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The reporter spoke softly, standing in the middle of Oregon, surrounded by dead bodies.

“The scene here is a duplicate of every other city. No one saw it coming and whatever has done this has vanished with the morning light. Every human found is dead. Hundreds are missing. The only clues as to what monster has done this are the claw marks we found on one body left beside a dumpster in an alley. Police from surrounding states have come to investigate this tragedy.

Thousands are dead, leaving us to wonder what or whom is doing this. We found one

surveillance tape which showed us this. Please be warned, this tape contains graphic scenes not suitable for some audiences.”

The view changed to a grainy surveillance camera. A man stood pressed against a brick

wall as a large dark shape moved towards him. It looked like mist, but moved unlike any mist I had ever seen. The mist covered the man, who screamed in terror. A sharp crack resonated

through the alleyway, and the man stopped moving. The shadow disappeared. The reporter from our local news came back on, “This is replayed footage from New York. We have been told that there are indeed no survivors living in New York City, or any of the surrounding cities. The President has issued a warning to all states, saying, ‘We need to prepare for the worst. There is no way to tell where it will strike next.’ The reports are conflicting, but with the mist and claw marks, we do know that something is killing and
kidnapping
humans. Yes, you heard right, not all of the bodies are accounted for. We can only assume that with no signs of any of their personal belongings that they’ve been taken.”

Bret stood up and ran outside. He yelled for Darren who came running into the house. I

changed the channel to another station that showed the same scene all over again. Darren sat down beside me shaking his head. “Shit.”

I felt my body begin to shake with fear, and Bret pulled me up, wrapping his arms around

me. He whispered, “It’s going to be alright Artemis. I’ll be here for you.”

Darren stood up and walked outside, telling the rest of the town what had happened. I

pushed Bret away. “It won’t matter, because neither of us will be here. I’m leaving in a few days, and so are you.”

He frowned. “I love you, Artemis. Why can’t you see that?”

I felt the tears in my eyes and turned away, walking to my room. I laid down on my bed

facing the wall, and closed my eyes. Bret climbed on the bed behind me, and pulled me against him. I shook my head and tried to pull away from him, but he held me tight. I whispered, “I can’t Bret.”

Bret nodded his head against the back of mine. “I know that you feel betrayed, but I love you. I always have.”

I sighed. “You’re my friend, Bret. That’s it. I can’t date my friend. It never works out.

Especially when that friend has been trying to screw me.”

Bret shrugged and hugged me tighter. “What doesn’t work about this?”

I pushed against him. “Just leave.”

He sighed and stood up. “Fine, but just know that I’ll wait for you. I love you.”

I waited until he shut the door, and closed my eyes. I focused on relaxing my body and

fell into a deep sleep.

Billy softly shook me awake. I opened my eyes to the dark and rolled over so I could see

him. He whispered, “Your dad is outside shooting right now, but you need food.”

I nodded my head as my stomach growled loudly. Billy snickered. “It’s been doing that

for fifteen minutes so I figured I should wake you up.”

I looked out the window and saw the dark sky. “What time is it? How long have I been

asleep?”

Billy stood up. “It’s eight o’clock and you’ve been asleep for a long time. I’m sure you

will be awake all night now.”

I stretched my arms and legs then sat up throwing my legs over the edge of the bed. Billy extended his hand to me and I took it standing up. He pulled me against him and kissed my lips. I stood frozen as he pulled away and smiled at me. He laughed. “What’s wrong?”

I pulled away from him. “I can’t Billy. I’m leaving soon.”

He smiled. “So, that means I can’t get a few last kisses in?”

Bret walked into the room and glared at Billy’s arms around me. He pushed Billy off of

me and kissed my lips hard. I pushed against his chest, but couldn’t do anything. He pulled back and asked, “Who’s do you like more?”

I groaned. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

Bret reached for me, but I dodged his hand running towards the door. Bret grabbed me

around the waist and pulled me back hugging me against him. “Just admit that you liked mine more. Just admit that you want me to do it again without him here.”

Billy yelled, “Let her go Bret!”

I shook my head and fought against Bret, but he was much stronger than me. I suddenly

felt trapped, and fought as hard as I could against him. I kicked at him and tried to elbow him, but he juggled me around so that I couldn’t make contact. I pushed at his arms and they started to give. He exclaimed, “What the hell?!”

I pushed his arms off of me and ran away into the kitchen. I turned back towards them

and panted and fought to control my emotions. I was no longer trapped and felt better, but I had a strange urge to fight Bret. Bret walked into the kitchen staring at me in shock. “What is going on with you Artemis?”

Billy smiled. “Obviously she doesn’t want you touching her.”

I shook my head and held out my hands. “Don’t come near me, either of you. I don’t…I

felt trapped.”

Darren walked into the house and stared from Bret to Billy to me and back. “What’s

wrong?”

“I was holding her and she started attacking me and got some burst of strength. She

pushed my arms away and says she felt trapped.” Bret said.

Darren frowned and stared at me, but talked to the boys. “Bret and Billy, I think you both should leave.”

Bret frowned. “Why? She’s fine now. I think I just scared her.”

Billy scoffed. “No, he kissed her and she didn’t want him to.”

Darren set his gun down on the table and walked towards me. I took a step back and hit

the wall. I shook my head as the urge to run tried to take over. I whispered, “Stop.”

Darren stopped moving and whispered, “You want to run, don’t you?”

I nodded my head and stared at him in shock. “How’d you know that?”

He sighed. “I can’t explain right now.” He turned to the boys. “Look, you know I’ve

never had a problem with you being here before, but we have family matters to discuss.”

Bret nodded his head. “I understand.” Billy nodded his head too. Bret walked towards me

and stopped a few feet away, raising my instinct to flee two notches higher. Bret asked, “Can I get a hug or are you going to go all crazy again?” He finished the last part trying to hide the hurt in his face.

I shook my head. “Both of you, please, just leave. I’m sorry.”

Bret smiled. “Night, Chicky. Night, Darren.”

Billy waved, with an obvious look of concern on his face. “Bye, Chicky.”

Darren watched them leave. I plopped down into one of the kitchen chairs and put my

face on the table. “Dad, what’s happening to me?”

Darren rubbed his face with his hand. “I can’t tell you everything yet, but you are coming into adulthood. It’s a transition period for our family that few others here have to go through. It’s because of your interactions with Ares and Koda. You are going to have to stay indoors for the next week and I’m going to have to forbid anyone from coming over here until your transition is finished.”

I gasped, “But Bret is leaving in a few days!”

He sighed. “I’m sorry.”

I stared at him in shock and disbelief. “What are we?” I asked, fear creeping up my spine.

He smiled. “We’re human, but with a little extra spice in our blood. I told you I can’t

explain it yet. You’ll understand in a few days.”

I asked, “Are we like the things that have been killing all of those people? The mist?”

Darren shook his head angrily. “NO! We are nothing like those things. I promise, in a

week or so, you’ll know everything.” He sighed heavily. “Whether you like it or not.”

I stood up, wanting to ignore the jumbled new information in my head, and walked to the

television. I turned on the TV. “Dad, there’s another video.”

He walked over and sat on the couch beside me. The news reporter showed video of a

city being wiped out by the mysterious monsters. No new information was available, and the same signs had been shown. Claw marks, two puncture wounds, blood completely drained and

broken necks. I wondered what these things were, but knew Darren wouldn’t tell me. “Can they be killed?” I asked Darren.

He smiled a purely evil smile. “Yes, but not very easily.”

“Why won’t you just tell me what they are?”

“I fear that speaking their name will bring them to us. They have spies everywhere and

can be almost anywhere. I would rather they left our town alone, but I fear they will be here much sooner than I wanted.” He picked his gun up off the table and walked towards the door.

“I’m going shooting, but stay here. If either of the boys come back, don’t let them in.”

I shrugged. “Whatever you say, Dad.”

He smiled. “That’s my girl. I’ll be back in a few hours. Do some chores or something to

keep yourself occupied.”

I laughed and nodded my head. “Alright.” I stood up and headed towards the kitchen. I

turned on the water, and started doing the dishes. I could feel that something was going to change my life.
But what? What are these things, and how does what I am relate to it?

I kept myself busy for the next two hours cleaning the kitchen and scrubbing the floors,

but I grew bored. I hated staying inside the house. I went to my room and cleaned everything. I started a load of laundry. I walked into Darren’s room, but was careful not to touch any of his books or research. He was always researching something, but I never knew what, because he kept his door closed and told me I couldn’t go in his room. However, curiosity overrode the warnings in my brain, and I picked up a stack of papers and read the title. “Lycanthropy and Its Effects on Humans, by Darren Smith.” I gasped.
Dad had written this? What the hell is
lycanthropy?
I sat down and started to turn the first page when I heard the front door open and close. I set the papers back down and hurried out of his room, closing the door quietly. I ran into the bathroom across the hallway and turned the water on, splashing my face. I grabbed the towel and walked out of the bathroom, drying off my face.

Darren frowned. “The cows are missing, but your horses are fine.”

I nodded my head. “Thanks.”

He smiled. “Yep. Hey, you want to play a board game?”

I stared at him in shock. “We haven’t played a board game together since I was ten.”

He nodded his head again. “I think it’s time we played one then.”

I shrugged and walked towards the closet that held all of our games. Darren had always

kept an abundance of board and card games around in case of bad weather. I pulled down Risk and set it on the table. He locked his gun up in the safe and walked back smiling. I pulled out the board and set it up. We played for a few hours, but I started to grow sleepy again. I yawned and stretched my arms. “Why am I so sleepy?”

He smiled. “It’s all part of the transition. Don’t worry. When the full moon gets here

you’ll be as good as new.” He tried to smile, but it didn’t reach the corners of his mouth. I nodded my head and walked to the bathroom to change my contacts. I hurried to my bedroom

and fell asleep faster than ever before, dreaming of wolves running together in a pack, playing and hunting.

I stretched my arms as I woke up with the sunrise. I sat up and looked around my room.

Everything was where it should be, but something felt wrong. I walked to the bathroom,

changing my contacts and then toward the living room. I stopped moving when I saw the

television. Darren sat watching the news report of another attack. This one was in Nevada again.

Darren sighed as he heard me walk up. “You better sit down for this kid. Someone got a glimpse of the beasts.”

I sat down quickly and pulled my legs up wrapping my arms around them. A cell phone

video popped up on the screen. Two men were fighting in front of a bar with people forming a circle around them. Suddenly a black shape jumped on top of the fighters, clawing and biting them. The men screamed and all of the people started to run away. Mist moved towards two

people that had started to run away and stopped them.

I stared at the black figure, as the phone focused on it. The men who had been fighting

were no longer moving, and blood was gathering in a massive pool around their bodies. The black figure tore a chunk of meat from one of the men’s sides and tilted its head back

swallowing. The video panned out and you could see the rest of the massive black figure. I shook my head as I realized what it was. “A wolf? NO WAY! Wolves don’t get that big.”
Well except
for the three that have been around here.

Darren said nothing as the video continued playing. The wolf dropped its head and

looked at the person recording it. I stared in awe at the wolf with its black fur and perfect amber eyes. I gasped, “ARES!”

Darren turned to me and frowned. “What?”

I shrugged. “Nothing.”

I stared back at the wolf as it stalked towards the person recording him. The wolf walked with such pride, such power. I shivered as it stared directly into the camera and howled loud and long. I started gasping for breath and felt my body start to convulse. Darren growled. “Fuck. That piece of shit.”

I fell off the couch and continued to convulse unable to get air. My bones began aching

and felt like they were trying to separate. I closed my eyes and could see a white wolf with a blue mane and purple eyes. I stared into the wolf’s eyes and realized it was me.
Impossible, I don’t
have purple eyes
. The wolf me nodded her head, tilted her head back, and howled loudly, shaking my entire body. I felt Darren’s hands on my body seconds before cold water covered me.