Moonstrength: When Fangs meet the Moon

Monday, February 15, 2021 Manila awoke beneath a bright, sunny sky. Students gathered around street food stalls, chatting as they enjoyed breakfast. Jeepneys crawled through the heavy morning traffic, their engines rumbling loudly. Above the city, birds drifted freely across the clear blue sky. Inside a modest but comfortable home, the scent of freshly cooked breakfast filled the air. Aurora Armstrong, thirty-six with fair skin and auburn hair, stood quietly in the kitchen, preparing the family's morning meal. Upstairs, Andrew Armstrong, fifteen, lay fast asleep. His auburn hair was a messy tangle across his face as he slept peacefully. Suddenly, a dog outside his bedroom window began barking relentlessly. Andrew stirred and slowly rolled onto his side. "What is wrong with that dog...?" he muttered sleepily. Before he could drift back to sleep— His bedroom door burst open. Standing in the doorway was his eleven-year-old cousin, Dennis. With his messy black hair, mischievous eyes, and an unmistakable grin, he held two metal pot lids like a pair of cymbals. "Hey, cuz," Dennis said with a grin. "Ready to wake up?" Andrew let out an exhausted groan and turned toward the wall, hoping to ignore him. Dennis raised the pot lids. BANG! The deafening crash echoed through the room. Andrew shot upright, his heart racing. "There we go!" Dennis laughed. "Come on, breakfast's ready." Still chuckling, he ran out of the room. Andrew glared after him before letting out a long sigh. His attention shifted toward the window. The same dog was still barking nonstop. With another weary sigh, Andrew climbed out of bed, walked over to the window, and pulled the curtains shut shutting out the barking distraction. Then he headed downstairs toward the kitchen. After getting ready, Andrew made his way to the dining table. The family bowed their heads and prayed before eating. What is wrong with that dog? The question lingered in Andrew's mind as he quietly ate his breakfast. His mother noticed his distant expression. "Nak, are you okay?" she asked gently. Andrew blinked, snapping back to reality. "Oh... yeah, Mom. I'm fine." After breakfast, Andrew thanked his family, grabbed his bag, and headed outside. The dog was still there, tied to a metal pole in front of the neighboring house. The moment it saw him, it began barking aggressively once again. Andrew froze. His heart pounded with every sharp bark. Taking a slow, steady breath, he looked at the dog. "What's your problem?" he muttered. Just then, his neighbor stepped outside. He gave Andrew an apologetic smile. "Oh, sorry about my dog. He's been acting strangely lately." The neighbor took hold of the leash and led the dog away. Andrew watched them leave, still puzzled. "I really don't understand that dog..." he murmured, unable to shake the uneasy feeling in his chest. The bus finally arrived. Andrew hopped in, as the city slowly filled with life. Inside the bus, Andrew's friends were already seated together. Kevin Smith, the same age as Andrew, wore a pair of sharp-looking glasses. His energetic personality was impossible to miss, and his gray hair shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the window. He held his favorite comic book, filled with stories about vampires and forbidden love. Laughing loudly, he waved the comic in the air as he animatedly told another story. Seated beside him was Julia Williams. She had a gentle, kind personality and short red hair cut into a neat bob. "Lower your voice, Kevin," she said with a quiet chuckle. Kevin ignored the warning and continued making joke after joke, each one somehow funnier than the last. Together, the two filled the bus with cheerful laughter. Andrew heard Kevin's loud laughter and took the seat directly in front of him. "Oh? Looks like the bus hired a comedian," Andrew joked. Kevin looked up with a grin. "Hey, did you know I spilled my juice all over my siopao yesterday?" Andrew couldn't help but smile. "You've got to be kidding me, Kevin." Kevin burst into laughter again, even louder than before. Julia gave his leg a playful slap. "I told you to lower your voice!" Kevin gradually calmed down, though he was still chuckling. "I know, Julia, but it's just too funny." A brief silence settled over the bus. Moments later, it came to a stop at a red light. Andrew rested his arm against the window and watched the morning crowd outside. People crossed the streets while vehicles idled in traffic, their exhaust drifting through the air. Then something caught his attention. Standing among the crowd was a man dressed entirely in black, from head to toe. He was speaking on his phone. "Yes, my lord. I'll be there soon," he said quietly. Quietly... Yet somehow, Andrew heard every word. The man suddenly lifted his head and looked straight at him, his expression unreadable. Andrew immediately turned his gaze toward the road ahead. Oh, damn. His heart skipped a beat. A second later, the traffic light turned green. The bus pulled away. Only then did Andrew let out a quiet sigh of relief. That guy is... weird. He glanced back through the window, but the man had already disappeared into the crowd. The bus continued on its way to school. A few minutes later, the bus pulled up to the school. As soon as the doors opened, students poured out like a river breaking free. filling the campus with chatter and laughter. Andrew, Kevin, and Julia walked together down the hallway toward their classrooms. Kevin leaned closer to Andrew and lowered his voice. "Hey, did you know? A new student is transferring here today." Andrew looked at him in surprise. "How do you know that?" Julia let out a small chuckle. "We overheard some teachers talking about it yesterday." Andrew slapped his forehead. "You two really love being chismoso and chismosa, don't you?" Kevin and Julia exchanged amused glances before laughing. Eventually, they reached the hallway where their classes separated. Kevin adjusted the strap of his backpack. "Well, I'm off to Physics." Julia smiled. "And I have Art." Andrew let out a quiet sigh. "Looks like I'm heading to Science. Time to split up." Kevin placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "Don't miss me too much, okay?" Julia rolled her eyes. "Relax. It's only three hours. You're not dying." Andrew laughed. "See you both later." With one last wave, the three friends headed in different directions as the school grew livelier with students arriving for the morning. Andrew came to an abrupt stop. I need to pee. Without wasting another second, he hurried down the stairs. As he rounded the corner— Bump! He collided with someone. Both of them lost their balance and hit the floor hard. Andrew winced as pain shot through his shoulder and quickly looked up. It was a girl. She wore a face mask, and strands of brown hair partially covered her face. Her books and small belongings had scattered across the floor. Andrew immediately got to his feet and held out a hand. "I'm so sorry," he said awkwardly. The girl didn't take it. Instead, she quietly gathered her books and belongings before standing on her own. Andrew lowered his hand, puzzled. "Are... are you sick?" he asked hesitantly. "I mean, you're wearing a face mask." The girl remained silent. Without even looking at him, she turned and walked away. "Wait!" Andrew called after her. "I'm really sorry!" She didn't respond. She simply continued down the hallway until she disappeared around the corner. Andrew stood there for a moment, scratching the back of his head. She's definitely mad at me now. Then his eyes widened. Oh... right. I still need to pee! He immediately turned and sprinted toward the restroom.