By the lake

I watched the sunrise over the lake. Tonight, the moon would be full.

“Hey Ava” I asked

“Yeah” asked Ava.

Ava was my girlfriend. She was a vampire, so her skin was so white it looked like paper, and her eyes were pure black.

To many, vampires look ugly with their pale white skin, and their pure black eyes. But to me vampires look beautiful, or at least Ava does.

“Tonight is the full moon”

“I know” Ava responded

“Can you protect me”

I was a werewolf. You would think that when I turned into a giant strong wolf looking thing that I would be able to take care of myself but “moonlight hunters” or what I called them Werewolf poachers. Try to kill the werewolf’s using guns.

They believed that werewolf’s are a plague and deserve to be killed. We are not a plague, and just want to live our lives normally.

“Of course I’ll protect you. I don’t want you to die just because you're a werewolf”

“Thank you” I reached over and kissed her on the cheek

“I have to go and, well I don’t know what my mother needs, but I need to get going.”

I realized something “you should go to. Soon it will be harder to avoid the sunlight”

Ava nodded before turning into a bat and flying away.

I look at the sunrise. I take in its beauty like it's the last sunrise I’ll ever see. But I’m sure that I’ll see the sunrise again. It happens every morning.

*******************************

When I get home my mom gives me a hug then a list of chores. 

“Okay. Get some of these done before I get home. Make sure your little brother is safe”

I smile. “Mom, Issac will be fine. He’s twelve. He can take care of himself”

“I know. I just worry sometimes.” 

Mom worked to keep us safe. She had managed to work mostly at night until she thought that both me and my brother, Issac, were mature enough to have the house to ourselves.

Me and Issac did the few chores mom wanted us to do and more. She deserved it after working so hard to keep us safe, it was only fair we give her a clean house to come home to.

“Issac” I called

I waited for a second. Then the door to the bathroom opened. Issac stepped out.

“What” he asked

“I handed him the sheet of paper

“Chores”

Issac rolled his eyes “I would already do those”

“You don’t even know what they are”

Issac was twelve years old. His skin was the color of refried beans, the same color as my skin. His hair was black, mine was dark brown. Issac wore glasses. I didn’t wear glasses nor did I want to.

Me and Issac complicated the list of chores mom gave to us, along with sweeping all the floors in the house not only the kitchen floors mom asked of us, and washing the dirty laundry.

“I’m going to go hang out with Jeremy.” Said Issac

“Be back before mom” I told him.

He nodded and went out the door.

I wondered what to do. Kennedy was my best friend, but was doing a family thing today.

I decided to take a nap. I was always tired after a full moon, might get some sleep now when I could.

When I woke up, I decided to wander around the town. Maybe see if anyone needs any help.

*******************************

I sat on the back porch of my house. The sun was going down and the moon was coming up. The full moon was coming up. I was looking at the forest behind my house.

The day had gone by so fast. I had helped mr. miller get rid of some of the stuff in his garage. I knew mom was okay with this, and I was okay with this, so it was a nice thing to do on a quiet afternoon.

I noticed a dark figure emerging from the woods.

“Ava, that you” I called

The figure stopped in the shade of the woods.

“Yeah” she called back to me

I walked over to her. she wore a black hoodie with jeans.

I kissed her on the cheek. She smiled, which made me smile.

“So you want my protection for tonight”

“Yes. It’s dangerous for me to be alone. People want werewolfs dead.”

“So you need protection” she asked me

“That’s what I said” I confirmed “they’re wandering the woods at night, attacking us with guns”

She paused to think about this “why?”

“People are irrational. We only bite if you’re a human wandering in the woods, at night, during a full moon. I got bitten because I thought that I was invincible and was wandering around in the woods, late at night, during a full moon”

“So they’re putting themselves in danger while trying to kill something that isn’t hurting anything.”

“Yep”

I glanced at the sun. It was nearly all the way down.

Ava noticed this.

“Should we walk?”

I nodded. We started to walk into the woods. We followed a trail that I knew went deep into the woods.

Soon I felt it. The wolf like energy coming out, forcing itself to the surface. I felt pain that only werewolf’s know. The pain of fur forcing itself to the surface, claws ripping through the delicate skin under my fingernails. Sharp teeth piercing through my gums.

The biggest change was yet to come though. The change that changed me from a human being to a werewolf. I felt it coming for me. The human part of my soul being dragged from my body.

My vision was narrowing as the wolf took over. I tried to hang on, but it was no use. I blacked out.

*******************************

The next thing I feel is pain. Horrible pain coming from my chest. I was in some sort of liquid, that I hoped was not blood. The fur was retreating along with the claws and the teeth.

“Bianca!”

That’s Ava. Thank god she’s Ok.

“Fine” I tried to mutter.

It probably sounded like I was dying. But I wasn’t dying, right? Right?

“Bianca! Oh my god!”

I felt a warm liquid fall on my cheek. A tear.

A voice said “i'm so sorry. I didn’t know her age”

Arms picked me up. More than two. I could feel the cooler arms of Ava. One held my head, while the other held my chest. The other arms held my knees and back. 

I felt myself losing my grip. I slipped into unconsciousness.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital. White lights surrounded me and I hear panicked voices. A female said 

“She’s conscious”

I heard Ava say “Bianca- Bianca, you're going to be alright”

But I knew that’s not the truth. I feel terrible, even if I don’t die, I will never be the same again.

*******************************

I’m sitting at the lake in the same place I sat with Bianca one month ago. She got to leave the hospital the day after she got in. She wasn’t lucky.

I’m sitting at the lake in the same place I sat with Bianca one month ago. But Bianca isn’t here now. She’ll never be here again.

I’m sitting at the lake in the same place I sat with Bianca one month ago. I see the full moon reflected in the lake. I told Bianca that she was going to be alright. I was wrong.