Chapter 6: “New age, New Kimberly Silversmith.”

Kimberly’s eyes fluttered open to find her slender body drenched in hot sweat. Vigorously, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, planting her legs firmly on the ground. 

“What’s the time?” she mumbled to herself in a hoarse voice, rummaging through the sheets for her phone, but it was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, she heard her heart rate increase as a fragmented memory flashed in her mind, transporting her back to the moment her phone slipped out from her sweater, during the terrifying attack in the woods. 

“The woods.” She said softly to herself, still unable to remember how she ended up there.

“BEEP BEEP BEEP.” She heard the digital clock on her study table cry, alarming her that it was 6:00 am. The date on its screen read: Friday, June 10. She scoffed, realizing it was her birthday — a day she loathed.

Throughout her childhood, birthdays were never a grand affair in her family. It was just another day devoid of fanfare and celebration. They never made a big deal out of it, except for Clark, her sentimental brother. He always made a heartfelt fuss over them, just for her.

But for her 18th birthday, Kimberly felt different. The gloom she'd always felt was replaced with an unknown feeling of elation, the anxiety replaced with confidence, and the fragility of her whole body, replaced with robust energy. 

Unable to shake off these feelings, she strode into her bathroom to prepare for school, expecting the day to be like any other day.  

As she undressed for the shower, her gaze fell upon her reflection in the mirror and she became baffled by the mysterious disappearance of the claw marks.

“They are all gone” she whispered to herself, her fingers tracing the spots where the bloody claw marks had been on her body just hours ago. But not her neck wound. It was now just a fading bite mark, almost as if it never happened.

As soon as her hand grazed the scar on her neck, she gasped, stumbling backward. Pieces of memories burst into her mind as she felt herself back in the woods, the vivid image of the terrifying wolf sinking its fangs deep into her neck. She shuddered.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to composure. “It could've all been a dream,” she thought, but her intuition said otherwise. She shifted her focus to the present and went ahead to take her bath and prepare for school.

Once she finished getting ready, she fixated at her reflection in the closet mirror, feeling uncomfortable and irritated by her own appearance. She was dressed in her usual baggy outfit; a baggy t-shirt paired with a baggy jeans jumpsuit.

“I look like a trainwreck,” she muttered, her brows furrowing in distaste. 

“Nah. I'm not wearing this.” She decided, and began rummaging through her closet, while tossing out her frumpy baggy clothes, in search for a fresh look. 

Finally, she came upon a sleek black mini dress that made her heart skip a beat. Despite her past insecurities about wearing bodycon dresses, Kimberly felt a surge of confidence as she gleefully slipped into the fitted dress. 

She adored how the dress accentuated her curvy waist. She paired it with a sheer hose that highlighted her slender, long legs, and completed the look with black boots which added a bold, edgy touch.

Fully satisfied with her outfit, she let down her bronze wavy hair, glossed up her heart-shaped lips, and spritzed on a sexy cologne. The effortless transformation stunned her. She felt beautiful, and her reflection on the mirror confirmed it. 

“New age, new Kimberly Silversmith,” she grinned, winking in admiration at herself. Then she grabbed her school bag and headed downstairs, where the chatter of her family filled the air. 

As she descended the stairs, her father, Arnold, exclaimed, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!” and all eyes fell on her. All of their faces were lit up with excitement, except for Aaron's, who always maintains his stoic composure. 

Kimberly was stunned. She spotted the presents on the table, “Are those birthday presents!?” she thought to herself in disbelief. 

Just then, her mother, Rebecca strode in from the kitchen with a tray of cake — her first birthday cake from her mother. She too was gleaming. “I love the new look. I think it suits you,” she complemented. Kimberly's eyes narrowed, unsure how to respond.

“What's going on?” Kimberly asked, her voice laced with surprise. This was unprecedented. It was as if she woke up in a parallel universe where she felt strong and confident and her family cared about birthdays. 

“Where were you all last night?” She queried, ignoring all their sentiments.

“In our bedrooms of course, love” Her father replied curtly, a sinister smug plastered across his face. The fact that it was a lie encouraged Kimberly not to push the issue. Even if she was to tell them what happened to her last night, there was no proof.

Rebecca reappeared with a small rectangular box and handed it to her daughter. “Happy 18th birthday, Kimberly. You should know that today marks a very significant day in our family.” She stated with a subtle smile. 

Kimberly was befuddled. “What does that even mean?” She asked, gazing down at the box in her hands. 

“Aren't you going to open it?” Rebecca asked, folding her hands. 

“Mother, maybe we should do this when she's back from school. Or she'll be late” Clark intervened.

But Rebecca countered, “Today is even more important than school, Clark. And you know it.” She turned to face Kimberly, “You can choose to skip school for the day, if you want to,” she added.

Kimberly's confusion deepened. But she'd rather spend an entire year in school than spend one more awkward minute with her family. “I'm going to school, Mother,” she replied firmly. “Can I open this when I get back? I'm running late.”

“Sure.” Rebecca nodded.

“I'll drive you.” Arnold, her father suggested happily. Kimberly recalled how he had left her stranded the day before. His bizarre reason being “Major traffic and dead phone inconvenience.” She rolled her eyes and headed out of the house, her father following closely behind. 

As soon as her eyes met the natural lighting of the day, they ached, forcing her to wince. She dug through her school bag for her glasses, but when she put them on, her vision only grew blurrier. Perplexed, she removed them and discovered that she could see perfectly without them. 

Just to be sure, she tried on the glasses again and her vision clouded once more. Frustrated, she flung them aside.

“Why are you throwing away your glasses?” Arnold asked, confusion etched on his face as he approached the car.

“I don't need them anymore,” Kimberly assured confidently.

“Since when?” Arnold queried, his brows furrowed in disbelief.

“Since now,” Kimberly replied curtly, her tone brooking no further discussion. She slid into the car, her gaze fixed ahead. 

Arnold raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue, starting the engine instead. The car pulled away from the house, the tension between them palpable.

After a 20-minute drive, they pulled up at Lunadelephia High School’s parking lot. That was when he turned to notice the bite mark on her neck. 

“Kimberly?” Arnold beckoned in a sharp tone. “How did you get that?” He asked, his eyes fixed intently on the bite mark, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel in agitation.

“Oh.” Kimberly cringed. She heard her heartbeat escalate as she came up with a quick lie.“An insect bite, from last night. A bee sting.” 

Arnold's piercing gaze remained fixed on her, his silence screaming disbelief. Unable to stand his intense scrutiny Kimberly hastily exited the car. “I'll be here to pick you up after school.” Arnold finally said, his tone neutral.

Kimberly shot back, “Yeah? Like you did yesterday?” She slammed the car door to leave but Arnold's hoarse voice stopped her. “Kimberly?” he called, his face stern as he lowered the window. 

“Today holds great significance for our family, beyond just your birthday,” Arnold said in a low, serious tone. “Show some respect.” He admonished, his eyes narrowing. 

“And never slam the door on me again.” 

With a scornful glance, he rolled up the windows and pulled away from the curb, the tires screeching in protest.

Kimberly scoffed, “Like I know what that means,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. She shrugged off the tension, her shoulders relaxing as she regained her composure. 

With a flick of her hair and a confident stride, she turned her back on the parking lot and walked into the school

, her head held high, eager to meet the surprised look on her schoolmates when they saw her new look.