Chapter Text
This country only ever seemed to see two seasons. Darkness and rain. Legosi thought it was a miracle that his friends managed to grow anything here. Recently, he had just gotten his driver’s license and decided to make the drive up to see Jack. They were best friends since they were only six and people used to say that they never thought two animals who were so different could ever be so close. Which was why when Jack told him one night that he had gotten together with their friends Sheila, Kibi, and Tao, and decided to go into business together.
Legosi was devastated that they would no longer be able to see each other every day. As a wolf, he knew that growth and distance were just a part of life. Still, he wanted to make the most out of the rare chance he had to visit.
So much time had passed. What if he changed?
Though he was nervous, as through the endless trees with their leaves turned stunning hues of oranges and reds, appeared a house that was something out of the movies it’s white facade reflecting the sun, showing off its true elegance, he had to admit that he was amazed at how well they had done for themselves.
The gate was wide open, and though the pain had a lot of wear most likely weathered away by the seasons, it was unmistakable that the property was well kept.
Perhaps he should have told them ahead of time that he was making the trip? Though he hadn’t been able to get in contact with any of them.
As he pulled into the driveway and parked, he took a moment to take a deep breath before getting out of the car. Nerves were getting the better of him, but the calm air, eased some of his anxiety. The wolf couldn't help but notice that they were on their own out here with no telling just how far away they were from any other people. It seemed lonely.
Legosi shook the thought away before finally heading to the door, this was it, for almost four years they had gone their separate ways but the reunion was something he needed after all that time. The wolf hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should try to call again, no, he was already here, no sense in delaying it any further.
With a few heavy handed knocks, he took a step back, and…nothing. He went to knock again when the door flew open. “Sheila, hi!” He said, his smile fading as he slowly realized that her shocked expression was one of dismay.
“Legosi? What are you doing here? You…shouldn’t be here!” The years were very kind to here, he was quick to notice that the leopard had gotten even more beautiful with age.
“Wh-why? I haven’t seen you guys in forever and I’m here with my girlfriend to visit her family so I thought…” He trailed, scratching at his head awkwardly. He knew this was short notice but he never imagined that they wouldn’t want to see him at all.
She came out and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. “I missed you…I really did. We all did, it’s just a really bad time.” She explained, looking back into the house.
A dark, ominous energy emanated from inside that made Legosi’s fur stand on end. It was evil…it was hate and his instincts were uncharacteristically telling him that he must flee. “What’s going on, Sheila?” He asked, tentatively stepping back.
“Legosi, I know it sounds crazy but you have to believe me. It’s Jack, he’s…possessed.”
Legosi's eyes widened. He went silent when he couldn’t believe what she had just said. "Possessed?" He repeated with an incredulous laugh. That had to be a joke, right? Yet, she wasn’t smiling. Legosi was never one to believe in an afterlife, no devils, no gods, no angels, no demons. He only believed in what he could see for himself.
“Sheila…let me see him. Right now.” He demanded firmly.
He followed her inside, needless to say it was nowhere near as immaculate as it was outside where the walls and everything inside it looked as though it was decaying. When they got to the basement door, Sheila opened it, and a chill so cold they could see their breath came from its dark depths.
“What the hell is that?” His voice shook as he shivered. “It’s him, look, I know it sounds crazy! But it all started after we moved out here.” She began as they slowly descended those stairs. “We lost our first farm to a horrible fire. A freak accident, we wanted to give up…but then we found this place. The located and the amount of land…it was almost too good to be true.”
As the two of them got to what looked like a wine cellar, Legosi was shocked to see that one of the storage spaces were closed out by a metal grate that was fashioned into something of a cage. The wolf’s heart pounded in his chest as he finally saw Jack sitting on what looked like a cot with a bucket beside him. "Sheila, why is he in a…?"
“He killed Kibi. Tao and I left them one morning to get the permits we needed to open up the milking parlor. It was going to be our source of income while we set up our crops, but when we came back…” She looked away, sniffling and rubbing at her nose with her sleeve.
“Then…that just means that his instincts got the better of him! That doesn’t mean he’s possessed! He needs help!” Legosi said.
“No! You don’t understand! That’s not him. He didn’t eat him.”
Their heads snapped to the snapped as in the corners of their eyes that shadow began to rise to its feet. “When he speaks, it’s not him talking…it’s not his voice, I would know. He’s…a monster.” Sheila’s eyes narrowed as the figure approached, gripping the iron bars as he peered at the newcomer.
Jack's eyes were empty, unresponsive to the light, unblinking, his cold stare was almost uncanny and it made the fur on the back of Legosi’s neck stand on end. The way he looked at him was as though he were sizing up a stranger perhaps looking at his next meal, going to so far as to lick his fangs. Legosi couldn’t make sense of what was happening, but he knew that what he was looking at felt wrong.
There was no way that was his friend. "Jack?" He asked cautiously, approaching slightly, though Sheila held him back.
A twisted smile crept up on the Labrador’s lips, still Legosi tried to get closer. “Look at you, a wolf in my den? What brings you here?” That voice was definitely not Jack but that didn’t make sense, there was no such thing as possessions. There was no such things as ghosts…
Nothing about this animal in front of him was even remotely familiar. "You're not Jack." He said finally, his voice almost a growl, as he realized that to some degree there was some truth to what Sheila was saying. Jack's head cocked in amused curiosity, his smile almost reaching his empty eyes as he chuckled at the wolf's words. "Clever." He said, his smile growing wider.