Chapter 2

Topher lay on Penelope's bed with a photo album in his hands. He was a fine work of art. Very dark chestnut hair and matching dark espresso eyes on wheatish skin. Chiseled square chin and a properly built six feet body. But while we studied him, his beautiful dark espresso eyes studied Penelope who was changing before him. Her hazel eyes, lightly tanned skin, very dark brown hair tied into a messy bun, and 5'6ft hourglass figure appeased him.

"What's funny. Why are you smiling?" Penelope who was now in matching black underwear asked Topher.

"Nothing. I just can't seem to get over how much you've grown since here" He showed her an old photo of two of them back in high school.

"That's not true Topher. I know you're lying. Oh my God! Am I getting fat? I suspected I've had way too much calory intake this week" Penelope began to panic. She was insecure about her body.

"No, you're not getting fat. I'd still like you if you did, but your body's okay?" Topher tried to calm her down. "Alright, c'mon. Why don't you join me over here" he tried to lure her into bed.

"Yeah nice try NimROD, but as much as I'd like to do that, I need to hurry up so we can get going already. The movie will be starting by five"

"NimROD? Penny, I wasn't talking about sex, we were only just going to cuddle and maybe kiss"

"You sure? Just cuddle and kisses?" Penelope asked warily as she climbed onto the bed to join Topher who was grinning from ear-to-ear like a little boy.

"And what do you two think you're doing?" someone whom they didn't notice when she entered interrupted their moment.

"Ah! mom?" Penelope jumped out of her bed. "I promise we're not doing what it seems like we're doing?" she covered herself with a blanket, mortified by her mom's presence.

"umm... I think I'll wait downstairs." Topher excused himself. He felt awkward being in a tense environment like this.

"Mom, what the heck? You know there's a reason why my room has a door. For PRIVACY. You should've knocked." Penelope scolded her mom as soon as Topher left.

"I don't think I did anything wrong. I'm pretty sure you two would've had sex under my roof if I hadn't interfered."

"No, we wouldn't"

"Yes, you would. But how would you know? You were under his pelvic sorcery!"

"Seriously, mom? You're going GOTG on me?" Penelope asked, surprised that her mom was making a reference to Guardians Of The Galaxy. "Ok, cool. So why are you here?"

"Nothing. Just wanted to make sure nothing happened between you two"

Topher sat all alone in the living room staring at his phone for what seemed like an eternity to him before Penelope and her mom finally came downstairs.

"Mrs. Aubrey" He rose to his feet out of mere formality. (Topher and Penelope's mom had never liked each other. While Topher disliked Penelope's mom for always trying to put a leash on her daughter, she didn't like him too because she felt he was too wild for her daughter. Generally, she didn't like Penelope keeping friends nor a boyfriend. In her own words, they were 'dangerous creatures', and didn't want them misleading her daughter. Being a single mother, she sometimes seemed to be overprotective of her daughter. But even in all the drama, there was this mutual respect between them. Topher appreciated how she cared and always made time for Penelope. Being a single mom and a police officer, he knew it was a difficult thing to do. Candace (Penelope's mom) on her own part respected Topher for his bravery. While she had successfully managed to scare off Penelope's friends, he was the only one left that refused to be chided away. He was headstrong — recalcitrant)

"Be back by seven. And protect my daughter. It's no longer safe out there" Candace instructed before letting them off.

Topher and Penelope held hands as they walked into a cinema, laughing and talking about random stuff just like regular couples did. They bought their tickets and a couple of snacks before they headed towards the theatre where they were going to watch a sitcom. It wasn't really Topher's thing, but he agreed to follow because he was never going to let Penelope be out by this time all by herself. And to prove how disinterested he was in the whole stuff, he slept off literally five minutes into the show, but Penelope didn't feel bad about it. She was cool with the fact that he came with her at least, and looking on the bright side, she got to watch the show in peace without anyone asking her a bazillion dumb questions. Anyways, while Topher slept, he dreamt about growing old and having cute kids with Penelope. Penelope smiling at him and flaunting her porcelain-like teeth. Penelope and roses. Penelope and roses, all over again, until he heard a raspy and heavy

"Chrisstopher!" and he woke with a start.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Penelope asked concerned, turning her attention to him.

"Y-yea, I think." he stuttered. "I could've almost sworn you called me, though you sounded weird, I guess, it must be the movie," he said, rubbing off the sleep in his eyes with the back of his palms.

"Or a dream" Penelope concluded and they continued to watch the movie. But it took a few more minutes before Topher's tensed nerves finally relaxed, after surmising that it was just a dream and nothing unusual before he heard it again. This time louder, that he jolted in response.

"Chrisstopher!"

"Hey, are you okay?" Penelope panicked this time

"Yea, sorry about that. I think an insect just stung me" Topher lied so Penelope wouldn't worry about him.

"Wait let me see it. Maybe the sting's lethal."

"No need for that, Penny. I'm fine." he said even though he was far from 'fine'

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'm sure." Topher managed to convince Penelope. This time he knew something was not right.

"Chrisstopher!" the voice called the third time, but this time he didn't react. "I know you hears me... " the voice continued. "I know you wissh to ssee me, to know how I do it. How I talk insside your head. I can tells you my ssecret. All you have to do iss meet me outsside. I waits for you there." The voice instructed, leaving him bewildered.

"I'll be back soon. I think I need to go use the restroom." Topher excused himself hastily from Penelope. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and disappeared from the movie theater, leaving Penelope confused.

"You think?" she asked, still trying to process what was going on and why Topher was suddenly acting weird.

Christopher stood in the dark outside the cinema, waiting patiently for the bearer of the voice, but he saw no one. Normally, a regular person would've been shitting his pants now after the psychic invasion Topher had just experienced, but that wasn't him. As Penelope would always say, he was more guts than brains.

"I ssee you, boy." The voice came again, startling him. "Jusst crosss the sstreet. You'll find me there, in an alley. I'll be waiting." it instructed, then dissipated. Topher was hesitant to obey at first as he calculated the odds that he'd probably come back alive. They were very slim, but curiosity took over him and he obeyed it. Looking both ways, he crossed the road and walked towards an alley that was just opposite him, and then stopped, refusing to enter it — it was ominously dark.

"You can come in. We don't bite. Trusst me." The voice (or more appropriately, its bearer) coaxed him, but Topher couldn't see it, as it was oddly too dark inside this alley.

"Trust is quite a huge thing to ask from a stranger, don't you think Mr?" he stood his ground.

"True, but I can't say what I wissh to tell you over ssuch disstance. Jusst Sstep insside. I know you wissh to know what we are, right?" The bearer of the voice urged him. And again Topher's curiosity overwhelmed his sense of reasoning and he stepped into the alley.

He threaded cautiously, wary of the green glowing eyes that studied him a few yards away. Suddenly a stray light flashed inside the alley momentarily, and then it was gone. But it had provided Topher enough opportunity to have a glimpse of the enigma that bore the voice. There were three of them. The most bizarre creatures he had ever seen. They had green eyes and stood over 7ft tall, their bodies armored with gray and green scales. Their heads were grown into a snake-like snout. They had numerous sharp spike teeth, two fangs each, and a forked tongue. Their claws and tails did not go unnoticed too. They looked like a product of a crossbreed between an alligator and a snake.

"Keep moving, werewolf." The bizzare creature, urged Topher.