1. Transformation

[Freya's POV]

I have always believed that, my life is supposed to be different from what I'm going through right now. I can't even remember when last I had long last happy moments. 

I grew up knowing my grandma only, with a lot of nagging from her about how my parents died because of me. Her hostility towards me makes me doubt sometimes if we are truly blood-related. Cause no grandma is supposed to maltreat her only granddaughter the way she does to me every time. 

Growing up in Glasgow city, I didn't have a normal life like other kids around me does. If I don't get in trouble today, I would be bullied by my mates the next day. 

I couldn't find a voice to stand my ground against the bullies, rather, I kept my silence and undergo the agony in peace. Nevertheless, I keep hoping my fate would change one day, and all these would be my past sorrowful memories.  

"Freya, Freya, see!" While I was busy cleaning the tables in the restaurant, Michelle came rushing over from her station in an attempt to catch up with me. "My prayers have been heard, and tonight, there will be a full moon to grant them!" She smiled broadly as she thrust her phone in my direction and excitedly recounted what she had seen on the internet.

"What?!" Suddenly, as I concentrated very hard on the phone, the damp towel that I had been holding in my hand dropped to the floor. At that very time, my mind seems to blank out, and I completely lose track of the day.

Since I turned fifteen and up to this very day, I have never, ever, forgotten about the full moon that occurs once every month. It is simply the worst day of the month for me, thus, there is no way in the world that I would ever let it escape my mind.

This month completely slipped my memory, and it may be due to the stress that I've been going through over the last few days, both at work and at home. Or should I say that I am starting to get used to it? No, it's not possible! Going through the same agony over and over again is not something anybody should ever desire for!

"What exactly is going on here?" Michelle asked, snapping her two fingers to jolt me out of my thoughts. With a curious expression on her face, she slid the phone back into her pocket and wrinkled her brow. "You don't seem to be very interested in the information that I just shared with you. What happened?"

"It's nothing!" I spoke in a hushed tone and began to pace toward the dressing room. "What exactly is going on, Freya? Why are you behaving in such an absurd manner?" She inquired as she trailed closely behind me.

All through our high school days to date, Mitchell has been my closest friend, so she is aware of any changes in my mental state, as well as when I'm acting abnormal. I couldn't believe I managed to keep this secret about myself hidden from her during our four years together at the same high school and as best friends.

It's not my fault that I kept the information from her, that much is clear. It's because of the society we live in, that makes me keep a lot of things from my one and only buddy. 

If she eventually finds out the truth about me, I'm certain she won't want to have anything to do with me. Keeping my identity hidden is the best thing to do right now.  

"Just this time, I want an answer! Just what is it that's bothering you so much?" Mitchell furiously shouted at me when she was standing next to my locker.

"I said I'm OK... I really should get going at this minute!" I responded without looking at her at all. I yanked my bag out of the locker without even thinking about how weird I'd been acting, and I started shoving my clothes into it as quickly as I could.

"Freya, you do not seem to be in a good state. I need you to please explain what's going on with you. When anything is upsetting you and I am unable to assist you with it, it drives me crazy!"

She seemed concerned, but I wasn't paying attention to what she was saying to begin with. What I'm about to go through tonight is going to be a lot more difficult than just starting a conversation with Mitchell. "And why are you packing your things when it's just 7 p.m.? You even packed up extra clothes?" She seems stupefied.

I ignore her questions and go on stuffing items into the bag even though she is talking to me. I can't be here till 8 pm or else, I would have my entire life to be blamed for what is going to happen.

Because I was no longer providing answers to her queries, the wrinkle that appeared on her forehead indicated her growing exasperation, and she angrily slammed the locker door in my face; "Suit yourself!"

"Arrgh!!" I let out a scream when the door of the locker grazed the tip of my index finger, and left a bruise.

"Oh, Freya, I'm so sorry. I had no intention of hurting you! Please show the finger to me. Does it hurt?" Mitchell reached out and grabbed my hands out of nowhere, but I quickly pushed her away.

The bag I was holding suddenly slipped out of my hands and landed on the ground, and the fury in my eyes revealed the scary child who was hiding inside of me. The child, who has been through a lot of suffering and is deprived of the affection that she so desperately desired. 

My soul was drowning in this character I'd built up to suit a society of indifference, and my suffering was visible under my eyes.

"Leave me alone!!" When I saw blood flowing out of the finger, I yelled at her for the first time, and then quickly walked away from her presence. The thing that I feared happening the most, is about to take place as a direct result of the pain I just experienced.

My heart was racing at a rate that was far quicker than normal, and it seems as if it is ready to burst open at any minute. I could even hear every whisper going on around me, and my sense of smell was heightened to an extreme.

'No! This is not going to happen again!' I grumbled to myself as I marched closer to the door with my normally brilliant blue eyes dimming and morphing into an insanely yellowish light. I was also sweating more profusely than normal. Although my eyesight was becoming blurry, I made every effort to make it to the entry door.

"Hey! Freya! Hold on there!" As Mitchell came up behind me and spoke out loud, she continued to chase after me but I didn't listen to her.

I was running towards the entrance of the restaurant when I noticed our manager, who had just entered the building. I brushed past his right arm and continued running in the direction of the woods at a rapid rate.

"Boss, let's go after her, she's injured!" I was a bit far away when I heard Mitchell's voice. This prompted me to pick up the pace of my escape to avoid being caught.

I had no idea how quickly I was running until I suddenly found myself in the middle of a forest with the moon starting to rise in the sky above me. I could hardly control my heavy breathing when I dashed behind the cover of a tree and began to strip off my clothes.

In a hurry, I pulled off the restaurant apron that I had been wearing as part of my clothes to the side, and then I began undoing the buttons on my denim jeans. I don't have any other clothing with me, so, I need to make sure that these, are ready for me to put on the following morning.

As I removed the last button of the shirt I was putting on, I noticed that my hands were jerking because I was nervous about the full moon. Due to the overwhelming amount of worry I felt, I was unable to keep my hands steady despite my best efforts.

"Oh, common on! Please!" I mumbled quietly as I furiously lifted my head, and the full moon was already shining brilliantly in the sky. "Noooooooo!!"

I shouted out in excruciating pain as I fell to the ground, my legs struggling to keep the wolf from emerging from inside me. But then, my knees twisted the wrong way, and I felt a change in the bones inside of it, and then I surrendered to the wolf within me...

My mouth went agape as my long wolf's snout stretched out in front of me, and I tensed myself in anticipation of my hands. 

"Arrrrrrrrrghh!" As the claws and the teeth came into view, my cries gradually evolved into a drawn-out howl. After that, white fur began to sprout all over my body.

The last portion of my shirt tore away from my body as the size of every muscle contained inside me expanded. Before I was ultimately transformed into a massive white wolf, the procedure was excruciating and sapped my soul.

As I sprinted through the forest, the beating of my paws was in time with the thumping of my heart. As I weaved my way among shrubs, trees, and low branches, the wind blew over my snow-white fur.

When I finally came to a halt, I let out a gratifying howl as dirt flew in every direction. I cocked my head to the side and took a deep whiff of the woodsy aroma, picking up a hint of sourness along the way. Once again, I was unable to stop my wolf from howling the second time.

I was startled when I felt my wolf suddenly seize full control of our body, and turned to face the direction where the smell was coming from. My wolf has this issue where she never listens to what I say, and instead acts in a manner that satisfies her.

My wolf turned when she heard a rustling sound to our right, and she whimpered and growled at the same time as she proceeded towards the source of the noise.

My heart was pounding in my chest, and my wolf got agitated, letting out another whine as the intensity of the odour increased.

"Freya! Where are you? Freya?!" Both the manager's and Mitchell's voices could be heard speaking in a hushed tone across the whole forest.

I tried to escape them by stopping and turning in the other path as soon as I noticed them; but, my wolf was so obstinate that she continued walking in their direction.

Given that she is craving blood, I really can't say that I blame her. I have been giving her the blood of animals, but it seems that she is now interested in the blood of humans instead.

"Freya, is that you?" The manager inquired after hearing a rustling sound coming from beneath the foliage, where my wolf was hiding. After that, he and Mitchell started ambling towards the direction of the source of the sound.

"Freya?" When Mitchell called out, the wolf that I had been attempting to prevent from heading towards them suddenly attacked my best friend who was standing nearby. 

"aaaaaaah!" She was so terrified that she shrieked at the top of her lungs and then fell to the ground as my wolf closed in on her.

While I was in there and on top of her, I was battling my wolf to resist the impulse to bite Mitchell, but her power was preventing me from doing so. Nevertheless, even though I was having a hard time with her, I did not give in.

The manager's mind seems to freeze up for a second, and his eyes seem to be taking in far more light than usual. Before almost instantly regaining control of himself, it seems as if his whole being hits the stop button for a little period.

"A wolf?!" He screamed with fear, and swiftly grabbed up a piece of wood from the ground to use as a makeshift club. He mustered up some bravery, inched his way closer to us, and with shaky hands, he struck my wolf on the back of the head.

"Ahh-wooooooooo!!" My wolf became enraged, let out a fuming howl, and pushed him away with one of her paws. As he hit the ground, there was a deafening cracking sound, and she turned away from Mitchell so that she could devour him instead.

Mitchell is unable to process what has just taken place for her, and as a result, she is laying motionless on the ground. Because of the fright that she just went through, it seems as if her spirit has departed from her body. 

Mitchell was too terrified to get any closer to us because of how my wolf had leapt onto the manager's body, and she watched as the wolf was trying to harm him.

The manager makes an effort to turn but does so at an abnormally sluggish pace. When he does talk, his voice stutters and he speaks slowly as if he does not want his words to leave his mouth. As he looked into the eyes of my wolf, he had a look of melancholy in his brown eyes, which were very shiny.

I made an effort to stop my wolf from doing any harm to him, but she was way stronger than I was and suddenly bit him on the neck without hesitation.

"Oh, noooo!!" Mitchell let out an instantaneous scream from where she was lying down...