Kapitel 25: Chapter 9

When Kurt opened his eyes the next morning, he was in his room, like every other morning. He believed that what had happened the previous night had been just a dream. A nightmare.

But everything took a back seat. He didn't show up for his date with Christine, he couldn't think of anything else. He hurried to get ready. He had to talk to her and apologize.

He left his room and met his father down the stairwell.

As soon as he saw him, he remembered that morning again. The morning of his childhood he had removed from his memory. He remembered how his father had suddenly turned into that wolf. He widened his eyes. A shiver ran down his spine. Everything was clear to him. He couldn't get close to that girl, he had to lock himself somewhere and throw the key. I'm a monster…

Without saying a word, he went up the stairs and locked himself in the room.

Michael knocked at the door. «Kurt? What's wrong?»

His son didn't answer him. All these years he had been hiding the truth from him. For twenty-one years he had stunned and chained him in the woods.

How could he not tell his son the truth, how could he hide something so important from him? Kurt couldn't believe his dad had lied to him.

I could have hurt someone…, he thought.

How could he have done this to him?

Michael kept knocking but, getting no answer, he decided to go back to the shop downstairs. He couldn't keep up with his son throwing tantrums, he had to work to be able to feed him. He didn't know that Kurt had figured it all out by now, he was sure that, as on previous full moon nights, his plan had worked.

Kurt suddenly remembered all the nights his dad said to visit his grandparents.

All nights when there was a full moon.

He remained holed up in a corner of his room.

He could hear his father handling tools downstairs.

Michael was preparing another delivery when the door opened and a blonde-haired girl walked through it.

«Hello, you must be Mr. Sparkle I presume.»

«I am. Are you here for a commission?» Michael asked. But judging by that girl's young age, she had to be there for his son. Maybe she was the reason for his bad mood.

«I would like, if possible, to speak to Kurt.»

«My son isn't here.»

He couldn't let that girl go upstairs. If his son had been upset, he probably would have hurt her.

Christine didn't want to give up. «Where can I find him?»

«I think you better never come back here, miss.»

«Is he in his room, right? Is it because of you that he didn't show up yesterday, am I right?»

«None of your business. Please leave.»

Michael went back to work and the girl in few seconds was already at the door of Kurt's room. She had been very fast, the man hadn't noticed her leaving despite his excellent werewolf eyesight.

«Kurt, are you here? If you're here, open the door please.»

When he heard the girl's voice, Kurt walked over to the door and put his palm on the wood. He felt like caressing her.

But when his gaze fell on his hand he remembered the black paw with those dangerous claws and walked away from the door. «Go away.» he said. «I'm a danger to you, I'm a monster.»

Michael understood. What he hoped would never happen, had happened in the end. Somehow his son had discovered everything.

Christine threatened with her eyes the man on the steps. «What have you done to him? What did you tell him?»

«Stay out of it miss. It's about our family, go away now.»

Christine clenched her fists. She left but she had every intention of coming back.

«Kurt open the door. Let me explain.»

«Explain what father?! What is there to explain?! You kept such a thing from me, how could you?!»

«I did it just to protect you, but I did it the wrong way. Forgive me. Just open the door, there is something you need to know about your mother.»

Kurt immediately opened the door. Since she died, his father had never talked about her and if he tried to ask about her, he was sent back to his room instantly. «Talk!»

He told their story to his son, of how they had escaped from the village and of their life in the forest with his grandparents. And then he told his son about that fateful day, when to defend them he had turned into a wolf and injured Maryanne.

«So she died because of me... if I hadn't got in the way, you would never have turned and you would never have hurt her… »

«No Kurt, it's not your fault. I'm the one who hurt her, you are not involved. She would tell you it was her fault, that it was her choice, if she were here now.»

«You should have told me sooner. Why didn't you ever tell me about it? All this time I hated you because I thought you didn't care about her.»

«I wasn't ready… no matter how many years have passed, it's still like it was yesterday for me. When I got back and she was on the floor… I never forgot that day. I never got over grief and I believed that not talking about her would make it easier. But it wasn't a good choice not for me nor for you. I'm sorry son. From now on, no lies. But you have to stay away from that girl. What I did to your mother... believe me, you don't want it to happen to you too. The guilt would kill you.»

«I can learn to control it.»

«If you ever get mad like I did… »

«Alright. I get it. Let me at least say goodbye.»

Michael remembered when he had run to say goodbye to Maryanne, in the rain. If she and her family hadn't followed them that day, she might have been in the village still alive.

«It wasn't your fault father. Don't feel guilty. In that village she would have died anyway.» Kurt said, as if he had read his father's mind. «That night she told me a story. I believe it wasn't entirely made up.»

«What story?»

«Nothing... Just know it wasn't your fault.»

Michael smiled at his son and for a moment he thought he saw his wife in him.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea letting his son look for that girl. Allowing him to see her one last time would certainly have made him hesitate. But Michael knew that was the least he could do for him.