TODAY
I gasp for air as I wake up. It was the same dream, again, the one I've been having for the past three months. The same dream where my parents are killed and a man appears. I couldn't make out any of his features, all I could see were those alluring green eyes.
I run my sweaty palms through my hair as I try not to relive the contents of the dream.
I check the time and it was three am, January 14th. My birthday. To be more specific my eighteenth birthday.
As I go down to the kitchen to get some water, deep in my thoughts about my nightmare, I look outside through the window. The skies looked the same, just like yesterday.
As I reach the platform, I glare at the marked calendar next to the fridge. The coming full moon, the first time I'd completely turn and truly become a werewolf , was marked with a bright red circle. January 24th, ten days from now.
I sigh as I open the bottle of water, accepting the inevitable.
I always knew what to expect. I was going to lose a part of my existing humanity, because my blood flowed werewolf.
I wasn't as scared as I was upset. I didn't really have a say in this matter. I was born a beast, and I would live like one.
Part of the reason why I wasn't so scared was because I had no idea how the transformation would be. Was It going to magical or painful? I didn't know. Sure my whole family at least my father's side went through it, and all seemed to make it out alive, so I guess I was okay.
I sighed, slipping into my covers , hoping that I wouldn't see those images again.
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I wake up in the morning at the sound of footsteps. I see the blurry silhouette of my father's figure.
"Happy birthday champ! You're finally eighteen!" Says my father as he hands me my favourite double fudge cupcake with a misplaced candle on top.
Some traditions never change. I smile as I think to myself.
"Thanks dad!" I say as I hug him and take a bite of my cupcake.
I brush my teeth and rush downstairs for my special birthday breakfast.
"Happy birthday honey." My mother smiles at me as I hear the sharp ding of the door.
I sigh as I walk towards towards door and when I open it , I see the human equivalent of the second Mean Girls movie.
"Happy birthday Cami!" Natalie says in her fake high pitched voice, full of enthusiasm and I look at her, my eyes widened in shock.
Natalie stares at me as she fiddles with her purse and after what seems like a millennia, she speaks.
"Hey listen. I really am sorry for what I did, knowing that's it's unforgivable but will you just think about giving us a second chance? I really miss our friendship and I miss you." Her voice wavering as she hands me a gift with shaky arms.
"Look Natalie, I really want to, but I can't. You hurt me and I can't forgive you. I can't deal with this right now, not today . I'm sorry but I can't accept this gift or us." I say as I shut the door.
I close my eyes , taking a deep breath as I come to terms with what just happened.
I sit on the high chair in the kitchen and my mother hoards Nutella on my waffles.
When I take the first bite of my waffles, the damn doorbell rings again.
No.
Not again.
Why doesn't the girl just give up?
As I open the door for the second time, to my surprise I see John and Maya.
"Happy birthday Cam!" They scream as they hug me and I was thanking god it wasn't her again.
"Hey, there's enough waffles for you guys too, come on in." My mother says as she suddenly appears behind me.
"We could never say no to that." Maya laughs and before we go back in, they stick out their hands, handing me my presents.
Maya has two presents and one of it looked eerily similar to Natalie's . As though sensing my confusion ,
she says," I found this by the front door."
I grab the presents and thank them before we all go back in.
After breakfast, we begin to unwrap the presents.
Maya's present contains a ruby cashmere sweater and John gives me a set of headphones, that I've been craving ever since I went to a music festival last year.
I squeal as I wrap my arms around, pulling them into a tight embrace.
"I can't fucking breathe, let go."John chuckles and I smack his arm, jokingly.
Next, I nervously undo the wrapping of Natalie' s present, and I see a tiny gold locket, inside a small pretty box.
I gasp when I open the locket to find a picture of her and I together, six years ago, playing in snow in Hartford , thirty miles from where we lived- Brair Glen.
The picture held so much innocence,that I almost cried.
I held on that locket, for the sake of those memories.
I go back and join my friends and family as we start playing monopoly.
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I take a deep breath as I look at my appearance in the mirror.
I wore a ridiculously expensive gown that my mother had travelled all the way to Hartford for.
Moonshine.
It looked like moonshine with lace draped over it.Tailored to fit whatever trace of curves I had like a glove.
I felt almost as beautiful as I was scared.
" Camila come down sweetie. The cake is here." My mother says and I rush downstairs.
As I go down, I see the living room decorated with balloons. The whole pack is there and as we cut the cake, we hear a gunshot.
My eyes widen in shock and my father and uncle Henry go outside to check what was happening.
Another gunshot.
This time we all go out to see uncle Henry shot in his arm. I grab the first aid kit and my mother tries to get the bullet out with tweezers.
My face becomes pale at the sight of blood.
I look ahead of me, I see the attackers.
They were wearing black masks as dark as midnight. They had holes for eyes and a little space for breath room.
One pair of eyes in particular struck out to me. It was emerald green eyes and it was almost like I'd seen them for the second time. I avert my gaze away from those eyes, for just a second, and I'm surprised to see that they all hunch down, turning into one of our own.
Werewolves.
The sound of what seemed like bones breaking filled the air and our pack did the same, making it difficult to know who was who.
They all looked so dangerous, yet so beautiful in a way I didn't understand.
Everything was happening too fast. One of them lunged for my mother and she failed to remove the beast off of her.
I scream and try to pull the werewolf back, but it was to vain.
I was thrown off and as I fell, I blacked out.
As I wake up, my head feels heavy and I blink my eyes and glance at my surroundings,finding myself to be in an unfamiliar car with three strangers.
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