Everything was blur to Jesse as he snapped back from changing into the Alpha. A loud muffled sound became clearer at the same time as his vision. “No way, its-“
MITCHEL
JESSE! JESSE!
JESSE
Hey Mitchel!
MITCHEL
Welcome back.
JESSE
Like wise.
Jesse and Mitchel were facing each other through bars in two separate holding cells. Jesse stood, wobbling to, and then groping the bars to get closer to Mitchel.
MITCHEL
How you doing buddy?
JESSE
I feel like I drank a full keg, then got hit by a truck.
MITCHEL
Yah, huh, yeah I can see that. You popped into that cell in a flash all agro and raging until you just…shrunk back
JESSE
I know at this point its sorta my catchphrase, but…any idea what’s going on here.
MITCHEL
I do man, and you might wanna sit down for this.
JESSE
Alright but my back is kil-
MITCHEL
Figure of speech dude.
JESSE
Lay it on me.
MITCHEL
You know Ray’s neice the cute bartender you left in the ambulance with?
JESSE
I know that she’s the werewolf who bit me on Earth.
MITCHEL
I figured you might, but what you don’t know is that the whole thing was orchestrated by skinwalkers.
JESSE
Why?
MITCHEL
Apparently, a crazy ass cult had been developing amongst the older of us, it gained some traction in the community and BAM, a full blown set up to get Candice to bite a poor rando a.k.a. you on the night of a full moon. But not just any full moon, a moon during full planetary alignment.
JESSE
I guess that explains-
MITCHEL
Why you can double down on wolf powers?
JESSE
Words right out of my mouth.
MITCHEL
It gets worse.
JESSE
Course it does.
MITCHEL
Remember when I told you that on Earth us skinwalkers are giant wolves but up here we’re just.
Mitchel waved his hand in front of his chest as if he were presenting a prize on a game show.
JESSE
Yeah…
MITCHEL
The coven built this machine that’s gonna siphon the crazy wolf powers out of you and transfer them to all the skinwalkers so we can change into our true form up here.
JESSE
Doesn’t sound so bad.
MITCHEL
Its going to kill you.
JESSE
Yowza. Wait, why are you in a cell?
MITCHEL
There was no way I was down with any of this. They caught me trying to call Sheriif Mills and locked me up in here.
JESSE
What about your parents?
MITCHEL
They’re members of the coven.
JESSE
No way.
MITCHEL
Its been a rough couple of hours Jesse, I’m not gonna lie.
JESSE
Okay, no more standing around, my knees don’t feel like jelly anymore. Got any bright ideas on how to get outta here?
MITCHEL
Not a one. I was kind of hoping you’d rage us out of here.
JESSE
I’d love to but I’m not one hundred percent on how that works, and I kinda think I need to recharge after last time.
MITCHEL
We have to think fast, the ritual is coming up.
Jesse looked around his cell, turning his head upward he saw that there was a bolted air vent right above the cot. He climbed on top the patted mat, using his claws to unscrew the face of the vent, the pulled himself inside. He crawled the vent until he right above Mitchel’s cell.
JESSE
Watch out!
Jesse’s torn up red and white sneaker slammed through the vent into Mitchel’s cell, soon the both of them were free and wondering the maze that was the ventilation system of this fortress. Unbeknownst to them they were being watched through the countless hidden cameras. Yanny & laurel Redbone watched their son and his from a giant monitor in the control room. Dr. Humphris as well as the Spectre Sisters stood by, surrounding the black leather throne of their leader Magda, a brown skinwalker, she wore a red and gold pinstripe suit with silk gloves.
MAGDA
This had better work Redbone’s
YANNY
It will your majesty.
LAUREL
Mitchie has no idea that he’s being manipulated, which makes him all the more predictable.
YANNY
Look right there on the screen, they’ve already made it to the back exit as planned.
Following the vents had lead Jesse and Mitchel to a storage closet, there were two doors, the one with a bright green EXIT sign took priority of the other adjacent. However, when Jesse opened the door he found himself on the side of a mountain, overseeing all of Aldrania. Mitchel was behind him.
MITCHEL
Door number two it is.
They came out into an a hallway with blood red walls and bright white floors, they wondered through at a fast pace before stumbling into a lab, whose gray walls and black tiled floors were a respite from the vibrant hallway. In the center of the lab was what looked to be a medical chair and attached to it was a helmet, which had wires going from it to the ceiling.
JESSE
So this is a trap right?
On que the Specter Sisters phased into the lab, two grabbed Jesse and threw him into the center chair, while the other held Mitchel back.
MITCHEL
Hey Jess, I am not double-crossing you I swear.
The mechanical door to the left slid open vertically, out stepped Magda flanked by Mitchel’s parents and Dr. Humphris.
MAGDA
And in such record time, kudos Redbone’s you have earned your seat at the table.
She strutted over to Jesse who was strapped intio the chair with a ball gag in hias mouth.
MAGDA
And how are we Mr. Todd, are we comfy womfy?
Jesse could only mumble furiously.
MAGDA
Well rest easy knowing that there was no subterfuge on your little friend’s part; he had every intention of escaping with you.
MITCHEL
I don’t need you speaking for me, lady! But thanks….sorta. Who are you anyway?
MAGDA
I am the first skinwalker, child. I roamed the Great Plains for millennia, until I was captured, taking here and changed to this reviled form!
MITCHEL
You don’t look so bad; I had you pegged at forty-five tops, if you’re a hundred and change, that’s bananers great.
MAGDA
Our people were treated as third class citizenry and exploited for having such frail bodies, BUT THAT ENDS TONIGHT!!!!
The others cheered in unison.
MAGDA
Thank you for your sacrifice Mr. Todd. I assure you, your death will not be in vain.
Magda put the helmet over Jesse’s head, locked it then clapped her hands and started to chant
MAGDA
First we’re going to summon the great beast by flooding your lungs with nitrogen.
Jesse panicked and screamed as he suffocated, the screams became a growl and he grew into the Alpha Wolf.
MAGDA
Excellent, now all apologies, as the thousands of transmission needles pierce your skull.
Jesse let out a scream that shook the walls. Magda nodded at Humphris again who flipped another switch, the needles now pulled
MAGDA
Over the years, I’ve found that mysticism and technology to be a great marriage. I knew how to create an alpha wolf, it was only a matter of waiting for alignment, and the thing about alphas is that the energy inside of them is closer to that of a skinwalkers than anyother race.
Mitchel was in shock as blue lightening came from the helmet on Jesse shooting out into the wires.
MAGDA
We’ve tapped into the artificial oxygen systems, where we’re sending alpha life force, and…pretty…soon….
Magda’s voice grew deep as she writhed in pain along with all of the skinwalkers, the dropped to all fours as their limbs and torso’s grew long and hairy, their faces stretching into maws. Mitchel was in so much his bones and muscles broke and shifting at such a rapid rate he thought he was going insane. His last thought before it all went black was “hang in there Jesse.”
The Drewniverse 44 