I knock on the door once, too afraid to leave imprints of blood-caked knuckles to continue. I know they heard me though. They heard me from a mile away. I try to force the childhood nightmares from interrupting my carefully arranged nerves. They're monsters. But then, so am I. I tuck my fingers in fists to hide the grime. Then I lock them behind my back to hide the shivering.

There are cars parked all around the house, but the house seems empty. It's a very scary silence. It makes me wonder if this was a good idea. I try not to feel eyes on me, from behind the bushes and from the shadows. A sob escapes my throat. I didn't think how my appearance could be deceiving. Or rather, too obvious. What if they know what I did? Water fills my eye before breaking into a tear. What if they can smell that this blood isn't mine? I slide back a step, tracing back bloody footprints. I can definitely feel the eyes now, boring into my neck.

"Hel-lo?" My voice breaks in a hiccup. Its hard to breath with the snot blocking my nose, my throat feels thick and tears block my sight. I close my eyes tight so that they all fall away, dripping down my chin. Another sob breaks out, echoing in the dark. "Is this," I swallow, "is, Mr. Alpha," I close my eyes tighter, "Mr. Alpha Werewolf Michael Westfield? Is Mr. Alpha Werewolf, Mr. Michael Westfield's.. House?" I'm sobbing loudly now, trying to hold my lips shut and failing, breaking the silence with the struggle. I don't know what I'm more afraid of, them being monsters or them knowing what I did. I realize that it's the guilt when I hear myself whispering apologies to the night.

I don't hear the whispers over my breakdown but I look up when the front door opens, the light from inside falling on the pavement. The person standing in the middle looking dark in contrast. He repeats his question again and I catch it, "What's your name, child?"

"Verity." I only answer because of impulse. Or maybe its fright. There's someone breathing wetly on my neck. I feel like my eyes will pop out and tumble down the floor if I open them wider. I can't breathe. A scream is trapped in my throat and is bouncing in my heart like a ping pong ball.

"Get back Ben, you'll make her faint." The person says and the werewolf responds by making a rude sound. I turn my head slowly, making the mistake of looking at 'Ben' and suddenly my throat isn't locked anymore. I scream and cover my ears, falling on my knees and crawling back. Screaming and screaming and screaming until I'm all the way over behind a pair of legs and then screaming some more. If the beasts don't kill me tonight, the embarrassment surely will. I came here with a will of steel, I remind myself. Breathe, someone says. So I do. And my sight comes back.

She is a girl like me, with brown eyes and soft hands and she wipes my tears, saying, 'shhh' like mum used to. I hug her. She rubs my back and cradles me, picking me off the ground and bouncing up and down as she walks. It makes me feel so good I almost go to sleep. I tell her that, hugging her tighter.

She sets me on a marble table, holding my hands in her bigger ones and frowning at the cuts. I pull them back and hide them behind my back again. I don't want to make her sad. There are more persons around the room. They're all looking at me. I rub my face and tuck my hair back.

"Is this Mr. Alpha Werewolf Mister Michael Westfield's house?"

"Yes." The man from before says. I recognise him now from the newspapers. He has neat black hair and eyes like golden glitter. His eyes were brown in the pictures. The instructions said not to look directly in the golden eyes for more then two seconds, it means the werewolf is in control. I can't look away. His eyes dull and melt into brown. I exhale.

"My name is Verity." I can't think of what to say for some reason, I had prepared a speech. It didn't include this, "My mum is dead." I don't know why I thought that will explain everything but by the looks of it, they're all worried now. I see pity. And frowns. They look at my bloody nightgown. I get defensive. "I didn't kill her." Now they're confused. I need to start over. "Um. She knew how to. How to, well. I. Nurse Laura with the ribbons said that you have cages in the basement for the bad wolves. And. Well, do you?" I meet the Alpha's eyes, his brows are furrowed.

"We don't keep-"

I jump up. Please don't say no. Please don't say no.

"The cages-"

"Do you have them?" I insist, hoping. Pleading.

"Yes."

I think my shoulders visibly drooped. Relief is as good as flying. I climb back down on the counter where I was sat at. My stomach makes a sound I dismiss by wrapping an arm around myself. "Good."

Everyone looks like I actually did sprout wings.

"Mr. Alpha Werewolf-"

"You can call me Michael, please."

"Oh." I blink. "Mr. Michael, can I borrow one of your cages? Just for the day."

He considers it for a bit, narrowing his eyes. "Alright, Verity. But can you tell us why you walked barefoot across several hundred miles, from the looks of it.. To borrow a cage?"

Some of the persons break out of their silent watchful trance and take in the state of my feet. One man gasps and stumbles in his step, then goes to the other room. Probably to vomit. I try to hide my feet but dangling as they are on the counter, I can't do much. I bite my cheek. "Um. I can tell you.." I look away, avoiding their eyes. "Well, my mum knew how to lock me up.. But then she.." I swallow. "And I. I didn't know how to do it." The confession hits me like a truck, my eyes fill up again, my lip starts trembling. "And then I got lost and then I kept forgetting and then I, I kept forgetting. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to. I tried, I tried to run and hide and hide and the sun kept waking up again and again and I know how to read." I look up at the Alpha man for approval. "There was a newspaper with your address on it. I didn't know what it meant, the numbers. But I read the names on the posters on the road and this is Axe Road and I lost the paper but I could smell the werewolves so I came here. And Nurse Laura told me you had cages."

I lose my breath and my voice, the nerves are too jittery again. My heartbeat is like a loud drum beating in my ears. Breathe.. The voice comes from the Heavens again. And so I do. My vision clears and I say thank you to the Angel Mother for helping me again. The vomit man is sitting on a chair and putting bandages on my feet. His face is like an eagle but his hands and like kitten paws. I smile and pat his head. His hair is like mud cakes.

I feel warm air rising behind me and turn to see someone has lit up the stove. Mesmerised, I slide down from the counter and go towards it until the tiny flames look big enough to eat me up. I tiptoe on the floor, resting my head on my folded arms and staring at the blue and red and yellow till my eyes feel heavy. I feel like I've accomplished something. Everything. But I haven't, not really. I'm not in the cage yet. But I can't make myself move. False hope and daydreams invade my mind and block away all the worries. Its so warm. There are so many voices talking like a lullaby, someone picks me up. I whisper a last, "Cage.. Please." Before drifting off in a dreamless fainting spell.