Spirit Eaters 01, Three Girls

Thunder rumbled in the distance as heavy, steady rain pounded the roof of the abandoned house. Rebecca sat cross-legged in the middle of the floor in front of a thick candle. She wore a long, black skirt, a t-shirt two sizes too large, and a denim jacket. Around her she had drawn a thick-lined circle of white chalk and covered the chalk with a narrow line of salt. Behind her, a long, sleek wolf was curled snuggly against her hips and legs. Georgia's fur was grey, speckled with black. Her face was covered in white, but the top of her head, shoulders and the ridge down her spine was a soft brown that tapered down to nothing halfway along her back.

They were on the second floor of an abandoned duplex house. The room was dry and dusty, but the air was cold and moist. The wind buffeted the plywood that covered up each window. In the next room, wet leaves and branches slapped against the window. They had climbed the tree and pried open the plywood under the cover of dark. They had closed the window, but the plywood had fallen to the ground. The air was cold, but they ignored it. At least they were dry.

Rebecca pulled her shoulder length black hair back with a brown scrunchie. Once her hair was out of her face, she picked up an incense stick in each hand and held them over the lit candle. They caught the flame and Rebecca blew them out so they could smolder. She focused her eyes on the candle flame and began breathing slow and deep, thinking of warmth. After a while, the only sound other than the rumbling in the clouds overhead was Georgia, snorting in the midst of a dream. She then rolled on her back, nearly pushing Rebecca forward into the candle.

"Hey," said Rebecca, "I was concentrating." Rebecca paused, smacked the lit candle wick with the flat of her palm and grabbed the candle. She flung it against the wall with an angry grunt. She sighed when she realized she had splattered hot wax onto her newly stolen jeans. The hot wax on her palm stung, but she ignored it.

"It wasn't working, anyway," said Rebecca. "That damn fool at the bookstore didn't know what she was talking about. Spirits of the house, my ass." She leaned to one side, dropping her elbow to her knee, and her chin to her fist. Behind her, Georgia sighed in her sleep.

Rebecca could feel the house was empty. It wasn’t just uninhabited, it was dry, abandoned, and hollow. No one had lived here for a long time, and if any emotional resonance had ever soaked into the wall, it had bled out long ago. No one would bother the two companions as long as they were discreet, but the house just a shelter from the storm.

It was early morning when Rebecca woke. The storm had passed and all was quiet in the house, except for ... something. A dog barked outside. A door creaked inside. She quietly sat up from her where she had sprawled the night before. Her feet had smudged the chalk and broken the circle of salt. Not that it matters, she thought, looking at where Georgia’s tail has swept the salt completely.

She had been using Georgia as a pillow, but Georgia did not move when Rebecca moved. "Are you awake?" whispered Rebecca, on her hands and knees, her head hovering over Georgia's head. Georgia opened her eyes.

"You hear anything?" asked Rebecca. "Smell anything?" Georgia gave her an annoyed canine look.

Rebecca sighed, sitting back on her heals and taking off her denim jacket. She sunk into concentration and shifted. Her body became smaller, leaner, more like a wolf. Then, she was a wolf. Her skirt fell off her haunches, but her t-shirt stayed on, loose. Each shift drained her a little, but being a wolf made hunting easier, with sharper sense and sharper teeth.

Rebecca sniffed the air, smelling her human scent lingering in the air mixed with Georgia's wolf scent. There was a hint of perfume, also. Rebecca looked down at Georgia and narrowed her eyes, wondering where Georgia was hiding the perfume. It smelled expensive and stolen. Then, Rebecca heard something downstairs. The door was open slightly, enough for her four legged frame to slip through, so she quietly slunk into the hallway. She edged towards the staircase and peered down. A shadow moved towards the front of the house. Rebecca's wolf face mimicked a human smile with an eerie ease.

The stairs were covered with musty carpet, so Rebecca's claws did not click on her way down. She peered around the corner when she reached the bottom and saw a small canine tail disappear into the front room. Keeping low and quiet, Rebecca moved down the hall. When she reached the front room, she hesitated, then stepped forward, halfway into the room.

The dog looked like a wolf, bit it was about the size of a coyote, but this one was skinny, even by coyote standards. The little wolf spun as soon as it detected Rebecca's presence. It had a spark of cunning and intelligence in its eyes, and Rebecca suspected it was also a shape-shifter. She could feel it, its energy resonating with hers. They were kin, in some spiritual way that Rebecca was still struggling to understand.

Rebecca sniffed the air. The little wolf was female. Rebecca couldn't tell how old the little thing was, though. It didn't act like a frightened pup, despite its size, and it had the shape of a mature wolf, if not the size.

Rebecca could feel Georgia's presence approaching behind her, and hear the subtle sounds of her larger friend padding across the carpet down the hall. The little wolf picked up Georgia's scent and was on the verge of panic. She shifted, then sat with her back against the wall, pull her shirt over her bare knees and shins. Rebecca was still self-conscious about being naked, but at least she still had her shirt. Georgia stepped through the doorway, looked at Rebecca, then back to the little wolf.

Georgia shifted into her stunning human form, obviously not shy about her absence of clothing. Her classic Irish beauty usually turned heads, too many heads, according to Rebecca, but Georgia just brushed it off as jealousy. Standing up, she put on her bright, happy face, but the little wolf wasn't buying into it. The little thing remained low in a crouch, like she was going to jump over them and fly out the back window. Her racing heart pulsed against her bare ribs showing through her thin coat.

"What's your name, girl?" asked Rebecca, calmly. "Are you just coyote, or are you really a wolf?"

The little wolf relaxed a little, resting her body on the floor, but her legs were still ready. She still looked ready to bolt without warning. The two larger females gave no hint of violence, but the little one remained cautious.

"Maybe she is shy," said Georgia. "She doesn't have a shirt to hide behind." She wasn't intending on being mean, but she always came across with an air of superiority.

"Then, maybe you could go get our stuff from upstairs," suggested Rebecca.

"What if our little friend decides to run?" asked Georgia. "You think you could stop her, without blocking the doorway?"

"I have no intention of stopping her," said Rebecca. "If she wishes to leave, she can walk, run, whatever."

"Fine," said Georgia, "But I was hoping for a game of tag." Georgia turned and pranced down the hall and up the stairs.

Rebecca remained motionless, watching the little wolf. The wolf tilted her head to one side, glanced down the hallway, then back at Rebecca. Then, without warning, the little wolf shifted, taking on the form of a little woman. She settled her new form on her bare belly, with her knees bent, feet up in the air. She planted her elbows on the carpet and rested her chin on her fists. Rebecca smiled.

"call me Sarah," said the small woman. She was young, maybe late teens, early twenties, but she wasn't the little girl that her size suggested.

"I bet you thought you were the only one," said Rebecca, "Shape-shifter, I mean."

Sarah was quiet for a moment, then said, "Yeah, up until the other packs started hunting me."

Rebecca felt her heart quicken. She sat up, then moved to sit on her heels. "Packs?"

"There are more shape-shifters than just the three of us," said Sarah. She was surprised at Rebecca’s ignorance.

"How many more?" asked Rebecca, unsure if she was happy or frightened.

"Rebecca," said Georgia, suddenly appearing in the doorway, dressed in loose jeans and an unbuttoned blouse. "I bet you haven't even bothered to give this girl your name." Georgia was staring at Sarah. Sarah looked up, startled. Georgia continued, "My name is Georgia. This is Rebecca. These are Rebecca's spare shorts and t-shirt." She tossed the clothes onto the floor next to Sarah.

"How many more?" Rebecca repeated, almost urgent.

"I count about ten packs in the county," said Sarah, "Although, I suspect there are more. Occasionally, they fight bloody turf wars. I try to avoid them. They tend to be less than friendly."

"What, like, there is a whole community of shape-shifters?" asked Georgia, handing Rebecca her backpack and clothes. "Were they all wolves?"

"They all seemed canine," said Sarah. She seemed eager to speak, like she was desperate for social interaction. "I didn't know there were that many kinds of wolves, but, I guess they looked more wolfish than anything else."

"When I first saw you, I thought-," Rebecca didn't finish her sentence, but Sarah understood.

"You thought I could have been a coyote," said Sarah. "I heard. I have always been small, but it helps me hide."

Rebecca narrowed her eyes, eyeing Sarah. "Have you always had to hide?"

Sarah met Rebecca's gaze. "Pretty much. I have been on my own since I was ten. I first changed when I was sixteen. I'm twenty, now."

"Huh," said Rebecca, mostly to herself. "I changed last year."

"You've been on the streets for ten years?" asked Georgia, astounded.

"Yes, Georgia," said Rebecca, "It is true that some people in this world don't have big houses or expensive cars." Georgia gathered her composure and glared at Rebecca. "You see, Sarah, Georgia here grew up with silver and gold."

"I'm hungry," said Georgia, ignoring Rebecca. "Let's go." She turned and headed to the back of the house.

Sarah quickly got dressed in Rebecca's clothes. The shirt was way to big, and she had to hang onto the shorts or they would drop. Sarah put her skirt on and secured her backpack.

"Don't worry about Georgia," said Rebecca. "She is usually friendly, if a bit naive."

"Not a problem," said Sarah. "I'm a bit rusty with the whole social scene, myself. I have been spending most of my time as a wolf, lately. It is easier to hunt rats." Rebecca scrunched her face at the thought of eating a rat. Sarah saw this and giggled. "Oh, and then there is the occasional goose. I try to save those for the holidays, though."

They both stood and looked at each other. They began to laugh at the way they were dressed.

"I think we need to go shopping tonight," said Rebecca as she turned and headed to the back of the house. "Clothes shopping!"

"If that's what girls do," said Sarah with a shrug and followed Rebecca.