The Werewolf Whisperer by H. T. Night Page A

inside.”
                  “So, this is where you’ve been?” I asked Tommy as he opened the door.  Wyatt, Yari, Hector, and Lena all walked in after him.  Apparently, werewolves weren’t given the same courtesy as humans.  Everyone walked in without an invitation. 
    “There’s an upstairs and a bath,” Tommy said. “My bedroom is upstairs and anyone is welcomed to have it.  One of the rooms is not in use though.”
    “Why is that?” I asked.
    “Check it out.”  Tommy walked over to a room next to the living room.  He went to the doorway and turned on the lights. I peaked in and saw a giant steel cage with bars as thick as 4x4’s.
    “What the hell is that?” I asked Tommy.
    “Sometimes I put myself in there.”  Tommy walked inside the room and made his way to the cage.  He opened the door of the cage and walked in.  There were five lengths of thick metal chains complete with wrist and ankle holsters at the back of the cage.  This is the type of cage I would have imagined they put ‘Hannibal Lechter’ in.  The cage was big enough to house ten gorillas. “These metal bars are what keep me from being a killer.” Tommy was obviously referring to when he becomes a werewolf.
    “Did you build this?” I asked
    “I got it from a zoo.”
    “That must have been an interesting conversation.”
    “The guys thought I was some sicko serial killer.”
    “He sold it to you anyway.” I said pointing out the obvious.
    “Two thousand dollars cold cash has a way of allowing people to see things your way.  For all I know when I become a werewolf I just might be a serial killer.”
    “You don’t know?” I asked.
    “Most Carni have no recollection when they become a werewolf. Some of the stronger ones can lead packs of werewolves and still have little recollection to the details of their night.  Sometimes I look at police reports to see if there is ever a file that fits my description.”
    “What description is that?”
    “Apparently when I turn, I become a six foot two gray werewolf.”
    “A gray werewolf?” I laughed.  “I knew you were older than what you admitted.”
    “It has nothing to do with age.  Look at Hector, he’s one of the palest guys I have ever seen, yet he becomes a black raven when he transitions”.
    I looked over at Tommy and shrugged. “Can you believe all this?  How the hell did we get thrown into the middle of this?”
    “Sometimes I wonder what any of this means.  Sometimes I feel each of us is just a pawn in the Triat’s twisted game.”
    I paused and leaned against the wall staring at the odd visual of my best friend standing inside of a steel cage. “Thank you, Tommy.” I said.
    “For what?”
    “Coming to help me, and trying to take on 200 Mani vampires by yourself.”
    “Yeah, I was a big help,” Tommy said sarcastically.
    “It doesn’t matter. You risked your life for me.”
    Tommy paused and smiled.  “All right, Josiah.  Don’t get all misty-eyed on me.  You were the one who came back and got me.”
    “You would have done the same if you could fly.” 
    Tommy nodded.  “Let’s go out to the others.”
    Tommy and I left the strange room and headed towards the kitchen. The kitchen was in the back of the cabin.  Wyatt and Hector were sitting at the kitchen table while Lena and Yari were looking through the cabinets.
    “What are you guys doing?” I asked
    Lena looked over her shoulder and said, “I’m seeing what supplies we have if all Armageddon breaks out.”
    “I don’t think we’re going to fight off a Mani army with pots and pans,” I said.
    Tommy walked over to Yari and whispered something in her ear. Yari nodded.
    What was that about?
    “So is this what we’ve been reduced to?” I announced. “We’re hiding out like fugitives.  I refuse to live this way.”
    “Look Josiah,” Wyatt spoke up.  “You are not ready to fight Krull.”
    “Huh?” I said to Wyatt.  “Where did that come from