“Joe!” Kelly yelled. “Where are you, Joe!”
I wanted to shift so I could smell him, but Mom and Dad said I couldn’t shift without them there. I had my tether, and he had me, but it still wasn’t safe. There were all sorts of things in the woods.
But Joe was gone, and no one knew where he was. It’d o
nly been three days, but I had failed him. Mom and Dad said I had to protect him, and I failed.
We went deeper into the woods.
Dad found us eventually.
“What are you doing?” he roared at us. His eyes were red.
We cowered. I shoved Kelly behind me as he whimpered.
Our father fell to his knees. He held out his arms.
We ran to him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, holding us tightly. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t find you, and I was frightened. I didn’t mean to be so loud. I didn’t mean to scare you. What are you doing out here? You’re supposed to be in bed.”
“We gotta find Joe,” Kelly said.
“Oh,” my father said. “Oh, oh, oh.”
That was the second time I ever saw my father cry.
IT WENT LIKE THIS:
Joe came back.
But he wasn’t the same.
He looked like the same Joe. He had all his fingers and toes. He had all his teeth. His nose was still there, and his knees were still knobby.
But there was nothing behind his eyes.
They were dark, as if a light had gone out.
I took him everywhere.
I carried him in the house.
I carried him in the woods.
I carried him around the lake.
Dad said, “Here, Carter, let me have him.”
He reared back when I snarled at him, eyes flashing, fangs dropping.
“Don’t,” I snapped at him. “Don’t, don’t, don’t.”
My father stepped back slowly.
I carried him away.
I said, “Hey, Joe. Look at the birds.”