1. The Beginning

I am moving out. I am starting college. And I’m a little bit anxious.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not really a socially incapable person. Maybe, a little, but I think I can survive. It’s just that leaving the place where I grew up makes me sad. And facing this new chapter in my life brings a certain feeling to my gut. Is it nervousness? I think so.

All throughout my childhood, we lived in Crestville. I was already born when my parents moved to that place. So technically, I lived there my whole life. It’s such a shame that my dream University isn’t close to our neighborhood, resulting in me moving out to live in the dorms so I could start creating my place in society.

I’ve never been away from my family for a very long time. We always stick together. I’m not sure if we’re just clingy people or what. And yeah, it’s making me feel anxious. I know they will be just two hours away from me. But still, there’s distance. And distance scares me.

“So this will be your home for the next four years, huh?” My sister Dahlia comments upon getting out of our pick-up truck where most of my things are. She rode with my Dad and my other sister Hyacinth, while me and my Mom rode together in her car.

I looked at the gate in front of me and I suddenly felt nauseous. This is it. I am really moving into a dorm. Away from Mom and Dad. Away from my sisters.

“How do you feel, hun?” My Mom asked as she stood beside me. She put her arm around my waist. I suddenly felt like acting like a baby so I leaned my head on her shoulder.

“Dizzy,” I replied. I heard my sisters laugh at my answer. I hope they can still laugh when it’s their turn for college, and their turn to leave home.

“So what now? Should we get inside now and bring Jazzy’s stuff?” Dad asks as he looks at our pick-up truck. I made a face when I saw my stuff. Huh, I sure have a lot of things.

“Maybe we should. So we can still have time to help you fix everything in your room,” Mom mumbled.

I was excited about this. In my last year in High School, I can’t help but just talk about college. I was looking forward to this. But now that I’m here, I can’t help but wish I’m still in High School, when I’ll wake up to my Mom’s french toast and brewed coffee, and Dad’s newspapers, and I only need to fix myself for school.

Now in college, who’s gonna prepare my breakfast? Who’s gonna share their daily newspaper with me?

I’m freaking out. Although a part of my brain knows I can handle this. There are just times when I turn overdramatic. And I tend to overthink, which is really not helping me at all.

“Come on, Jazzy. This is just how it feels at first. You’ll get used to it,” Mom says as she draped an arm around my shoulder. She squeezed my arm, urging me to move.

“Is this how you felt when you were starting College?” I ask as we begin moving. Dad gave me one of my luggages. My sisters got one box each. Mom got the laundry basket with my toiletries in it. Dad was in charge of the heavy boxes.

“For starters, I didn’t stay in a dormitory. My house was pretty much just a few blocks away from my University,” Mom replied.

“Lucky you,” I mumbled.

We went inside the Dormitory where I’ll be staying. Dahlia and Hyacinth are walking ahead of us, Mom and I tailing them. I could hear Dad grunting behind us. For sure, he’s having a hard time with the boxes. Most of those contain my books, which are pretty heavy.

“So how do we find your room?” Mom asked the moment we reached the lobby of the dormitory. She put the laundry basket down.

“To the dorm manager, I guess,” I murmured looking around the lobby.

It looks like an old building, but was repainted just recently. It has a huge space and there are tables and chairs at a corner, kinda like a mini library. There’s a quite huge sofa in the middle of the room which is occupied by people I don't know. On each side of the space are doors, which I think lead to the rooms.

On my right was a cubicle manned by a middle-aged woman, and a guy who I think is in his early 20s. I was thinking it was the Dorm Manager’s office so I walked towards it.

“Hi,” I greeted. The woman looked at me with a neutral face. She looks like she is in a bad mood, which kinda scares me. But I still smile though. Mom said a smile can go a long way.

“Freshman?” The woman asked.

I nod my head in reply.

“Name?” She queried.

“Jasmine,” I replied. “Jasmine Victoria Arizona,” I added.

The woman did something on the monitor in front of her. I think she’s checking my room number or something. After a few moments, she looked up.

“B23,” she said. “Vincent!” She called. The guy who’s also inside the cubicle hurried to her side. “She’ll be in room B23. You know what to do.”

The guy, whose name is Vincent, looked at me and gave me a smile. “Just a moment,” he mumbled. I smiled in return and nodded.

I saw him walk towards a tall cabinet and opened one of the drawers. He was looking for something. Keys, I guess.

I just stood there, playing with my luggage. I looked back at my family, who were also waiting for me. Dad already put down the box containing my books and sat on it. Oh no. I wish there’s nothing breakable inside that box. My sisters, on the other hand, found the single seat sofa. Dahlia’s the one sitting on it, while Hyacinth’s sitting on its arm.

And my Mom...

My mom’s chatting with someone I don’t know. It looks like they were having fun whatever they were talking about. That’s just how my Mom is. Wherever she goes, it’s never hard for her to mingle with strangers. She’s that friendly and talkative. Dahlia got that attitude or talent, whatever that is. While me, I think I also got a little of her personality. But just a little.

“Hey, Miss Jasmine?” Vincent got my attention this time. He’s already out of the cubicle and is now standing beside me.

“Yes?”

“Your room’s B23, left wing,” he mumbled. “Follow me,” he added as he began walking. Before I followed him, I turned to Mom and called them to follow.

“Oh. Spooky,” I heard Dahlia comment when we entered the left wing. It was indeed spooky. The walls are all white, the tiled floor is dirty white. And it smells like Hospital. I don’t know if it’s just me but it really smells like antiseptic.

Vincent kept on walking so we just followed. There are no elevators, just stairs. I wonder how we can get all my stuff upstairs? For sure we’ll end up with muscle pains.

My room’s luckily just on the second floor so we only need to climb two flights of stairs.

I continued to look around while waiting for Vincent to stop. And he did stop at a door with “B23” on it. It was located in the middle of the long hallway.

“Here’s your key,” he says as he hands me a key together with a booklet. “Written in the booklet are the rules and regulations, as well as the other things you need to know about the Dormitory. Your roommate’s still not here but I think she will be here later. Welcome to UC and welcome to West Dormitory, Miss Jasmine!” He said smilingly. I feel like he’s already said those words to other freshmen hearing how fast he said those words.

“Thank you so much, Vincent,” I replied with a smile.

“I’m one of the RAs here so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to approach me,” he added. He also said goodbye to my company before he went away.

I faced the door and fiddled with the key. I spent a few more seconds just staring at the door, thinking about what’s gonna happen to me for the next few days.

“Can you open the door now, Jazzy?” I heard Hyacinth ask in her little voice. It was like I snapped back into reality.

“Oh, yeah,” I said as I quickly unlocked the door.

“Wow, this is quite spacious!” Dad commented when we entered the room.

There’s a bunk bed in the corner. On the other side is what I guess is the closet. It’s huge so I think me and my roommate will share it. There's a long table with two chairs near the window. That, I think, will be our study table.

The dorms here only allow two students per room. The comfort room is common and we’re not allowed to cook. Basically, the rooms here are just for sleeping and studying.

But it’s quite spacious in the middle. Maybe we can add some sofa or a small dining table, if the dorm will allow it.

“It should be! We paid quite a huge amount for this room,” Mom mumbles. “Although it’s sad, Jazzy can’t cook her food.”

“Jazzy don’t cook,” Dahlia butted in.

“Hey!” I quickly said.

“You don’t. Do you?” She replied. Well, yeah, I don’t. But I can cook if I want to! I don’t think it’s that hard.

“Maybe we can bring a small fridge,” Mom says. “We should’ve bought a small fridge!”

“Is that allowed?” Dad asked.

I scanned the booklet and it said there it was allowed. My roommate and I will pay for the electricity we will consume so I guess we’ll have to agree on that first.

“The electricity bill will be split into two. So I have to consult my roommate about that first,” I answered.

“Right,” Dad murmured. “Let us know if you decide on anything.”

We continued to bring my stuff from the car up to the room. There were a lot. Because I have a lot of stuff! When we finished, Dad and my sisters went out to get some snacks.

Mom volunteered to make my bed while I fixed my clothes in the closet. Turns out, it was already divided into two so I just chose which side will be mine. About the bed, Mom’s fixing the one below. I hope my roommate’s fine taking the upper deck.

I can’t believe from this day onwards, I’ll be away from home. I remember before, I only get to spend the night out when I have competitions out of town, or when the family decides to have a trip. It felt like I was still a child yesterday. But now, I’m slowly becoming this adult who will be in charge of her life.

.

That’s scary. I feel like just one wrong move, and everything will be a mess.

“Hey,” Mom mumbled. She’s done with the bed so she stood up and walked towards me. I continued putting my clothes on the hanger when I felt her hugging me.

“Mom, you’re making me cry,” I said. Because it really is making me cry, and I don’t want to cry. Just not yet.

“Can’t help it. You’re growing up so fast. How’s that possible?” She murmured while sniffing.

“They say time flies so fast,” I replied.

“Yeah,” she murmured. “Jazzy?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“You will always call home, okay?”

“Of course, I will,” I answered.

“Good. And Jazzy?”

“Hmm?”

“Be careful with the boys,” Mom said. I laughed at it. She always says that. Eversince I got my period, she always reminds me of boys and to be careful with them. Even my Dad keeps reminding me of it.

“I got me, Mom,” I just said.

“Jazzy?”

“Hmm?”

“I got something for you,” Mom says. She pulled away and got something from the front pocket of her jeans. It was a silver necklace. Its pendant is black and round with a triple moon print- a full moon in the middle with two crescent-shaped moons on each side.

“Mom, that’s beautiful,” I said, almost in a whisper. My eyes are still fixed on the jewelry my Mom’s holding.

Mom gave me a tight-lipped smile and gestured to me to turn around so she could put it on me. “This was given to me by my mother. She said I should give this to my first-born daughter when she turns eighteen. I should’ve given this to you during your birthday. But I was... I was not ready.”

“You’re not ready to give away jewelry?” I asked, laughing a little. But Mom didn’t laugh at all. She turned silent. “Is something wrong?”

Mom looked at the door. I’m already scowling, watching her move. There’s something different about her... something I cannot figure out.

She then sat on my bed and gestured to me to sit beside her. “That necklace... will protect you.”

I chuckled. How can a necklace protect me? It’s not like it can shield me or something, is it? “Why? Does it have superpowers?” I joked. But Mom didn’t say anything.

“You’ll know when the right time comes,” she murmured just when the door opened and revealed my dad and sisters. They were a bit noisy, but my head remained on the words Mom just said.

What should I know at the right time?

I held the necklace that’s already on my neck. I touched the pendant and looked down at it... there was something about it that I can’t figure out.

I was gonna ask more about it, but I wasn’t able to as Dahlia pulled me up so we could eat the snacks they bought. So I just tried to forget about those words. Whatever Mom meant by it, I think I’m bound to know at the right time.

“I’m gonna miss hearing you and Dahlia fight,” Hyacinth says in the middle of munching on her burger. I smiled as I looked at my youngest sister. They were so busy telling me I’m growing up so fast that I didn’t quite notice my younger sisters are, too.

“Excuse me? You and Dahlia fight more,” I interjected.

“It’s always me,” Dahlia mumbled. She rolled her eyes playfully. “Can I have your room, Jazzy?” She asked.

“No!” My room’s pretty much the biggest room next to my parents’ so I get why Dahlia wants to have it. “I’m gonna go home for the holidays. Actually, I’m gonna go home whenever I feel like going home.”

“Yes, you do that! Let me know and I’ll fetch you anytime!” Dad added.

Our family’s really close and it’s one of the things I will miss so much.

We ate our snacks and they helped me with my stuff again, before they went and left me alone in the room.

The room now feels so empty.

My roommate’s still not around so I kind of feel sentimental.

Suddenly, I felt my tears rolling down my cheeks but I quickly wiped it with my hands.

"This is just college. I will endure. I shouldn't be afraid," I whispered to myself.

Suddenly, there was a weird hot sensation coming from the necklace. It’s not so hot that it could hurt me. It’s just hot enough for me to notice it.

I touched the pendant and looked at it. The full moon in the middle of the pendant lightens up and an even weird thing happens.

A print of a creature suddenly appeared on the moon. My heart started beating crazily when I realized it was a dog.

No. It wasn’t a dog. It looks more like a wolf.

What the hell is happening?