Chapter Five

Armand and his friends find an odd structure in a part of the forest that seems all wrong.

     Everyone stopped and looked at me. There was something in my tone of voice besides surprise that caught their attention.

     “What?” Quetzal asked.

     “Yeah, what?” asked Mr. Thunder.

     “What is it Armand?” asked Miss Feather.

     I pointed. “Over there. Just beyond that leafy greenish grey bush. See?”

     They all looked in the direction I pointed. There was an odd looking structure that looked like it was suppose to be some kind of house or building but it looked strange. It looked ominous and very out of place.

     We stood there staring at it. It was dark inside, no lights of any kind and no sign of life, no activity what so ever.

     “This doesn't feel right. It feels off just like this part of the forest.” Miss Feather said. I noticed she was hugging herself, as if for self protection.

    “That's odd.” said Quetzal. “Who could have built such a weird looking structure?”

     “Not Wolf People.” I said. “We've visited enough Packs to know that.”

     “Then who?” wondered Quetzal.

     “I think there is something in the forest other than Wolf People.” Mr. Thunder said. He started to test the air, seeing what he could scent.

     I did the same. So did Miss Feather and Quetzal.

     There really wasn't any unusual scent. Just a sort of deadness on the air that felt rather cold. But that in itself was odd.

     “Humans?” asked Mr. Thunder.

     “No.” I answered. “Not humans. We'd smell their scent and there would be no mistaking it.”

     “Are you sure?” Mr. Thunder asked me.

     “Believe me. I don't know what humans smell like, never smelled them but my Mom has talked an awful lot about how wonderful they smell, very tasty. Do you smell anything wonderful and tasty?” I asked him.

     “No.” Mr. Thunder said.

     “I don't either.” said Miss Feather. “Just a sort of cold dead smell.”

     “Shall we go investigate the house?” Quetzal asked.

     I looked at him. So did Mr. Thunder and Miss Feather. They had ARE YOU CRAZY! expressions on their faces. I knew I did too.

     “Come on. We're Wolf People. What do we have to fear?” asked Quetzal.

     “I don't want to find out.” answered Miss Feather.

     “I'm with her.” said Mr. Thunder.

     “We've lingered here too long.” I said.

     “You're all acting like Wolf Children! We're adults! Let's go check out that building.” Quetzal said.

     I frowned at him. “So what if we're almost mature. And since we are let's act like it and report this strange house to our Pack Leader. Like adult Wolf People would.” I said.

     Quetzal frowned back at me. “Your Dad, I know.”

     “So what.” Mr. Thunder said. “If we go investigate that structure on our own and encounter trouble instead of reporting it like mature Wolf People would we would just be seen as Wolf Children a lot longer, if we're lucky to come out on the good side of the situation, that is.”

     Quetzal crossed his arms over his chest. “Come on.” he said.

     I could tell he was getting irritated with us but I didn't care. Going to investigate that odd building just wasn't a good idea. “Let's go.” I said. “I'm not lingering here any longer. What ever built that might be inside right now watching us.”

     I started walking. Miss Feather fell in beside me as did Mr. Thunder.

But not Quetzal.

    “You three go back to the Village like good little Wolf Children and report this. I'm going to go check it out.”

     And he took off in the direction of the house.

     I sighed and stopped walking. This was not good. Not good at all. “Hey Quetzal! Don't do this!”

     “Shut up Armand.” He called back.

     I turned to watch him. He was striding confidently through the low lying shrubs toward the house.

     “Fool.” muttered Miss Feather.

     “Let him go if that's what he wants to do.” Mr. Thunder said.

     “No, we can't.” I said.

     Miss Feather sighed deeply. “What a fool.”

     “I don't like this. This whole area here feels off.” Mr. Thunder said.

     “I know. I know.” I continued to watch Quetzal. He had reached the house and was peering into one of the dark windows.

     I felt cold all of a sudden. I noticed Miss Feather shiver.

     “I'm picking up on something...and it's not nice.” Mr. Thunder said.

     “Quetzal...come away from there!” I called.

      Quetzal was still standing there peering into the window. I wondered what he was seeing.

     I fought a sudden impulse to jog over there and join him in peering into the window.

     “What's he doing?” Miss Feather said impatiently.

     “What ever he's looking at must be interesting.” I said.

     Quetzal just stood there, unmoving, staring through the window.

     I felt even more uncomfortable all of a sudden. Quetzal was acting weird now, just standing there, unmoving and unresponsive, staring inside the house.

     “What? Is he under a spell or something?” Mr. Thunder said.

     “The smell of cold and deadness is getting stronger.” Miss Feather said.

     I tested the air. It was colder and that dead scent was stronger!

     I felt really alarmed now. “Okay. We're getting out of here now!” I said. I looked to where Quetzal stood staring into the house. “Quetzal! Come on! We're going!”

     Quetzal slowly turned his head to look at me. “Armand.”

     “What?”

     “There's something in here.”

     “Come on Quetzal! Let's go.”

     “Come here Armand. You got to see this.”

     “No. I don't think so Quetzal. Come on! Now!”

     Quetzal looked back into the house. “You all got to see this.”

     “He's acting odd.” Miss Feather said.

     “He is. I'm going over there and get him.” I said.

     “NO!” Miss Feather grabbed my arm. “No Armand. Something's not right with him. We need to get out of here and report this to your Dad and the rest of the Pack. Let them deal with this.”

     I sighed. I looked over at Quetzal. It was plain he wasn't going to leave. “Okay. Let's go.” I said. I felt bad, real bad, leaving Quetzal behind but what else could I do?

Reviews

[Black Cat Fever]

The tension is mounting in this. I'm thinking this place has "BAD" written all over it!

[Theresa]

Wow. What is going on with Quetzal? What is it that he sees? Love the suspense. It's really keeping my attention and I just want to know what is going to happen next and if they find out who or what made this structure. Great chapter.

Bizarre. I wonder what inhabitant of this world would build a house in the middle of nowhere. Very suspenseful.

[trish420]

Omigosh! So suspenseful! I can;t wait to see what is going on with Quetzal, whay could be in the building?

[Star Wolf]

Quetzal is in trouble with something weird that's in that strange out of place house. This is awesome. Can't wait to see what happens next.