A Werewolf Boy

A BEAST WITHIN

Ethan woke up, prepared for school, and ignored the doctor's invitation again. On his way, he spotted a dead deer by the roadside. "Wonder what killed it," Ethan thought, but continued to school. At school, his friends greeted him warmly.

Ethan asked if they knew anything about the deer. Alex stared at him suspiciously, prompting Ethan to ask, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Alex said, "Nothing, just thought 'you' could've done it." "Excuse me...Why the heck would you say that?!" Ethan exclaimed. "Why the heck would you think that?"

"Are you serious right now?" Ethan yelled at him. "Hey, I was just being curious, there's no need for any anger," Alex replied calmly. As the bell rang, Ethan stared at Alex aggressively and said, "If you say that one last time, you wouldn't like the other side of me." Ethan threatened as his eyes glowed, and he growled at him.

Alex was stunned to see Ethan like this, but he just had to rub it off; class had just begun. After a few minutes of lecture, the class ended. Ethan came out of the class, seeing Emily. Emily approached Ethan, asking about the deer.

"What do you think happened to it?" she wondered. Ethan shrugged. "I'm not sure." Emily looked at him strangely, then asked, "What happened to you last night? You were acting strange." Ethan downplayed it. "Well, it was...nothing. I was just...tired, I guess."

Emily's friends called out to her, distracting her. They gossiped about Emily and Ethan's growing closeness. "Are you two dating?" one friend asked, teasingly. Emily blushed, while Ethan smiled awkwardly.

After lunch, they returned to class. When closing time arrived, Ethan asked Emily if she was heading home. "Yes," she replied. Ethan offered to walk with her, but Emily felt nervous and tried to decline. "I can walk myself, don't worry," she said.

Ethan felt sad and distraught. As he walked home, the strange feeling returned. Alex called out to him, "Ethan, wait up!" Ethan turned, wondering what Alex wanted. "Hey, what's going on with you...why couldn’t I take a simple joke?!" Alex asked, his tone serious.

Ethan shrugged. "Please don't come any closer to me, Alex, okay? I'm heading home." Alex looked at him intensely. "I know something's going on with you, Ethan." Ethan felt uneasy. "What are you talking about?" Alex hesitated.

As Ethan interrupted him, "I'm fine, Alex, okay? Now leave me alone." he yelled. Ethan couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. As Ethan walked home with Alex, he felt the strange sensation intensifying. His body began to shift, his senses heightening.

"Alex, please just leave me alone," he cried, his voice strained. "What's wrong?" Alex asked, concern etched on his face. Ethan didn't answer. "Ahhhhh, what's happening to me?!" He cried, falling to the ground.

His body was transforming, his muscles stretching, bones cracking, and fur growing. His face elongated, his jaw expanding into a snout. Claws sprouted from his fingertips. His back bulged, and his body contorted.

Ethan's transformation accelerated, his body contorting. "Please...arghhhh...Run!!" Ethan cried. The pain was overwhelming as he let out a primal howl. Alex stumbled backward, shocked and overwhelmed.

The transformation completed, and Ethan stood before Alex as a powerful upright wolf. Alex's eyes widened in fear. "Ethan, what...happened to you?" His voice trembled. But Ethan, now a wolf, didn't respond. He was lost in his new form.

He growled at Alex, which sent shivers down Alex's spine. Alex's friends, witnessing the transformation, acted quickly. One of his friends grabbed a tranquilizer he had gotten for himself for any emergency situation like this. They used it to defend themselves.

"Ethan, snap out of it!" Alex shouted. But Ethan, in wolf form, continued to growl at him, baring his teeth, ready to attack Alex. The friends used the tranquilizer to scare Ethan away, and he fled into the woods.

As they caught their breath, Alex turned to them. "What just happened?" His friends shook their heads. "We've never seen anything like that before." Alex's mind reeled. "Ethan...Ethan is a werewolf?"