My father walked out on me twenty years ago. Tonight I found out why.

I hadn’t seen my father in years. It had been two decades since I had set eyes on the man. My last clear memory of him was the one of him walking out the door when I was five years old. I had been watching cartoons.

I turned just in time to see my dad’s back as he walked out the door, wearing his standard blue jean jacket, with his head down as the door slammed behind him.

My mother was on the floor, sitting cross legged and crying a few feet away from me. The sight shocked me. My mom never cried, she was my rock and I had ever never seen even as much as a tear from her.

I crawled over to her and sat in her lap while she sobbed, completely at a loss of what to do. I remember I stroked her hair to comfort her. Something she had done countless times for me when I was sick or upset.

“Where’s dad going?” I asked innocently.

My mom looked at her, her eyes red and puffy from the crying. “Your daddy is gone sweetie. Your daddy left us,” she mumbled.

The divorce had to be done in absentia. No one knew where he had gone. I remember walking around town with my grandmother putting up missing posters of my father. She could never accept that he had simply walked away from all of us. The posters stayed up for a few months before they all got torn down.

Years passed, mom remarried a great guy; I got therapy to deal with my dad leaving and eventually went off to college. Life was normal. Though I never stopped thinking about my dad, not really. Even when I thought I came to terms with it, I’d get the urge to Google his name or search for him on social media. But nothing ever turned up.

That’s why when he finally did message me it came as a complete surprise. I was at work, messing around on my phone while I had reports to write when it popped up on my screen.

Is this David Lewis? From Topeka? And your mom’s name is Penelope? If so, then this is your father. I have been trying to get in contact with you.

I sat and starred at the message in disbelief. I set the phone down. Then picked it up again and read the message. While I was processing everything more messages appeared.

David, I’m so sorry for everything. For these years I stayed away. I really need you to answer me. I need you to agree to come meet with me.

My first instinct wasn’t to reply. I was half convinced this was some kind of scam, someone knew about my past and they were going to ask for a Venmo or money transfer.

I finally replied.

How do I know this is really my father and not some kind of scam?

I waited for a reply. My heart was pounding, and a rush of thoughts were going through my head. If this was really my dad, I had a lot of things to say to him. Most of them weren’t good.

I promise you I’m your dad. When you were a kid you had a ginger cat named Polka that died when you were three. You had a stuffed teddy bear you slept with every night whose name was Mr. Simon. Please, David, this is really me and I need you to agree to meet with me.

I stared at my phone. I was racking my brain trying to think of what to say. Tell him off? Tell him I’d gladly meet him because I had missed him all these years? I did neither.

I need some time to process this. Let me write you back later this evening. I’m at work and I need to focus.

Holding the phone I waited for his reply. It came quickly.

I understand. But please, I need an answer by tonight.

Going back to my desk to work on the reports was almost surreal. It was like I was a ghost in my own body. I did get everything done though. It gave me something to focus on.

Once I was home, I went straight to the bedroom and flopped on the bed, phone in hand. My fiancé wasn’t home yet. Today was her late day at work. Of all the people I wanted to talk to the most it was her, but she wouldn’t be able to answer even if I did call. I read over the messages again. Honestly, I didn’t have to reply at all. I could block him. Let him sit around and wonder what he did wrong to make me abandon him.

But I did finally message back. The curiosity was too much.

Why do you even want to meet with me? If there’s anything you want to say to me just type it out.

His reply was almost immediate.

David! I’m so glad you wrote back. I was afraid I had lost you. Trust me, I need to see you in person. If you never want to see or speak to me after that I promise, I’ll never reach out to you again.

I lay the phone down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. This was just too surreal to me.

The front door opened, and Alicia walked in.

“I’m home!” She called out. She walked into the bedroom when she couldn’t find me in the living room. She looked down at me and furrowed her brow.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?” She asked concerned.

I shook my head and held up my phone.

“My dad. My dad just messaged me. He wants to meet me to tonight to talk in person. I don’t know if I should agree to go or not,” I explained holding out the phone to her so she could read what he wrote for herself.

Her eyes went wide. Of all the things I could have told her this didn’t seem to be one that she expected. She took the phone and read over the messages.

“What do you want to do babe? I know he’s your dad but he’s essentially a stranger. You don’t owe him anything. You still don’t have to meet with him.” Alicia assured me, holding my hand.

“I think I want to meet him. Even if it’s just to find out why he left. I want to hear it from him,” I said squeezing her hand back.

I turned back to the phone and typed out the message.

Where do you want to meet? Send me the address.

His response.

Thank you so much David! This means everything to me. I’m sending the address now.

I was only mildly surprised when the address he sent me was only thirty minutes from our apartment. I looked it up on Google Maps and it showed a tiny cabin out in the woods. I felt a stab of anger from knowing he was this close to me and was only now reaching out to me. How long had he lived there? Years? Months? I would find out soon enough.

Alicia insisted on coming with me, but I convinced her to stay at home. She had the address where I would be and if she didn’t hear from me in two hours she would call me. And if she didn’t hear from me, she’d call the cops. She wasn’t convinced yet that this wasn’t some elaborate scam.

I had plenty of time to think on the drive out to my dad’s place. When I arrived, I felt a pang of anger at the house. It was a lovely little log cabin. I knew enough about the area to know it wasn't cheap, and I wondered what he had been doing all this time to afford such a nice place. Not paying child support that was for sure. The car had barely come to halt before the door opened and a man opened the door and awkwardly walked up to the driver window.

“David!” the man said, breathless, a small smile on my face.

It was my dad. Now that he was here in the flesh it didn't feel real at all. He looked haggard and thinner than his photo had let on. I stepped out of the car and he backed away to let me out, the small smile still on his face. Everything I had planned to say to him vanished from my head as he gestured towards the house.

“Come on. Let's get you inside. I have a lot to explain before it's time,” he started moving to the cabin, not looking back to see if I was following.

I followed. I stared at the back of his head, glaring. He hadn't tried to hug me or touch me in any way, for which I was glad, but I was also disappointed that he hadn't tried. The inside was nice. Minimally but tastefully decorated. It had a woman's touch as Alicia would like to say. Maybe he had a girlfriend or even a wife.

“Mom remarried. His name is Steve, he's a great guy,” I blurted out.

My dad turned and looked at me. The smile fell from his face and his eyes dropped.

“I know. I saw that on social media. She looks happy,” he said softly.

I shrugged. I had said that to hurt him, but now all it did was make me feel a little guilty.

“Why did you ask me to come here? After all this time? I just want you to know if you are going to ask about getting a kidney or money from me you can forget it,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I had intended. I wanted to play it cool, collected, but I was too frazzled.

He stared at me. His eyes were watery as if he was fighting back tears. He seemed at a loss for words. I shifted awkwardly on the couch, averting my eyes.

“I just needed to see you. I wanted to explain why I left. I’m not going to ask for forgiveness, but I do want you to understand why I did what I did,” he said in a rush.

I looked up at him. The obvious answer was that there had been another woman. Or maybe some kind of debt to the mafia, anything really. But now that I was about to learn the reason all I felt was a slow simmering anger. No matter what excuse he gave me it wouldn’t be good enough.

“I’m a werewolf,” he said simply, spreading his arms in a gesture of resignation.

I had to admit that all the things I had thought he might say this was not one of them.

“I see,” I said slowly.

He was mentally ill. Maybe he was schizophrenic or had some kind of mental break.

“Look, if you brought me all they way out here so you could spin some kind of fairy tale about why you left, save it. I can tell you’re doing well for yourself. There’s no need to lie to me,” I gestured angrily around the cabin.

His eyes followed my hands as I pointed to our surroundings and a tiny smile formed on his lips.

“Oh, this isn’t my house, David. The people who live here are on vacation and I broke in. But we needed a quiet place to talk,” he explained stepping closer.

I stood up and side stepped away, moving closer to the door.

“Are you serious? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’d be in if you’re caught? You go to jail for stuff like that,” I stammered. This wasn’t going how I thought it would at all. I was wishing it was a scammer, it would have been less heartbreaking.

He moved towards me, he lifted his shirt and that’s when I saw he had a gun holster on his belt with a small pistol housed in it. In a smooth motion he lifted out the gun and held it out to me.

“I need you to do one thing for me. In all these years I’ve been away I’ve done nothing but try to find a cure for this. To end it, to cure it, it doesn’t matter. All I could find was this. The only thing that can truly stop me is silver. I have this thing loaded with silver bullets. It had to be done by someone who loves the afflicted. Otherwise, it won’t work. Trust me, I’ve tried the alternatives,” his eyes were dripping tears as he thrust the revolver into my hands.

I stared at it dumbfounded.

“Dad. This is insane. You’re insane. You need to go to a hospital,” I stared in shock at the gun. I’d never held one before.

“It must be done by someone who loves me. My parents are dead. I know your mom doesn’t love me. It must be you, you’re all I have,” he gulped as he spoke.

I held out the gun to him, but he stepped away and walked towards the door, blocking the exit.

“Look, we don’t have much time. Once night falls this will happen quickly. And you should know I don’t have control over myself when the change comes. I’ve killed people, without even remembering it. You won’t be any different even if you are my son,” he gulped again, the color draining from his face.

I took a step back from him on reflex, clutching the gun to my chest protectively. I didn’t want to give it up anymore. I didn’t believe for a second that he was a werewolf but giving him the gun seemed like a bad idea.

“It’s time to go outside now. No reason to ruin this nice house,” he huffed, his breath was coming faster like he had just run a mile.

His face, already pale, was taking on an alarmingly waxy texture that was making my stomach turn. I had no idea if he was having a stroke but he suddenly did not look good.

He stumbled outside and I followed him, not knowing what to do. I glanced at my car. I could just run to it and leave. Take the gun with me and call an ambulance for him.

“Don’t even think of trying to make it to the car. You won’t have time anyway,” he looked up as the last rays of daylight vanished over the horizon.

“It’s happening. Forgive me David, please know I always loved you; I hope you still love me,” he rasped as he doubled over, seemingly in pain.

“Dad,” I gasped, taking a few steps towards him.

“No!” he screeched at me, holding his hands out and backing away, before he fell to the ground and started convulsing.

It happened instantaneously. In the movies I’d watched about werewolves the transformation is always drawn out, painful and dramatic. But this wasn’t it. His skin split open like it wasn’t even skin anymore. It parted like his flesh was made of paper mâché.

My vision blurred as I took everything in. The beast rising from the shreds of skin and clothing and looking at me. Its eyes were a vicious amber, glowing and filled with pure malevolence. There was nothing human in them. We stared at each other for just a few seconds before it took a leap towards me, closing the distance between us in a split second.

I shrieked and brought up my arm. The one with the gun. The creature was close enough for me to touch. I could smell the wet animal smell of its fur as it reached out towards me.

I fired the gun on instinct. I fired twice, one bullet hitting the thing in its cheek and the second in the chest where the heart should be.

The beast let out an almost dainty and human sounding gasp as it collapsed sideways. It looked surprised as it hit the dirt. I dropped the gun, my fingers numb from shock, and I ran to my car.

I started the car and peeled out of the driveway; the headlights briefly illuminated the thing's body as I drove away. It hadn’t moved.

The shock hit me as I was driving, and I struggled to keep myself on the road. I kept looking in the rear-view mirror expecting to see that thing chasing me down. But there was only darkness behind me. I didn’t call the cops, or an ambulance. I cried silently the whole way home. There was nothing I could tell anyone that would make any sense to anyone.

Alicia had waited up for me and when I burst in the front door she gasped and asked me what had happened. I couldn’t tell her the truth. I made up a lie on the spot, that I had met my dad, and he was a drug addict asking for money. That the cabin wasn’t even his but a place he had broken into. I had to talk her out of calling the cops. There was no way I could ever explain why there was a dead lycanthrope in the driveway. She stayed up with me until exhaustion finally took her and she passed out on the couch. I stayed awake though. There was no way I could sleep. I sat in the dark sipping coffee and shaking. When the first rays of light peeked through the blinds, I let out a sigh of relief. The sunlight brought sanity with it, and I could start trying to convince myself that I had hallucinated this whole night.

That’s when my phone buzzed and I reflexively looked at the message that popped up on my screen, and my heart dropped. It was just a single sentence.

David, it didn’t work.