Alone In The Woods.

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As dusk fell, the atmosphere became damp and humid. A lazy breeze blew about, barely upsetting the leaves on the trees. I could hear the sounds of nocturnal life as they got ready to kick start the night.

It was going to be a full moon. And so, I had to leave home.

At the door, I turned to see my parents watching me. I could see the pain and sadness in their eyes.

"I will be back tomorrow morning." I promised.

They nodded.

"We know that." My mother replied, "and we'll be waiting for you. As always."

This was not the first time I was going on this trip. Actually it was the sixth time. But still, I was yet to get used to saying goodbye. Because there was always that possibility I would not return.

So without another look at them, I walked out of the house, my satchel held tight in my fist.

I let the sounds of the night traffic wash through me as I trekked. I was not in much hurry, I only needed to get to my destination before the moon got to it's highest point in the sky.

After about an hour of serious trekking, night had fully set in and the world was blanketed in darkness, broken only by the headlamps from passing vehicles. I slipped off the road, taking a familiar path through the woods.

The smell of green life and dead leaves clung to my nose, I could hear the hooting of an owl. I was not with a flashlight, I didn't need one. The full moon was sufficient for me. It always has been.

Eventually, I got to my spot. It was a small clearing between two trees. I looked up at the sky and studied the moon.

"Almost." I muttered.

I began to work.

Opening my satchel, I pulled out a wire gauze that was folded neatly. I unfolded it, opening it up carefully. Then I went to the four pegs I had dug into the ground six months before and I clipped the edges of the gauze to it. The top of the gauze was held up firmly by the two trees.

This makeshift construction made it look like a metal tent. But it was not.

It was a cage. Built for me.

I slid it open and crouched inside. Then by tying the ends of the gauze into a complex knot, I locked myself in. The only way I would be able to untie it was in the morning.

I looked up to the sky again and saw the full moon was finally at it's highest in the dark sky.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain across my spine. I screamed out, I could never get used to this.

My vision dimmed, going opaque as I felt my shoulders snap out of place. My knees folded of their own volition, almost bringing me down.

Even above my screams of pain, I could hear the sickening sound of my bones adjusting and shifting themselves. Unable to stand upright, I fell to my folded knees just as my wrists snapped upward and my elbows folded outward.

Now on all fours, hair was rapidly growing out of my skin, I felt my canines getting longer. And slowly, my screaming morphed into growls. My vision returned and it was perfect. My sense of smell was heightened. I could smell blood. I could smell fear. I could smell life.

Transformation complete, I howled to the full moon. Not because I was expecting a reply, of which I'm not. I did it because it was what my kind did.

That was what werewolves do. And I was one of them.

I pranced about in my makeshift cage, my animal instinct kicked in as I tried to get out. But I had built the cage to prevent just that. My sharp teeth couldn't break through the gauze or untie the knot, my paws were of no use either. All these were to keep the city safe from me.

That's why I was in the forest for the transformation. Not just because I wanted to protect my family and friends, but also to mask my screams. I could scream as loud as I dared and no one would hear.

I had been at this for more than six months now, since I got turned. I knew that eventually I would have to come up with a new plan. Because people were sure to start asking questions soon.

But meanwhile, I would search and search, to find a pack I would belong to, an Alpha that would teach me the way of my people.

A new family the I could call my own.

_{The End.
Thank you for reading.}