The Wolf of Jade Lake

During the day a lake that I live next to, Jade Lake, is lovely. Quite lovely. So much so that I've used it for some of my pictures for my job. But, at night? This place isn't exactly as nice. Every time I go on my evening run however...I get this weird feeling on my back. Like something or someone is watching me. Sometimes, I swear I hear footsteps. So, I run even faster then when I started. Never looking back once before I get to my front door.

This horrible feeling of something being there intensifying as I bolt. That I'm not alone. And the whatever it is, is right on my tail. Right until I get inside my door. Peek through the peep-hole and see that there's nothing there. There never is. All there is, is fog and the scent of burning leaves. It makes me feel like I'm being paranoid. But, I can't help it. Just like today. I've ran to my front door once again. Though this time, I think I've seen something outside my front door. A strange brown blur that bolted from my sight. Too fast for me to properly be able to make out.

Heading back to Jade Lake, I think. It might have gone that way. But, I'm not entirely sure. The direction could have been somewhere else entirely. Again, I am not completely certain of what I saw.

Right now, I'm debating if I should follow the blur or not. See what the thing is. See if it really came from the lake or not. Yet, I feel that wouldn't be a wise move. What if it's some guy out there? Armed and ready to hurt me? And he's not alone like I think he might be? That there are several folks waiting for me?

That's not a risk I'm willing to take. So, I just lock everything in my house. Double check that every lock is locked. Every single window is not able to be moved. That there's no way anything could get into my home. When I'm absolutely sure that I'm safe I get ready for bed. Brushing my teeth, putting on my P.Js, and finally climb into bed. Nearly instantly falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. Only a little while later did I wake up. Hearing someone's footsteps around the room. Then the bed dipping under someone's weight. Nearly causing me to freeze in fright, stomach twisting in anxiety. I opened an eye as I turned to the person in the bed. Relief nearly flooding me when I recognize who it is in bed with me. It's just my husband climbing into his side of the bed. Laying down on his right side as he pulls the blankets over himself.

Man, I really must be overthinking this whole situation. If I'm scared of my husband joining me in bed.

Turning to my side, I scoot over to him and wrap my arms around his waist. Pressing my face into his back as I smiled. He gently rubs my arms as I sighed softly. And he quietly asks,"So did the thing come back today, Teddy?"

"Yeah, Max. It did.",I confirmed. I've been telling him all about the feeling. The sounds that came with it. How both things have terrified the crap out of me. So far, Max has thought I had been imagining things. Telling me that it was absolutely nothing. And that I'd been watching too many horror movies. In all honesty, I believe that he might be right about that. Though, not today. And I continued,"Saw something' too."

"It wasn't easy to see and kind of blurry but, it was a creature...I think.",I muttered. His whole body tensed after I told him about it. There was this strange feeling in the air. A tension that I've never felt between us ever. But it dissipated when he rubbed my forearms once again. Then he said,"It probably just was an animal, babe. Like someone's dog or something."

"I doubt it's anything to be too worried about.",Max soothes. Like he always does when I freak myself out. Though, there's this strange edge to it. One that just feels slightly off. Yet, I can't put my finger on why it's off. Putting it to the side, I sigh and nod. Maybe he's right about what the thing I saw it was. It was just neighbor's dog that got out and I'm freaking out over nothing.

Like usual.

Max carefully pulls my arms off of his waist. Then turns around to face me and pulls me in close. Resting his chin on my head as he wraps his arms around me. Gently rubbing my back in little motions to help me relax. Quietly, I said,"You're probably right. Guess we'll need to see if any of our neighbors lost their dog."

"When it isn't too early.",I added. Not wanting to wake our neighbors when we wake up in the morning. Considering we always get up way earlier than anyone else. I work morning shift and my husband does morning runs. Max said,"Sounds like a plan to me."

"I don't know what I'd do without you here to keep me grounded.",I stated. Not entirely serious. My husband gently rubs my back once again. Then he joked,"Be held up in some bunker somewhere with tinfoil on your head?"

I couldn't help but giggle at this. As does my husband. We giggle together just for a little while until I fall asleep.

~Max's P.O.V~

Teddy's almost seen the creature that's been following him. The one that's from the lake. The thing that I turn into when the moon is full. I can't let him see me like that. Or now why I'm doing what I'm doing. Well, not yet anyways. Not until I'm sure that my husband won't be scared of the creature I turn into.

And I need to figure out how to tell him the things that I've done. To things and to other folks. All thanks to that stupid lake and the hideous creature that lives near it. One that is similar to me. A werewolf. Never saw it outside of that form and I don't ever want to. As I don't care about it as a human being. All I care about is keeping it from touching Teddy. Or even finding out about my Teddy Bear. It's one of the reasons why I've been following Teddy during his night runs. Just to keep the creature that turned me from turning him.

So far, it's worked to my advantage. And I've kept my husband safe from the other wolf. As safe as I can in this state at the very least. I'll do anything to keep him in the dark about this whole thing. For now. At least until I've killed the other werewolf that turned me.