Mēnawato

Chapter Three: Awakening

_Mēnawato_

Moonwater...

My name meant Moonwater.

Mēna...Wato...

I dropped my tray on the counter, trying my best not to notice the look the lunch lady threw at me.

I glared back at her and she looked away after trying to hold my gaze for two seconds. I hissed and picked up my tray after receiving my meal, then I turned away.

Denise quickly turned off her phone and we both walked towards the chairs to find a perfect spot to sit.

"You really are getting more sarcastic and aggressive these days." Denise chuckled.

"How so?" I asked, more bored than curious anyway.

"The glare you gave to the lunch lady." Denise chuckled and I scoffed.

"I wish her eyeballs fell off." Denise laughed a bit louder. "But seriously, I am so uncomfortable under this hoodie, but what can I do when people keep calling me an old woman?!"

Denise pouted and we dropped our trays on a table and sat down. "And now most of our classmates mock the meaning of your name."

I picked up my juice box and opened it.

"Too bad for them. My name doesn't mean Moonwater." I sipped from the box. I didn't mean a word I said. In fact, I believed everything. The book Jane held didn't look fake.

"I don't think so, Mēna." Denise shook her head and pushed an apple slice into her mouth. "Think about it. Mēna sounds pretty close to moon and Wato sounds very much like water and that gives it—moonwater." She picked up another apple slice. "I have no idea why people mock it 'cause it sounds pretty cool to me."

Cool?

It sounds childish. Like someone trying to emphasize what I am and masking it behind a name that seems to have no origin.

But that idea alone somehow makes sense. My mom never said anything. Maybe she actually wanted to say I was different without trying to let me know.

"Whatever it may be, I'll ask my mom about it." I blurted, and that somehow caused Denise to choke on her milkshake.

She coughed uncontrollably, dragging attention to our side. I handed her a bottle of water and pulled my hoodie up even more.

"What?" She breathed after having large gulps of water that almost left the bottle empty. "It seems you have forgotten what the outcome will be." She continued while pulling a napkin out to wipe her mouth.

"I haven't, but this is different." I looked at my food, which I had barely touched. "If I can let her know I finally know what my name means, she may just tell me."

"And if she doesn't?" She leaned closer.

I looked away, my eyes roaming aimlessly. "Then I give up." My gaze locked on Ryder's. His spoon stopped halfway close to his parted lips and his eyes narrowed. "Totally."

***

I opened the door and walked into the house. My mother wasn't home yet... again. I shuddered at the thought of her walking in naked like the other day. I just hoped that wouldn't happen. I didn't want another awkward atmosphere, especially since I wanted to talk to her concerning what I just found out.

The meaning of my name.

And personally, I still hadn't found out Jane's intentions for squeezing that note into my hand.

I dropped heavily on the couch, lazily zipping my bag open and searching the contents for the paper.

It was crumpled in between my Chemistry notebook and Biology textbook. I huffed and brought it out, reading it for the umpteenth time.

The words THE DUNGEON KEEPERS kept catching my eye. The name alone gave an eerie and dangerous vibe. What did Jane know and why was it only being revealed now?

Could this probably be a joke?

I huffed and pushed the paper into my bag, then relaxed completely on the couch. The only sound came from the ticking clock and my patience was already wearing thin as I waited.

I took out my phone, deciding to check again. I still couldn't find a reasonable answer for what MĒNAWATO meant.

"Urgh." I flung my phone on the couch and folded my arms. "Aren't phones supposed to be like... better than books?" I huffed.

As I sighed, the main door opened and on impulse, I adjusted quickly on my seat, knowing who would walk right in.

My mom's keys jiggled in her hands as she muttered under her breath. Her jet-black hair was tied up in a ponytail, reminding me of my once jet-black hair. Her jacket was a bit dirty, a clear reminder of how careless my mom could be at times, and she literally forgot to take off her boots outside.

Classic mom.

She shut the door and raised her head, clearly not surprised to see me.

Barely anything surprised my mom.

"Mēna." She stood at the door, playing absentmindedly with her keys. "Let me guess." She took a step towards me. "You want to talk... again."

"It's different now," I said quickly, hoping she would be curious, but her expression twisted and she hung her keys on the nail next to the wall.

"Mēna, we've spoken about this before. You shouldn't ask anything related to your name or your hair or..."

"My name means Moonwater." I looked at her. "Why? Who named me?"

My mother's jaw had dropped by then, her eyes struggling to blink at what I just revealed.

"What?" She finally got her voice and reached out to hold a couch for balance. "Who told you? Where did you get to figure that out?"

My lips parted, about to answer, but I noticed the same yellow glow in her eyes. They were faint—still brewing up—and that alone made my heart clench in fear.

What was happening? Or what was about to happen?

"Mēna..." She closed her eyes and turned away. "Please, please, please..." she exhaled and turned around quickly. "Just stop trying to find out things. Nothing is wrong. Believe that." Then she walked towards her room.

I sat quietly, listening to the retreating sound of her boots. They stopped, then the sound became louder, meaning she was coming back.

I didn't move an inch and then I heard her voice once again.

"I won't respond if you bring this up again." And she finally left.

For real.

I didn't get up immediately. I stared blankly at the television, allowing what had happened to replay again.

That was exactly how calm I was before I let the storm loose.

I stood up, picking up my bag in anger and throwing it at the wall I could aim at with ease.

The wall close to the door.

I watched a few of my books fall out and the crumpled paper slipped out, still stuck between two books.

"So much for trying to talk to my mom." I stood up, annoyed and regretful because I had to rearrange my bag and get my pen, which somehow rolled until it got captured under one of the couches.

As for the paper?

I tore it into shreds and bits, then watched it fall into the trash can like snowflakes before walking towards my room.

I couldn't cry. Check.

I had gotten angry. Check.

Happiness was totally off the charts for now.

So what I felt was numbness. The sort of numbness that even counting the ceiling seemed so interesting and time-consuming enough to keep me awake.

I eventually slept anyway and I wish I didn't...

***

A gush of wind blew all my hair into my face and I felt air being punched into my lungs so hard I gasped just as I opened my eyes.

I blinked, slowly catching my breath and looking around.

'Where am I?' I thought because I couldn't move my lips to speak.

The surroundings were dark but I noticed the trees that surrounded me. They moved to the whistle of the wind.

"Hello?!" I finally spoke and took one step forward. The wind blew stronger and it felt like the moon moved as it blew, rising up to all its halo and glory.

From a distance, I saw a river where the moon shone, and just when I took a step forward to approach and know what was happening, my body suddenly felt heavy.

I looked down and I almost screamed. My arms had fur on them and my hand looked like a paw.

A bone snapped and I lost my balance, falling on the floor. When I looked down, fur was also growing on my legs.

I screamed—because of fear, because of pain, because it was a dream.

I sat up immediately, looking around to be sure I was still in my room. I was, still not undressed.

A relieved yet exhausted sigh left my lips and I slowly touched my face and looked down at my legs.

Still normal.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, but that eye roll caught something.

My hand.

My eyes nearly bulged out as I noticed that my nails had been replaced by sharp talons. I couldn't even scream but my heart was beating wildly.

My room door opened and I quickly hid my hands behind me in such a way that wouldn't seem so obvious.

"Time for dinner." She looked around. "Take a shower first... okay?"

I nodded and gladly, she left.

I looked at my hands once again but... but the nails were gone—like they never existed to begin with.

I stood up, trying to grasp everything at once. I was already having a painful migraine from the bad dream, then this which wanted to cause me a heart attack.

Well, nothing was making me ask any more questions.

I give up.

***

I had dinner with my mom in silence. The only good thing was that she made the spaghetti well tonight.

I never said it but I always believed that my mom did things better whenever she was annoyed.

I cleared the dishes after our dinner and we both moved back to our rooms while saying goodnights that told the atmosphere wasn't fine.

The night felt different and flashes from the dream I had made me scared to sleep. And it made me weak to know that asking my mom wasn't going to help.

I felt like screaming into the dark.

I still jumped on my bed, crawling under the duvet and turning off the bedside lamp.

As I closed my eyes, I could hear what sounded like howling from a distance.

I groaned, clutching the edge of my duvet tightly.

Sounds filtered into my ears even from ants and the noise made me open my eyes.

I looked at my duvet which I held tightly in the dark. I could clearly see the new tear on it. I slowly opened my palms.

My nails had grown once again.

"Wha..." I nearly choked on my own blood. My canines had grown, big and sharp.

My breathing became haggard and my body felt hot.

"Mom." I reached to my bedside, a groan escaping my lips as I struggled to get out of bed.

I hit the ground, and just like the dream, I heard snapping and cracking of my bones.

Something different, something primal pushed me to look at my window.

A silver light had penetrated and it felt like it was calling me.

"Mom." I managed to get up, my hands and legs feeling like they were no longer mine.

I opened the door with a little struggle and crawled out.

"Mom..." My voice had gotten deeper and my vision was darkening on the edges.

"Mom!!" I stretched my hand to reach her doorknob but my bones snapped and my cry turned to a growl.

My vision blurred and I felt my consciousness move to another part of me.

"Mēna! Oh no! You're... transforming!"

Mom?

I could feel her warm hands even as I slowly lost strength and consciousness and a strange urge came over me.

Then she gasped.

"But, Neon said you're not a hybrid."