It was in the late afternoon one day before the rise of the full moon when I found myself sitting with Brandon and his grandparents on their living room couch, awaiting Dr. Maddox's arrival.
I was excited to meet Brandon's father. His visit would not only offer Brandon reassurance by his father's presence, but Dr. Maddox might even have an idea for a possible cure.
Brandon, his legs twitching restlessly, kept switching channels on the TV.
"It's okay," I said. "He'll be here soon."
But that didn't seem to assuage his agitation.
Even his husky began to bark as if he, too, was feeling Brandon's tension.
"Calm down, Apollo," he commanded. Instantly the dog winced, then lay by Brandon's feet.
"Why are you so antsy?" I asked. "I bet you are excited to see your dad."
Brandon didn't respond but perked up. At the same time, Apollo's ears stood up, and he raced to the window and began barking.
Within a few seconds there was a knock on the door.
I half expected Dr. Maddox to enter in a lab coat, wearing thick black glasses, and mad scientist - style gray, wiry, untamed hair. But instead he was handsome like Brandon, with dark hair, and dressed in a brown sport coat, jeans, and trendy metal rectangular-shaped glasses.
"Connor, it's so wonderful to see you!" Brandon's grandmother gushed.
Dr. Maddox was greeted by hugs and kisses from his delighted parents. It was obvious he was thrilled to see Brandon as he gave him a warm embrace.
"Dad, this is Celeste," Brandon said proudly as if he was showing me off. I didn't know if Brandon had even mentioned me to his dad - or what he might have said about our relationship. I felt awkward not knowing but reassured that Brandon seemed so happy.
"Hello there, Celeste," Dr. Maddox said, extending his hand. "I am very pleased to meet you."
"I'm pleased to meet you, too, Dr. Maddox." I shook the senior Maddox's hand. It was firm and warm, just like Brandon's.
"Please, call me Connor," he said, and gestured for us all to sit down.
I sat quietly and watched the Maddox family reunite as Dr. Maddox shared a few tales from overseas. It was interesting to see the dynamics of Brandon's family. They all seemed very intelligent and motivated. And Brandon beamed, having his father and grandparents surrounding him. It was the first time I'd seen him truly relaxed.
"Well, it's time for us to turn in," his grandparents said when the evening wore on.
We all said our goodnights to them. I felt the mood shift a bit and realized that now was the time that Brandon needed to tell his father why he'd asked him to come home from Europe.
Dr. Maddox checked to see that his parents were out of earshot, then he sat across from us in a comfy chair while Brandon and I sat close on the sofa.
"So, what did you want to tell me?" Dr. Maddox said. "You two aren't getting married, are you?" he joked.
"No." Brandon laughed.
"Then what is it that you wouldn't tell me on the phone?"
"I was bitten by a wolf."
Dr. Maddox was taken aback. "Are you okay?"
Brandon pulled off his fingerless glove and showed his scarred palm to his father.
He examined it closely. "When did this happen?"
"A few months ago."
"Where?"
"In a wooded area."
"What were you doing in the woods?" his father asked.
"He saved me," I blurted out. "It was my fault. I was in the woods - lost - and stumbled on a pack of wolves. I'm sure I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Brandon. He is a hero."
Brandon blushed, and Dr. Maddox beamed with pride.
"Why didn't you tell me this when it happened?" his father asked.
Brandon withdrew his hand and replaced the glove. "I didn't want to bother you."
"You aren't a bother. You should have called me. I want to know what is going on with you. Just because I'm in Europe doesn't mean I'm not your father," Dr. Maddox said sincerely. "Did you go to a doctor?"
"Not at first. But Grandma saw my hand and made me go. I got a shot and some stitches and that was the end of that."
"Or so we thought," I said.
Dr. Maddox raised an eyebrow over his glasses. "So you said you had a reaction to something. Is this what it was?"
"Yes," Brandon said.
"What kind of reaction did you have? A fever?"
"Yes. But it didn't happen until a month later."
"Then how do you know it was from the bite?" his father wondered.
"You'll think I'm crazy."
I looked to Brandon.
"Tell me," his father persuaded. "I'm sure I've heard something like it before. It's hard to surprise a scientist."
"Something happened." Brandon wrung his fingers together nervously.
"What, Brandon? I'm here to listen."
"I changed." Brandon fidgeted in his seat.
"Changed how?"
"It was a full moon when I was bitten. Then the following full moon, I got the fever." Brandon paused. I placed my hand on his knee, trying to give the comfort I think he was searching for. "I had these dreams all month long," he continued. "Weird ones." Brandon turned back to me.
"You have to tell him everything," I coaxed him.
"You'll think I'm crazy, Dad."
"I won't," he said reassuringly, with a bit of impatience and weariness from his long day of traveling. "Go on."
"This is hard to talk about."
"They were just dreams, right?" his father asked. "Everyone has weird dreams. It's okay."
"I was a wolf. Running through the woods and fields. Even around houses."
That part shocked me. I hadn't heard that Brandon had dreamed about being near homes, too.
"Anything else?" his father asked.
"I couldn't sleep. I mean, I dreamed, but I didn't feel like I was really sleeping. I woke up exhausted and starved."
It was apparent his father was concerned for his son as he leaned in to hear more. "I wish you would have talked to me," Dr. Maddox said.
"What was there to tell?" Brandon said. "'I've been having nightmares, so come home from Europe?' I'm not a kid."
"I know - but . . . so what is this concern with the full moon? You've never been into that sort of cosmic stuff before."
"One night Celeste came over, and we were hanging out in the guesthouse," Brandon continued. "The sun set and I felt strange. . . . I really don't want to tell you more."
Brandon stopped and covered his face with his hands.
It was like he was afraid of revealing actions that might make the doctor think he should be institutionalized.
"You'll think I'm making this up," he started again. "It's nuts. This stuff doesn't really happen - just in movies."
"Well, Celeste seems like a very smart girl, and she's sitting with you and seems to believe in you," his father said. "And you've never lied to me before - why would I think you're lying to me now?"
"Because I turned into a werewolf!" Brandon exclaimed, his hands tightening into fists.
His father's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Then he laughed. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"I'm not." Brandon was dead serious.
"You are paying me back for disrupting your life. I understand that."
"I'm not, Dad."
"All you had to do was say you wanted me to come back for a visit. I would have. You didn't have to concoct this crazy story."
"I knew you'd think I was crazy."
"That is the strangest thing you've ever said. Even as a kid. I thought it was something serious. Now I can breathe easier."
His father stretched his arms out and sighed. Then he placed his hands on his lap as if he was signaling the end of the conversation. "We can talk more tomorrow. I'm sure I'll have some dreams, too, tonight. Maybe I'll be a zombie."
When Dr. Maddox stood up, I saw all the hope rush out of Brandon. I knew I had to say something before his father went up to bed.
I rose with all the force I had. "It wasn't just a dream, Dr. Maddox," I said, my voice quaking and my eyes almost teary. "It really happened. I saw it. I was there."
He stopped and studied me as if he didn't know how to address my sudden outburst.
"You have to believe me," I pleaded. "Us. I mean, Brandon."
Dr. Maddox was in disbelief. I wasn't sure what he was going to do - and it seemed, as he stared at us, that he didn't know what to do himself.
"See - I was afraid you wouldn't believe me," Brandon said sadly. "If I can't trust you - who can I trust?" He got up and started for the back door.
"Brandon, get back here," his father called.
But instead Brandon headed outside. The screen door slammed behind him.
Tears welled in my eyes. I felt awful for Brandon. And bad for his father.
"Celeste - " his father said, stopping me. "What is he really going through? Is he having a hard time adjusting here?"
"Brandon needs your help," I urged him. "Tomorrow is a full moon."
"I'm not sure - "
"Please, Dr. Maddox. If he knows you don't believe him, you'll break his spirit."
"That is why he insisted that I come here now?"
"Yes. Tomorrow is a full moon," I repeated. "You will see the change for yourself."
Dr. Maddox wasn't convinced. "Well, whatever this is, I'm not leaving. We'll get this solved. Okay?"
We found Brandon outside, throwing rocks between the trees.
"I shouldn't have asked you to come," he told his father.
It was as if those words hit his father like an arrow. I could see the pain in his eyes - the pain of not being there for his son, even now that he was in fact physically here.
"No. You were right to." He patted Brandon on the shoulder. "It's been a long day for both of us. We'll get some rest. Tomorrow I'll take some samples, take a look, and run some tests. And by sunset we'll see what happens." Dr. Maddox was more confident than concerned.
Brandon's sullen mood brightened. "You will?"
"You are my son," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you now that I'm here."
Brandon's father gave him a reassuring hug.
"It was great meeting you, Celeste. I'm grateful Brandon has found such a good friend."
Dr. Maddox headed back inside, and Brandon took my hand and walked me to my car.
"I feel so stupid," he said.
"Don't. He has to know."
"Maybe I should have gone to Dr. Meadows instead. She's into the paranormal. My dad is a scientist. Something like this is only fantasy to him."
"He'll see tomorrow night how fantasy is reality."
Brandon looked up at the almost-full moon. Tomorrow evening would be the first of his three nightly transformations.
He hugged me hard. I could feel the weight of his condition wearing on him.
But I was curious about one part of his dreams that I hadn't heard before. "When you've been dreaming about running around houses," I asked, "where were you going?"
"To yours," he said. "Always to yours."
Brandon kissed me goodnight and watched me as I pulled away. I wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, and neither was Brandon. And Dr. Maddox was in for a restless night as well.