I Explore Urban Legends - Chapter 94: Watching from the Shadows (Patreon)

“It wasn’t until Emma told us what she’d seen that we realized something might be wrong. But if werewolves really exist, it would be far too dangerous, so for now we could only humor her and tell her she must have seen it wrong.

“In a couple of days, we’re planning to go over and find out what’s going on. If you’re really curious, you can come with us.”

David had always believed that letting the community committee handle the matter would keep his daughter out of danger.

Liam didn’t agree.

“Don’t worry. Before that happens, Emma will lead us to the truth herself. She’s smart and brave.”

David sighed.

“Ever since my wife passed away, my daughter has become increasingly stubborn. But since she started appearing on your show, she’s been much more lively.

“I’m truly grateful that you’re willing to take her along and let her do what she wants. But please, make sure my daughter stays safe.”

“That’s what I’m here for.”

After finishing his conversation with David, Liam took Taylor upstairs and stopped outside Emma’s room. He knocked on the door.

“Knock! Knock! Knock! It’s me, Liam.”

“Come in.”

Once Emma gave him permission, Liam pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The room looked nothing like a typical little girl’s bedroom. There were no pink decorations or fancy pieces of furniture.

The walls were covered in pale blue wallpaper, and the furniture was simple and white. The only thing placed prominently in the room was a cabinet filled with medals and trophies.

Janice was sitting on the bed while Emma read a book to her.

No matter what Emma read, Janice listened attentively. Watson, meanwhile, lay nearby looking bored.

“Having fun?”

Emma was clearly enjoying herself, and Janice liked having someone constantly by her side.

Both girls smiled and nodded at him.

“Good. Then let’s start our adventure.”

Emma nodded and led Liam over to the window.

Her room was in the attic at the top of the house, giving her a clear view of the surrounding area. That was probably how she had first noticed her neighbor’s strange behavior.

“You can see the neighbor’s window from here. Sometimes I can see what he’s doing inside his room,” Emma explained.

Taylor became interested when she heard that.

“It’s just like Rear Window. The main character injures his leg and has nothing to do, so he spends his days watching his neighbors through the rear window to pass the time. Then he ends up witnessing a murder.”

Emma had never seen the movie, but she immediately related to the protagonist’s situation.

“Exactly! A few nights ago, I saw that man turn into a werewolf. You know, the really furry kind.”

Then her expression fell.

“But nobody believes me. All the adults think I was seeing things.”

Liam understood exactly what had happened, so he reassured her.

“Just like I always say on my show, if I say something happened, then it definitely happened.

“And that applies to you too. Trust what you see. Don’t let other people tell you otherwise.”

Emma nodded firmly, her spirits lifting again.

Her usual sharp expression returned as she thought for a moment, then laid out her reasoning.

“In that case, we’ll assume the neighbor really is a werewolf. If he’s a werewolf, then he must be really strong. Mr. Liam, can you beat him?”

Liam shook his head.

“I’ve never fought a werewolf face-to-face before, so I don’t know how strong one is.”

That was the truth, but it was also meant to remind Emma that any adventure ultimately depended on whether they had the strength to deal with what they found.

Emma nodded in understanding and continued.

“Then we should play it safe. First, we need evidence that he really is a werewolf. Liam, do you have any suggestions?”

Only then did Liam nod in satisfaction.

He wanted every child to make all the necessary preparations before going on an adventure.

“First, we need video evidence. Taylor will set up a stationary camera here so we can monitor the neighbor every night.

“Then there’s his living environment. Even if he rarely leaves the house, eating, drinking, and using the bathroom all produce trash. Household garbage can tell you a lot about someone’s daily habits.

“And once you know a person’s habits well enough, you can even predict what illnesses they might develop later in life.”

Emma’s mouth fell open at the thoroughness of his analysis.

“That’s amazing. I had no idea there was so much to monitoring someone.”

Liam replied confidently, “You pick these things up naturally when you’ve spent a long time being watched yourself.”

“Who’s been watching you?”

“I don’t know, but it must be because I know too many truths about this world.”

Then Liam continued.

“There’s one more method. If you aren’t sure whether you can handle something, the best thing to do is find someone who can.”

Emma nodded.

“That’s why I came to you.”

“Exactly. When you can’t handle something, you come to me. And when I don’t know something, I find someone else.”

Liam called softly.

“Lily.”

A small black-and-white kitten appeared on his shoulder.

“What is it, Little One?”

“Do you know anything about werewolves?”

“I only know that some Skinwalkers transform using wolf pelts. Is that what you mean?”

Emma shook her head.

“I watched the Skinwalker special on Monster Files. It was completely different. When that man transformed, a huge amount of wolf fur grew all over his body, and then his body twisted into the shape of a werewolf.”

Lily didn’t know anything about that kind of werewolf.

It seemed this monster was another mysterious creature from outside their usual sphere of knowledge.

The group spent the entire afternoon holed up in the room.

David brought food upstairs several times. At first, he had been worried that Emma would be upset because none of the adults believed her.

But when he saw how energetic she was while spying on the neighbor, he relaxed, even if he found the whole situation a little strange.

He also reminded Liam and Taylor several times to keep a close eye on Emma and make sure she didn’t get hurt.

Liam understood how protective David was of his daughter, so he naturally assured him that nothing would happen to her.

Unfortunately, the entire afternoon passed without results.

Wolf was a complete homebody. During the day, every door and window stayed tightly shut, and even the curtains were drawn without leaving so much as a crack.

It wasn’t until nightfall that lights finally came on inside the house, proving that someone really did live there.

“The night of the full moon was the first time I ever saw him open a window. That’s when I discovered he was a werewolf,” Emma explained.

Tonight wasn’t a full moon, so they couldn’t see the man directly, but the lights inside still allowed them to make out his silhouette.

He seemed to be busy with something in the first-floor living room.

After a while, a heavily bundled figure stepped out through the front door, walked over to the trash can, and threw away a bag of garbage.

“Are we going to search through the trash now?” Emma asked excitedly.

Liam shook his head.

“No. This guy obviously keeps the opposite schedule from everyone else. We should go during the day.”

Emma nodded.

Then she suddenly noticed something.

“I think I saw two silhouettes.”