[Original: Drabble] "Lost in the Woods" [Zeke Jones, PG]
Title: Lost in the Woods
Prompt: writerverse challenge #23 quick fic (‘where were you’ & “Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.” (Natsuki Takaya) )
Bonus? horror (but it’s not very scary)
Word Count: 624
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: original ( Zeke Jones ‘verse)
Summary: Howell is compromised and lost in the woods, and it’s up to Zeke to find him.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Lost in the Woods
“Sir?” I called, warily. I had my gun out, because Howell would have my hide if I didn’t, but I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of using it. “Sir!”
My partner was out there, somewhere in the woods. But I wasn’t sure if he was completely my partner, just at the moment. I didn’t even know what that damned magician did to him, I’d been putting our now-arrested suspect in the back of our patrol car, but just as I closed the door, I heard Howell make a weird noise, and whirled around in time to see his wolf-form bound off into the woods.
I probably shouldn’t have handcuffed the magician to the car door handle, but I was kind of pissed, and I didn’t have a lot of time before racing after my partner. Besides, I’d called for back-up, so he’d be okay, right?
“Howell!” I yelled.
The woods were eerily silent, and I shivered, involuntarily. If it was me who was crazy and lost in the woods, Howell could track me, no problem. But vampires didn’t have nearly as many blood-hound relatives as werewolves, so I was pretty much on my own.
Somewhere out of sight, a stick snapped. “Sir?” I said. “Where are you? Please, sir…”
I heard a low, rumbling growl and stopped dead. Then, there was a rustling in the leaves, and wolf-Howell slunk out of the trees only a few yards away. He was low to the ground, hackles raised, every inch the stalking predator.
“Sir,” I said, softly. “Sir, it’s me. You know my scent, in your wolf form, I know you do.”
He paused, the growled again.
“Sir, please…”
He couldn’t Turn me into a werewolf, not with my already being a vampire, but his teeth and claws were very, very sharp. He could kill me, easily, while he wasn’t in his right mind. And what would that do to him when he got it back again?
Howell began moving again, but as he got closer, I could see that he was injured, a ragged cut down his back right leg that made him limp, almost undetectably. And, suddenly, all my fear was replaced by anger.
“Dammit, sir!” I yelled, holstering my gun. “What the hell were you thinking? Leaving your partner at the scene like that! And then to get yourself injured, on top of that? You get your furry butt over here now, officer!”
To my intense surprise, it worked. Howell straightened, tail flicking behind him once before loping slowly over to me. As he got closer, he slowed further, looking scared, but he was close enough for me to grab him, so I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight.
He whined, but I didn’t let go. “Don’t even think about it, sir,” I growled. “That magician did something, but you can fight it! Just remember who you are, your human self, and you can change back.”
I had no idea if that was even remotely true, but apparently it was. Howell whined again, then suddenly, he was human again. And completely naked.
“Oh, hey, sir,” I said, carefully looking over his shoulder.
“Jones?” he said, hoarsely.
“Yes, sir?”
“We’re in the woods. And I’m naked.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, and shrugged out of my jacket. “Any idea where you left your uniform?”
It was probably just the dim light, or I’d have thought Howell blushed. “I have a spare in the car.”
I closed my eyes and tied the sleeves of my jacket around his waist. “C’mon, sir. There’s probably a very annoyed magician still handcuffed to our car.”
“You didn’t,” he said, with a laugh in his voice.
“I did.”
Howell grinned. “Good work, Hezekia.”
THE END
Current Mood:
rainy
Prompt: writerverse challenge #23 quick fic (‘where were you’ & “Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.” (Natsuki Takaya) )
Bonus? horror (but it’s not very scary)
Word Count: 624
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: original ( Zeke Jones ‘verse)
Summary: Howell is compromised and lost in the woods, and it’s up to Zeke to find him.
Note(s): originally posted to the writerverse wv_library
Lost in the Woods
“Sir?” I called, warily. I had my gun out, because Howell would have my hide if I didn’t, but I felt sick to my stomach at the thought of using it. “Sir!”
My partner was out there, somewhere in the woods. But I wasn’t sure if he was completely my partner, just at the moment. I didn’t even know what that damned magician did to him, I’d been putting our now-arrested suspect in the back of our patrol car, but just as I closed the door, I heard Howell make a weird noise, and whirled around in time to see his wolf-form bound off into the woods.
I probably shouldn’t have handcuffed the magician to the car door handle, but I was kind of pissed, and I didn’t have a lot of time before racing after my partner. Besides, I’d called for back-up, so he’d be okay, right?
“Howell!” I yelled.
The woods were eerily silent, and I shivered, involuntarily. If it was me who was crazy and lost in the woods, Howell could track me, no problem. But vampires didn’t have nearly as many blood-hound relatives as werewolves, so I was pretty much on my own.
Somewhere out of sight, a stick snapped. “Sir?” I said. “Where are you? Please, sir…”
I heard a low, rumbling growl and stopped dead. Then, there was a rustling in the leaves, and wolf-Howell slunk out of the trees only a few yards away. He was low to the ground, hackles raised, every inch the stalking predator.
“Sir,” I said, softly. “Sir, it’s me. You know my scent, in your wolf form, I know you do.”
He paused, the growled again.
“Sir, please…”
He couldn’t Turn me into a werewolf, not with my already being a vampire, but his teeth and claws were very, very sharp. He could kill me, easily, while he wasn’t in his right mind. And what would that do to him when he got it back again?
Howell began moving again, but as he got closer, I could see that he was injured, a ragged cut down his back right leg that made him limp, almost undetectably. And, suddenly, all my fear was replaced by anger.
“Dammit, sir!” I yelled, holstering my gun. “What the hell were you thinking? Leaving your partner at the scene like that! And then to get yourself injured, on top of that? You get your furry butt over here now, officer!”
To my intense surprise, it worked. Howell straightened, tail flicking behind him once before loping slowly over to me. As he got closer, he slowed further, looking scared, but he was close enough for me to grab him, so I threw my arms around his neck and held on tight.
He whined, but I didn’t let go. “Don’t even think about it, sir,” I growled. “That magician did something, but you can fight it! Just remember who you are, your human self, and you can change back.”
I had no idea if that was even remotely true, but apparently it was. Howell whined again, then suddenly, he was human again. And completely naked.
“Oh, hey, sir,” I said, carefully looking over his shoulder.
“Jones?” he said, hoarsely.
“Yes, sir?”
“We’re in the woods. And I’m naked.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, and shrugged out of my jacket. “Any idea where you left your uniform?”
It was probably just the dim light, or I’d have thought Howell blushed. “I have a spare in the car.”
I closed my eyes and tied the sleeves of my jacket around his waist. “C’mon, sir. There’s probably a very annoyed magician still handcuffed to our car.”
“You didn’t,” he said, with a laugh in his voice.
“I did.”
Howell grinned. “Good work, Hezekia.”
THE END
Current Mood:
rainy