elizabeth was currently single. Claire had joined a dating website and was having a blast. As for Debbie, well for the past three and a half years she had been dating Cameron Phillips. He used to be the star basketball player at Grey Stone Point High School, but a bad injury put an end to his dream of going professional. He now worked at a sports shop. His father planned to retire eventually and give over control to Cameron. It was doing fairly good business and had also expanded to other locations. Watching him with Debbie, Elizabeth and Claire saw a pair who were genuinely in love. They sincerely hoped that their friend's relationship would result in a walk down the aisle.

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The apartment was on the top floor of the complex, which also had a large underground car park. Three bedrooms, a bathroom in each, a modest up to date kitchen, big lounge area, plus a great view of the from the balcony. Talking to the land lord, a man named Gustav, who was in his early fifties and widowed, the girls were given permission to decorate the walls however they wanted. It took nearly four days for all of their stuff to be sorted out. Elizabeth ordered a take away meal, while Claire mixed refreshing drinks and Debbie set up the DVD player.

At about eight in the morning, Elizabeth woke up from a dreamless sleep. She dressed in sweatpants and a shirt. Her sneakers lay by the front door. Slipping her mobile, keys, purse and a small bottle of water into a backpack, Elizabeth wrote a note for her friends to find if either of them were awake by the time she got back. Unlikely, it was the weekend after all. Still stranger things had happened.

Starting off at a casual walk, she began to jog when she saw the Grey Stone Point Woods sign. Elizabeth kept to the well worn pathways, so there was little to no chance of her getting lost. She stopped somewhere in the middle and sat on an intricately carved wooden bench. A few sips of water and she was good to go. Almost through to the other side and thinking of what she might cook later for dinner, she failed to notice that something was stalking her.

The black wolf merely waited until her back was facing the other direction, then in a lightning fast move, knocked the girl off her feet and sank its teeth into her arm. She screamed and tried to pull free. The teeth dug in further. Blood was dripping in large puddles on the ground. She was beginning to feel dizzy. Her eyes closed, but not before she caught a glimpse of another wolf, silver grey in color, looking like it was about to join in...

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The next thing Elizabeth recalled was opening her eyes to find herself lying on a bed in a strange room, with white walls and mismatched furniture. Her arm was heavily bandaged and she felt terribly thirsty. She spied a glass on the bedside table. Sitting up slowly, she grabbed the water and drank. Someone cleared their throat and she realized suddenly that she wasn't alone. "Awake at last. That's good, it's only been a couple of hours. Please let me have a look at your arm." Elizabeth did as the man asked. He seemed to know what he was doing.

The wounds had all but disappeared. Only faint traces of teeth marks could be seen. "You are going to be just fine." His voice was reassuring, yet she was still vaguely uneasy. He looked at her carefully, and sensed that she was panicking. He backed away from the bed. It took a few tries but her voice soon started working again. "Where am I? What happened to me? Who are you? " "My name is Nicholas. This is my home. You were bitten by a wolf, but he was no ordinary beast. Do you recall your own name?" "Elizabeth Crawford." She answered yes when Nicholas then asked her about keeping secrets, so he took a chance and decided to trust her.

"Okay Elizabeth, here is a basic rundown; shapeshifters have been around for thousands of years. Our family chose the shape of wolves and over time we have become more like a real pack. The full moon affect only lasts for the first change, then we are able to shift back and forth whenever we see fit. We have rapid healing, strength and speed. People aren't on the menu, despite the victims that rogues often leave behind. Not many survive the attacks. Hunting animals is enough for nourishment. Other creatures of a magical or supernatural nature are also real by the way.

Witches, mermaids, vampires, fairies, you name it. We usually keep our distance from each other. There is a truce. Occasionally of course there are skirmishes, but nothing like the wars back in the day. They don't really pose a threat, but it doesn't hurt to have your guard up should you ever encounter their kind. Humans don't know much about us and we prefer our existence remain a secret, unless we have no other choice. That wolf who attacked you? His name is Damien. He was banished for assaulting my daughter Zoe. Her older brother Vincent was the one who fought him off and brought you here. We couldn't allow you to be checked over at a hospital because the injuries you sustained have healed completely. How would you explain that to a human doctor?

"I get what you mean. My parents and my friends might be worried because I haven't contacted them." "Zoe took your phone and sent a text. You have stopped by a coffee shop and will be back soon enough. Does that sound like something you would do after a morning run?" "Uncanny." "My daughter's like that as well, although more often than not, she runs in wolf form. You can leave when you wish. Remember, say nothing. We have accepted responsibility for you and will welcome you back to this area. Vincent shall put in our contact details should you ever need help from us." Elizabeth thanked him. "Trust me, I wont say a single thing."

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She was feeling much better. Her friends suspected nothing. Life went on as normal. She returned to work as if nothing had been wrong. The scars were history. But as the days passed, Elizabeth noticed some strange things, which she had of course been warned about; her senses became very acute. Her reflexes changed. She also craved raw meat, which was freaky to her, because she had been an adamant vegan from the age of eleven.

With her 'new eyes' she found herself captivated by the moonlight in the evenings. She dared not tell anyone. She loved her people and knew without a shadow of a doubt that they would accept her no matter what, but she could not break her promise given to the shifters. The last thing she wanted to do was risk putting them in any kind of danger. She made a mental note to call Nicholas within a day or two thinking, perhaps a bit naively, she may have at least that much time before the first transformation kicked in.

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On a night when the moon was totally full, Debbie was picked up by Cameron for their weekly dinner date. Claire stayed in her room, chatting to random people online. Elizabeth stood outside on the balcony, staring up at the large white circle in the sky. She knew what she had to do. Knock on Claire's door and tell her she was going for a walk. Then she could leave without causing suspicion. "Be safe." "Will do." Instead of using the front door, she jumped over the balcony, landing on her bare feet. She took off running and only paused slightly once she reached the woods, feeling a sense of freedom unlike anything she had ever known.

Elizabeth's ears detected movement. She crouched low and sprang into the bushes, chasing down the furry animal as if she had always been this creature. Her stomach grumbled as she began tearing pieces of flesh from her catch. She found the closest lake to drink from, jerking back in surprise at her reflection. She had no clothes on and in place of a girl, a rusty colored wolf with glowing eyes stared back at her. Although she had been told about the shifting, it really wasn't an easy thing to deal with when it actually happened.

Footsteps she identified as not human were approaching. She quickly hid herself behind a tree, hoping that whatever was headed towards this clearing, wouldn't know she was there. No such luck. The two wolves that showed up had caught her scent. She could tell by their body language. One of the wolves growled, but the other was motionless and quiet as anything. They stood on their hind legs, transforming right in front of her. A boy and a girl, who might be around the same age. There was a very strong resemblance between them. White blond hair, tanned skin and intense dark eyes. Siblings no doubt.

The girl disappeared for what seemed like ages, returning with clothes. Now fully dressed, the brother and sister fell into easy conversation. "It was definitely the right idea to come out running tonight. I can sense her close by. I saved her life, you'd think she'd be more grateful." "Despite our Dad's explanation of what we are, it must still be a little scary for her." Elizabeth recalled the silver grey wolf from the attack. Forgetting that she was nude, even though she was still in the shape of a wolf, she took a few cautious steps out into the open. The girl smiled. "Hey it's okay. We wont hurt you. I am sorry we didn't get the chance to meet the other day. I am Zoe. This is my brother Vincent."

He waved to her. "You don't have to wait until the moon goes down to shift back. We are not werewolves. Would you like to become your human self again?" Elizabeth nodded at the most welcoming idea and moved closer to Zoe. "This is actually quite easy. Just focus on what you looked like as a human and it should happen in a snap. Give me your jacket brother and turn around, this is already becoming awkward." "Fine." As soon as she was up on her two feet, she grabbed the jacket and zipped it up.

Vincent then smiled. "Welcome to the family kid. Come by here tomorrow and we will teach you how to run with the pack." She tried not to blush as he was still staring at her. "Sounds like a plan. " They very kindly walked with her to the apartment building. "Thanks again for helping me. " "Any time. Goodnight." The door was unlocked. She was just pulling her pajama top over her head when her door opened. It was Claire. "You're home. How was your walk?" "Great. I may need to do it more often. There really is something about wandering alone at night." "As long as you return in one piece, I have no objections. But aren't you scared being out there by yourself?"

Elizabeth thought of her new packmates and their willingness to look out for her. "No, not at all." "I wonder if Cameron has finally got up the courage to propose. We could be bridesmaids yet." "Let's wait up for them and find out." "Good idea." To Elizabeth it was obvious that her life would never be the same again, how could it possibly go back to the way it used to be? But with her new shifting ability, she felt a new kind of confidence that hadn't been there before the attack. She was all set to face whatever came at her next. Bring it on!

THE END