A Wolf at the Door [Pierce]

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

Shifting the cardboard box, August eyed her treasure with pride: New clothes, Bullets for Ant, an Ebony Violin, and an ancient pocket-watch. She had gotten side tracked on her way home from the grocery store. August walked over to a sulky looking man in a suit. "What's this?" Setting down the grocery filled paper bags, she eyed the boxes with curiosity. Sulky Suit tapped a sign impatiently, "Can't you read?" Garage Sale. August scowled but rummaged through the boxes for curiosity's sake. A large box full of clothes caught her eye. She needed clothes..

The clothes were covered in intentional stains, paint splattering, and holes. Almost all the shirts had some rebellious symbol. "Why are you selling these?" He gave her a superior look, "Because I'm a respectable member of society now." Frost rolled her eyes. Sulky Suit looked at the men's clothing with disdain. "You want them? You can have them." August hated his attitude, but really needed some clothes. She looked at the box. They were a little big, and they were guy's clothing, but August liked them. "Thanks, i will."

August spotted a box labeled 'Junk', and stuck both hands into it. Her left hand grabbed something medium sized and wooden, while her right grabbed something cool that pulsed slightly. The violin and pocket watch surfaced. August fingers ran over the worn out violin, memories surfacing. She hunted for the bow indifferently, but inside she was burning. August found it surprisingly fast, and set it to the violin hastily. Her fingers remembered what to do, only messing up occasionally. August's ears twitched; the violin was out of tune..

August broke the trance. "How much?" Sulky Suit didn't bother looking at her, "$6 for the violin, $2 for the watch." She looked back at the ebony violin. It was a good quality instrument. Sure, it's a little worn out and it needs to be tuned, but it's obviously worth more that six dollars.. August looked up skeptically, "Why's it so cheap?" Sulk was at his wits end; he just wanted the kid gone. "I don't play, and it's previous owner was a *Insert Expletive of Your Choice*" August was getting tired of him. She set down $8 and dropped her grocery bags into the clothes box.

After the groceries and her garage sale adventure, August had about $14 left. She didn't really know what to do with it. August walked swiftly, barely able to see above the box. Humming to a make-believe song, she didn't see what lay in front of her. The box jerked out of her hands, and slid a few feet in front of her. "..Ouch. I hope the eggs didn't crack." She looked at her box with concern, then searched for what had made her trip. It wasn't too hard, seeing as the beast was huge. "Oh.. So you're the one who tripped me." She stared at the perpetrator. His coat was white, like snow. He reminded her of Iceland; it made her homesick. PuffBall opened his eyes, a startling green. He reminded her of Ant; it made her a different kind of homesick. "Hello, Bright Eyes. Did i hurt you..are a big boy." August laughed as she rubbed her bloody knees. "Can't believe i didn't see you." August reached out and petted him. She laid down next to him. Staring into the clouds dreamily. "You know, i always wanted a dog."

August... are you sure this is a dog?

Of course it's a dog. What else could it be, a hippo?

August, I'm not joking.'

But August wanted a dog, and this one was... well, perfect. She buried her head into it's mane and mumbled, "You're so darn fluffy." She pulled up for air, gave him a swift peck on his forehead. "So what do you say? Wanna be my dog?"

[Anty]

Pierce padded along the sidewalk. He still wasn't used to his paws burning so easily against the sun-warmed concrete. He was exhausted. He was on the run. The dog catcher was after him. Again. He took confusing turns and hid behind buildings, something that no normal dog should be able to do. His tongue hang out of his mouth and he left a long trail of slobber in his tracks. It was true that he had moved to Noatak, Canada; but he didn't have a place. He spent almost all of his time in the form of a wolf. It was easier that way. He could live in the sleep in the woods comfortably, and no one dared mess with him while he was there. He spent his days on the streets, he got by on scraps of food strangers gave him, and when that failed he would even go as far as to eat out of the trash cans at the back of restaurants. But the dog catcher had been a new problem. The dog catcher, who he called Pudgy, wasn't fooled by a cute wag of the tail. But got by every time, hiding or pretending to be with a family.

His ear swiveled back, listening for Pudgy's van. It was still on his tail, but it wouldn't be long before he had lost it. He turned a corner and found himself standing in front of a hot dog stand. No one was there, they must have been on break. His stomach ached to get his paws on a hot dog... He didn't hear anyone coming, either. He stood on his hind legs, and stretched his neck out to grab a line of hot dogs. "Get out of here, you mangy old mutt!" the hot dog man shouted at him, as he came running towards him. It was time for Pierce to high tail out of there. He scampered away, swallowing hot dogs like a vacuum as he went. He hurtled down the sidewalk, blind to the world around him. He had to get a large enough distance between him and Pudgy. Or the hot dog man.

Pierce slammed into something, or someone. He yelped as he stumbled sideways, his vision going in and out of focus. He pranced around until it was back to normal. He looked up and what he saw he almost couldn't comprehend. August. She was older, which was obvious. But she hadn't grown all too much. She was thin, which worried him. Was she coping alright? She was beautiful. If he had been in his human form, he would have been lost for words. But he wasn't. And he wouldn't change for a while. Would she be mad at him? But his happiness overpowered his worry. His tail wagged out of control, his ears went back, and he danced with excitement. Her small hands felt nice on his silky fur. He licked her face repeatedly, leaving it wet with his slobber. It was a good thing he wasn't in his human form or that would have been awkward, to say the least. But something caught his attention. A smell. Blood. When he was a wolf he was still himself, but his wolf-like instincts were stronger than usual. He licked her knees gently, washing off all the blood.

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

"Okay, Okay. I get it. I claim you as mine!" He felt familiar.. "Do i taste good?" August picked up her box of wonder. "Come on, Bright Eyes. I'll get you some real food." August walked back to Ant's apartment, more carefully then last time. She pushed the lobby door open with her bum. August tried to whistle for Bright Eyes, but then remembered she couldn't whistle.

She put her foot on the first step, but froze. "Hat Thief, No dogs aloud." August turned around, pleading. "Come on, Rubin. Just look at him!" Rubin did, and August laughed when his jaw dropped. "He's a big one, yes?" Rubin shook his head, finally finding his voice. "August.. I don't think that's a dog." She frowned. Why does everyone keep saying that? August shrugged off her discomfort. "Well, if Bright Eyes isn't a dog, then i see no problem. Let's go." August headed up the stairs, her box threatening to push her down. She listened to her dog's big paws pad up the stairs. August reached Ant's apartment, and set her box down, patting herself for her key. "I live here, but it isn't really mine. Don't worry, he's really nice." August thought about Ant. "I hope he doesn't mind you living with us." She slipped her key into the lock, and eased it open. August noticed how filthy his coat was and wondered how long he'd been on the streets. "Before you jump all over the couches, and roll all over the carpet, you're getting a bath." August pointed to the bathroom with a smile on her face. "Hop in the tub, Mister!"

[Anty]

Pierce wagged his tail in agreement. He didn't mind if she was his master. He followed her obediently to the apartment. He pinned his ears back, listening to August and Rubin's argument. Hat thief? He was confused, and decided he didn't like this Rubin character too much. He smelled like muffins, which made him slobber on the lobby carpet. He decided he would teach the old fellow a lesson. As he trotted by his desk, he decided to take a quick stop. He peed at Rubin's feet, ruining his old man shoes. He wagged his tail in content, looking over his shoulder as he trotted after August. The steps were quite a challenge and he wished she had chosen the elevator. He had to stop at each one, waiting for his hind legs to catch up. The wood was slick and his long claws slipped around on it.

He trotted into the apartment, glad that the floors weren't quite so slippery. It stank like cigarettes and alcohol. It wasn't a smell that was unfamiliar to him, but it wasn't as pleasant as the fresh smell of the forest. And it made his heart feel heavy. It reminded him of Anthony. Maybe it Anthony wasn't who led him here. Maybe it was August. There was something else, too... It smelled like home. Wait. Had August said he? He involuntarily growled. Was his August seeing someone? Was she seeing someone who was old enough to own an apartment? Surely she couldn't be over sixteen. There was no way Pierce would let her get away with dating someone older! He shook his head in disgust, sniffing around the apartment. He found a spot on the rug that smelled like greasy chicken and licked it repeatedly. His head jerked up towards August. Bath? He did admit that it had been a while since he had even thought about bathing, but he had been caught in a few storms as a wolf, and his thick coat took forever to dry.

He groaned and walked to the bathroom, his head down, his tail no longer fanning the air. It was a walk of defeat. He pushed the door open with his shoulder and stood in front of the tub. He propped his front feet onto the edge of the tub, then pushed himself off the ground, using his powerful haunches. His claws slipped on the slick tub and it took him a long while before he regained his balance. He sat down on his haunches, his head still hung low in defeat. He had to admit, though, h liked the idea of August giving him a bath, even if she thought of him as her pet.

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

Rolling her sleeves up, August sat on the rim of the tub. She didn't mind getting wet. August let the tub fill up with warm water as she searched for soap. She pulled out bunches of bottles, and read the labels. August spilled some pink liquid into the water, and laughed as the water bubbled. She pulled out a different bottle and poured this one on Bright. August rubbed him down. The bath water started spilling out the tub, and she hastily shut off the water. Bubbles built up, becoming a little too much to handle. "Oh.. i think i put too much pink stuff." August was soaked by now, but she looked happier than Bright. She scrubbed him vigorously, occasionally taking a break to blow bubble away from her face. August moved down to his chest, probably the dirtiest part considering how often he laid down on the streets.

August sat down in his bathwater, and leaned her head against his chest, still rubbing, but not as vigorous as before. She closed her eyes, and began to drift. "You know, I'm from Iceland originally. I've been here for a while now, but i still can't get use to the heat. Summer is going to be murder.." August looked her pet up and down, "You'd make quite the handsome gentleman." Scratching under his chin, an idea struck her. "I'll be right back. Don't move." August hopped out the tub, making even more of a mess in the already messy bathroom. She dug around in her box of wonder until she found what she was looking for. August hopped back in the tub, a little too excited and slipped the studded collar around Bright's neck. "There, now you're not a nudist."

[Anty]

Pierce watched wearily as the soapy water rose higher, soaking his pelt. It just reached the middle of his chest, though. But to be truthful, he actually enjoyed it. It had been a long time since anyone had touched him or that he had been cleaned. The bubbles made him sneeze repeatedly, though, and stung his eyes, but he didn't complain. He shook his head clear of bubbles. His leg shook involuntarily as she scrubbed his chest clean, making little tapping noises on the bottom of the tub.

Pierce's tail splashed water across the bathroom as she sat down in front of him. His breathing was slow and relaxing against her head, even to him, and he felt comfortable. He had made a wise decision, coming to Noatak. Maybe August had a boyfriend, but he wasn't the one sitting with her in the bathtub with her, was he?

His eyes followed August until she left the messy bathroom. Where was she going? He could only sit and wait for her to return. He stretched his front legs out in front of him, his muscles weren't used to sitting in the same position for this long. Normally he was hunting for food or running from Pudgy.

August returned, holding a studded collar. Oh, how fun this would have seemed if he wasn't a beast right now. His tail drummed against the bottom of the tub as she placed the collar around his neck. He was overcome with happiness and he couldn't control himself as he changed back into a human. His fur started to disappear, except what was on his head, which changed from white to black His muzzle shrank until it was almost flat. His arms broadened. Many changes happened, all at the same time, until he was a man sitting in the tub. He was fully clothed again, and his wet clothes stuck to his well-muscled body. The collar was still around his neck, though. He brushed the hair away from August's eyes. Those beautiful eyes. "It's been a long time, Sweets," he said quietly, as he leaned in, their lips only inches apart.

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

August wanted to pause. Nothing made sense. So Bright wasn't a dog. Admittedly, she should have seen that coming. August couldn't think, her mind was a blank slate. Unfortunately, Frost was a different story. I told you so! Frost sounded happy. August tried to move, feeling too close for comfort. The more she squirmed, the more awkward the position became. If August thought the dog was big, this man was bigger. She couldn't keep her eyes of his lips. Her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink as she felt his breath and mingle with hers. "You..I think you have the wrong person. I.." August struggled to remember what she was saying. The look in his eyes kept distracting her. "I don't know too many people..and..and i definitely don't know you." August's hand were on his chest; She tried to move them, but their wasn't enough space between them. "I think i would remember you." She glanced down at her hands, and stared at his chest. The delicate pink was replaced by firey red. August stared up at the ceiling, anywhere but him.. and his muscles. She was feeling nervous and jittery, wondering just how she got to be in this mess. Sitting in a tub of bubble bath with a soaking wet, sexy man, inches away from her lips. Then she remembered, it had all started with a dog.

August felt Frost's fear.

August.. What color was the wolf? The one in Iceland.

..White.

She finally got it. August tore her eyes away from the ceiling and looked him directly in the eyes. ..It came back. The entire day, she remembered it all. The memories grew stronger, and so did her fear. She looked back down at her hands. She tried to hide how scared she was, but her eyes were like open windows.

[Anty]

Anthony walked home from work, whistling a tune that had come on the radio while he was driving people around on his bus. It had been a good day, although he had almost hit an old lady with a walker. He nodded to the few people he passed on his way home. He was in a hurry to get home today because he had something to look forward to.

He walked into the lobby, he nodded to Rubin, "How are you today, Rubin?" he asked happily, but by the time Rubin had replied he was already taking the stairs to steps at a time. He swung the door open, looking around his apartment. August was nowhere to be seen, but there was a cardboard box filled with grocery bags and a few miscellaneous items. Anthony studied it curiously. There was also a trail of wet footprints leading to it that came from the direction of the bathroom. He grabbed a towel and mopped up the footprints.

"August?" he asked, but there was no answer.

Pierce paused, his eyes full of pain. "Of course you know me. Do you think I would let you take me here, let alone bathe me if I didn't know you?" he asked, a little hurt inside. God, she's even more beautiful when she's scared, he thought.

Pierce wrapped one arm around her, and sealed the distance between them.

Anthony froze. There were voices coming from the bathroom. Was she talking to herself? But it wasn't only her voice he was hearing. There was someone else. He had to investigate, he decided. He swung the bathroom door open, and what he saw he almost couldn't believe. He gaped. August was making out with some guy in his bathroom. Not only that, but they were both in the bathtub! Admittedly, he would have done the same thing, but August? She seemed so innocent... And who was this man? He was definitely older than her, and it looked like he could squash her with those muscles. Something about him looked familiar, but what? He cleared his throat. "What do you think you're doing?!" he asked. "Oh, right. You weren't thinking!" he added as an afterthought.

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

August clenched onto his wet shirt; her toes curled up. Her head started to hurt. She didn't know what to do. Should she kiss him back, or push him away? August was on the verge of crying. This was her first kiss. Well, Pierce Fólan was her first kiss, but that was just a peck. This was a real kiss. August tried kissing him back, doing exactly what he did, but it made her feel dirty. She tried to remember what she had done with Pierce, but she hadn't done anything. The kiss had lasted a second, and all she did was look at his green eyes. August stiffened up, "Berse Volan?!" She tried to talk, but his lips made that impossible. August tried pulling away, but her head was already against the wall.

None of this was making sense. This couldn't be Pierce, this was the White Wolf. August started to cry. She wanted things to go back to before, when stuff wasn't quite as confusing. Pierce Fólan was a slender boy with an innocent face. This couldn't be the same Pierce. This Pierce was fit and inked.

August felt all of Bright's muscles going tense at the sound of Ant's voice. At first, she was relieved, but then the dissappointment and anger in Ant's words registered. Bright finally pulled away. Their foreheads were still touching, but their lips had a good distance between each other. August's breath came in short little gasps. She wanted to crawl in a hole and die.. anywhere, just as long as Anthony couldn't find her. August wanted to get out of the water, but her knees felt weak. She wasn't sure she could manage to get up without falling over. So August just sat there. With closed eyes, she concentrated on nothing, or at least tried to.

[Anty]

Pierce's body tensed as the door swung open. So this was August's boyfriend? He could just see a figure out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't seem her type. Plus he was way too old. He kissed harder.

Anthony scowled, looking from August to the guy. Was he going to eat her face? "I'll give you to the count of ten before I blow your brains out," he said, pulling the gun out of his pocket. "One." He wasn't going to shoot. He didn't have any bullets, but the man didn't know that. Unless August had told him, but why would she go around telling people that? "Oh, just so ya know, the man I'm living with is out of bullets. He's no threat," he imagined her saying. He threw the gun against the wall. He heard Murray, his neighbor, shout in surprise. "Two. You know I can still hurt you," he said, bluffing.

Pierce broke away. He leaned back against the wall, staring at the soapy water. He didn't dare look up at the man, afraid of what he would see. He didn't think he could handle it if August was seeing some sick bastard. He sighed.

Anthony walked up to the tub, the heels of his boots clicking against the floor. He knelt down beside it. He grabbed a handful of the boy's hair, and bent his head back.

Pierce's head was pushed uncomfortably backwards. The man's grip was so tight on his hair that he thought for sure that his eyes were going to pop out of his head. They didn't. He tried a glance at August, but he couldn't see her through the man.

"Get up," Anthony said, the scowl still in his voice. He stood up, pulling the boy previously eating August's face up with him.

Pierce winced, but he could try to pull away. He rose to his feet, glaring hatefully at him. He shoved him brutishly and stepped over the edge of the tub simultaneously.

Anthony's back slammed against the wall and his breath caught in his throat. He didn't expect to be the one who got thrown around. Admittedly, he should have suspected it. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and he threw at punch at the boy.

Pierce staggered backwards against the power of the blow. The man was shorter and thin, but he could pack a blow. His jaw felt like it was on fire. He would have fought back, but something caught his eye... He grabbed the man's tightly clenched fist.

Anthony tried to wrench his hand free, but the grip was too tight. "Stop holding my hand, queer."

"I'm not holding your hand," Pierce said, grabbing his other hand. On his right fist "hate" was tattooed, and on his left "love". It was the same as his own. "Look," he said, nodding to his own hands.

Anthony obeyed, looking down at Pierce's hands. That was odd. They had the same tattoos. Anthony caught the man's eye. That green... It was all too familiar. It was his brother, Pierce. The one he hadn't seen since he was a kid. The same kid who he had successfully forgotten while he was at the loony bin. He expected a camera crew to jump out and yell, "Pranked!" They didn't.

Pierce looked into his eyes. He had the same eyes that Anthony had had, he realized. He had never met anyone with those same hungry, green eyes before. He thought Anthony was the only one who possessed them. But now that he thought about, this fellow did seem a lot like Anthony. Because it was Anthony. He expected to wake up now. He didn't. Instead he grabbed Anthony in a hug and buried his head in his shirt.

Anthony hugged Pierce back, but he glared at August. He couldn't stay mad at Pierce, they had been separated for too long. That's why he turned his anger over to August. "What was my little brother doing eating your face?" How could she let him do that?

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

August watched them fight, the tension in the room steadily rising. She crawled up into a ball, and buried her head into her arms. I can't see it. It isn't happening. August started to cry a little. Not that you could tell, she was soaked head to toe. Her body shook slightly. She lost track of time, unsure how long they fought. August wondered where Frost went, feeling lonely. In her arms, it was like being somewhere else. A very damp somewhere else.

August lifted her head, taking a break from crying. What she saw was two full grown men, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. They hugged and August felt like the moment belonged to them, and that she didn't belong. The look Ant gave her made her shrivel up and die inside. "I don't know! I thought he was a dog!" August blinked, realizing how weird that sounded. "I tripped, and he peed on Rubin, which i'm going to have to apologize for later, and i brought him home, because he was cute, but he didn't tell me he was a man! And i didn't want him to get the furniture dirty, so i gave him a bath, but then i don't know what happened, and his tongue was in my mouth." Her words were all rushed together, and didn't make much sense. Nothing made sense, August couldn't remember a time when it had. It felt like someone had pulled out all the wires in her brain, and rearranged them however they felt like. August didn't know if she should apologize or not, but it was better to play it safe. "I'm sorry, Ant..." She chanced a glance at Bright, but looked down in shame before she really saw him. "It won't happen again. Pinky promise."

August didn't want to get out of the bathtub. She was afraid if she left the tub, she'd have to leave the house. He wouldn't kick us out of the house... Right, August? Worry pierced it's way into Frost's words. Either way, August was glad she was back. I don't know. He's really angry. In her mind, August was frantically untangling the wires.

Ant has a little brother. Ant's brother kissed me. Ant's brother is not a dog. Ant's brother might be Pierce Fólan. Pierce Fólan is possibly the White Wolf from Iceland.. that tried to eat me. August's train of thought had started out strong, but was slowly dying. This is where it stopped making sense. It was too much of a coincedence. What were the odds that she lived in the same apartment with her childhood friend's older brother? It was astronomical, and August couldn't believe it. She had a better chance of winning the lottery.

August kept her head down, too afraid to look at either men. "I'm sorry, Ant. I really didn't mean to.. kiss him."

[Anty]

Why was Anthony so mad at August? It didn't make any sense to Pierce. It was him who kissed her. There was no reason why he would be mad at her. Did he like August? He let the thought sink in. No. There was no way. He tried to forget the absurd thought. He said something to Anthony about how it was his fault, not hers, but it sounded like gibberish through Anthony's shirt. He broke away from Anthony's grip and backed away a few steps. "Anthony come to your senses. If you've got to punish someone, then punish me. She did nothing wrong," he told him, trying to sound understanding, but is was hard. How could his brother be so dim? It was his fault, August probably didn't even want to be here.

Anthony set his arms back at his side, glad that he could breathe again. How did Pierce get so buff? Last time he had seen him, Pierce was a scrawny little boy with an innocent face. Not he was a man who had more tattoos than Anthony and bigger muscles than both Anthony and August combined. Time had gone by so fast... But where did August come in? He didn't know, but he guessed they had just met, which made him even angrier. How could August be so stupid? How did she know Pierce wasn't going to physically hurt her? "It isn't your fault, Pierce,"p. he looked back at August, "it's hers."

Pierce gaped. "It's mine, dumb ass!"

"Watch yourself, boy," Anthony told him.

"You want me to watch myself?! I'm not the one who had to go to the Asylum, Anthony!"

Anthony looked down at his feet. "Do not talk about that now, boy."

"Oh yeah? And who's gonna stop me?"

"Watch yourself!" Anthony shouted.

Pierce glared at Anthony, his body changing into a wolf. The only thing that stayed the same were those green eyes and the collar around his neck. He stood protectively in front of August. He was growling at Anthony, daring him to make a move.

Anthony sighed. He didn't want to fight his brother. "Look, August, I'm not mad at you," he said. "Just keep the kissing to a minimum. At least while I'm around," he compromised. He looked at her. She was shivering and she looked as if she was going to be sick. "You should probably change your clothes... " he said, not really sure of what else to say.

Pierce wagged his tail once in agreement. Did Ant seriously think August would want to date him, though? After all her did try and scare her, ruining her childhood. But if he could have, he would have blushed. He trotted out of the room, but not before shaking his fur clean of loose drops of water. He trotted to the kitchen, stopping before the fridge. He whined, pawing at the fridge.

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

August discovered where Frost had gone. She hadn't really left, but she was...preoccupied. Frost had been crying, almost the entire time. It took a lot of self-control on August's part not to join her. Ant said he wasn't mad, but that was a lie. The way he looked at her.. It made her hate herself. He was lying. He was mad.

"It's hers."

The words kept repeating themselves. Each time she heard it, it hurt more than the last. Two words, that's all it took. It only took to little words to break her. Screw self-control. She joined Frost. Every time she stopped sobbing, just for a second. Just so could breathe. The words would repeat. "It's hers."

She couldn't hear the fight. The words didn't make sense. Asylum? No, she heard it wrong. The words were traveling hundreds of thousand of miles, just to see her. But right before they reacher her. They died. She breathed. "It's hers."

Frost stopped crying, but the tears were replaced by shrieks. He's back. He came back.. August stared at the wolf with wide eyes. How could she think it was cute? She watched the wolf leave, not feeling safe till it was out of the room. Frost was breathing heavily and August was begging her to stop.

It's hers. It hers. It's hers.

August got out of the tub, water pouring off her clothes and onto the floor. I'll clean it up later. She passed Ant without looking him in the face. Frost resumed crying, and August exhaled emotion. It's hers. It was. Bright had started it, but August kissed him back. Her fault. She looked at Bright as he scratched the fridge. August reached out and touched him. This thing isn't Pierce. Frost was shouting incoherent words. Touching it was driving her crazy. August lifted her hand slowly. The screams slowly subsiding. It stole Pierce's eyes. It was the only logical excuse.

The creature in front of her ruined her childhood. It took away her only friend. It showed her a glimpse of the world, and shattered her child-like innocence. It gave her sight, to see what she couldn't before. The expectations, disappointments, strained love, and false pride. It killed the old August, and gave birth to a twisted impostor, striving to revive a broken childhood.

She picked up her box. It felt heavier than before, or maybe that was her? August slipped into Ant's room. All she wanted right now was some privacy and a nap. She changed out of her soaking wet clothes, and into some new ones, not really paying attention to what they looked like. She held her gift to Anthony, not sure if he would take it from her anymore. Slipping the bullets into her pocket, August looked at herself. She looked like a punk. August leaned her head on the door, her hand ready to turn the knob, but she didn't want to get out. Not yet.

She leaned her back against the wall and slid down till she touched the floor. There was silence in her head. No more tears, No more crying. Frost was finished, and now it was August's turn.

Her body shook with powerful sobs, or maybe she was shivering? August was cold, or at least she thought she was. She had never been cold before. Sweat broke out over her forehead, and her movements felt sluggish. She felt nauseous, and the edges of her vision was going dark whenever she tried to move. Her body was burning, but August couldn't help but shiver. She pulled out the bullets and fingered them. Frost's voice broke the silence Now if only we had a gun, maybe we could end it.

[Anty]

Anthony paced back and forth inside of the living room, ignoring everything bu his own thoughts. What should he do? Who should he punish? Why would he punish someone for something he would have done himself? Did they really do anything wrong? Do you punish someone for being stupid? Who were these people and why were they screwing with his life? Why did they act like everything was his fault and it was his job to fix it? If they weren't here he would be better off. Wouldn't he? But he couldn't just throw them out in the street, could he? They were kids, weren't they? Maybe they were monsters sent down from God to destroy his life. Wait, when did he start believing in all of that? He didn't. All these questions led to at least ten more questions. He bit his lip until it went numb and started bleeding. What to do? Screw it, he decided. I'll let them fix their own little romance drama. Anthony went to the fridge and got more than a few beers. He was going to do what he normally did when he wanted to think things over. He pushed all thoughts about the kids out of his head and walked slowly to the door of his bedroom. He heard sobbing and did a quick one-eighty to the living room.

Pierce stared at the fridge, determined to open it with his mind. Couldn't somebody help a starving wolf? Then he remembered he wasn't really a wolf. He had spent so much time as a wolf that he had almost forgotten what he truly was. He changed back. He was a little dizzy, but at least he could open the fridge. When he did, there was nothing to his taste. He had lost interest in fried chicken, because for the first five years of his life that's almost all he ate. He didn't have an appetite anymore. He walked into the living room. "Where's August?" he asked Anthony, who pointed to the bedroom, a beer bottle in his hand. Oh boy, my brother's a drunk. he thought sourly.

Pierce tapped softly on the door. No answer, only something that sounded like sobbing. He sighed. Why did girls have to be so emotional? He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? He had dated plenty of girls after August disappeared, but most of them didn't have emotions like this. They weren't human, just horny freaks. He opened the door slowly and poked his head in, afraid she would attack him. "August, is everything alright?" He stepped in. she was sitting against the wall, she was shaking, though he didn't understand why. she was wearing men's clothes that looked more like his size than hers. Which reminded him that he was shivering, his clothes were still wet. August looked pitiful, and Pierce fell into what he guessed was a trap. He sat down beside her, wrapping his arms around her. He didn't care if she didn't want him to, it made him feel safer. "I'm so sorry, August... I didn't mean to hurt you," he whispered. He tried to sound comforting, but it was hard. His jaw was still on fire from Anthony's punch. He might have been freezing, or made he was burning, he wasn't sure.

[Augustus is a SWOObat]

Alright? No.. August wasn't alright. He enveloped her, and August made a pathetic attempt to shove him away. She kept silent. Frost had cried herself to sleep, and August wanted to join her. His clothes were cold, and it cooled down her burning skin, but it wasn't helping the ice cube that had made it's home in her stomach. August tried to endure it, but it was hopeless. The shivers got worse, and her teeth started to chatter. She pointed at her box, "Change your clothes." August tried to keep the words she said to him at a minimum.

Didn't mean to hurt me? She repeated silently to herself. August leaned her head against the wall, getting a glimpse of the ceiling before closing her eyes to give Bright some privacy. Eyes closed, she spoke. "Which one are you apologizing for? Ruining my chance at a new family a few moments ago, or ripping me away from my only friend so many years ago? I haven't forgotten."

Her bottom lip quivered when she thought of Pierce.. Bright wasn't anything like him. I'm lying. They're exactly the same. Pierce use to hug her the same way. Pierce had the same eyes. Pierce was the only one who came to her rescue when she was drowning in her own confusion or sorrow. Once upon a time, Pierce was the only one she considered family. ..He's still the only family I have. Anyway you looked at it, this was Pierce. Her parents wanted a happy daughter, so they just avoided her when she couldn't handle faking anymore. And if she knew Ant, he was probably drunk. It was like a bad joke. She somehow found herself exactly where she was in Iceland. With a family that didn't care, and only Pierce to console her.

"If you're Pierce Fólan, and you obviously are, then why are you the same wolf that ripped us apart?" It was finally making sense, but August couldn't understand why Pierce would do what he did. ..Maybe he was tired of me. August shot down her mental suggestion immediately. It didn't make sense. If he was tired of me, he wouldn't have kissed me. She wanted another hug. August hated that her reunion with Pierce was botched up by a kiss. Sudden realization hit her so hard, she felt the wind was knocked out of her lungs. Her eyes snapped open to stare at him in shock. Blushing, she shut them just as fast. "Why didn't you tell me you had a talisman..?" She said, the shock subdued by embarrassment.

((Hey, look. It's my turn to crap out a bad post. Lucky You.))