Ina Jones

Her name is Angelina Jones and Ina is her nickname. She was a shy-type of the girl as her head was bowed all the time during our School Principal introducing her.

Luckily, she sat at the vacant seat behind me. I slowly face her and offer my pen.

“Thanks.” And she smiled.

I grinned in secret when I turned my face back.

After an hour of discussion, I went to my locker to prepare for my lacrosse practice.

I am part of the school’s lacrosse team who’s enjoying sitting on the bench along with my best friend, Kevin, for the entire season for four consecutive years.

“That leather jacket is absolutely a killer. Where did you get that?” Miya, Roger’s girlfriend approached.

“My mom bought this from a boutique store back in Greendale.” Ina politely replied.

“I like you already, and… you are probably my new best friend.” Miya laughed afterward.

Amidst their conversation, Roger approached. He gave Miya a hug and a kiss.

“Can someone tell me how a new student who just came here, like about five minutes and she’s already hanging out with the wealthy Miya?” Alice, one of my History classmates asked.

“It is simply because she’s freaking hot? Gorgeous and hot people always flocked together, right?” Kevin replied.

Moreover, Roger and Miya invited Ina to a party this coming Friday night. And that was the same date as my 18^th birthday.

Unfortunately, Ina made her reasons and refused their invitation.

However, Roger boastfully shared with her about how good he was in playing lacrosse and that he was the captain of the team.

He encouraged Ina to watch us during our practice and she agreed.

In the oval.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Our teammates eagerly had their warm-ups before the practice.

“Are you really gonna play? Don’t you realize that once you’re on the field, I’ll have no one to talk to on the bench? Are you really gonna do that to your best friend?” Kevin begged.

“I can’t just sit, bro. My four years were a total waste sitting on the sidelines.”

I slowly put my lacrosse stick and backpack on the bench.

“Mcwell!” Coach Brown called.

“Yes, Coach?”

“You’re on goal.”

He grinned and threw the gears at me.

Kevin and I exchanged glances. We’re a bit surprised that I was offered a spot in today’s practice.

I refused at first since I haven’t played ever since I became part of the team but Coach Brown insisted.

Leaving no choice, I immediately gear up and enthusiastically went to the goal.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

When I hear the loud excruciating blows, I immediately covered my ears as they really struck my inner eardrum.

I grunted and moaned in pain.

Unbeknownst, one of our teammates had thrown the ball towards my direction.

It was too late after I saw the ball as it already hit me in the face and I stumbled to the ground.

The crowd was all laughing and mocking me.

“Hey, way to catch with your face, Mcwell. Stand up.” Coach Brown yelled.

I slowly stood up and straighten myself.

The next throw surprises everyone when I catch the ball uncomplicatedly.

Everyone in the field was put into silence. The next throws even felt better. I completely surprised everyone with my swift moves.

They all watched me in awe.

“Wooh! That’s my best friend!” Kevin shouted proudly.

It appears that I never missed even one throw that I didn’t catch that leave the crowd continued cheering and whooping at me.

Roger, on the other hand, felt annoyed for what I am showing in the field. He was in disbelief by how did I do it.

He felt that his pride and fame lost in a sudden, especially his girlfriend, Miya stood up and cheered at me.

In his anger, he immediately blocked the next player and took the ball out from him.

I completely felt nervous seeing him seriously holding the ball. He then gave me a deadly look.

“Oh, God! What have I done?” I frowned in regret.

Roger swiftly ran and vigorously threw the ball at me.

All our eyes were completely widened and focused on no one but on Roger alone.

Although the throw was quite impressive, I still managed to catch it without any difficulties.

There were another loud cheering and whooping from the students watching us.

I humbly grinned at them.

Our teammates immediately ran towards me and lifted me higher, and cheered at me unanimously. Roger in return, outburst.

After the exhausting practice, Kevin and I went back to the woods to check the other half-dead body I found last night.

“Bro, what you did during the practice was really impossible. I really had a good time watching at the bench. Roger’s fame was undeniably stolen by you.” Kevin enthusiastically said.

“I don’t know what it was but I think I had all the time in the world catching the ball.” I immediately pushed him when was eagerly looking and listening to me.

“And that’s not the only weird thing. I can even hear someone talking from a distance and smell things.” I added.

“Smell things, like what?”

“Like a peeled skin of orange fruit with you right now.” I confidently replied.

“Come on, that’s ridiculous. I haven’t even eaten orange fruit these days.”

Kevin totally frowned in disbelief. Out of curiosity, he immediately checked and searched all his pockets.

He was completely surprised after he found one.

“See I told you.”

We then continued walking in the woods.

We had discussed several possible reasons why and how it happens to me in an instant. Even myself, I couldn’t believe everything.

"You know what; I think I had heard of this. It’s a specific kind of inspection.”

I seriously glared at him as though he probably knew something.

“I think it’s called lycanthropy.” He added seriously.

“What’s that? I haven’t heard of that. Is that bad?” I curiously asked.

“It’s not bad but I am pretty sure it’s worst than that. Anyway, it only happens once a month.”

I was eagerly listening to Kevin’s words as though he really knew everything from “lycanthropy” and “once a month”. I have no idea what he was talking about.

“Once a month? Why so?” I frowned in bewilderment.

“Ah-huh! On the night of the full moon.”

He then made mimic howling sounds and scratched his fingers to the air.

I wrinkled my entire face.

“Hey, you’re the one who heard a wolf sound and you once told me that you were bitten by a wolf.” He teasingly replied.

“Well, maybe there could be something wrong with me.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re a werewolf.”

He then stopped talking after I blocked his way.

“No, I could have sworn this was the place. It is where I found the half of the body.”

“Well, then maybe the killer moved and hid the body so someone could not find it anymore.”

“If he did, I just hoped he left my pocket from here as I still have at least four hundred bucks on it. And that’s intended for my one-month budget.”

Amidst our conversation, there was a strange two persons suddenly appeared.

Kevin immediately tapped my back as I am scratching the dead leaves looking for my wallet. I quickly stood up after seeing them standing behind me.

I can say the two were sinister people as they both wearing all-black clothes from their leather jackets and jeans and shoes and their aura was really exasperating.

“What are you two doing here, huh?” The man boldly asked.

“The two of you shouldn’t be here in this immense woodland. This is private property.” The woman added.

The two of them gave us an awfully deadly vicious look.

Kevin and I exchanged glances in be bothered manner.

“Umm, we’re sorry, we didn’t know. We are just looking for something in this place…”

My response was interrupted when the man throws something at me and felt completely surprised when it was my lost wallet.

The two immediately went away afterward. That was really odd.

“Alright, come on man. We better get going. I still have work later. We can do nothing for the dead body.” I said helplessly.

Kevin suddenly blocked me.

“Dude, didn’t you recognized them? That was Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I have known it from my dad that their family died in a fire disaster.”

“Sorry, but I didn’t recognize any of them. Come on.”

Afterward, the two of us went separate ways as I am heading to the animal clinic where I am working while Kevin went home.

Later on, it was a cold rainy night. It was 12 a.m. already. I went to the door and flipped the “Open” signage to “Closed”.

I immediately took a gauze sponge and a bottle of alcohol to clean my wound.

When I slowly removed the bandage, I was completely dumbfounded when the wound suddenly healed and vanished.

Unexpectedly, I heard someone hardly rapping at the glass door. I can smell a familiar scent. I am certain it was Ina, so I immediately went to unlocked the door.

“I didn’t see it. I took my eyes off the road for, like five seconds to pick up my phone, and then there’s this dog that came out of nowhere.” She completely stammered.

She felt terrified and sobbing and completely soaked after I saw her outside.