Book of the Hidden Read Free

Slowly breathing in through her nose, she calmed. She splashed her face again taking in the stuffy air of the motel into her lungs. She no longer felt sick. For a moment the coldness of the room had numbed everything. For one moment she forgot about the man behind the wall. That is until he mumbled.
          Vivian showed herself from behind the wall and leaned against it watching him from the other side of the room. He twisted and turned tangling the flowered blankets with his legs like he was having a bad dream he couldn't wake up from. She crossed her arms waiting. It must be painful. It was painful for her too, but not in the same way. With one last shudder Seth woke. His eyes fluttered open roaming around the room. Vivian pressed her back against the wall. Maybe he wouldn't see her. She had never thought about what she was going to say to him or how she was going to explain all of this. She was going to sound like a complete lunatic! But his eyes fell on her, and she knew he was trying to remember where he knew her from.
          She slowly made her way across the room taking her seat beside him. She took a deep breath and asked, "How do you feel?"
          Still glancing around the room he answered, "fine.... Sore."
          "Yeah, you're body is changing....." Why did she say that?
          He stared at her in utter confusion. "What?"
          Vivian sighed again. "It's a long story....."
          "I have time.... I guess...." He looked about the room again, but instead of asking where he was or who she was he pushed against the bed sitting upright giving her his full attention.
          She felt awkward and tense, even more so than before because he had been asleep.   "Seth-"
          "How do you know my name?"
          She glanced over at his wallet and he nodded in understanding. "Do you know what a lycanthrope is?" He shook his head. "It’s a werewolf. To get right to the point, that is what you are now." Once the words were out of her mouth she realized how much better they sounded in her mind.
          Seth laughed. "Werewolf.... Right."
          "Yes." She sat up straighter trying to show confidence. "I don't have to argue with you, because soon you'll know I'm right. A girl named Astrid - she's a werewolf too - she bit you back in that old shack. That scar - on your neck," she pointed, "you'll always have that."
          He touched his fingertips to the fresh pink scar on his neck. From an angle it looked like the Nike sign, a check mark almost. But she diverted her thoughts from that, and returned to him. Vivian leaned back in the chair crossing her legs more comfortably. If only she could be relaxed." But that will be the last scar you will have. Don't worry," she added. He looked in her eyes as though that would get the answers to all his questions. Knowing better, he spoke. "I don't believe any of this. As I said, you don't have to believe me. You'll see for yourself." Vivian shrugged her shoulders.
          Seth then swung his feet over onto the floor and stood. He towered over her for a moment before he walked toward the door. This guy was becoming a pain Vivian thought to herself. She twisted around in her chair and held out her hand in front of her. She loved the warm tingling feeling that made its way through her body. Vivian smirked when Seth tried to turn the door knob. Then jiggle it. Finally he hit the door weakly in frustration and headed for the window. But before he could take his second step, she averted her palm to the window and it shut with a loud snap like a fire cracker.
          His eyes widened, and jaw dropped slightly, but said nothing. He stood there for a long time in complete silence. Vivian parted her lips several times to say something, but nothing came to mind so she sat back in her chair again. Seth finally looked at her. His eyes met hers briefly before they dropped to the floor afraid. The fear he felt gave Vivian power. She wanted