Chapter 2

Mr. Edwin Ravenheart was a giver; he had a heart of gold, thus he was loved by all. That is what is expected from us as true believers," the pastor said as his voice vibrated all over the church. His sermon was centered on the life my uncle lived and how it impacted the church.

I looked around and felt proud of what Leo and I were able to organize. It was a small funeral gathering that had only the top positions in the company and some dignitaries in society in attendance.

My uncle didn't get married, neither did he have children or friends, so it was just Leo and I standing as his children. I sat still until the sermon was over; it was time to set the body on fire! I began to feel a nauseating sensation in my stomach.

The coffin was lifted by some hired men and placed on the arranged wood. The pastor said some words and prayed before pouring fuel on the wood. I was given the matchstick to light. I collected it from the pastor and did as instructed.

The wood caught fire and slowly started burning the corpse.

The church attendees started singing songs until the fire began burning his body. We all stood still until they began to disperse one after the other.

They left until I was alone with Leo.

The fire kept burning until there was nothing left. I brought out the container I was going to use to pack the ashes. I went there, bent down, and began to pack the ashes gently. It was my uncle's ashes, after all.

I was soon done with packing. Leo and I headed for the house. He agreed to follow me to Lakewood to dispose of the remains of my uncle."

"We arrived at the house, and without exchanging words, we headed to the drinking area. Leo poured a drink for both of us. I downed it in one go and poured another. My uncle's death was like a stab in my chest, and I tried drowning the pain in alcohol.

The fact that no matter how much I drank, I couldn't get drunk, served as a constant reminder of the issue I'd always faced.

I glanced at Leo, who was steadily getting drunk, attempting to match my pace by downing his drink in one gulp. This single act only reinforced my feeling of not belonging here. I'd always felt a missing piece that I couldn't quite identify.

My inability to get drunk like a normal person added to my sense of abnormality.

I stood up and helped Leo to his former room, placing him on the bed. I decided to go dispose of the ashes alone, realizing he wasn't in any condition to accompany me.

I told the assistant to let him know that he shouldn't worry if he asks – I had gone to dispose of the ashes. She nodded in agreement. With that, I left the house and headed towards Lakewood.

The drive to Lakewood was expected to take about 2 hours, given its outskirts location. Starting now would allow me to return before nightfall.

As I set out on my journey, an undercurrent of apprehension coursed through me. It felt as though something awaited me there, tugging at my chest. I turned on the music to calm my nerves, and it helped to some extent. However, the tranquility was short-lived when an unidentified number started calling me.

Though I initially ignored it, the persistent ringing forced me to pick up the call

"Hello, Damien," I heard a man's voice, and my eyebrow instinctively raised.

"I'm calling from Law and Order Firm. Your uncle's lawyer works here, and he wants to read out your uncle's will. Would you please make yourself available tomorrow?" the man asked, combining a statement with a question.

I hesitated for a moment.

"Hello? Are you there, Damien?"

"Yes, I can hear you," I replied begrudgingly. "I will try to make time to see you. It should be during the lunch hours because I have a lot to take care of at the company."

"That's absolutely fine by us. Thank you, Damien, for your time," he replied and ended the call abruptly.

My attention returned to the road as I continued my journey to Lakewood.

It was around half-past 7 in the evening when I arrived in Lakewood. The silence hung heavy, as usual, but tonight it was even more profound. A shiver ran down my spine. I remembered that my uncle wanted his ashes to be disposed of during the full moon.

With the moon not fully visible yet, I sat in my car, waiting.

As I waited for the moon to appear, I drifted off to sleep.

In my dream, I found myself seated on the ground amidst a pack of dogs—fierce-looking ones. Yet, they weren't dogs; their appearance and howls resembled those of wolves. Oddly, their presence didn't terrify me, as they showed no aggression.

I stretched out my hand to touch one of them, and it transformed into a human. The shock made me start running. The other wolves pursued me, catching up one by one and also transforming into humans. Thousands of questions raced through my mind. They seemed to be shape-shifters.

Eventually, I stopped and stared at them. Now, there were six humans before me—four boys and two girls. Despite their nakedness, they didn't seem concerned.

"You must embrace your true self before you become a danger to humans," one of them said.

"When you embrace your true self and follow your heart, you'll know where to find us," another added. With that, they transformed back into wolves and vanished into the woods.