Steel And Poppies

Revelations

They met in the dark room of the school. Tom sat on the desk and played with a camera. Maddy and Rhydian stood by the door and there was an awkward silence between them . Maddy hadn’t been talking to Rhydian much ever since they were back from their fateful trip. Tom did not really know how to handle this situation.

The door opened and Shannon stormed in. “Guys, we have a problem!”

Maddy’s reaction was cool. “You were saying?”

Shannon snorted. “This is different. I collected the data to help you.”

“And that makes me feel better.” In Maddy’s voice was more than a streak of irony.

Shannon shook her head. “I confronted Jana earlier. Because of the laptop.”

“You still believe she’s got it?” Rhydian asked. “If she says it wasn’t her, it wasn’t her, OK?”

“Well, she got really emotional, and well, she wolfed-out.”

Now both Rhydian and Maddy were alarmed. “In public?”

Shannon nodded. “On the school yard. But we were alone there. Almost.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“There was this girl. Never saw her before, but I think she’s working for national park. At least she wore their logos.”

Maddy nodded. “I think I met her. Her name is Logan.”

Tom frowned. “That’s kind of a boys name.” He stated.

“I met her at Bertie’s she seemed to be OK.”

Shannon sighed. “Let’s hope she can keep a secret. She went in when Jana was about to jump at me. I’m pretty sure, she saw her wolf-out too.”

Maddy got up pacing up and down. “We need to find her. See what she knows. Now!”

Shannon tried to calm her down. “She’s got no prove. She can’t go to the authorities.”

“Or,” Maddy shot at her, “she might find the one who’s got your laptop!”

Tom put away the camera. “May be we should call your parents.” He suggested.

Maddy stopped in her tracks. “No!” She said decidedly. “Right now, we keep them out of this.”

“Rhydian, you go and find Jana. Shannon and Tom, you get back the laptop. I will try to find Logan and question her.”

Maddy had been checking the office of the Park Authority, and looked for Logan at Bertie’s. The first was already closed and the latter deserted, except for it’s grumpy owner, who only told her, he could not help her, and she should buy something or get lost. Stoneybridge wasn’t really big, but Maddy could hardly go from door to door, and ask for the girl, could she?

But luckily, she met old Mrs. Jeffries, Mr. Jeffries mother. If anyone knew anything about what was going on in Stoneybridge it was her. So Maddy offered to carry home her shopping bag, and used the opportunity to ask, if Mrs. Jeffries knew anything about the new girl. She wasn’t disappointed. Mrs. Jeffries knew that she was from abroad, and that there was gossip, she was on the run. She also knew where the girl lived. The rest of the way she told Maddy about the two very weired cowboys who had checked into the local inn.

It was nearly dark when she finally stood outside the place the girl had checked in. It was an old house, that belonged to an old couple, who had lived here for ages. Both were in need of care, and had therefore moved to a care home in Hexham, were there where closer to their children. Their son had tried to sell the property for a while now, and always had taken in some tenants.

She knocked at the door. It took a while until the door opened. She wore a plain white tee and a pair of jeans. Her hair was in the same untidy fashion as it had been on their first encounter.

“Hi Logan!” Maddy greeted.

The other girl stared, and for a moment Maddy thought she would just close the door again. “Maddy, right?” Loagn asked.

“Yes. Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure.” Logan stepped aside and made an inviting gesture.

Maddy stepped into the house. Logan led the way to the kitchen, and Maddy looked around. She had never seen a place so spartan. On the way through the hall, she could peer into the bedroom. The closet doors were open, and beside her working close, nothing was in it. On the bed was only a woollen blanket.

In the kitchen, Logan went for the fridge. “Beer?” She asked.

Maddy shuddered at the thought of drinking beer. “I’m not old enough to drink.”

“Right.” Logan opened a bottle of beer for her self, and took a sip. “I only have tap water otherwise, sorry.” She added.

Maddy shook her head. “I’m OK.”

“So, what brings you here?”

“I’m here on behalf of my friend Shannon. You met her earlier today. She was, ahem, attacked by a dog on the school yard.”

“Ah.” Logan nodded. “No big. Why send you then?”

Maddy looked blank. “What?”

“If she was to say Thank You!, she could have come around herself?”

“Oh, she, ah, needs to attend some urgent business, and I was around.”

“So this doesn’t have anything to do with the fact, that her friend turned into a wolf?”

Maddy’s heart sank. “What are you talking about?”

“The redhead. Well, the other redhead, not your friend.” Logan explained. “The two were arguing, and suddenly, she turned into a wolf.”

“What?” Maddy tried to look surprised. “Where did you get that story from?”

Logan looked at her for a long while. Then took another sip from her beer. “You are a lousy liar, did you know that?”

Maddy blushed. “You know this girl, and you know what she can do.”

Maddy tried to make up a story in her mind, but Logan’s piercing look rendered her efforts useless. Any lie would just make things worse.

“Yes.” She admitted. “I know her. She is my friend.”

“And a werewolf.” Logan added.

“It’s called a Wolfblood. I know this is hard to believe, but you saw it! Don’t freak out, I promise you, she is not dangerous!”

“So you came here, to ask me to keep your little secret?” Logan asked.

Maddy nodded and stared at the ground.

“Relax. It’s none of my business. And believe me, I have seen freakier things than that!”

Maddy looked up.

“Didn’t your friend tell you? I’m a freak myself.” She lifted one of her hands, and in terror Maddy saw long metal claws grow from them. Maddy swallowed hard.

“I’m not scared of your wolf-friend. It’s maybe better, you’d be afraid of me.”

“Is that a threat?” Maddy asked cautiously.

Logan suddenly looked very troubled. “No.” She finally said. “But shit tends to happen around me all the time. You’d better not be around, when it hits the fan.”

With the metallic sound, the blades retracted into her hands again, and she got up.

Maddy suddenly felt the great burden on the girl’s shoulders. Something terrible had happened to her. Maybe, that was why she came to Stoneybridge, to run from it.

It was clear, that Logan wanted her to leave, so she got up too, and went for the door.

“Maddy.” Logan said, when the had reached the door. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Maddy smiled. “Thanks.”

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