Page 25 of Jacob Michaels is Trouble

“Think it’d work?” I continued. “Close my eyes tight, wish with all of my might and blow out a whole bunch of candles, and everything will be hunky-dory once more?”

“That ain’t what I was getting’ at, and you know it.”

I shrugged.

“Why are you such a damn jackass lately?” Her hands went to her hips. “Can’t say two damn words to you without getting’ a load of sass.”

“That’s rich, Oma.” My mouth turned into a wide grin. “Unless you want to go get the tiara out of the box in the attic and dust it off, I think you can hold onto the title.”

When I felt the hand on my leg, I nearly came out of my skin. Jerking sharply, I looked down to find Ernst next to me, his head coming up to my hip, his eyes wide with shock. Oma jerked in surprise at my movements, saw Ernst, and let out a string of muffled curses. When Ernst realized that I had only jumped from surprise and not anger, his shocked expression turned into a happy one, and his hand went back to lay against my leg. I reached down and patted his head with a smile while Oma cursed a few moments longer.

“Hey, Ernst,” I said, ignoring Oma’s prattling on.

“Mornin’, Rob.” He squeaked back.

“Where’s everyone else?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Ev’ryone’s been keepin’ to themselves. S’pose they’ve all ‘ad enough excitement for a while.”

I laughed gently.

“Makes sense.” I shrugged. “Sometimes, I wish my family knew how to keep to themselves and give me some peace.”

Ernst’s ears wiggled happily.

“At least you know where your kin are, though.” My mind wandered, bringing up thoughts of my mother and father.

“S’pose,” Ernst said simply.

As if lightning had shot out of the sky and struck me in the forehead, a memory came back to me. Not an old memory, but a recent one. An important one. Ernst frowned up at me as my eyes grew wide with excitement. Quickly, I gave Ernst another pat on the head and stepped away from him and Oma, turning towards the main part of the house.

“Well, where the shit is you goin’?” Oma asked.

“I need to go see a man about a wolf.”

“What?” Oma coughed.

I was already taking the stairs two at a time before the word finished coming out of Oma’s mouth.