Words

Constance came home from work that day a little later than usual. She wasn't sure if the sick leave they had agreed on for Asher's work at the hospital would buy enough time for him to turn back into a human. She wasn't sure if the money they paid for Jamie's injury plus the extra amount he had asked for could buy enough time for the both of them.

Even if he stays as a wolf… I'm still going to take care of him, she made up her mind. Asher was still Asher, and nothing can stop me from loving him.

She put on a brave smile, stood taller, and breathed deeply to prepare herself for whatever was about to happen. "I'm home, honey!"

However, the enthusiastic act she put on immediately died as soon as she opened the door. The house was quiet, except for a silent beeping noise in the kitchen. She took off her shoes and took a step, barefoot.

"Ouch," she murmured as she watched a drop of blood form on her toe. A shard of broken glass lay on the floor.

The kitchen was a mess. Plates were scattered here and there. A few wine bottles were shattered on the ground, its contents pouring out of the glass containers and staining the rug with a deep shade of red. Constance could smell the strong stench of alcohol lingering in the air. The fridge was left half opened, its alarm beeping away from leaving its door opened for way too long. She quickly slammed it shut, wondering if the groceries she brought yesterday were still edible. Pieces of fresh, frozen meat were placed sloppily on the counter, and ripped up shreds of its packaging littered the floor. Taking a closer look, she realised that the dining tablecloth was stained with bloody fingerprints.

With her heart hammering inside her chest and her lungs slowly running out of air, Constance hurried into their bedroom. The room was dark; the curtains were drawn and the lights were turned off. But she sensed the presence of a breathing creature somewhere near where she was standing. "Asher?" she called out to him.

In a second, she was thrown onto the floor, his body on top of her's. It took her a moment to adjust her vision from such an angle. She smiled uneasily to face the wolf. "Hey, you could've at least warned me before jumping out at me like this." He panted heavily, ignoring her words. His nose quivered as he sniffed her face up and down. His breath stank of rancid food scraps with a hint of a foul, ironic scent. Constance felt out of place being kept in such a position.

"You can let go of me now," she laughed nervously.

His grip tightened around her tiny wrists, pressing them harder against the wooden floorboards. She winced in pain as his claws dug deep into her flesh, drawing out blood. The moonlight suddenly illuminated the room, lighting up his face. That was when Constance realised that her husband was no longer a human anymore. His eyes were hectic, darting back and forth before focusing them on his prey.

"I said stop!" Constance cried out.

Her voice shook his senses back to place. Time stopped, just like that day when he couldn't bear to show her his very own face. And when it started again, he pranced away from her. Whimpering, he retreated back into the corner of the bedroom like a sad puppy.

You're not walking like a human anymore.

A wave of fear washed over her as she took a step towards the bedroom door away from the beast in the room. With her eyes kept on the wolf, she flicked the fluorescent lights on.

"Hey Asher, say something. Please." Her voice grew desperate as she watched the wolf in the room pace anxiously back and forth on all fours. "Say something!"

・・・

He could understand everything Constance was saying, but for some reason, his ability to form words from his mouth was gone. All he could remember was feeling psychotic, making a mess in the house, and almost feasting on his own wife. But after hearing her desperate outcry, something had ended his carnivorous actions in a matter of seconds. Nevertheless, he felt lonely.

It was as if he had put on an act, but no one could understand a word he said.

Now, he watched his own wife slump into the corner of the bedroom, weeping. It was almost as if they were living on separate islands with an ocean in between. He wanted to wipe away her tears, hug her, and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But when he took a step towards her, she ran out of the room and slammed the door shut.

He listened to her conversation with Evelyn on the phone through the plaster walls. "Evie, can I come over to your place tonight?"

And just as soon as she had arrived at home, she was gone. He listened to the sound of the car engine start up, and slowly fade away into the rain. The drops of water washed his sadness and sorrow into a pitiful, heavy-weighted ball that gathered at the bottom of his chest.

I don't want to be a burden to the people around me. I've already hurted two people: someone whom I thought I could trust, and someone I thought I could love and protect. It's time I stop forcing others to lie in the bed I've made for myself.

・・・

"Don't worry. You're going to wake up soon."