Chapter 10: Introduction to the Future

The three of them glanced at the window which was half open.

"What do you mean?" Raul asked his thirteen year-old brother. Xavier stared back at Raul in surprise.

"Why do you look at me like that, Raul?" Xavier asked curiously. "Of course she couldn't have flown over here, silly!"

Raul heaved a quiet sigh of relief. He did not know how to share the full details about his love life with his younger brother. He loved sharing his secrets with Xavier, because he wanted his brother to emulate him. Somehow, he just could not tell him about Melinda being a shape shifter.

"I came for the movie," Melinda said in an attempt to change the subject. "What's it all about?" she asked.

"Oh, you're gonna love it," Raul said in an exaggerated attempt at lightening up the atmosphere. "We're gonna watch half of it before dinner and the other half afterwards."

"Won't we be scolded for going to bed late?" Xavier asked with a worried expression on his face.

"You definitely might be scolded if you tried to stay up so late, Mister!" Melinda joked throwing her head back with laughter. "We're too old for that."

"The movie is about Gremlins showing up at the movies and grabbing everyone's popcorn and the ladies' handbags," Raul interjected.

"And then?" Xavier wanted to know anxiously.

"If you sit still and watch you will discover the juicy parts," Raul said as he connected the film to the television set.

At dinner, Raul tried hard not to make eye contact with either one of his parents. Afterwards, he, Melinda and Xavier watched the rest of the film in his bedroom without their parents even trying to get Xavier to go to bed early.

When Melinda was ready to go home, Xavier did not leave to go to his own bedroom as usual. Raul looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "It's late fellow, go to bed," Raul said.

"Well, did you notice that our parents said nothing about that tonight?" Xavier said light-heartedly.

"Xavier! Go to bed or you will be in trouble. Our parents are not themselves today," Raul begged.

"What do you mean?" Xavier asked.

"Our parents are facing some difficulties," Raul tried to explain. "I think it's something to do with the furniture company," Raul lied.

"Oh, no," Xavier said with a worried expression on his face.

"But it isn't anything serious," Raul tried to counter.

"Okay, anyway, I just wanted to give you your letter about your school trip. You and Garett were gone when your teacher wanted to give it to you," Xavier said as he retrieved a folded envelope from his shirt pocket.

"Oh, the trip up North!" Raul exclaimed. "You are coming with us, aren't you, Melinda?" he asked.

"My dad stays somewhere there with his new family, so I'm not so sure whether I like that area," Melinda explained, as she twisted her hair thoughtfully and glanced towards the window.

"Please, go with us?" Raul begged.

Melinda still wanted to tell Raul about the castle in her dreams, but she did not want to do it in front of Xavier.

"Okay, Melinda," Xavier interrupted. "You can think about it, but I just really wanted to see you take off and fly home as an eagle, please?" Xavier begged.

"What? Since when, uhmn, what are you saying Xavier?" Raul stammered in shock.

"Oh come on, I heard you two over and over talking about her flying, but I just never manage to catch her in the act," Xavier complained in genuine despair.

"Xavier, who have you told about this?" Melinda asked calmly and carefully, with her hand on Xavier's arm.

"Nobody, I swear!" Xavier responded in exasperation.

"Alright then, I will show you how I take off and fly home," Melinda promised.

"Really, Melinda?" Raul asked with concern.

"Of course," she replied, before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. She then shrunk in size and changed into eagle form right in front of them. Xavier fainted as Melinda took off through the window and flew in the direction of her home.

Raul had to make sure that Xavier was well composed after he roused him by throwing cold water over his face.

"Go to sleep and forget about what you saw," he admonished Xavier, before sending him off to his own bedroom.

The following morning, Raul sent Percival a message to remind him about their appointment.

Percival phoned back half an hour later. "Meet me at the movies, in the foyer, after school," Percival instructed.

"We're going to watch a movie?" Raul asked in surprise.

"Don't worry," Percival replied. "We're going to get some answers to your questions," Percival reassured Raul.

At the movie theatre, Raul was waiting for Percival for so long that he began to give up on him showing up.

Just as Raul checked his phone again, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"We can go in now," Percival's voice said behind him.

"Goodness, Percival!" Raul exclaimed. "I was just about to go home. We do have homework to still do, you know."

"Don't worry about homework today," Percival coaxed. "We're going inside for the discovery tour of a lifetime."

"Are we going to watch a movie?" Raul asked incredulously.

"We are going on a fact finding mission which starts at the movies and then we're going up North, with the school tour for the rest," Percival explained as they walked into the theatre.

The film was about werewolves engaged in battle against some tribe from the moon.

"So, we're not going to talk at all?" Raul whispered.

"We are here so that you can see what werewolves do in battle, then you can feel free to ask any questions you want to," Percival explained.

"But why here?" Raul asked, uncertainly.

"So that nobody finds out about what I have to tell you about my personal experiences as well as those of you father's," Percival explained.

"But why all the secrecy?" Raul asked as the film screen lit up and the lights went out. They had found seats at the back of the cinema.

"Because these are things which are only discussed at top secret council meetings which you will attend after your initiation," Percival explained in a whisper.

"Initiation!" Raul exclaimed and people turned around to stare in their direction.

"Shush. Keep you voice down," Percival cautioned.

"Of course everything will be officially explained to you by your father at the right time, then you will be initiated into the kingdom of wolves," Percival whispered into Raul's ear, as loud music from the screen filled the theatre.

"Are we the only ones here today to discuss this?" Raul asked in concern.