Eric trudged through the forest that surrounded Beacontown. Twigs snapped under his feet, echoing eerily through the trees around. He was scared shitless, and yet he couldn't stop himself from walking into the thickness of the woods. Every fibre of his being wanted to bolt out of there, but it was as though there was an invisible energy pulling him deeper and deeper into the forest.
He paused and looked around, realising that he was severely lost. If he took a detour left, he might come out to Beth's backyard in about twenty minutes. His mouth went dry as he thought of Lauren, only a few minutes away from him. How he missed her, how he wished things could go back to the way they used to be, before....well, everything had happened, but he knew that everything was past wishing for at this point. He still was getting used to the idea that his best friend was a werewolf.
He'd left his house last night, and now it was almost night again. He'd been walking aimlessly around for a whole day, unsure of his purpose or his destination. He couldn't explain the kind of force that pulled him to the woods: it was like he had to be here, or he would miss something important.
He leaned against a tree in exhaustion and stared up at the slowly dwindling sunset. He touched his bandaged torso, thinking about the vicious animal that had torn at him with claws sharper than arrowheads. He remembered staring into those great red eyes, before he'd heard a voice that had called the wolf to order.
The same voice that had haunted his dreams up until this moment.
Eric shook his head and leaned away from the tree, then continued hiking through the forest. He had tried to hide it from Lauren, but ever since he'd been attacked by Doctor Makovsky's rabid wolf, he'd felt...different. He'd stopped seeing the world from the lens of a regular boy. Literally, his eyesight felt sharper—he didn't need his glasses anymore. The last night he'd spent in Beth's house, he'd found himself sneaking into her fridge and rummaging in it for some raw meat. Sometimes, his body began to itch, as though he was no longer comfortable in this skin.
He didn't know what to do or who to tell. He supposed Lauren would understand if he told her, since she was a werewolf herself. But would she? A voice inside him mused. She was a werewolf, all right, but wouldn't she look at him as though he was mad, which he probably was? Lycanthropy couldn't be transmitted through claw wounds.
"Stop thinking about werewolves!" He muttered to himself furiously, dead leaves crunching under his feet. "Just keep moving."
But he couldn't just keep moving. He couldn't wander the earth for the rest of his life.
As that thought crossed through his mind, he heard a rustling up in the trees. He stopped, hackles raised, and slowly looked up.
Nothing.
His mind was most definitely playing tricks on him again.
He took a step forward, and suddenly he was knocked to the ground by something heavy. He rolled on the forest ground, hit a nearby tree hard, then sprang to his feet, panting, and looked around.
Lia stood a few metres away, crouched low, her teeth bared in a growl and her eyes glowing dangerously. When she saw him, the glow in her eyes died down and she stood from her crouch.
"Oh." She muttered. "It's you."
"Yes, me. A very hurt, very confused me." He grumbled, rubbing his head where it had hit the tree.
Lia cocked an eyebrow and looked at him through hooded eyes. "I suppose you're expecting an apology."
He shrugged. "Maybe. Why were you following me?"
"Beth told me to keep an eye on you." She replied, then gave him a distasteful once-over. "And apparently, you really need to be watched."
She moved in his direction. He still couldn't get used to werewolves, their litheness and impossible swiftness, the way they seemed to defy the laws of science by simply existing. His mind flashed back to the hitchhike to Perkins that he'd taken with those werewolves, how the redheaded one had sprung at him like a Jack-in-the-box and grabbed his neck.
He took a step back as Lia moved closer. "Um, why did Beth ask you to keeo an eye on me?"
Lia rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms. "It's because human boys are so stupid, and they do even stupider things. Trust me, I don't like this job either."
Eric shrugged. "Then you can turn and go back."
Lia grimaced. "Boy, Lauren has been worried sick ever since you left the house. She barely comes out of her room anymore. Only that asshole Aidan is allowed in there."
Eric's heart jumped. "She's been worried sick?" He asked quietly.
"Yes. She's scared that something bad is going to happen to you, now thay you've been exposed to our world. She thinks her....Doctor Makovsky is going to come for you next, knowing now that you are best friends." She eyed him warily. "The least you could do is stay put in your house instead of running amok in the forest."
"I am not running amok!" Eric scoffed. "I'm just..."
What exactly was he doing in the forest, if he was to be honest? It was like looking for a pin in a haystack, only he wasn't even sure if he was really looking for anything. He just felt pulled to this place, but how would he go about explaining that to this girl?
He raised both hands in surrender. "Look, can you just turn and go back? Tell Beth and Lauren that I'm perfectly fine and safe in my house. Please."
Lia scoffed. "No way, buddy. What happens when she goes to your house and finds out you're missing? I can't do that to her. Some of her friends actually care about her feelings."
Eric didn't miss the subtle jab behind her words. He knew she was referring to the fight he'd had with Lauren before leaving the bouse. Anger bloomed within him. "Hey, Lauren lied to me for four years about her true identity. You can't really blame me for being angry, can you?"
Lia looked at him with an unwavering look in her eyes. "You can't blame her. See how much danger you've brought upon yourself just by being in close proximity with people....like us. " She gestured at his torso. "Imagine Lauren having to deal with that constant danger for four to five years of her life. I'm sure she wouldn't want anyone she cares about to through the same thing."
Eric thought about this for a moment. His body warmed with guilt and embarassment at the way he'd treated Lauren, at the things he'd said to her. Lia was right. No good friend would do that to someone they truly loved.
"Doctor Makovsky told me something when I saw him." He murmured. "He said all he wants is Lauren and her mother by his side while he laid waste to this world, while he turned people into...beasts."
Lia nodded and shrugged. "Do you see why we need to keep her away from that man? Do you see why we need to stop him before he Turns more people?"
"Yeah, I get it." Eric replied hoarsely.
Lia sighed. "You can carry on. Go wherever you want. I'll tell Beth that you're still with your mom, if she asks."
"Um, yeah. Thanks." Eric nodded curtly, then turned his back to her and continued walking through the trees.
"Oi! Human!" Lia called out. 
He turned back. "Yeah?"
"We have to protect Lauren at all costs, from her father." She said with a determined look in her eyes. "You get that, right?"
"Yeah," Eric swallowed. "Yeah, I do."