Beach Boppers: Part 2

BEACH BOPPERS: PART 2 

 Brenda searched through her closet, desperately trying to find her bathing suit and something to wear. This was the very first time she'd ever been invited to a beach party. She knew her mother and father would probably tell her no, but she was willing to ask anyhow. 

She found them sitting in the living room. Her father was reading the paper and her mother was knitting. 

"Momma, I've been invited to a beach party. May I go?" 

Her mother glanced at her father. Neither of them really wanted to let Brenda go, but she was 16 now and they knew they could trust her. 

"Where is this beach party, dear?", her mother asked. 

"It's at the east end of Pebble Beach. A lot of kids from school are going. They are bringing their surf boards. I really want to go, ma'am." 

Her father nodded his head yes, giving his approval. Her mother hesitated for a moment. Brenda was their only child. She was all they had. 

From the instant she was born, they knew she was different from other children, but they didn't want her illness to keep her from living a normal life. 

"Yes, you may go. Who all will be there?" 

Brenda listed off the group of kids that were planning on going. She was still in shock that she had been invited. She was pretty sure Janet had only invited her out of pity, but she didn't even care. Janet was her only friend and had been her only friend since they first met 10 years ago. 

Janet had blossomed into a blonde and popular beauty, and Brenda was the polar opposite. But they always remained friends. 

"Be home before dark," her father added sternly, interrupting her thoughts. 

"Yes, sir. I will,"  Brenda said with a huge smile. She gave them a both a kiss on the cheek and ran to her room to finish getting ready. 

Ten minutes later she was out the door, hopping on her rusted bicycle and peddling the mile and a half to the beach.  

Once she arrived, she found everyone already there. Some of the guys were out surfing, and the rest were relaxing on the beach. 

"Janet!", she yelled to her friend. 

Janet jumped up when she heard Brenda's voice and ran to her. 

"They let you come! I can't believe it!" 

Janet was shocked to see Brenda. She knew how protective her parents were of her. They rarely allowed her to go any where. 

They hugged and laughed together, giggling just like teenage girls would. 

"I guess they felt bad for not letting me sleep over at your house last week for my birthday." 

"Well, you're here now! So come and let me introduce you to everyone!" 

Brenda laughed, "Yes, but I must be home before dark!" 

"Why am I not surprised? I don't think I've ever seen you out after dark before," Janet replied with a grin. 

Brenda recognized most of the kids on the beach from school. She saw them in the hallways on her way from one class to the next. She never really spoke to them and didn't know most of their names. 

"Hey, everyone!", Janet yelled as they approached, "Look who's here!" 

Some of them glanced their way, then went right back to watching the surfers riding the waves. 

"Hey, there! Brenda, is it?", a tall lanky blonde said as he stood up. 

Brenda grabbed Janet's arm and pulled her away without saying a word to the young man. 

"You didn't tell me Paul was going to be here!"

"I didn't think it was a big deal. He's new to the area, and hasn't made many friends at school. Plus, he's my neighbor! My mom forced me to invite him." 

"Janet, my parents have told me some pretty terrible stories about Paul. My dad knew his dad from years ago. He's the reason I wasn't allowed to spend the night with you. I just didn't have the heart to tell you that before." 

Janet was surprised. She'd never heard anything bad about Paul. She couldn't understand what Brenda could possibly be talking about.

"What kind of stories?", she asked. 

"Let's just say, he's not the type of person you want at your beach party. Don't expect me to be nice to him." 

"Ok! I don't! I won't! What ever! Now can we go have some fun?", Janet said as she yanked Brenda back towards the crowd. 

The girls ran into the water and spent the next hour swimming. When they were completely exhausted, they made their way to their group. Most of them were standing around the waters edge, yelling and cheering to the guys still surfing on down the beach. 

"EXCUSE ME!", they heard from behind them. 

They turned to find an old, grumpy looking man behind them. 

"Would you kids mind keeping it down? We can hear you loud and clear all the way up there," he said as he pointed up the hill to a small cabin nestled in the trees. 

"Sorry, sir," Paul spoke up and said. 

"I don't wanna hear sorry, boy! I want to hear silence! Do you think that's possible?!" 

After promising him whatever he wanted just to get rid of him, they all went right back to cheering on the surfers. 

Brenda glanced up the hill a while later and could see the old man on his porch. 

"Don't worry about him,"  she heard Paul say from behind her. 

Brenda jumped when she heard his voice. 

"Umm, I'm not. I'm just, umm, looking. Excuse me," she stuttered as she made her way past him to join Janet. 

Hours passed before she knew it and soon the sun was beginning to set. 

"I have to get going now. It's getting late,"  she said to Janet. 

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you are running home because your mother and father told you to!", Janet said loudly. Loud enough for everyone to start listening. 

Brenda felt embarrassed. She was upset that Janet would put her on the spot like that. She thought she was finally fitting in and making a few friends. Now she felt like a little kid afraid of misbehaving. 

"Fine!", she replied, "I'll stay! But I'll be blaming you for this when I get in trouble." 

A few of the kids built a small fire in a pit and it wasn't long before they were all up singing and dancing. The clouds were hiding the full moon overhead, and the only light came from the fire. 

Soon after, the old man from the cabin had made his way back down to ask them to tone down the noise. 

They quietened down for about 15 minutes, but soon forgot about the old man's request. 

That's when it happened. That's when Brenda first heard the terrified scream. 

She looked around to see what was happening, but couldn't see far and it was all happening too fast. 

She wanted to run, but was too afraid to. She felt someone grab her from behind. 

She felt a searing pain in her stomach. She looked down to see a hairy hand and arm. The claws of the creature were digging in her abdomen. 

The pain was intense. All the could do was scream. As she looked around in a panic, she could see the others lying in the sand bleeding. 

The creature turned her around and she looked right into the eyes of Paul. Except, it didn't look like Paul. This was exactly what her parents had warned her about. 

For the most part, she thought they'd been just trying to scare her, hoping to keep her away from the handsome young man. 

Now she knew the stories were true. Paul was a werewolf,  just  like her. Except Paul couldn't control his bloodlust, not like she could. 

Brenda had been fighting the change she had felt the instant the full moon hit her. Luckily, the clouds had kept it hid for the most part and she was safe. 

Paul must've forced the change. 

After a few more swipes with his claws, Brenda fell to the sand. She was weak. Her head was spinning. 

She looked around her at the others on the sand. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She could hear the screams, but they were moving down the beach, away from her. She didn't see Janet lying in the sand around the fire. She must've been one of the people that ran down the beach. 

 She knew Paul wouldn't stop until they were all dead. Little did he know he couldn't  kill her that easy. 

Only her parents knew her secret, and they had never told a soul. Her mother was human, but her father was a werewolf just like her. 

As she closed her eyes, she felt darkness overtaking her. She calmed herself. She was still fighting the change. She was afraid she'd be unable to control herself. 

She opened here eyes when she heard footsteps. She saw the old man from earlier running up the fire. 

"Help me, please..," she said softly. 

"I'm goin' to, young lady. Just hold on. Can you tell me your name, miss?" 

"Brenda..I didn't know, sir. I had heard rumors about Paul.. I just didn't know they were true." 

 

"Who's Paul? I don't understand what you're talkin' about, miss", the old man said confused. 

She knew right then, this man wasn't going to be able to help her. She was too weak to give him the answers he needed.

 She slowed her heart rate and closed her eyes. She needed him to leave so she could change into her true form.  It was either that, or more people would die during Paul's rampage. 

He must've thought she was dead because he left her side to check the other bodies.

 Soon a blood soaked Paul was running up to him. He had transformed back into his human form. 

The old man pulled Paul's arm around his shoulder and they headed up the path leading to the old man's cabin. 

Brenda couldn't even call out to warn him. She was sure he wouldn't believe her anyways. They stood no chance against Paul. Even a gun couldn't kill him. His demise would have to come from one of his own. 

She stopped fighting the pull that was taking over her body. The loss of blood was making it harder to transform. 

Ten minutes later, her father was racing up the beach calling her name. At that point, her transformation was finally complete. 

"Brenda!", her father called as he saw her jump up and race up the path. 

"Not now, father. I have a werewolf to kill." 

BEACH