Pixel Peaks - Chapter Eighteen
The sun rose along the hillsides. It made the pines and firs cast long shadows over the Grand Log's yard.
Bo was just making his way home from spending the night watching a certain doctor in the neighborhood.
Bo had to admit to himself that Dr. Lane hadn't been acting strange at all since his attack, not in a way that would make you think of werewolves. But that didn't mean Bo was going to give up his persistent watch over the doctor. Right now it was his only lead in this whole case.
And breakthroughs usually come when you least expect them.
He had almost missed it. His weary eyes did not keep up the way they had in the beginning of his career. Now it was actually more the sense that something was wrong that made him turn around.
He bent down and stroke his fingers against the wooden floorboards.
Blood. Just a few hours old judging by it's consistency.
She had been here, but it wasn't her blood. She didn't have blood of her own, all that flooded through her veins was stolen. So someone would have been there with her. But who?
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Allegra: Is it me you're waiting for?
Nathalie: As a matter of fact, it is.
Nathalie: I wanted to ask you how Professor Roseland's class was yesterday.
Allegra: It was horrible! He didn't look at me once! I don't demand that he looks at me all the time but, some aknowledgement of our special bond would be nice.
Nathalie: Okay.. but I was thinking more in the lines of.. how was the actual class?
Allegra: That was boring too. He talked about vampires.. like I don't know everything about vampires already!
Allegra: Did you find out what Ludvig was up to?
Nathalie: No, I lost him.
And still a tiny smile sprung on her face.
Allegra noticed.
Allegra: Did something else of importance happen with Ludvig last night?
Nathalie: Maybe. But it's way to complicated for your little peanut brain to handle.
Allegra: Oh you are such a slut!
He watched the girls burst into laughter, unaware that someone noticed him too.
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Later that night in Pixel Peaks the rain had started to pour, but inside the Lane home it was warm and a slow tune flew through the living room.
Saga: Are you sure we should be doing this Derek? With your ribs, I mean.
Derek: Don't worry, I feel particularly strong tonight.
Saga: That may be, but I have very strict orders from Dr. Scott about what to do.. and not to do, with you.
Derek: Well darling, I'm a doctor too.
Derek: And I have my own ideas about what you can do to me.
Saga: Derek!
Upstairs Nathalie could only hear quiet giggles from the couple on the bottom floor. She barely noticed them.
She was once again stuck between her schoolbooks and her own thoughts, unable to get anywhere with either of them.
The fullmoon took every chance he got to glare at her through the rainy clouds. He seemed to find her through every window.
What was the point of studying for the future, when it was so uncertain in every other way. Was she supposed to study for when all of this was over? When would it be over? How could it ever be over?
She had always been a good student, but psychology studies seemed very pointless when there were monsters out there.
As soon as she laid her head on her pillow she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Outside Bo was stuck in the past rather in worries about the future.
He knew there was no future for him. She had taken it all away. Now he tried to do everything he could so there could be a future for everyone else.
But she wasn't making that easy for him either.
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It was long past midnight when Derek woke up with what felt like a fire burning in his chest.
He was taking countless of painkillers and medicines still, but while they were making wonders for his broken bones, they weren't very kind to his insides.
The water felt cool in his throat and stomach, and for a while it put out the burning sensation he had woken up with.
But then it came back with full force, spreading through his body like an inferno.
None of the women sleeping in the house heard the painful groaning and the glass falling to the ground in the kitchen.
He stumbled outside to the rain. He needed air. He needed the cold.
Agent Bargeld was long lost to the sleep and dreams of a young woman in a wedding gown.
Derek could freely stumble away down the street.
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Nathalie: Good morning, sheriff.
Saga jumped on her feet.
Saga: Nathalie! Please, you must call me Saga. Your father must have been in a real hurry this morning. He had knocked over dishes and everything.
Nathalie: He left already?
Saga: Yeah, he didn't even wake me up to say goodbye. He must have been really excited to get back to work.
Nathalie: I just hope he is well enough..
Saga: Oh he's well enough!
Nathalie turned her head slowly. There was a long moment of silence while they both contemplated what that actually meant.
Saga: Dancing! We were dancing last night.. is what I meant.
Nathalie: Yeah.. okay..
Nathalie: Uhm. I'm off to uni. I guess I'll see you later.
Saga: Yeah, sure. Have a good day, Nathalie.
Nathalie: You too sheriff.
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Nathalie was really happy that her father had found someone, the man had way too much love and care in him to limit himself to his daughter.
And Sheriff Avenua was a wonderful woman, though maybe a little untrained in social department. Much like her father actually. Come to think about it, they were probably made for each other.
But that didn't mean she wasn't gonna give them hell when she could.
She had just driven up the first hill that led out of the town when she saw something familiar on the road.
Nathalie: What the..
Her father came walking on the roadside. Barefoot, dirty and pale.
He was shivering in the wind.
Nathalie carefully stepped out of the car, like she would have scared him if she moved too fast.
Nathalie: Dad?
He had to blink a couple of times before she came into focus.
Derek: Oh. Hi honey.
She charged towards him.
Nathalie: My god! What are you doing out here? Like this?!
Nathalie put her arm around her father's shoulders. They were practically like ice. He looked away in an unknown distance.
Derek: I don't know.
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Derek: The last thing I remember is going downstairs for some water. And then there's just.. darkness. Next thing I know I'm in the woods behind the Grand Log.
Nathalie: It was probably a reaction to the medicines..
Derek: Well.. memory loss, sure. But what was I doing in the forest?
Nathalie: I don't know dad.
But she had a creeping suspicion that she actually did.
Derek: Hey, could you please not tell Saga this? She doesn't need to know I'm a nutjob, you know.
Nathalie had to smile.
Natahlie: Sure dad.
A few minutes later she closed the door to her father's room. He had fallen deeply asleep.
She thought for a few seconds, and made a quick decision.
Nathalie: Hey. Can you come to Pixel Peaks? I need to talk to you.
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Nathalie: ... and now he's been sleeping for the entire day.
Allegra: So he's turning?
Nathalie had made the right decision calling Allegra. She was blunt but not inconsiderate, and she was the only one who would believe her at the moment.
Nathalie swallowed the big block in her throat.
Nathalie: I don't know. Something drove him out to the forest..
Allegra: Are you going to tell him?
Nathalie: How could I? Where would I even begin? He's a man of science, he'll think I'm crazy.
Allegra: Probably.
Allegra: Well, let's not sign any werewolf sentences yet. I think we need to talk to someone who knows these things better than we do.
Nathalie: Who?
Allegra: Well isn't it obvious? Professor Roseland lives in Pixel Peaks, doesn't he?
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To say that Professor Roseland lived in Pixel Peaks was sort of an exaggeration. He lived on the very outskirts of the town, down by the lake, with no other houses in sight.
Allegra: I guess all those books he's written has paid off. That's a pretty big house for a teacher's paycheck.
Nathalie: Yeah. You'd think he'd want to go a little easy on the scary though. At least at his own home.
Allegra: Hey, some of us doesn't care to fall into the standards of you normal people.
Allegra: Are you ready?
Nathalie: Not really.
Allegra knocked three times on the firm dorm.
Cyd: Ms. Lane? Ms. Gorey? What are you doing here?
Nathalie: I'm sorry if this is inappropriate professor, but we need to talk to someone of your expertise.
Cyd: No, of course! A good teacher is always available for their students. Please, come in.
Allegra: This house is amazing!
The house squeeled and moaned when they entered, just as you'd expect a house like that do to. It was well kept and clean, but with old broken artefacts and strange paintings everywhere.
They sat down in the dining room.
Cyd: Well what can I do for you?
Nathalie: Well.. we know that you're not only a professor, you've written lots of books too..
Cyd: You mean about my dog training?
Cyd nodded towards a small dog sleeping by the fireplace.
Nathalie: Uhm.. no. About the supernatural. We know you're some kind of explorer in the subject?
Cyd: Yes, you might say that.
Nathalie cleared her throat. She might as well get it over with.
Nathalie: Have you ever met a werewolf, professor?
Cyd raised an eyebrow and looked at the girls for a moment.
Cyd: Well, one cannot know for sure with these sorts of things. I have met a man that went wandering about during the fullmoon without remembering where or why.
Cyd: But it would be too dangerous trying to figure out if he was actually was a werewolf, without imprisoning the man, which I of course could not do. But if I were to guess.. that man was a werewolf.
Nathalie: Do you know where he is now?
Cyd: Unfortunately, his condition took it's toll. He went insane and.. he passed away a few years ago.
Nathalie had to swallow a gasp.
Cyd: What's this about Ms. Lane? Do you suspect anyone to be a werewolf?
Nathalie: I.. uh..
Allegra: Actually, it's not her professor. It's me. I have a.. friend that I'm worried about.
Nathalie shot a grateful smile towards Allegra.
Cyd: Well, lycantrophy is a far reach Ms. Gorey, there's many far more likely things that would show the same symptoms. Mental illnesses, drug abuse. You might want to take him to a psychiatrist first of all.
Cyd: Unless, you've seen him in his animal form?
Allegra: I haven't done that, no.
Cyd: Hmm. Pity.
A/N
- This chapter has been put together over a longer period of time, I hope it appears coherent anyway.
- I got fired two days before christmas, more time for Pixel Peaks!
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pixel_trade stars this chapter
Saga by lostavenuea as Sheriff Saga Avenua
Odysseus by alleliua as Odysseus "Oddy" Roseland