Chapter Twenty-Eight: Talks In The Woods

(The Matriarch)

***

After what happened at the van, the walk to the scrapyard was uneventful.

Still, that didn't mean Hayden's guard was lowered as she watched the trees and the shadows lingering between them for any sign of werewolves, keenly aware of the bracelet in her pocket and the knife in her hand. She also watched for any sign of Nora, that if she ran into them, then they could direct her back to the lodge and get into the storm shelter—that was, if Nora was still alive.

If she hadn't been bitten.

Hayden shook the thoughts away, readjusting her grip on the knife. Nora was okay—she had to be. If anyone could survive a direct confrontation with a werewolf, it would be her.

"Have you been there before?" Dylan asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over them, the question directed at Kaitlyn.

"The scrapyard? Nah, just seen the sign on my to camp," Kaitlyn answered.

Hayden nodded—she and Nick had seen the sign as well. Nick had joked that was where Mr. Hackett disposed the bodies instead of in the woods while Hayden slapped his arm, trying to stifle her laughter at the bad, morbid joke.

Now, she'd give anything to hear Nick crack a joke, terribly morbid or otherwise, again.

You will. Allison will kill the werewolf that bit him, and you'll get Nick back, Hayden reminded herself, the thought bolstering her determination.

A noise sounded, making Hayden pause and turn around, Kaitlyn and Dylan doing the same, scanning the woods for a werewolf. But none came as Hayden realised the noise was a bird, her heart rate calming slightly.

"What if we just... like... walk to the main road?" Dylan suggested.

Hayden sighed. "Dylan."

"What?"

"This isn't the main road?" Kaitlyn asked, cutting Hayden off from her saying they'd run the risk of being prey to werewolves further the longer they were in the woods, main road or not.

"No, this is all Hackett property. The main road is another mile that way," Dylan explained.

Looking around her, Hayden remarked, "That sounds pretty convenient for the werewolves."

"Yeah. Wait, how do I know so much more about everything than you do?" Dylan asked Kaitlyn sarcastically.

"That'd be a first," Hayden quipped. Dylan shot a look at her and she just innocently smiled at him.

"Shut up. So basically it's another hour walk to the main road, and then at least another three to four hours until we hit the nearest... whatever?" Kaitlyn questioned.

"Yeah," Dylan confirmed.

"We don't have the time for that. We'll be eaten or bitten before—" Hayden started before a loud rustle came.

Whirling, Hayden, Dylan and Kaitlyn stared into the shadows as crows cawed, but nothing materialised out of the shadows following that noise.

"What was that?" Dylan breathed.

"Something large, furry and with lots of teeth," Hayden muttered, knife out in front of her, ready to stab the werewolf.

"Let's just keep moving," Kaitlyn decided.

Hayden nodded and Dylan mumbled, "Okay," before they turned and continued on for the scrapyard.

As they walked, Dylan looked at his stump, holding it as he mused, "So... I guess this is me now."

They stopped as Hayden looked at Dylan, at how he stared at the place where his hand had been pensively. She wondered if he could still feel it—that, like how she felt the absence of her twin keenly, he felt the absence of his hand as a phantom limb. Sympathy pain twinged in her claw marks at that, and she absentmindedly touched the makeshift bandage covering them as she looked at Dylan, ready to give him encouragement and support.

"What, you're gonna look great with a hook. We can call you Hooky McHook Face!" Kaitlyn encouraged

"That, or you can get a prosthetic hand! Those are popular. You can be like a cyborg, sort of," Hayden assured, smiling as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

Looking at the stump again, Dylan mused, "Yeah, I guess it's pretty... unique. I could get different attachments for it."

"Yeah man. Lean into it. One hell of a story too," Kaitlyn encouraged.

"Just like these are gonna be," Hayden assured, grinning as she held out her left arm and joked, "Wanna know how I got these scars? A werewolf scratched me. No seriously, that's the story."

Dylan and Kaitlyn grinned. Neither commented on how Hayden left out it was Nick transformed and twisted by the curse that had scratched her.

"Yeah, and they're pretty badass too," Kaitlyn complimented.

"Exactly," Hayden said.

"Yeah, I guess both are something to talk about on the radio station," Dylan agreed.

"We're all gonna be laughing about this in a few years. You, me... maybe even Ryan," Kaitlyn assured. Looking at Hayden, she added, "Maybe even Nick."

Hayden didn't say anything, doubting her brother would but she appreciated it.

"And, if anyone gives you any trouble over it, then screw them. You survived something horrifying and avoided a fate worse than death. If they're gonna be dicks about it and treat you differently... then screw them all," Hayden assured, smiling supportively. "And if you need me to stab anyone or punch someone, I can hop aboard a plane and get there as fast as I can."

"Exactly. Fuck whatever they're gonna think. We're all gonna stand by you and support you, no matter what. All of us—and Ryan," Kaitlyn assured. 

Dylan smiled in appreciation of their assurances, before he looked hopeful and said, "Kinda got close at the fire back the—am I crazy, or was something about to... happen?"

"I mean, you guys kissed, and Ryan seemed to like it from where I was sitting. If that doesn't say something, I don't know what does," Hayden pointed out, smiling at Dylan and hoping she was right—that her best friend and his crush might now be close enough to confess.

"And there's always next year, right?" Kaitlyn reminded with her own smile.

"Well, let's get through this year first," Dylan replied.

"And if there's a camp to come back to next year," Hayden pointed out. "Speaking of which... we should probably get to the scrapyard."

Kaitlyn and Dylan nodded as they resumed walking to the scrapyard, with Dylan saying, "Wouldn't really matter anyway. Looks like we finally know Ryan's type—confident and heroic. With an eyepatch."

Hayden snorted at that as Kaitlyn said, "So pirates?"

"Maybe she shivers his timbers," Dylan joked and Kaitlyn chuckled.

"Okay, one, she has a boyfriend, Dylan," Hayden reminded. "Two, I highly doubt that. That whole thing in the pool house was more like two unmovable forces clashing together. There was literally no tension between them aside from angry tension, no sparks—nothing."

"You sure, Hay?" Kaitlyn inquired, sounding dubious.

"I'm pretty sure," Hayden answered confidently, looking at Dylan as she did. She knew she was right—unlike with Dylan, Hayden knew there had been a lack of romantic or even sexual tension between Ryan and Laura during their combative interaction in the pool house, and she highly doubted it changed with them going after Chris Hackett to kill him and end the curse and cure Nick, Sarah and Max. And as she said, Laura was in a relationship and dedicated to Max—no way would anything be happening.

Her thoughts drifted away as they came around the corner and Kaitlyn said, "There."

Hayden looked, and saw a wire fence surrounding an area with mounds of metal vehicles and scrap, lights glinting hazily above.

The scrapyard. They'd arrived.

With a look, the trio walked up to it, to where inside they could find a rotor arm.

And finally get out of here.

But they'd barely gotten a step into it when a blinding light seared to life right in front of them, temporarily blinding Hayden as she squinted and threw up her uninjured arm to block out the bright light scorching her eyes.

"Oh shit!" Dylan swore, also trying to block out the light as he stumbled back.

"Relax, it's a motion sensor," Kaitlyn assured him. "We're okay. I think."

"Yeah, for now," Hayden muttered as she lowered her arm, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light after the darkness of the woods with only the full moon to serve as light. "Let's just get what we need, and get back to the lodge before we run out of luck."

"Agreed," Kaitlyn said, hefting the shotgun.

Looking at the mounds of scrap, Dylan snarked, "Oh look, steampunk's back in."

Hayden rolled her eyes as Kaitlyn said, "Ew. Come on, this way."

With that, she headed into the scrapyard as Hayden and Dylan followed close behind, the bright lights offering a hope to Hayden it would help them find what they needed faster. And, if any werewolf came after them, at least the motion sensor lights could blind them.

Still, Hayden wasn't kidding—they'd been unusually lucky in avoiding any encounters with a werewolf on their trek to the scrapyard. They shouldn't push it any further and just get what they needed and get the hell back to camp and out of there with Abi and hopefully Nora in tow.

Before their luck ran out.

***

Hayden: Thinking the scrapyard will be uneventful and easy

Me: >:)

I really liked writing this calm moment between the trio and Hayden and Kaitlyn supporting/cheering up Dylan over losing his hand (and yeah, Hayden would fly from Australia to wherever Dylan lives or goes to college at and punch anyone who'd mess with him about his missing hand) It was really nice to write and their interactions after all the chaos with the werewolves

And yeah, Hayden can tell there was NO tension between Ryan and Laura at all during the pool house (I thought there was no tension between them either as well. Plus, she has a BOYFRIEND, why would she have any tension with someone else anyway???) and the Rylan ship is going strong. If only she and Dylan knew how strong...

But they've made it to the scrapyard! And learn it's not so uneventful >:)

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!