Chapter 2

The boy then laughed, teasing him about believing in comics and even getting scared. He was not scared of the comical werewolf but he was scared that he was a real werewolf. The boy did not believe in werewolves but he knew he existed, Hank existed.

His mother had started to suspect things when he was sixteen. He was no longer in bed during her usual dawn checkup and each time he came home, she would ask him where he had been all through the night.

"Taking a walk." He would always answer her.

It was a bad lie and he too knew she always did not believe him but she always kept quiet. She was not the type to scold a child or pester them and neither was his father. They were great parents and he felt extremely guilty about hiding things from them, but he had to. He knew they would accept him for anything and everything he was but he would not tell them about him. They were worried about him and though they did not say it, most especially his mother, he knew she was worried about his night absence.

He was in his room that night, it was not a full moon and he lay on his bed but he was not sleeping, he could not sleep. He did not know why but he knew he could not sleep. His door cracked open and he knew who that was, his mother. His father rarely ever came into his room, he only came if he had something important to tell him and he definitely never came at night. He closed his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. He could feel his mother walk into the room and sit on the bed.

"I know you are not sleeping, Fay." She said.

Of course, she knew, his lamp was still on and bright and she knew that he never slept with the lamp on. He opened his eyes and sat up on the bed. He could see a smile on her beautiful face.

"What is wrong mom?" He asked her.

She did not say anything, she took his hands into her hands and caressed his hands gently.

"Where are you always at by dawn Fay?" She asked.

Her voice was gentle and loving.

"Taking a walk Mom." He replied to her.

She did not speak. She did not object to his reason and she knew it was a lie. She was still caressing his hand.

"We are worried. Your father also noticed your absence, Fay." She told him.

"There's nothing to worry about Mom." He reassured her.

"Just be careful." His mother said.

He nodded and she told him to back to bed. He laid back on the bed and she came over him and kissed his forehead. She tucked him into the sheets and went to the door, she stood there and told him to turn off his lamp. He did and she went out of the room and he could hear the door close behind her. He did not open his eyes again, he just left them closed until he fell asleep.

The next night was the night that things changed for him. The next day went as usual. He went with his mother to her stall in the market and helped her make sales and when it was evening, they came back home. His mother prepared dinner and when they all ate, he went to bed. It was a full moon but he was not in the mood for running, he was in the mood but he could not. He wanted to lay low and spend his time at home till his parent's suspicion was cleared but Hank did not want to. It was a beautiful full moon and he could not resist the temptation of running through the beautiful thick and chilly woods. He stood up from his bed and walked to the door, he turned the doorknob silently and went out of his room. Sneaking out of the house was easy for him, he had been sneaking for the past six years and he did it again.

He was on the streets in no time and he was heading to the woods. He was still walking in the woods when he felt a presence. They were two and they were following him, he stopped and the presence stopped too and he turned around to see what was behind him, nothing. He saw nothing and he continued walking. But the presence continued. It did not feel right, he wanted to turn around and head back home but he wondered if the presence following hIm was armed. He continued walking, even if the person was armed, they were no match to him at all. He would go into the woods and if the presence followed him there, then he will transform and attack. He mapped it out all well.

He got to the entrance of the woods and he could still feel the presence, they were still two. He went into the woods and waited for the presence to come in. They did. He hid behind a tree and he transformed. Hank moved slowly, making sure not to make noise with the twig and dry leaves. He was ready for his prey. He moved silently and when he was closer to them, he ran out, ready to attack. But when he saw them, he stopped in his tracks. It was his parents. His mother was shrieking loudly and his father held her close to himself, she buried her face in his chest. His father looked at him with disbelief.

"Fay!!" His father shouted at Hank.

Without being told, the wolf turned around and started running. He could hear the voice of his father, calling behind him and the loud sobs of his mother. He was not ready to face them, not yet. He had to run and he ran. He ran as fast as he could.

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