Spring in Lupas Town

It was only what seemed a few minutes before we arrived in Winter Town.

Before I knew it we were at Ashley's house. "Well see ya tomorrow I guess."

"OK thanks!" I hollered. I ran into the house and sure enough Deven was standing there. "You knew where I was, I told you." I said as if I was talking to a security guard.
"It's not that," His expression suddenly turned sad. "Dad hasn't come yet."

I walked into the house and saw Dad watching the news.
"Hey." I said, dropping the keys on the counter.
"How was the movie?" He asked.
"Horrible. It was a stupid action-horror thing." I said, laughing.
"Oh. I know you just got home but I think you should go to sleep. Uncle Jerry is coming by tomorrow." He said, lowering the TV volume.
"Really? Why?" I asked.
"Well, he's going on a bussiness trip in a different state but he's just gonna stop here for a day or two on his way." My dad said.
"Sounds good." I said and ran up the stairs. I flopped onto the mattress and fell asleep very easily.

"Well I have to go look for him!" I said. "You can stay here in case he comes back, but I don't wanna bother Gina."
"Oh, how was the movie, i forgot to ask." Deven said, sitting down on the couch suddenly looking utterly bored.
"Horrible, there wasn't even a plot."
"Leave it to you to focus on such a thing during a movie." Deven said. "Well, if I'm waiting here might as well watch some TV." Deven flipped on the news.
"Wait!" He suddenly got up and looked at me right before I was about to go outside. "We can report him to the news, right?"
"Let's wait one more day before we get involved with the police, alright? For me?"
"Oh, right, wolf girl. OK."
"Thanks Dev!"
I said racing out into the forest.

I woke up in the middle of the night (which seemed to be happening a lot lately) and didn't feel tired. So I went downstairs and turned on the tv. I watched for a few minutes with a bag of potatoe chips in my hand until I thought I saw something out the window into the forest. It looked like it was Ashley but I knew if I went out into the forest again my dad would kill me. So I watched nightly news until I fell back asleep on the couch.

For a second I expected to wake up a wolf out in the forest, but then I remembered I had gotten back to the house. I walked downstairs, and Deven was still asleep on the couch, snoring loudly. Apparently, he had left the TV on. I switched it off and checked the kitchen clock. It was almost noon. Crap. I ran to Gina's house, it was morning and she probably wasn't asleep.

I was half-asleep when I realized someone was nudging me.
"Whaaaat?" I groaned, my eyes still closed.
"Gina, Uncle Jerry's here." John whispered to me. "Now get up, you're taking up the whole couch."
My eyes burst opened and I quickly stood up pushing off the blanket and chip crumbs.
"Hey Uncle Jerry!" I said, seeing my father and my uncle sitting at the kitchen table.
"Gina! You've gotten so big!" He said. the typical thing a relative says when they haven't seen you in a few years. My uncle looked the same though. He still had the beard and the moustache, the gray hair.
"So how long have you been here?" I asked.
"Oh, about ten minutes. Didn't mean to wake you up." He laughed.
"Oh, it was time for me to get up anyway." I said, looking at the clock. "Dad, I'm going to go upstairs and get changed. Be back in a minute." I said as I pounced up the steps. When I got to my room I tried calling Ashley. Right as I was about to press "Send" the doorbell rang and it was Ashley.
"Hey, I was just about to call you." I said, stepping onto the front porch.

"Oh. Well, when I got home last night Deven was there of course, but my dad wasn't. It's been about three days down ever since I stayed out late with the whole Drew thing. I went out last night to find him, no luck. Sarah was out there but she didn't help one bit." I leaned in the doorway. "Looks like you got someone over. Maybe I should come back later?"

"Oh, my uncle is visiting. But this is important. So where did your dad go exactly? And when was he supposed to be back?"

"I don't know. He should have been back the next morning at the max. He probably went to the forest. And that's what worries me."

"Uh oh. That can't be good." I said, swallowing hard. "But I have good news. The other day I saw Aubrey in the forest and she said 'No need to worry about me. My family and I are going to be out of town for a few weeks.'. So you don't have to worry about it having to with them."

"That's good, no great. I wonder where they went? Anyway, I'm going back to wake up Deven, then I'll go searching. You can go later since you have someone over."

"Sounds good. I'll call you later." I said. "Bye."
I went back inside to my family.
"What was that all about?" John asked, stuffing a donut in his mouth.
"Ashley's dad hasn't been home for a few days. No one knows where he is." I said, picking up a donut for myself.
"Oh my. If she needs help with anything tell her we are here." My father offered.
"I'll be sure to tell her." I said, sitting on the couch. "I told her I would go with her to the forest tonight to search for him. Thats where he went missing."
"I'll go with you." My uncle said. "Your father told me about your little wolf secret. I haven't seen a wolf in a while so I would love to come help you look."
I laughed. "Oh yeah, lucky me. Thanks though."

"Bye, and thanks." I headed back to my house where Deven had managed to get up and start making himself some breakfast.
"Good news." I said. "Gina's gonna help me look tonight."
"Good." Deven said. "I'm guessing I'll be staying here again?"
"Yep." I smiled. "Thanks, you want breakfast?"
"Yes. Can I have some eggs?"
"Yes what?" I said like I was talking to a five year old.
"Yes please mother." He laughed and so did I.

I finished eating breakfast and headed out to the forest, saying bye to Deven, phasing and carrying my clothes in my mouth again.

I walked into the house carrying my bag.
My dad laughed. "You actually got her to go shopping?"
"Yeah right." I said, laughing. "He bought them for me and I waited outside.
I ran up the stairs and put the clothes in my dresser. Then I tried calling Ashley.

"Dev, I found dad, and his…uh… friend." Deven looked up and ran up and actually hugged him, that's a once in a lifetime thing. " What happened, and who's that?" I said pointing to the man who still looked at me like some kind of monster.

I stumbled into the house and felt like I was going to pass out.
"Any luck?" My dad asked from the living room
"Yep, we found him. He wasn't hurt but he was with a man who was severely injured." I told him. I quickly ran to the kitchen and picked up a piece of cold pizza. I stuffed it into my mouth. I was so hungry I didn't have the time to heat it up.
"Thats great!" He said. "Maybe you should stop by there tomorrow and see how they are."
"Sounds good." I said, finishing the slice of pizza. "I gotta go to sleep right now." I said, forcing myself up the stairs. I flopped onto my mattress and fell asleep instantly.

"Well, I was looking for you, and became lost as you know. I was walking around when I saw some hikers, or it was really just one, standing there. He just suddenly collasped and I was afraid he was dead. He wasn't but there was this deep gash across his chest. Also along his arms and legs there were multiple gashes. It looked like he had a broken leg. All the other campers were dead. I found a couple of first aid kits and that's why he's alive, but what happened to him exactly, is another story which he can tell." My dad motioned to he man. He looked very nervous, and didn't say anything Deven shrugged and walked away. "I wouldn't blame him for being afraid." Deven said as he asked, "Pizza, anyone? Ordered it while you guys were gone."
"I'm going to sleep.' I went upstairs and fell asleep.

I yawned and hopped out of bed. It was already noon. I walked down stairs and saw french toast on the table. It was probably cold but I didn't care. I picked it up and ate it then walked into the living room.
"Hey." I said. My dad, uncle and brother all sat on the couch. Well John was actually on the floor 'cause we have a small couch.
"Hey." John said back to me. "Dad told me they found your friends dad."
"Yeah." I said. I wasn't saying much because I was still very sleepy. I walked back upstairs and got changed. I put on one of my new t-shirts, a pair of old ripped up shorts, my new jacket and my sneakers.
I went out to the back porch and sat on one of the chairs, falling back asleep.

I woke up and there was that man again. "Oh My gosh what are you doing?"
"Hello my name is Evan Gringo. I can tell you what happened. "
"Okay..."

"Bye Uncle Jerry." I said, giving my uncle a hug. We were outside next to my uncles truck and he was about to leave.
"Bye everyone. It was so nice to see ya'll again. Maybe I'll stop by on my way back from the trip!" He said.
"That'de be great." John said.
My uncle gave us one more final goodbye then hopped in his truck and skidded out of the driveway.
"Now you kids will be here alone for a little bit. I'm going to the grocery store." My dad informed us.
"Dad, I'm 15 and he's 19. We can handle it." I laughed.
"I know you can. See ya soon." He said and got into his truck.
"Sis, I'm gonna be watching the game on TV so you go find something else to do." John said, opening the door.
"Fine." I said. "I will."
i went into my room, desperate to find something to do. So I decided to send an email to one of my friends from my old school. It was a way to waste time.

Evan was sitting on my bed and for a second he looked like ateenager. " You see, I have been an orphan all my life, and I've always been with this group of hikers. Then that one day all of a sudden it was flashes of a shadow or person and everyone dropped dead, except me. I was so shocked, I…I…"

After being bored for 15 minutes I decided to call Ashley.