Detroit and Terra

What a character contest.
Word Count: 1952.


Detroit and Terra.

The road was slick from last night's snowstorm, and Marilyn was driving too fast. The sizable creature came out of nowhere, and she slammed on the brakes. A large thud echoed throughout the car as her children in the back seats began to scream and cry. The snow blew over her windshield as she stared at the large, hairy quadruped lying limp on the road. She picked up her phone and dialed 911 with nervous fingers.

"What's your emergency?" asked a female's voice from her cell phone. She was about to tell them she had killed something on the road, but that would have been a lie. The creature had gotten up, and its eyes glowed red as it stared at her from a distance. She was about to scream when it disappeared into the wind-blown snow, and she held her breath. The snow cleared, and the creature reappeared in front of her hood, dripping with blood from the gash he received from her collision. She let out a scream as its teeth started to bear. The only sound she could release through her screams was the word "Werewolf."

"Did you say Werewolf, Ma'am? Where are you?" the voice on the other end of the phone said.

Marilyn couldn't be considered lucky, but sometimes bad luck can be good. Another car behind them slammed on their brakes, slid, and rammed them from behind. It pushed their vehicle into and over the attacking Werewolf, hurting it significantly. A deep howl rang through the trees as the wounded Werewolf ran into the woods, leaving a snow trail of blood and fur. She caught her breath and slowly muttered her location to her shaky phone. She locked the doors.

Terra hung up the phone and looked at her wife, who was still sleeping. She stood up and stared out the windows at the moon's soft glow on the freshly fallen snow. She never hears from the Professor at a decent time. She has worked with the world-famous Professor Detroit for six years and received fame and fortune. Last mission, he told her he was retiring, but she wasn't prepared to work alone.

"Monsters?" said her wife, who was still lying in the bed.

"Yes. They believe it's a Werewolf this time. The professor says he can't do it alone," said Terra, a twenty-two-year-old captivating beauty. Her parents came from Bombay, India, and she was born in the snowy city of Detroit.

"The great Professor Detroit and Terra ride again. Do you ever get tired of that phrase?"

"Never," laughed Terra.

"Maybe, try, Professor Terra attacks!"

Terra became quiet, grabbed her wife's face, and said, "You know I have a problem with killing. Even if it's a monster, it makes me squeamish."

Her wife wrapped her hands around Terra's waist and said, "I have faith in you. Swallow your fear and show him how it's done."

"Someday," said Terra.

With grey hair and a trimmed beard, Professor Thomas, aka Professor Detroit, was an old man who didn't like driving in this crappy adverse weather. His young protege had no qualms about driving in the ice and snow, but she drove atrociously. The front-wheel-drive car slid many times while he white-knuckled the dashboard and prayed out loud. Terra didn't take any offense to his proselytizing and critiquing her driving.

"Jesus, help us from dying," Thomas screamed as he grabbed his seatbelt tightly. Terra was oblivious to her recklessness.

"The weather forecast is partly cloudy tonight. As the overcast changes, we must be careful about the werewolf's transitions from human to werewolf."

"Are we sure there is only one Werewolf?" asked Thomas, "Slow down! Your tires are slipping!"

"Do you want to drive?"

"No."

He closed his eyes and kept them closed.

"Okay, well, it's probably best to kill the Werewolf when it is in its Werewolf state. You won't make a mistake killing someone innocent, and it's less wrenching on your soul," said Thomas. He was getting old, and his speed was not as fast as he used to be. He hoped Terra would do most of the work except for the killing. That was his job, but she needed to step up.

The car pulled around the corner, sliding towards the ditch as she pumped the brakes. At the last moment, the traction caught, and she abruptly turned back towards the road and promptly crashed into the back of a State Trooper. Professor Thomas looked at Terra with love in his eyes and said, "Get out!"

She smugly smiled, and they both exited the car.

"Cold. I hate the cold," whispered her mentor.

"You picked the wrong state to live in," retorted Terra.

The professionally garbed Michigan State Trooper exited his slightly damaged vehicle, gave them a directed glower, and then surveyed the damage to the back of his car.

"We have the forest locked down, and nobody has left or entered, Professor Detroit," said Officer Engler, his name emblazoned on a tag.

"Oh, yeah! You're Professor Detroit and Terra, the famous monster hunters from television. Killed and captured more than a thousand creatures," said Officer Sizemore, the State Trooper whose car just got hit.

"He's killed thousands," corrected Terra.

"We don't go by that moniker anymore, officers," said Thomas sternly. The executives gave him that name.

Behind the Professor, Terra shook her head and mouthed, "We still do."

The Officer laughed and pointed the way with his flashlight.

Thomas pulled out his gun, ensured it had all six bullets, and started walking towards the moonlit forest.

"Silver bullets?" asked the Officer with excitement.

Terra nodded her head 'yes'. "How many creatures?" she asked.

"One perp was spotted running into the woods and got hit by a car. It should be hurt," said Officer Sizemore.

"Got it," said Terra, and she ran off to follow the Professor.

"Wow, the Professor Detroit. I used to idolize him as a kid," said Officer Sizemore as he shook his head.

Professor Thomas didn't feel like a famous monster hunter. His hospital visit showed that he had a bad ticker and he needed to stop working this job. Every day seemed to bring him closer to death. He needed to go to Tahiti.

Down a snow-covered, small two-track was an old four-door Cadillac idling with its headlights on. Professor Thomas pointed his gun towards the car as he saw movement in the back seat. An innocent-looking, half-dressed woman rolled down the windows slowly. She had tears and claw marks on her shoulder. He had to be careful. She could be the Werewolf or, worse, infected.

"He's out there somewhere! He attacked me and ran off!" cried the female.

He looked around the backseat and saw clothes crumpled on the floor. None of them were torn. Torn clothes are a sure sign of someone turning into a Werewolf. She's telling the truth for now.

He turned around and aimed his flashlight into the forest. A naked man appeared before him, shivering and cold, with a bite mark on his neck and a large gash down his thigh and arm.

"Looks like you got hit by a car," said Thomas.

"Help me," said the man, raising his hands in abdication.

"Too late," thought the Professor. He would wait, just in case.

Terra waited by the front of the car and watched her mentor perform his prowess. She had always admired him, tasked as his sidekick, even though she could do everything he could do except the killing. But Thomas was getting older and worried about who would take over for him. Monsters weren't going to go away just because he retired.

She watched him aim his gun at the young man and say he was sorry. Terra looked to the back of the car and saw the female staring at her.

Recognition took hold. "Amy?" said Terra as she watched the forest start to glow with the full moon's light.

A shot rang out as the injured man turned into a Werewolf and jumped at the Professor. The creature howled with pain and fell as the Professor backed into the car door.

A scream came from Terra as the female in the back of the car changed into a Werewolf and attacked the unknowing Professor. He was too slow to react to the scream. He slumped to the frozen ground and grabbed his bitten neck. His gun fell to the ground.

"No, please, no," screamed Terra in distress. She pulled her silver necklace off without thinking, turning her into a snarling Werewolf. Her mind was in a berserker rage as she jumped at his attacker. She grabbed her with her muscular claw and threw the other beast onto the forest floor. Terra bared her teeth, saliva, and foam dripping down her fur-covered chin as she gave a guttural growl toward the other Werewolf.

The clouds obfuscated the moon again, and the woman returned to herself, placing her hands above her head. Terra stood tall above her in her Werewolf form.

"Kill her, Terra, while you can!" screamed the Professor.

She turned around and looked at the Professor. She returned to her human form and said, "I can't. She's my sister."

"Oh," said the Professor.

He looked down at the snow and picked up something with the end of his gun. "Then this probably belongs to her," said the Professor. He lifted his gun, and a silver necklace was on the end of the pistol.

"My moon necklace! I lost it while Jack and I were messing..." said Terra's sister. She walked over slowly and grabbed the necklace off the Professor's gun as it pointed at her head. She placed the magic necklace back on, allowing her human form to return.

"I'm so sorry. It accidentally fell off," said Amy.

"So touching," said the Professor as he coughed a few times.

"But there is something you need to do, Terra. It's time to help me retire and bring back your two Werewolf trophies," said the Professor as he dropped the gun.

Terra kept hugging her sister, knowing what she had to do, and she didn't want to.

"Do it before the moon shows again. I feel the change, and I don't want to see myself as a gray Werewolf with arthritis," laughed the Professor as he coughed again.

She turned around and grabbed the gun from the ground.

"I really wanted a gold watch," said Professor.

"I know," said Terra, whipping a tear from her cheek.

"Thank you, Professor Detroit, you gave me a chance," said Terra as the moon shone down from the sky.

"I hate that name," said the Professor as he started to change.

He screamed a terrible howl and a shot rang out.

Terra held the gun still, then bent over and hugged the Professor.

She squatted on her knees momentarily and looked back at her sister. "Let's get dressed and get out of here," she said.

The snow covered the sky again as the sisters returned to the road and the waiting Officers.

"There are two dead Werewolves back there. Please make sure they make it to the office," said Terra.

"And where is Professor Detroit?" said the State Trooper.

Terra shook her head sadly and said, "He didn't make it."

They returned to her car, holding each other as only sisters could.

"Looking for a job?" said Terra to her sister.

"Can we still be called Detroit and Terra?" Amy asked.

"No, but Professor Detroit and Amy sounds good."

They looked at each other and smiled as they entered the car.

"Wait, you're driving?" asked Amy.

"Yes, you have a problem with that?"

"Yes."