“Yeah, yeah I know.” Sixteen-year-old Lauren said, her phone lodged between her ear and her shoulder “Beth, I’ll be back home before seven. It’s just a date. Don’t make my dinner. Yeah, love you too.” She resolved and cut the call, shutting the door of her locker as she did so.
She let out a whoosh of breath and laid her forehead on the cool metal of the locker, her dark brown hair shielding her face like a curtain. Tonight was the full moon, and she had to be home before her Change came. She remembered the first Change she had in this new town, four years ago, like it happened yesterday. Beth had locked her up in the attic and made her wait it out. She’d had to stand naked and face the milky moonlight until it happened. Hot currents of pain had ricocheted up and down her limbs, stretching them as far as they could go. Her real canines had fallen out, and new, longer, sharper ones had taken their place. She remembered screaming Beth’s name in terror over and over again till she’d lost her voice completely. The virus had bent her back, like a welder bending an iron rod, till she arched in agony and let out a howl that was returned by several dogs up and down the street.
Then hair appeared all over her body. Her arms, her legs, her back, everywhere. Her hands and feet were replaced by paws that ended in blade-like claws. She remembered rendering several furniture in the attic to shreds using those claws. Her howls had brought several neighbours to their doorstep the next morning with questions. Did Beth keep a wild animal in her attic? Did someone try to break in during the night? Beth had dismissed the neighbours with a good-natured smile and reassuring comments, and satisfied, the neighbours had gone back to their houses.
But the very next month when it happened again, the neighbours had threatened to involve the police, and Beth had to purchase a small wooden house in the deepest depths of the woods for Lauren to Change. That had been Lauren’s second home, at least for a night every month.
But as she had grown the Change had grown less and less painful, until she could control the amount of pain her body underwent. Beth had taught her to channel the pain to other less destructive activities, like running through the woods, or cutting down wood to keep the fire in the small house going. She’d also learned that new Werewolves could only change at the full moon because they did not have any control over what the virus did to their body. Now she could change only when she wanted to, and it wasn’t just at the full moon anymore. Beth had told her to see her Werewolf part as a dress she could wear anytime she liked, but was required to wear at least once every month.
When she was fourteen she’d found a pack to fall into. Werewolf packs weren’t hard to find, especially in this part of the country, with deep woods where they could run wild in peace. They’d accepted her as one of their own, and with Beth’s permission she went there a few times every week. She usually joined them for pizza or a movie when the moon wasn’t full, or hunting through the woods when it was. She’d also made friends there, with people like her who understood her pain.
She lifted her forehead from the locker and turned to go but stopped short at the sight of her human friend. Eric was standing there with an armful of books and a sly look on his face.
“Did I hear you say date?”
“It’s with you, dummy.” She playfully pushed at his chest. “Not an official date. Just our movie night thing.”
“But why do I feel this ecstatic surge of pleasure?” He asked, theatrically stroking his jaw and looking into the distance “Our “movie night thing” has been promoted to a date. Yay”
She smiled and stared at her friend, his caramel-coloured skin and dreadlocks that she’d always envied. For as long as she could remember she’d always wanted to have dreadlocks like his. She loved him so much, the only person she could do normal things with that didn’t involve morphing into a monster and chasing deers in the forest every month.
“So,” Eric started “Pretty crowded day, huh?”
They were hurrying–or what passed as hurrying–to class. The hallway was more populated than usual: teenagers moving to and from the emptying classes, discussing amongst themselves in hushed whispers.
“Yeah.” Lauren replied. “Why though?”
“Didn’t you hear? A wolf was caught in a trap while hunting in the woods last night by a couple of cops. They brought it to the police station and caged it. People are going to check it out and stuff. The wolf apparently is much bigger than anything anyone has ever seen.”
Lauren instinctively stopped and looked at Eric in alarm. What if it was a member of her pack?
“Why is your face like that? You look terrified.”
“Yeah,” she rearranged her expression into a concerned one “What if they kill it? They should let it back into the wild.”
Eric smirked “Nah. It’s way more interesting than any normal wolf. Six feet tall and all.”
Lauren tried to clear the thoughts running amok in her head. Of course, in a town as small as this, an abnormally big wolf would get even the indifferent teenagers in Beacontown High School talking. What if it was a werewolf she knew? She had to call Beth.
“Are you okay, Lauren? You look flushed.” Eric said, staring at her worriedly.
“I–I’m gonna have to skip class for a few minutes. I need to make a call. Can you cover for me?” She asked, then walked off without waiting for a reply. She found the girl’s bathroom and entered, hoping the stalls were unoccupied. After checking each stall and being satisfied that the bathroom was empty, she entered into one and locked the door securely.
Beth was already calling her before she could do the same. Lauren picked it and held the phone frantically to her ear.
“Beth. Beth, did you hear about the captured wolf?” She blurted.
“Yes I did, and that is why I was calling you.” Beth replied. “I want you to stay away from the wolf. Don’t try to rescue it.”
“But–it could be hurt. They could kill it. And what if it is–” She paused to confirm she was alone in the bathroom, then continued. “What if it is someone like me?”
“Lauren, I need you to trust me on this. Werewolves don’t get captured that easily. This whole situation is very dubious and it could be a trap. Please don’t go anywhere near that werewolf until I give you the go-ahead. Do you understand?”
Lauren cut the call and sighed, staring at the white wall of the bathroom stall, devoid of the usual graffiti that is common to high schools. She frowned and chewed on her lips, then nodded and looked at the bathroom window, praying her small frame would fit.
#
The slightly cold spell of the previous week was over and a lazy sun shone over the main street in Beacontown. The street was fairly empty save for shop owners, and Beth was very glad for that as she raised the lapel of her trenchcoat up and crossed the road.
The tall, blonde guy was waiting for her at the street corner, his hair in its characteristic ponytail, squinting to see her in the glare of the sun. She strolled towards him and returned his smile.
“Long time no see.” Axel said “How are you?”
“I would be fine.” She sighed. “This town is getting on my nerves.”
“Chill.” He replied “It’s only been four years.”
Beth glared at him as they strolled together down the street. “We might have a problem. A wolf was captured yesterday. In the woods.”
Axel folded his arms and frowned. “You don’t think it’s a–a werewolf?”
“I have reason to believe so. People are saying the wolf is much bigger than any normal wolf. I haven’t checked it myself, but–” She huffed. “I’m going to check with every pack leader in town, see if the wolf is one of theirs.”
“Good idea.” He said. “And Lauren? What did you tell her?”
“I told her to stay away from the wolf till we can confirm it’s safe.” She said.
“But do you really think she’s going to obey you?” Axel asked pointedly.
Beth stared into the distance and groaned “Oh God!”