Blood Moon Uprising

It's past midnight already. The full heavy moon shines so brightly through the window above Anya Solis's bed that it hurts your eyes. This light doesn't make me feel safe. Without it, the sky is more gloomy at night. Through the glass, Anya can feel it; it's as cool as ice water against her perspiring skin. She has such a gorgeous appearance. She stoops and uses her bare hands to open the window. A mist of her unsteady breath rises into the warm night air. She raises her dark, damp hair from the nape of her neck to let the refreshing wind blow through it. There are so many sounds and smells coming in from outside. There's a tiny electric buzz in her bones. She kind of feels like she can't scratch the itch inside her entire body. It aggravates me. disorienting. Anya shakes her head and closes her eyes. She's ready to let go. To give in to the hunger and let go of the questions and the fear. Why should she resist it? This must take place. Anya feels her heart begin to race. It hurts as if a fist were pressing against her ribs. Beneath the drenched white cotton of her pajamas, she can see it moving. It appears as though the moon is on fire. Anya is now aware. Tonight is when it will occur. Her bones seem to be melting from the intense heat that is now coursing through her body. The anguish is tantalizing and delicious. Anya questions how she ever managed to wish it away. Right now, the change feels excruciating. Why is it not coming? Anya holds onto the bed linens tightly, inhaling deeply and inhaling the scents of the evening. She was able to scream out of hurt and rage. So near... She bites her lip, tastes the tang of iron in her blood, and smiles as she feels sudden bursts of pure happiness pass through her under the moon's gaze. It's already underway. Anya's bones start to move and she lets out a wild laugh. Tears and ripples of muscle. Into spikes, teeth twist. Every sweaty pore produces silken hair. She rolls onto her front, shucks off her sticky, wet clothes, and giggles as she gets up out of bed. Her heart beats firmly and powerfully. Nothing in this room, these items, these worthless things, belong to her. She owns nothing but the night world beyond and everything within it. She leaps out of the window onto the rooftop and then descends to the verdant boundary that leads to the forest. She takes great pride in her agility and speed. She will soon be sprinting across fragrant ground. She feels alive at last. She seems to fit. She detects the pleasant scent of a terrified animal nearby. She makes her way toward it through the bushes. Startled, a deer leaps out of its hiding spot and begins to run. She paces herself to match its pace, watching in terror as it turns and dances. She finally gives up chasing the animal and slams it to the ground. Her lips seal around the deer's throat, her sharp teeth severing the downy neck as her claws rend into its side. Her lips are dripping with blood. She is covered in it; it's sticky and sweet and all over the place. She thanks the moon with an exuberant howl as she raises her head. Anya's eyes snapped open and she let out a high-pitched scream. She jolted to her feet in bed, trembling and struggling to breathe. She put her hands to her face, letting hot tears cascade over them as her fingers searched the silky, damp skin. She then retched. Never before had the dream been so vivid and the blood seem so real. Even though the moon was only a faint glow visible through her thin curtains, Anya was afraid of this intruder. She cleared her eyes of perspiration-caked hair and switched on her bedroom lamp. She told herself she was normal as she glanced around at the recognizable objects in the space. For the time being... This time, though, the images from the dream wouldn't disappear. the lunar surface. The blood. The jubilant wolf. She continued to shake and thought, That's going to be me. I am going to become that. Anya dreaded the day when, instead of feeling fear, guilt, or shame, those thoughts would fill her with joy and pride. There was a quiet, expectant silence in the forest. It felt as though something was waiting to happen there. Kai Wilder stood there in the chilly morning air, shivering. After zipping up his blue hooded sweater, he proceeded to walk through the leaves and tall pines, inhaling the crisp scent of Christmas as they remained unaffected by fall's orange fingers. Even though the trees felt like they were covered in needles, he continued to move forward. He veered off the path and continued walking through dense green bushes. Kai stopped abruptly once more. He had the uncanny impression that something was watching him from behind the bush, lurking just out of sight. He surveyed his surroundings, but nothing moved. Kai started to get uneasy with the silence after a short while, so he pounded on loudly just to make noise. He fought his way through a clump of plants into an opening, thinking what a stupid idea that was. Too many late-night shows have been watched. But just in case, he took another look around for any movement at all in the bushes and trees. "Why are you complaining?" Crossly, Kai asked himself. "Recall that you wanted some time to yourself?" As he continued, fragments of conversations returned to him. His mother, pleading. Even though Kai is now eighteen, you can still go camping with your pals the following year, sweetie. Please, just one more family outing. His father was frowning and flushed. "One final family outing." Remember what the deal was? You understand how much your mother values this. Mike, his younger brother. "Kai, you never want to hang out with me anymore." Simply put, you're no fun anymore. Corey, his friend, shook his head pityingly. "So you're being forced to go on vacation with your parents?" Man, you really failed there. And lastly, him. This morning. stomping out of the Seattle hills vacation house owned by the family. Closing the door with a force. "Stamped here for seven days is going to drive me crazy!" Kai had a brief pang of guilt. He knew his mother would be furious once more. He was sure his father would be comforting her and telling her it was alright at this moment. He would be spewing the usual bullshit about Kai's "difficult age." That person dined at Kai. 'Difficult' was not having time or space to himself! Hell, he should be able to enjoy some freedom at eighteen! His friends would be enjoying a true vacation, camped out in Paris right now. For one week, Kai was going to miss out on being the good kid. Underfoot, there was a cracking sound akin to a gunshot. Kai felt his heart pound. He scanned his surroundings rapidly, half-expecting the sound to have revealed something. However, nothing changed.