"I... I... I can't... sleep."
Ruth's voice was a small, broken whisper in the darkness of Bruce's room.
It was 4:32 AM. The world was a deep, cold, pre-dawn grey.
She... hadn't... gone... home. She... had... tried. She... had... walked... to... her... driveway. And... she... had... stopped.
She... couldn't... go... in. She... couldn't... look... at... her... algebra... homework. She... couldn't... face... her... mom's... pancake-breakfast... world.
Her... world... was... over.
She... had... come... back.
She... had... tapped... on... his... window.
Now... they... were... sitting... on... his... floor, their... backs... against... his... bed, a... throne... of... teenage... anxiety. They... weren't... touching. A... foot... of... cold... air...separated... them.
"Me... neither," Bruce whispered. The... drugging... tea... Anah... had... given... him... had... worn... off, leaving... a... chemical... headache. "I... keep... seeing... it. The... way... they... hit... the... car."
"I... keep... hearing... the... 'CRACK'. Anah... is... downstairs," Ruth... said, hugging... her... knees. "I... can... hear... her. Humming. That... awful... humming. She... hasn't... slept."
"She's... scared," Bruce... muttered. "She's... been... scared... my... whole... life. I... just... thought... she... was... weird."
"She... is... weird," Ruth... said, and... a... tiny, hysterical... laugh...escaped... her. "We... are... all... weird. This... is... weird, Bruce."
"I... know."
He... looked... at... her. Her... face... was... pale... in... the... grey... light. Her... hair... was... a... mess. She... looked... exhausted. And... she... was... beautiful. And... she... was... here.
"Ruth... why... did... you... come... back?" he... asked, the... question...a... raw... ache.
She... turned... her... head...on... her... knees... to... look... at... him. Her... eyes... were... dark, heavy... pools.
"I... don't... know," she... whispered, honestly. "I... just... knew... that... being... alone... in... my... room... was... worse. Being... alone... was... scarier... than... being... here... with... you." She... paused. "I... am... still... terrified... of... you, Bruce. Just... a... little."
He... flinched.
"But... I'm... more... terrified... of... the... 'Husk'-thing. The... shadow-man. Anah... said... it's... out... there."
"It... is." Bruce... looked... at... his... window. He... felt... it. Ever... since... the... wolf... appeared, he'd... had... a... new... sensation. A... cold... prickle... on... his... skin. A... feeling... of... being... watched.
"What... are... we... going... to... do?" she... asked.
"I... don't... know." He... looked... at... his... hands. "I... am... a... weapon. That... can't... aim. I... am... a... bomb... that... loves... you. That's... a... bad... combination."
"No," she... said, and... her... voice... was... suddenly... fierce. She... slid... that... foot... of... space...and... leaned... her... shoulder... against... his. Her... small... warmth... was... a... shock. "It's... not... a... bad... combination. It's... our... ONLY... combination. It's... the... only... weapon... we... HAVE. Your... love... for... me... it's... not... the... flaw, Bruce. It's... the... trigger. We... just... have... to... learn... how... to... AIM... it."
He... looked... at... her. Her... logic... was... insane. And... perfect. "How... do... we... do... that?"
As... if... summoned... by... the... question.
It... arrived.
It... didn't... knock.
It... walked... through... the... wall.
One... second, the... wall... was... solid... plaster. The... next, *the... giant, spectral, blue-glowing... wolf... was... just... THERE. It... stepped... out... of... the... plaster...like... it... was... mist, its... icy-blue... light... instantly... flooding... the... grey... room.
"AHH!"
Ruth... screamed, a... full-on, blood-curdling... shriek, scrambling... backward... and... pulling... herself... up... onto... Bruce's... bed.
Bruce... was... on... his... feet... in... an... instant. He... didn't... think. He... moved.
He... put... himself... between... Ruth... and... the... wolf.
It... was... the... exact... same... instinct. Dickson. Now... this.
"Get... back!" Bruce... yelled, his... hands...half-raised. He... could... feel... the... mark... on... his... shoulder...BURN... cold. He... was... ready.
The... wolf, Lupos,... stopped. It... stood... in... the... center... of... the... room, its... spectral... form... shimmering, its... icy... eyes... ancient... and... cold.
It... looked... at... Bruce, his... arms... spread... protectively.
It... looked... at... Ruth, cowering... on... the... bed, her... hand... at... her... mouth.
It... huffed. A... soundless... snort... of... disdain. Of... impatience.
It... radiated... a... feeling. NOT... AN... ENEMY. NOT... A... THREAT. YOU... ARE... WEAK.
"We... we... we... know!" Bruce... panted, his... heart...hammering. "Who... are... you?"
The... wolf... ignored... him. It... looked... at... Ruth. The... Trigger. It... looked... at... Bruce. The... Weapon.
It... hissed, a... low, soundless...growl... of... pure, cold...urgency. THEY... ARE... HERE. THE... DARK. THE... SHADOW. THEY... WATCH... THIS... HOUSE. AND... YOU... SIT. YOU... HIDE. YOU... WHISPER. YOU... ARE... A... BOMB... WITH... NO... FUSE.
"We... we... we... don't... know... what... to... do!" Bruce... yelled.
TRAIN.
The... wolf... moved. It... nudged... Bruce's... leg. Its... muzzle... passed... right... through... his... jeans, and... a... wave... of... absolute... COLD... shot... up... his... thigh, making... his... leg... buckle. It... was... the... coldest... thing...he... had... ever... felt.
It... was... not... a... request.
It... was... a... command.
It... nudged... him... again. Harder. Toward... the... door. Toward... the... backyard.
NOW. TRAIN. OR... DIE.