chapter ten
"the past behind us"

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The Pool House  ━━ Hacketts Quarry 2021

THE POOL house fell into an uneasy silence as Laura Kearney stood before the group of shell-shocked counselors. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what she was about to say.

"My boyfriend Max and I, we were supposed to be counselors here too. We arrived early, the night before camp was set to start. But things... things went wrong."

She paused, her eyes distant as if reliving a painful memory. "We were attacked. Max was bitten. I had to leave him in an island, I was also captured. It's been a long two months, but I finally escaped. I made my way back here to end this, once and for all."

Dylan leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Wait, you said you left Max on an island? What island?"

Laura nodded, her expression grim. "Yes, an island near the camp. It seemed like the safest place for him, surrounded by water. Werewolves can't cross running water, you see."

Dylan's eyes widened in recognition. "The island by the camp? Oh shit. Jacob went there looking for Emma, and neither of them have come back yet."

A flicker of concern crossed Laura's face, quickly replaced by determination. "If they were there, they're not anymore. I was just there, and I only saw one werewolf. No people."

The revelation hung heavy in the air. Kaitlyn spoke up, her voice trembling slightly. "So, Jacob and Emma... are they...?"

Laura shook her head. "I don't know. But we can't assume the worst. Right now, we need to focus on ending this curse."

She took another deep breath before continuing. "I returned to the island after you all saw me at the pool." Her eyes darted to Ryan, a flicker of recognition passing between them. "I was expecting Max to be human again. But when I got there... he was still infected."

The implications of her words sank in slowly. Abigail gasped softly, her hand flying to her mouth. "But that means..."

"It means the werewolf I killed couldn't have been Chris Hackett," Laura finished, her voice tight with frustration.

Ryan stepped forward, his face set in a grim expression. "It wasn't a werewolf you killed, Laura. It was Kaylee Hackett. We saw her body in the pool."

Laura's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in confusion. "No, that's impossible. I shot a werewolf, I'm sure of it. Unless..." She trailed off, her mind racing. "Unless Kaylee transformed back into a human after death. It's possible, I suppose. There's still so much about this curse we don't understand."

Dylan, who had been listening intently, suddenly spoke up. "Wait, if Max was still a werewolf when you went back, how did you survive? Wouldn't he have attacked you?"

A sad smile flickered across Laura's face. She slowly rolled up her sleeve, revealing a nasty, partially healed bite mark on her forearm. "He tried," she said softly. "But I got away. And now, I'm infected too. That's why I need to end this, and soon. Before I turn, before anyone else gets hurt."

Ryan's face hardened. In one swift motion, he grabbed the shotgun from where it had been propped against the wall and leveled it at Laura. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice tight, "but how do we know we can trust you? How do we know you're not working with the Hacketts, or that you won't turn on us the moment you transform?"

Laura raised her hands slowly, her eyes never leaving Ryan's face. "I understand your caution," she said calmly, despite the gun pointed at her chest. "But we don't have time for this. The full moon is at its peak, and we have precious little time to end this curse before it claims more victims."

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