The Awakening

The darkness of my mind is consumed by the sunlight peeking through my bedroom window.

My body screams in anguish as it awakens, wracked by the aftermath of another transformation.

As my eyes adjust, I’m met with no surprise—my hands are once again stained with the blood of someone, or something, I can’t remember encountering.

My clothes hang in tatters, the stench of death and decay clinging just beneath my skin.

This isn’t how I envisioned spending my senior year.

I slip out from under the sheets and make my way to the bathroom—thankful that I have one of my own. I couldn’t even begin to explain all this blood to my parents.

Stripping out of the shreds of clothing clinging to me, I catch sight of scratches and bruises in the most unexpected places. At least they’ll be easy enough to hide beneath a hoodie and jeans.

I step into the shower and watch as the water runs red, blood streaming down my body, twisting into strange shapes as it swirls with the spray from the showerhead.

If only those patterns could explain what has been happening to me these past few weeks.

The truth comes only in fragments, concealed in the gaps of the flashbacks that plague me each day.

The sound of a high-pitched scream—no face to show who is responsible.

The feel of cold, wet earth beneath my bare feet—but no hint of which woods I am in.

The scent of fear pulling me relentlessly towards my next victim—no proof of my role in their demise.

I’m left only with the guilt of knowing I was there, and that somehow the beast within me is responsible for their ending.

After disposing of any evidence that might tip my mom off to what’s really going on, I make my way downstairs for a quick cup of coffee before heading to school.

As I pour, the 7 o’clock news anchor’s voice drifts from the living room.

“Last night, the wild animal claimed yet another victim. Twenty-two-year-old Charles Conway was found slain in West End State Park. Authorities say it appears to be a bear or large mountain lion and are in contact with the National Institute of Comparative Animal Behavior Studies in hopes of understanding how such heinous attacks could occur in a region where such animals are uncommon. Police Chief Henry Carlton has invoked a citywide curfew in hopes of reducing the risks of another attack. We will continue to share updates as new information is released.”

My coffee begins to swirl in the cup as my hands begin to tremble.

My mother gasps, mortified by the update. She’s been following the situation since it first began—just three short weeks ago, the day after my eighteenth birthday.

I see the man’s face staring up at me from the ground, sheer fear flooding his eyes. He raises a hand in a futile attempt to defend himself. It’s no use—his fragile human nature is no match for the smoldering force surging through my veins.

My inner beast strikes down with blow after blow, and I can only watch—helpless, a bystander trapped inside the body I inhabit.

The man’s face—Charles Conway, I realize too late—isn’t looking up any more. His body lies motionless in the dirt before me.

“Saraphine, is that you in the kitchen?” My mother’s voice slices through the terrors racing in my mind.

“Yes mom, its me. I’m just heading out—I don’t want to be late for school again.”

I chug the last of my coffee, grab an apple, and rush for the door. I must have hidden my nerves well enough, because mom didn’t question my urgency to leave.

Once I slid into my car and started the engine, a shaky breath tore from my chest. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding it. My hands still trembled, my heart still raced—I could hardly get my keys in the ignition.

As the engine roared to life, another wave of dark memories crashed through me.

A girl with long blonde hair running across a dark field, her hair streaming behind her as she fled for her life. A white lace dress clung loosely to her shoulders, skimming her bare feet as they tore over the earth. Just above the hem, a golden ankle bracelet glistened with every frantic stride.

She glanced back, catching sight of me chasing her through the night.

She doesn’t see the hole in the ground ahead. In an instant, she stumbles and crashes to the dirt.

Scrambling backward, she tries to crawl away, terror widening her eyes as the space between us shrinks faster and faster.

A soul-shaking shriek rips from her lips just as I slow, reaching for her.

A smile creeps across my mouth—but they aren’t my lips. They belong to the beast within.

It knows the taste of victory. It knows it has found its newest victim.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I jerk back to the present, the fog of the memory retreating into the darkest corner of my mind. The world sharpens around me, and I realize I’ve been sitting in my car for over ten minutes.

“Hello? Earth to Saraphine.”

A voice outside my window—Natalie.

I’d forgotten I promised her a ride to school this morning. Natalie lives just down the street; we grew up side by side, playing dolls and riding bikes until the streetlights dragged us home. We had summer slumber parties and spent middle school nights whispering about boys. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had—at least, she used to be.

Lately, since all this began, I feel us drifting. I could never tell her about what I’ve been going through since my birthday. Not that she’s noticed—her new boyfriend has kept her plenty distracted. These days, all she ever talks about is the looming battle of a foreboding long-distance relationship—each dreaming of colleges that are miles apart.

“Do you want to let me in?”

Her voice shatters the last of the remaining fog. I hit the lock button, and the passenger door creaks as she swings it open, tossing her bookbag onto the floorboard with a heavy thud.

“Sorry about that, I’m just a little tired this morning.” I hope the excuse will fend off her usual mocking—the way she’s always quick to point out my spaciness.

“Don’t be sorry, be careful, space cadet.” Her words ping sharper than I let on. She never misses a chance to remind me she’s got life more figured out than I do.

She buckles her seatbelt and immediately dives into the latest drama of her love life. “Chase said this and then Chase did that…”

I tune her out, shift into reverse, and back down the driveway. By the time we clear the subdivision, she’s still going.

“Oh, I love this song!”

Perfect. My cue. I crank the volume, blasting the music high enough that she’d have to scream to keep her story going.

We finish the car ride in silence—Natalie sings along with the radio while I keep my eyes on the road. I turn the volume back down to normal just as we pull into the parking lot of our high school.

We circle a few rows before finding a spot. Chase spots Natalie climbing out of my car and heads towards us.

“Hey Saraphine.” He flashes me a quick smile before sweeping Natalie into a tight hug and pressing a kiss to her forehead. The three of us fall into step together—heading toward the school.

Just as we step through the doors, a strange sensation brushes my nose. A smell—familiar, yet foreign.

I feel exposed, as if someone is staring not at me, but through me, peeling back the layers to see the naked parts of my soul.

I stop, glance around the corridor, but nothing looks out of the ordinary.

I force myself toward my locker, though my bones grow heavy, weighted by the invisible eyes that seem to follow my every move.

There it is again—the scent. Sweet but warm. Earthly, yet wild.

There’s something primal happening, something outside of my control. My movements grow slower, more sensual. My breath turns shallow, my heart pounding faster. My body responds, but I have no command over the actions taking place.

Something inside me is pushing forward—it’s the beast within.

I fight the urge to submit. I summon every ounce of energy I can muster.

It’s performing. The words echo in my mind, over and over. But why? For who—or what?

Heat spreads like a second skin, coating every inch of me. Sweat beads across my body, my heart hammering so violently it feels ready to leap from my chest and dance on the floor before me.

My vision blurs. The hallway fades in and out of focus. I’m fighting, clawing, desperate to stay in control.

What is happening to me? I’ve never been conscious for the transformation—it’s always crept in after I’d fallen asleep, the beast taking me when my mind was unguarded. But now… it’s stronger. It doesn’t need me unconscious any more.

In an instant, I’m snapped back into the driver’s seat of my body. The scent is gone—dissipated as quickly as it came.

I inhale sharply, lungs flooded with fresh oxygen, like breaking the surface after too long underwater.

I feel my eyes burn as tears arise, fear flooding my body, adrenaline pumping through my veins like water forced through rusted pipes.

The realization slams into me like a ton of bricks. I can’t deny my fate any longer.

I am an Ecliptix.

The word alone chills me. A cursed line of monsters—born in shadow, marked by a birthmark only seen under the glare of an eclipsed moon. A constant battle: the innocence of humanity, overshadowed by the beast within. Doomed to shift between human and a thousand different monsters.

I’d read about them in myths, heard whispers of their violence in campfire stories. Never thought they were real—let alone that I’d be one of them.