I woke up in the middle of the night. It was past 12, which meant it was my birthday. I felt extremely thirsty, so I went downstairs to drink water. However, it didn't help much. My body was heating up, and I felt extremely itchy. I went to my parents' room, knocked twice, and my mother answered the door.

"What happened, Ivy? You look so pale," my mom asked, looking worried.

"I don't know, Mom. I woke up in the middle of the night, and I was extremely thirsty. My body is burning and itching all over," I replied. My mother looked at my father, they exchanged a glance, and my father walked toward the calendar. He looked at the date, then at my mom, and smiled. My mom burst into laughter, which I found extremely rude since I am sick and they were laughing in my face. I looked at both of them and said, "What's so funny?"

"What's making you laugh so hard? Do I look funny?" I was getting a little annoyed. My mom looked over at me, patted my head with her left hand, gave me a reassuring smile, and said, "Ivy, you are transforming. It's your 13th birthday today. We are pure-blooded werewolves, so we transform earlier than others." I looked at her, excited and disappointed.

"And you couldn't tell that to me before? I was so scared," I said the last sentence under my breath. "I am so sorry. Now let's get you prepared," said my mom.

"Let's get you prepared," I thought. I assumed it meant that I should dress up or something, but no - this was a whole new level. My father transformed into a wolf and went out of the house. A few minutes later, he returned and changed back into a human. He then said something to my mom, who looked at me and said, "Hey Ivy, there's something really important you should know. First, when you turn into a werewolf, try not to harm anyone. Second, there's a specific place where young werewolves can transform safely. Until you have control, you won't remember much of the transformation. If you don't know how to transform and control yourself, you'll only be able to transform during a full moon. Today is your first time, and it will be very difficult. Make sure the moonlight doesn't touch your body, or you will transform immediately. Bring an umbrella; your father will bring the car." This is overwhelming; I'm not sure if I will be able to control myself or not.

We sat in the car. So far, no accidents. My mom put up the car shade to prevent moonlight from entering. I have no idea where this location is, so all I can do is stare at the map in the car. The location is somewhere between the mountains. Suddenly, I remember my brother. He would be alone in the house. He is just 6.

"Mom, what about Liam? Isn't he alone in the house?" I asked worriedly.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I called Aunt Ellie to look after Liam for tonight because it's a very big night for you. I'm so sorry, Ivy, we forgot your birthday. Lots of things are going on," my mom said, the last sentence in a slightly sad tone.

"That's fine, Mom. Thank you for still looking out for me in the middle of the night."

We were in the middle of a conversation when everything suddenly went dark...