28 The News

"What did happen the other day after I shapeshifted?"

"I see… so you don't remember anything. I am guessing that the pain from your transforming must have put a strain on your body and mind causing you to pass out on your first-time shapeshifting."

"I am just glad that I didn't hurt any of you." I told Wes, "The last thing I remember you shouting was 'Paul don't make me do it'. Whatever that means."

"When you transformed, you ran out of here and into the woods. Anthony and I chased after you but immediately lost sight of you. Don't worry about Anthony saying anything, I erased his memory of that day."

I was relieved, "Thanks." I told him.

"You are not off the hook just yet." Wes told me, "I recorded this on TV the other day and I wanted you to watch it when you returned, follow me."

Wes turned the TV on in the living room and inserted a flash drive behind it, "Are you ready to see this?"

I nodded.

"Good morning, everyone and welcome to Liberty news. I am your host Jane Jackson to bring you the horrifying news that happened yesterday. At approximately 10 pm last night the St. Mary Baptist church was destroyed leaving behind one person dead, Paster Foust. The entrance of the door was in pieces when the officers first arrived at the scene. The walls, floor, and seats were clawed up, destroyed, and areas were broken off as if some wild animals went in or worse, demons and destroyed the sacred place. At the front altar, Pastor Foust was found lying on his back with a knife in his chest and multiple stab wounds from the same knife. Authorities are still investigating and puzzled about what could have happened here. Was it an exorcism gone wrong? Or was it foul play? That much still remains uncertain. If you have any information on what could have happened here, please contact the authorities, any information will help."

"Did I do that?!" I asked Wes.

"You are the only one capable to be able to do anything like that around here. I need you to not leave this house anymore under any circumstance without me."

"But why?!"

"You just attracted the attention of everyone, and people are coming here to figure out what could have happened. Yesterday while you were gone, the hunters came to gather some information on us to see what could have possibly done that. They knew that it was not an ordinary wild animal. I told them that it wasn't me, and none of us caused that."

I apologized to Wes, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to have the hunters come to our home again."

"It wasn't your fault. You were angry about what happened to Bryanna."

I looked at Wes, "Did she tell you?!"

Wes nodded, "I think our hunter friend might become a problem, but for now let's let him be for the time being. Trust me, we will get our chance to get back at him for everything that he has done to Bryanna."

"Hey Skinwalker! This stuff is good! What do you call this?!"

I turned around on the couch I was sitting on to see Twili on top of the dining table eating the leftover pizza Wes brought earlier.

"Get down from there! If you wanted some, why didn't you tell me?!"

Wes laughed, "It's okay, let her eat it, no one else was going to finish it."

"See! Your godfather is nice and doesn't mind."

Wes looked at Twili, "Right now, I don't mind because it is just us three here. If we had guests, well that is a different story."

"You can understand her?!" I said.

"Yup, when you are a high caliber witch like me, you can understand and communicate with animals. The day that you can understand the language of the birds, then you are at my level."

"Is it that hard to learn?"

"It's one of the most difficult languages to understand. It takes time."

"Wow! Your godfather must be a strong witch to understand me!" Twili told me. "I have a question for you Wes, can you turn me human?"

"I can, but… I don't have the stuff needed to do so."

Twili was jumping with joy, "But there is a way?!"

Wes nodded, "We will worry about that later. We need to focus on tonight."

I looked at him confused, "What is going on tonight?"

"It's the night of the first full moon you big dummy! I tell you; I sometimes do not know what to do with you. It should have been today that was your first-time shapeshifting. The other day caught us by surprise."

I had forgotten about that, "What are we going to do? I can't control myself!"

"I have a plan, but we need to be out there before eight tonight."

"Why before eight?" I asked.

"Because that is when the transformation begins."

"Here I always thought it was at the stroke of midnight."

"Oh, you poor child, this isn't a children's bedtime story where everything magically happens at midnight. My only concern right now is the hunters in town and hopefully, none are nearby to hear what is going on. I also need to come up with a lie for Bryanna and Anthony to believe so they won't come looking for you."

Twili said, "I have an idea! How about you say that you sent Skinwalker and me on a secret mission and I will stick with him until morning!"

"That can work."

I told them, "Anthony is going to be super piss at me for not taking him."

"It doesn't matter if he gets mad or not, I will handle them. The important thing to do is to make sure that they don't find out until they pass the initiation."

I asked Wes, "I know that I never started the trials, but I wanted to know, what will happen if they were to fail a trial or the whole thing?"

"It all depends on which one they don't pass. They all have a repercussion."

"What are these consequences?" I asked.

"I don't want to tell you until they take them. I do not need you to discourage them from taking the trials since they already gave me their word that they will. Even in that, there is a consequence for breaking your word to a witch."

"I understand."