I’m a Puppy Now?
“Fresh pup? That sounds like I need to be housebroken or something.”
Gloria held her hand to her mouth, but the chuckle couldn’t be suppressed, “Well, in a way, it’s kind of like that.”
Angie threw her hands in the air, “Great, so where do we put the newspaper, and where are my bowls?”
Lorn smiled, “Well if you want to start out that way-“
Gloria let out a laugh, “Okay, come on, we have to be professional here.”
“Says the one who’s laughing her ass off.” Angie glared.
Gloria cleared her throat as she waved a hand in the air, “Sorry, but you have to admit that was a little bit comical.”
Angie rolled her eyes, “Yeah, my life is over, and you think it’s funny.”
Lorn put a hand on Angie’s shoulder, “Your life isn’t over. It’s just going to be different from now on out.”
“Can I talk to my friends?”
“Not for a bit. You have to get a handle on this first and know when to bolt to a center when you feel you’re going to put people in danger.”
“Can I text them at least?”
Gloria shook her head, “That’s already been handled. Your parents and friends have been told you are ill with a contagious disease and cannot be seen until it is safe.”
Angie turned to Gloria, “And they bought that?”
Gloria smiled, “I’ve been doing this for centuries, dear. They believed it.”
Angie looked around at the carnage she created that had yet to be cleaned, “Will I be trained or whatever here?”
Lorn shook his head, “As a new pup, the last thing you need is to be around this smell. While Gloria finishes up here, we’re going to the training ground. You will be given a place to rest while you’re there.”
Angie rubbed both of her arms, “How long until I see my family and friends again?”
Lorn lifted her chin, “That’s entirely up to how you respond to the training and lessons. Some new pups are back to their lives in two or three weeks.”
Angie’s eyes flew open, “A few weeks! Basketball practice! Finals!”
“It’s either that or the alternative.”
Gloria’s features turned stern as she looked at the werewolf trainer, “Lorn.”
Angie looked from Lorn to Gloria, “Alternative?”
Gloria’s features wrinkled and the corners of her mouth turned downward, “Those that don’t respond to the lessons or rebel against them are put down. Their parents are notified of a horrible turn of the virus, and we prep the body to fit the story.”
“You mean you kill them?”
Lorn nodded, “Feral pups are pups that run on instinct and refuse all training to keep those around them safe. They go on rampages, killing hundreds and turning more humans into pups as they go. We can’t risk it.”
Gloria put a hand on Lorn’s arm, “One such feral was responsible for thousands of deaths almost a century ago. He created mass panic and the humans started hunting anything they thought was a monster, adding to the death toll.”
“Was it that Armin guy you were talking about?”
Both nodded in unison, but it was Gloria who broke the silence, “Armin was never found.”
Angie took her phone out of her pocket and handed it over to Lorn, “Here, I don’t want to hurt anyone else. I don’t even remember doing this.”
She waved her hand around the facility. Lorn stepped toward Angie and looked into her eyes as he placed both of his on her shoulders.
“We never do, Angie. That’s why the society Gloria and I work for does their best to find new pups, vamps, and other paranormal creatures and show them how to live a relatively normal life.”
“Does it ever feel like a normal life?”
Gloria chuckles, “Some of the cheekier ones say they’re leading a superhero life complete with a secret identity.”
“Those must be the comic book nerds living out a fantasy,” Angie smirked.
“Wait,” Gloria tilted her head to one side, “Is that the beginning of a smile?”
Angie shrugged.
Lorn put his arm around Angie, “Come on, let’s give Gloria room to work her magic. I’m taking you to the den.”
“Does everything have to sound like it’s dog-related?”
“Well, we are werewolves. It’s a thing.”
“Right, and as long as no one tries to hump me, I won’t have any issues.”
It was Lorn’s turn to laugh.
House of Geek 