Sharon’s note: So here’s the end of the story. I miss the characters already and am planning for the book. I hope you you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. May the fray well become you. Warning: Author is planning more of these violent shenanigans.
I opened my eyes with a sputter. Icy cold water dripped from my nose, chin and hair. Another of whatever hit me flew towards my face, and I reached out to catch it. It exploded in my hand, splashing me again. A water balloon?
“Are you back with us, Roxy?” Alex called out from around the van. He’d learned that approaching directly while I was in one of my episodes could result in an accidental stabbing that I would deeply regret later. I was even holding the hunting knife, so it would have been a relatively mundane stabbing. Something he would survive, but not fun for anyone.
“Yeah. I am depressingly sane at the moment.” And wet. Some of it was water, but most of it was blood. The bodies of werewolves were scattered everywhere. One of them was halfway to the van, and was missing the top part of his head. I couldn’t remember clearly, but I didn’t think I did that. Must have been Paloma. She liked really big bullets. I held up the remains of the balloon. “Good idea. These snapped me right out of it.”
“Well, I figured they would, since you have a lot in common with a house cat.” He motioned me forward. “Come on. Brian and his sister are having a heart-to-heart in the back, so you’re sitting up front with me.”
“Where’s Paloma going to sit?” I leaped over the mangled body of the wannabe on the way back to the van. How had I even gotten his neck at that angle?
“She’s back there too, holding tissues.”
“Better her than me.” I hopped into the passenger side and immediately fussed with the stereo. Brian was deep in conversation with Sarah. He didn’t even yell at me for getting blood on his seat. I got some Jethro Tull on. I kept it low, so I didn’t disturb anyone, and began moving my fingers along with the flute part. Alex pulled us away from the scene. Knowing him, he’d already called someone to deal with the bodies.
I asked to be let out before we got to town. The constant sobbing and arguing from the back seat was beginning to annoy me, and I had errands to run. I met them at Brian’s parents’ house after cleaning up. Alex was sitting on the front steps. He’d known I was coming and was waiting for me. Sometimes it concerned me how well he knew me. It straight up worried me how well he understood me.
“You look tired,” he said. There were people talking and moving around inside the house, but I couldn’t understand them.
I plopped down next to him. “It’s been a full night. Don’t you need to go find some cover soon.”
He nodded. “I wanted to talk to you first. Even with her boyfriend gone, I’m concerned that the rest of the pack will come after her. She’s going to stay here for right now, but they can’t stand up to a proper assault.”
I smirked and stretched. “I wouldn’t worry about them. She might try to join another group, but it won’t be that one.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Was that what you were off doing? Are they all dead?”
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “I only took out enough that they agreed she wasn’t welcome back.”
“Oh, my girl. They fray does well become you.” He patted my shoulder. “That Bedlam boy must be missing you terribly.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “He’ll just have to keep missing me. I’m never going back.”
Maudlin Girl Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8
Gray Matters: The Works of Sharon and James Gray 