You wake to the sound of the cabin’s door smashing open. A shadowy figure limps in, dragging its body from behind as if its weight was to much to bear. With each approaching step, you can hear its claws raking the the wooden floor. You make out the its features through the darkness — bulky chest, massive arms, pointed snout, sharp ears, a body coated in fur, and what appears like a tail swinging behind.

Tap-tap-tap, the rain pounds the window — the roof — the cabin. The wind howls violently. A clap of thunder shakes the room, followed by a strike of lightning, illuminating the space in between.

And just as abruptly as it appeared, the beast vanished, leaving in its place a thin, frail boy. Kai? You want to call his name, but before you can, he collapses onto the ground. Scrambling out from beneath the covers, you dash over to him. His feet are caked in mud, and his nails - cracked and bloody. His body is abnormally hot, slick with perspiration. He suddenly jolts up, knocking you over, and pinning you to the floor. His nails dig into your wrists, his gaze carrying only the look of fervent lust. You scream for him to let go, but he silences you, crushing his lips against yours. His tongue travels down your neck, while his teeth tugs at the yarn binding your nightgown. His thousand kisses burn, leaving a trail of fire on your flesh. You whimper at his touch - not from passion, but from pain. He was nearing the completion of his task when he froze. An expression of absolute terror consumes his face as he shrinks back, finally realizing what he had done. His eyes dart to yours pleading for mercy - for forgiveness - for help.

“I-I … please … I-I can’t … I —” he vomits out a string of barely comprehensible words. His unexpected change leaves you speechless. The room is frozen - neither of you dare to even breathe. “Please just say something! Anything! Get angry! Yell at me! Hit me! Just please do something!” he cries in frustration. He cradles himself - knees bent in - and rocks back and forth. His eyes are wide in fear. “Please. Don’t hate me — I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to be alone!”, he continues, lost and disorientated. He claws at his face, then begins to pull out hair. His stoic and composed self no longer existed. Here, he was to his both his torments and desires. “Please — please — plea —”

You wrap your arms around him and gently caress his cheeks, running your fingers through his hair, unknotting the wild tangles. At first he is uncertain of how to respond, but then pulls you in closer - finally allowing the tears to spill. You hold him tightly, afraid that if you let go, he would disappear. No words were needed. There was a mutual understanding between he and you. And the two of you remain there, comforted by the stillness and warmth the cabin offered. He finally settles down, and the room is silent. He peers up - eyes fixed on yours, and inches in. His lips faintly brush against yours. The only sound is the soft drumming of rain. Tap-tap-tap. The rain carries on.

Seconds tick by.

Minutes.

Hours.

How much time has passed? You can’t tell.

Rays of light peek in, seeping through the curtains. He eases back into a sitting position and stands up, walking over to the window. His fingers trace the fabric’s patterns, pushing against the soft texture of the curtain before flinging it away. A flood of light pours in.

The forest is abloom with color. The rains and clouds had receded, leaving behind a lingering mist. Dew dots the grass like tiny gems, reflecting vibrant rainbows of sapphire, amber, emeralds, and rubies. Tiny critters begin to peek out from beneath moss covered branches. Birds sing melodious tunes in their new spas. But the mighty trees presided over them all, calmly guarding its precious inhabitants. Nature was bright and alive.

A gentle breeze blows in, carrying the sweet scent of chrysanthemum with it. He turns towards you, his dark hair a disheveled mess. His clothing is ripped and battered. Bruises and scars litter his body — and yet his eyes sparkle with intense joy, and he appears as though ready to take flight. Clouds of dust dance around him, wrapping him in a halo of light. At first, there was a faint sign of hesitance on his face — a look of confusion, as though he were about to say something important. But it quickly vanishes as he breaks into a rare, yet honest smile. He no longer resembled the boy from earlier — beaten and defeated — rather, he beamed with a natural, radiant aura that only a child would possess. And seeing him there, you can’t help but smile back.

__________________________________________________

I felt like this was the perfect time to release this one. I had one of my friends write this for me. She is absolutely amazing and here is a small author’s note from her: 

“This was so hard. I’ve never really written anything but literature essays in present tense before, so it was real tough to apply it here. So basically, I was going for something like, Kai had transformed into a werewolf that night and comes back to the cabin where he reverts back to human form. However, the feelings left from being in his other form still lingers and he’s violent because of that. Once he finally snaps out of it, he realizes that he did bad things, And in the end, he just knows that she cares for him, but is too shy to say thanks. “