Love Beyond Human

THE SYMPTOMS

Ethan groggily got out of bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His doctor's words still lingered in his mind: “We need to discuss about your conditions." But he was already running late for school. As he rushed out the door, he spotted Emily from afar. “Hey, wait up!" he called out, jogging to catch up to her. "Morning," Emily said with a smile, falling into step beside him. They walked side by side, and their conversation flowed easily. They discussed everything from favorite books to weekend plans. “I love reading fiction," Emily said, her eyes lighting up. "It's like stepping into another world." "I'm more of a music person myself," Ethan replied, strumming an imaginary guitar. "There's something about melodies that speaks to me."

As they approached the school gate, Ethan realized he'd forgotten how enjoyable it was to talk to someone like Emily. Before parting ways, they exchanged smiles. When they reached school, they parted ways reluctantly. Emily joined her friends, while Ethan met up with his. “Hey, guys! You won't believe what just happened," Ethan said, excitement radiating from his face. "What is it?" his friends asked in unison. "I met Emily on the way to school. We talked the whole way here. She's amazing!" His friends chuckled. "You're smitten!" one teased. Ethan grinned, feeling a flutter in his chest.

As class began, Ethan caught Emily's eye one last time before entering the classroom. Their gazes locked, and Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Ethan's day brightened as he thought about his morning encounter with Emily. He noticed her heading towards the basketball hall and decided to follow her. As she walked in, the coach shouted her name. "Emily, you're late again! What's going on?" the coach scolded. Emily looked embarrassed. "I was busy with something, sorry." Ethan, peeking from the door, watched as the coach continued to reprimand her. Their eyes met, and the coach turned to Ethan. "What are you doing there? You're supposed to be in this class!" Ethan awkwardly explained himself, and the coach began the class. As Ethan sat on the bench, he caught Emily's eye, and they exchanged smiles. “Is that your boyfriend?" Emily's friends whispered. "No," she replied, making eye contact with Ethan. Ethan felt a pang of disappointment. The class started with warm-ups, and the coach divided them into teams. Ethan's competitive spirit kicked in, and he played exceptionally well. That feeling he once had kicked in, after noticing the slight change in his behavior, he felt uneasy. Alex, who was at the auditorium, watched as Ethan acted a bit differently. He would jump amazingly high, run fast, and dodge his opponents. After their team won, Emily looked surprised and slightly jealous. "How did he become so good?" she wondered. "It took me almost a year to perfect those moves!” She felt disappointed and a bit jealous at Ethan. So she walked out, Ethan called out to her, but she ignored him. He jogged to catch up. “Hey, what's going on?" Ethan asked. "Nothing," Emily replied. "Hmm...I hope you're good, cause I noticed you were looking a bit upset." "I'm good." "Well, I'm heading to the cafeteria to get some lunch, you wanna come with me?" She agreed. As they sat down, sharing stories and laughter, Ethan was feeling more relaxed and happy as the conversation grew deeper. As Ethan reached for her hand, Emily shared a heartbreaking story about her family. "Well, you see...the reason I love playing basketball was because my parents, my Dad especially, was one a professional basketballer, but ever since he got into a car accident, things were never the same for me again, he retired. Since I’m his only daughter, he would always force me to be and you know me...I take almost all of my parents' decisions." Ethan withdrew his hand, offering comfort instead. "I'm sorry," he said gently. "Thanks, Ethan." Emily appreciated his understanding and got up. "Where are you going?" Ethan asked. "I have chemistry class," she replied. "Oh, then can I walk with you to class?" Ethan asked. She agreed, and they walked together. Emily sighted her friends from afar and noticed they were talking about her. Emily felt a sense of discomfort and unease. As they reached the class, Emily gave an awkward smile. Ethan noticed but didn't bother much about it. "Thanks for walking me," she said before entering the classroom. Ethan rushed to share his excitement with his friends. "Guys, you won't believe what just happened!" he exclaimed. His friends listened intently as Ethan recounted his day with Emily. “I just had a brief conversation with Emily...it was so magical. I wished I spent more time with her, she is really amazing!" Ethan exclaimed. As Chemistry class ended, Emily walked out, and Ethan asked, "Hey, how was your class?" "It was great, thanks for asking," Emily replied. They exchanged warm smiles, and Emily shared details about the class. As they talked, she mentioned she needed to head home. "I've got to go, I'm running late," Emily said. "May I escort you?" Ethan asked. "Okay, if you want to," Emily replied with a smile. They walked side by side, enjoying each other's company. The conversation flowed easily, and they discovered more common interests. As they strolled, Ethan felt a strong connection to Emily. He couldn't help but notice how natural it felt to be with her. “I'm glad we met that morning," Ethan said, looking at Emily. "Me too," Emily replied, smiling up at him. Reaching to grab his hand, and noticing her reaching for his hand, he didn't hesitate, he reached out and grabbed her hand. He felt something he never felt before. It was so magical.

Their walk continued, filled with laughter and conversation, as they savored each other's presence. The full moon appeared, and Ethan's body began to shift. He felt an intense, unfamiliar energy coursing through him. Panicked, he tried to control the transformation, but it was too powerful. “Emily, I-I need to go," Ethan said feeling uneasy, his voice strained. Emily looked concerned, but Ethan didn't explain. He rushed away, heading towards a nearby bush. "Please Emily, just stay back, don't follow me," he warned, his eyes pleading. “Arghh,” he shouts as his voice began to change. Emily hesitated, unsure what was happening. Ethan's transformation accelerated, and he sprinted away as fast as he could. As he disappeared into the trees, Emily called out, "Ethan, wait!" But he was gone. “Ethan. Ethan ran, fighting to contain the changes overwhelming him. He didn't want Emily to see him like this, whatever was happening to him. Breathless and disoriented, Ethan finally stopped, he collapsed, leaning against a tree. What was he becoming? He looked down at his hands, and they were changing. His body was transforming into something else. Ethan felt a mix of fear and confusion. He shouts. As he struggled to understand what was happening, he heard an animal rustling from a nearby bush, he couldn’t help himself, the instinct over powered him. He lodged at the animal. He was half way devouring it, when he realized what he was doing. He panicked unsure of what to do. Blood dripping down from his mouth. Ethan's heart pounded with confusion and fear. “What did I just do?” What did this mean for his life? For his relationship with Emily? But determined to learn more about his new reality.

As the night wore on, Ethan learned more about his condition. He realized that his life was about to change in ways he never thought possible. As he heads home, he wondered if Emily was okay, he began to search for her, with him having his scent in mind. He began to search for her trying to find a trail of her. It took an hour before he saw her at her house looking through the window. He felt guilty for what had happened. So he decided to go home and think about talking to Emily the next day. But Ethan, wasn't sure if he was ready for the challenges that awaits him.