Werewolf Boyfriend: Dean (rough draft)

Aside from getting up, you have been enjoying the early mornings. The town you live in is right near the ocean, so each morning during your jog to the gym, you get to see the sunrise over the sparkling waters. You had always been a sleeping in type of person, but when you decided to start trying to loose weight, it became clear that early morning was the only time you could work out. After work you were always too exhausted, or were far too busy.

It had been a struggle in the beginning, especially when you started the early morning gym visits. Your body ached throughout the day, and mornings were harder than ever. You just had to push yourself through it all. You kept telling yourself it would be worth it in the end. You had grown to enjoy weight lifting, and it had become a regular part of your morning routine. You had a few friends now that you worked out with, which helped to keep you all on task some days.

“Look over there,” your friend Rosie hisses. Giving you a nudge that nearly makes you trip on the treadmill.

“Hey! Careful!” You huff. “What are you talking about?”

Rosie nods her head over to the corner where a guy is standing, adjusting the braces on his knees before he takes to the dumbbells. “That guy. The one I’ve been telling you about.”

For a while now Rosie had been talking about this guy she was seeing around the gym. She called him the shadow because of how he always dressed in black and was so unnervingly silent. Not only that, she said half his face was covered in some weird red bruising or marking. The way she went on you expected the Phantom of the Opera to traipse in. But this guy looks very normal. No hidden murder basement tendencies radiated off of him. From how Rosie went on, you had expected someone much more mysterious than this. Aside from his all black attire and prodigious man-bun, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“That is not the shadow,” you scold her. “That’s some guy.”

“No, no,” she spoke low again. “That’s him. The shadow! Wait for him to turn, you’ll see.” She kept her hand on you so you didn’t turn away.

You roll your eyes but smile. “Have you ever considered trying out to be the nosy neighbor on TV?” You start to go back to your workout but then the shadow turns.

Rosie gives you a smack on the arm and you see it. The right side of his face looked bruised red and purple. It seeps down his face and onto the side of his neck and shoulder. Even the hair on the right side of his head is discolored white and gray.

“The shadow!”

“Don’t be rude,” you hiss warningly at her. “It’s a port wine birthmark.”

Rosie took on a modified expression. “Like his mother drank wine during pregnancy? Oh my god that’s so sad!”

“It has nothing to do with wine! Just looks like a wine stain,” you fuss at her. “It happens like any other birthmark.”

“Sorry,” Rosie glanced back to the shadow. “But see? He’s so cool in a way.”

You give her a look. “Are you twelve?”

“I mean, he’s this loner and everything. All black. Always cleans up, holds open doors.” She blushes slightly.

You smirk at her. “You’re married Rosie. Do I need to go and have a word with Mikey?”

Rosie pouts and returns to focusing on the treadmill. “He can fantasize about the florist on Gum Street, I can do it too.”

You laugh at her, taking one last glance at the shadow behind you.

One morning, as you were taking a breather from your regiment, you were sifting through your bag, looking for a mint when someone came to stand over you.

“Do you work there?” He asks, pointing to your bag.

Your bag is a tote from work, you’d been using it for forever rather than actually buying anything new. It was emblazoned with the logo Audrey Dental Clinic along with a little tooth and toothbrush design. “Yeah,” you answer. You look up and see it’s the shadow standing over you.

“Do ya’ll take new clients?” He has a southern accent, which you weren’t expecting at all. “I’ve had this toothache for a while now, and I can’t ignore it anymore.”

You fumble a bit, nearly dropping your box of mints. “Yes of course. I don’t have any of my cards with me, they’re back in my purse. But I could leave one at the front desk for you.”

“Thank you, I’d appreciate that a lot.” He says with a smile. He goes to turn then stops. “I don’t have insurance-”

“We take payments,” you quickly counter. “And we have flex rates too, so-” You smile nervously again. You then tell him your name. “I’m a dental hygienist there, just tell them I referred you and they’ll get you in as quick as possible.”

“Dean,” the shadow gives his name. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too, Dean.” For some named the shadow Dean sounded like such a plain name.

You leave one of your cards at the front desk, telling the guy there that Dean would come and pick it up later. Work is like any other day. You perform a few cleanings, assist Dr. Audrey with a few procedures, x-rays. Just normal. Aside from talking to Dean the shadow that morning, nothing different had happened.

Once at home you get into a shower immediately. As was the routine. Shower first, dinner second. When you cook, you browse through your phone. You check emails, check out the news, and then one of your favorite guilty pleasures was a supernatural enthusiast blog called the Spoopy Forecast that tracked hauntings, cryptids, and various other unexplainable phenomena in the world. You had grown up in a supposedly haunted house as a kid, so these things had always fascinated you. Today though, there was a surprise.

“West Coast Beach Beast Spotted Again!” The Beach Beast had been popping up the last few years now. Someone had snapped a photo of what looked like to be some hairy creature on the beach not far from your town. Ever since, people had been sending in equally as blurry and nodescript photos, hyping up the Beach Beast myth so that now, shops around here sold merch advertising it. Only this time though, the Spoopy Forecast had gotten a photo that was much clearer than the others. Just as you were scrolling down to see the supposed ‘definitive’ Beast Beach picture your phone rang and you nearly chucked it into your dinner.

“I saw the shadow buying orajel at the pharmacy.” The text from Rosie said.

“His name is Dean.” You sigh and text her back.

“How do you know that?”

“I talked to him this morning. He has a toothache so I gave him my card.” You step away from the stove to let your dinner simmer. “He seems very nice.”

“Well that explains why he was buying orajel. Why didn’t you tell me?”

You wish you could give Rosie a look. “Because I’m not in high school.”

She must sense this because she instantly changes the subject. “You’re still doing the new yoga class with me on Saturday right? I don’t wanna go alone.”

You check on your food and stir it, turning the heat down. “I’m planning on it, although I don’t know why. Don’t you have more flexible friends?”

“I don’t want to be the only chubby girl in a room full of skinny white women. We have to stick together! Bubble butts for life!”

Rosie was a lot, but you were used to that by now. “I’m still going. Don’t worry. I even got a new mat and leggings that supposedly don’t show panty lines.”

“Yay! You’re the best!”

You set your phone down, going back to your meal which you happily plate. As you eat, you return to the Spoopy Forecast to try and see this picture of the Beach Beast again. You get to it, seeing the beach at a dusky hour. At first you don’t see it, but then, when the article points it out, you’re shocked. What had looked like rocks in the corner turned hairy, and you could just barely make out a grotesque wolf-ish face. But it was the caption that rocked you most of all. “Taken near Orin Beach.” This was literally taken not far from your home. It was the beach you ran past during your morning jog! You quickly set your phone aside, there must be some explanation or photo manipulation involved. There’s no way!

The next day, you take a different route to the gym, trying your best to avoid the beach. Once at the gym, you felt like you could relax. No one the Beach Beast would survive with all the heavy weights and muscular body builders around. You get set up to start your workout for the day.

“Good morning.”

You nearly choke on your water. You hadn’t heard anybody approaching you, but suddenly the shadow was there.

Dean looks instantly apologetic. “Oh shit, did I scare you?”

You keep your mouth covered as you try not to spit out your water. You shake your head then nod as you gulp. “I didn’t hear you at all!”

“Sorry, I‘ve been told I’m quiet. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that.” He rubs the back of his neck.

“It’s okay,” you cough. “You didn’t mean to.”

Dean’s smoft smile returns. “Thanks for the card. I’ve got an appointment today, so I’m hoping I can get this toothache fixed. I’ve got something pretty important coming up on Saturday and I’m a bit nervous about it.”

You stand up and pop your knuckles. “Don’t worry about it. Glad You got an appointment so fast. Hopefully it’s an easy fix.”

“I’m scared it’s gonna be a root canal.” His southern accent and shy tone make him sound really cute.

You return his smile. “If it was I think you wouldn’t have waited so long to call. It’s usually never as bad as you think it is, trust me.”

“Well, I just wanted to thank you. I’m usually pretty anxious about these things. But I saw your bag and took it as a sign so-” He stopped. “Sorry, I ramble when I’m nervous.”

“I have a friend who rambles when she’s breathing, it’s okay.” You motion to the weight bench. “Mind spotting me?”

“You lift?” Dean asks as he follows you over.

“I think it’s fun. When I started trying to loose weight, I never thought I’d be doing this,” you chuckle.

Dean smiles. “You look great. How long have you been at it.”

Your cheeks burn from the complement. “Thanks. It’s been over a year now. I’ve lost quite a bit, but I’m still trying to get to my goal.” You put weights onto the bar and when they’re secure you lie back on the bench.

Dean gets behind the bar, spotting you as you start to lift. “My brother back home does weight lifting professionally. Does all the contests and stuff. He even started doing his own Halloween themed contest since that holiday is so important back home.”

“Oh really?” You grunt. “Where are you from?”

“North Carolina,” he says it so proudly.

“You’re awfully far from home.” You start to get your rhythm. “What brought you all the way across the continent?”

Dean helps you set the bar back and you let your arms drop to the sides while you take a breather. “Work mostly. Got a good job up here thanks to a friend. Then I just fell in love with the water.”

“See the Beach Beast picture that was taken on Orin Beach?” You ask.

Dean snickers. “Oh come on. You don’t actually believe in that do you?”

You smile up at him. “And you don’t? No bigfoot? No mothman? Not even your humble Loch Ness?”

“Sure, I think they’re fun to speculate about,” Dean laughs. “But don’t you think if there was some sort of monster lumbering around on this very beach that we could have better evidence than some blurry photographs? Surely someone would have seen or stumbled upon it by now.”

“I just know I’m avoiding the beach for a while. The new photograph was terrifying!”

Dean stills and frowns. “What new photo?”

“You’ve not seen it? Really?” You reach for your phone and show it to him. “See it? You can actually see the face! It’s so creepy.”

Dean looks hard at the picture, a deep set frown on his face. “You sure it’s not just some dog?”

“I have never seen a dog look like that. Look, it looks like half the face is missing too.” You point. You then hesitate, wondering if that came off as weird or offensive to Deam.

Dean’s expression is a little hard to read. “I think these things can be made up so easily these days.” He hands you back your phone.

“It’s just fun.” You put your phone back into your tote bag. “I like the idea that there is more out there than just us. I like that we don’t know and can’t know everything.”

Dean grins. “Okay Mulder. Ready for another set?”

“I suppose.” You lay back down.

That afternoon at work, you’re finishing up with a patient when you see Dean sitting in the waiting room. You give him a smile and a wave. Later you see him sitting in dr. Audrey’s office, leaned back in a chair and fidgeting with his hands. His x-rays are on the board so you look them over. You see the cavity, but you also see that there is something a bit more strange with his teeth. They look healthy and normal but there’s just something oddly shaped about them and his jaw. You can’t quite describe it, but it’s different.

“See? No root canal. Just an everyday cavity. Dr. Audrey will have that taken care of in no time,” you say brightly. “You’ll be pain free within the hour.”

“I’m scared,” Dean says shakily.

This was a surprise. Laying there in his all black garb you would assume he would be as fearless as Batman. “What’s to be afraid of?”

“I hate needles,” he whispers. There’s sweat on his brow and his brows are pinched. “It’s not as bad as when I was a kid. But I still get anxious and nauseous about it.”

“That probably is the worst thing about getting a cavity filled,” you tell him. “I remember when I had to get a wisdom tooth pulled. The shot hurt more the next day than the pulled tooth did! But, it’s only for a second that you have to see it. And Dr. Audrey will numb the gum so all you feel is a bit of pressure.”

Dean breathes out slowly. “I guess if I keep my eyes closed.”

You take a seat beside him. “I’ll stay as long as I can and try to help you calm down.” You try to think of a topic to start from. “You said you were from North Carolina, right?”

“Yeah,” he breathes.

“Where at in the state?”

He swallows. “It’s a little town called Hearthway Hollow, it’s near Asheville, have you heard of it?”

You nod. “I have an aunt in Charlotte. I’ve never been to visit but she posts all sorts of pictures.”

Dean breathes out again. “It’s a beautiful place. I miss it a lot.”

“You said Halloween was a big deal. How come?”

He smiles nervously. “Hard to explain. Basically it just became this big deal. All month people get ready for it. Stories compete with their window displays. Different little celebrations are held. And like my said, my brother started this weightlifting competition that’s Halloween themed. Part of it included who can throw these massive pumpkins the farthest.”

“Sort of like a Highland game?”

“Yeah,” he smiles at you. “It’s great.”

“Any other family besides your brother?” You ask.

He shakes his head. “Just me and my brother. We mostly had cousins. We spent a lot of time with my aunt Maria’s family as kids. My uncle Billy used to have us work at his tool shop every summer, that’s where we got into the gym stuff.”

Unfortunately, you had to return back to work. You didn’t get to check on Dean before he left, but hopefully you would see him at the gym one day. That evening you decided to look up Hearthway Hollow, just to see what it was like. To your surprise, upon searching, the Spoopy Forecast was one of the very first results.

“Small North Carolina town the epicenter of paranormal activity.” “Small town becomes the hunting ground of blood thirsty activity.” “Hearthway Hollow: Small town haven or gateway to hell.” These articles are a bit of a shock. Did Dean know about this, or was it just something the whole town found annoying. You decide to read a couple of articles about the town, just to see what was up.

“Locals report strange occurrences, including dead animals being left on their front lawns and porches. Others have reported sights of huge, monstrous creatures in the woods. One such anonymous tip states that the wolf reserve that made the town famous is actually a sanctuary for werewolves and that the wolves in the reserve are actually the accursed creatures of lore.”

“Werewolves?” You whisper to yourself. You go to another article. Werewolves. You go to another. Werewolves.

You do another search this time typing in “Hearthway Hollow werewolves”. A sight for the wolf reserved was brought up, then there are a couple of articles from various new sources that come up as well. “Locals interviewed about Werewolf rumors.” “North Carolina town sick of paranormal investigators.” “Locals laugh as local legend.”

You then found a picture that was taken in Hearthway Hollow, and to your shock, it looked almost identical to the one taken on Orin Beach. You wish you knew Dean’s number so you could message him and ask him directly about this werewolf rumor. Unfortunately, all you had was the internet and the many articles on the Spoopy Forecast.