Lune Valley: Episode 1x03
Wendell passed by while Stu was hammering in the last few nails on the Quigley home, so Stu made an effort to be civil and said hello, even though his instincts made him want to yell at the jerk for always upsetting Effie and being a general nuisance. His greeting was polite, though a bit chilly, but Wendell was unperturbed and immediately started making rude cracks and poking Stu in the chest. Wendell found it all quite hilarious.
Stu, however, was the opposite of amused. Don't start with me, old man! My big sister will eat you for breakfast! It took all of what little restraint Stu had not to shout it out loud. Callum never let up about keeping Effie's furry little problem quiet. He'd have to go with a different tactic.
"Knock it off, old man, or my fist'll meet your face!"
That certainly shocked Wendell into silence and a hasty exit, but it left Stu feeling oddly unsatisfied.
In fact, Stu didn't seem to be taking as easily to their new life as his older siblings had expected...
He'd started to spend a lot of time in his undies. He slept in them, he'd show up to meals in them and he even did his chores in them. He'd also play with paper airplanes in them, much to Callum's annoyance. "I'm trying to do some research, Stu! Do you mind?!"
"Not a bit, bro!"
He especially liked painting in them.
"It's part of my process, man. All great artists gotta have a process! You'll see when this masterpiece is finished!"
As the summer began to wind down, Stu's so-called masterpiece took a shape that his siblings, much to his chagrin, took to calling "Pennywise: Redux."
When not teasing his baby brother, Callum could be found hard at work on some mysterious engineering projects.
Always one to enjoy solving a puzzle, Callum had finally agreed to tackle the issue of electricity and mechanics for Kirby. His first forays were less than promising, but nothing deterred him. The new town needed him, and he was the only one with any knowledge or experience at all.
Eli's regular visits to see Callum were always a well-received and warmly welcomed break from his work.
Callum saw Eli as someone he could depend on, and someone he could really trust. Eli was the first person outside the family Callum had ever wanted to share the big Quigley secret with, though he had yet to admit it to either Effie or Stu.
It certainly didn't hurt matters that Eli was also quite handsome and always so warm and kind.
Callum was usually so busy admiring Eli, he never noticed the occasional shy, admiring glances Eli cast Effie's way.
One afternoon, during a visit from Kirby, Callum excitedly explained his breakthrough concerning the town infrastructure he'd been working on. They'd put their heads together and now, not only had they solved the electrical and plumbing issue, they'd also become the best of friends.
Later that same day, the sun set and the full moon appeared for the first time since the settlers had arrived in Lune Valley.
"Oh no! Is it time already?! Damn!"
Effie hated the transformation. It felt like her body was betraying her.
But even worse than that... it hurt.
Being taken over by the wolf was something she fought as hard as she could every time.
In the end, it never did any good. And by the time the change was complete and the wolf was in control, she'd forgotten that she'd ever even wanted to resist.
The wolf was so ravenous, it took all the restraint Effie could muster to change out of her tattered pajamas before leaving her bedroom, but somehow she managed it.
Her brothers were waiting for her, a meal already prepared, hot and fresh from the stove. They tried to keep things as normal as possible for her: family dinner and conversation, just how they were raised.
But Stu's nervous energy was easy to read; she didn't need heightened senses to feel the waves of fear radiating from her little brother. And no matter how hard Callum tried to pretend everything was normal, Effie could smell the fear coming from both of them.
After dinner, Effie felt frustrated and full of pent up tension and energy. She snarled and shook herself, anxious to move and be outside.
She couldn't go far. Her brothers had built this little enclosure at the back of the house with her in mind. She knew it was as much for her own protection as anyone else's, but it also served to remind her just how much of a burden she was on them.
Even the wolf felt a twinge of sadness at the thought; they were her pack and she hated to make their lives so much harder.
They'd even gone to the extra expense and trouble to bring an old stationary exercise bike on the journey, just for her. It wasn't the same as running free, but it was better than nothing.
In the morning, she felt that much had been worth the effort, at least. The bike gave vent to the pent up energy of the wolf, and it would also keep her fit and fabulous, even if there weren't that many eligible men around to swoon about it.
With the arrival of autumn looming imminently, the chill in the air forced Stu to don clothing again, at least while he labored at his easel outside. He'd abandoned his clown masterpiece in favor of something else, albeit with many grumblings about the uncultured air at the Quigley homestead.
Callum had a new project that was far more advanced and even more baffling to his siblings, but he didn't offer any explanations. Only mysterious, knowing smiles that strongly reminded them of the maniacal expressions of Dr. Frankenstein in old Hollywood films.