Cornered

"I thought I'd be more imaginative than that," Beth said simply, sliding into the room and allowing Kira to follow her. "Copycat murders where never my thing." Kira smiled. Beth wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.1

The girls made a noticeable effort to stay at opposite ends of the room: Beth climbing into her bunk, Kira sitting down at her desk. For a few moments, there was silence - an unusual occurrence for Elizabeth.2

"So, the mind-reading part was true, at least." Beth sat against the wall, six feet above the floor, holding her knees against her chest. It was more of a statement than a question, and Kira said nothing.3

Elizabeth didn't know what to do. Denying the blatant truth wasn't possible. Telling yourself there is no such thing as monsters looses validity when you are a monster yourself. Beth almost snorted at her own humor, sick as it was. Some sort of immortal with a thirst for blood was in her room, and she was contemplating double entendres. It was poetic, but unpractical.4

Her family would know what to do: all of the great aunts and uncles; her grandmother - the wise matriarch. Her fierce father, small but mighty mother, brother who was already coming into his strength at twelve years old. Generations of "creatures of the night" making music in the great Midwest.5

But her pack was nowhere near: within howling distance, but Liz didn't dare. Humans were unaccustomed to hearing wolves this far east. As confused as she was, it was not worth causing a panic. Her family was civilized. They honored humanity: did their best to blend in.6

Still, Kira had not moved. She shifted, fiddling with her laptop, organizing her desk within an inch of its life. But her body did not rise from the chair. How could she sit so still? Beth was holding herself together by the threads of her clothes. Of course, Kira was not fully aware of the situation - not like Beth.7

What were the odds? Beth wondered, that the both of us would be put together? She was too frightened to climb down to get her pajamas. She could drag down a deer by herself now. But so could Kira.8

Like the girl through the wall, she cried for her family that night. But for an entirely different reason.