Fitfully, Maxine tossed and turned in her bed. Sleep was restless and unpeaceful. Then, the darkness behind her closed eyelids suddenly gave way to a scene that she was trying to forget—a dense and shadowy forest extending endlessly in every direction. The air was fraught with tension, and oppressive silence was torn only by the faint rustle of leaves and the howling of wolves somewhere in the distance.She found herself standing at the edge of a familiar clearing—the same place where she had followed Leo only days before. The moon cast an eerie glow over the landscape and illuminated the figures emerging from the shadows: Leo, his face twisted in a sinister smile, and a group of wolves with eyes that shone unnaturally in the dark. The threat of them was palpable, and Maxine's heart raced, pounding in her chest as she watched them.In the dream, Leo wasn't a boy she knew—or thought she knew. He was different, his aura darker, full of menace. The wolves that surrounded him seemed to ta
Maxine's pen stayed suspended above her notebook as her struggles to focus on the lecture were clearly written across her face. Her eyes continued darting around the classroom, searching for just about any sign of Leo, but he was nowhere to be found. Anxiety mounted with every empty seat in the back. "Where is he? Why isn't he here?" she wondered.It was almost as if the nightmare was one of the reasons for his absence, some sort of predication by her subconscious. But that couldn't be right, could it? Dreams didn't foretell the future but were rather an assortment of thoughts and fears. Still, the unease gnawed at her, making it nearly impossible to concentrate.As the class came to a close with the ringing of the bell, Maxine gathered her stuff together and filed out of the room, lost in a swirl of questions. Instead of feeling relief at the last day of school and looking forward to summer break, it felt like a countdown toward something from which there was no escape.As she made
It was just the normal chatter that one always encountered at the end of a school day, bouncing off the walls and echoing in every nook and cranny of the cafeteria. The kids just lounged around, taking those last tidbits of school life before summer break. The air was heavy with the odor of cafeteria food and the implicit excitement of freedom just around the bend. But the normal buzz was interrupted by a sharp intake of collective breath from Coreen's circle as she flourished a sleek, black ticket between her fingers."Check it out," she said, her voice full of smugness. "I'm the fifth student who got a ticket to the Howling Hunt for next year."The gasp ran through the group, a ringed circle around her, eyes agog in an awed mixture. The Howling Hunt was just the most prestigious event in their world, an exclusive competition to which only the crème de la crème were invited to participate. It was a test of abilities, guile, and raw power, almost a rite of passage for those wolves tha
The next day, Coreen woke with a renewed sense of determination. She dressed quickly, her mind focused on the task ahead. Getting Alph’s shoes would be the first step, but it wouldn’t be the last. She would unravel whatever secrets Leo had hinted at, and she would use them to her advantage.As she made her way to school, Coreen couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was on the horizon, something that would change everything. But she pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on her plan.By the time she reached the school gates, her confidence had returned. She was ready, prepared to do whatever it took to stay on top. And if Maxine thought she could outshine her, she was in for a rude awakening.Coreen’s day passed in a blur of planning and plotting. She avoided Maxine, not wanting to tip her hand too soon. Instead, she focused on gathering information, subtly probing for any details she could use.Finally, as the school day ended, Coreen slipped out of the building, her heart
Maxine's eyes fluttered open, reluctantly responding to the soft but insistent voice of her mother. The room was still dim, the curtains barely filtering in the early morning light. She squinted at the clock on her bedside table-6:30 AM. "Maxine, breakfast is ready," her mother called again, soft but firm as always. One could never argue with her mother's wake-up calls.Maxine sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her sleep had been fitful, troubled by vague, unsettling images that vanished the moment she tried to remember them. She pushed the thoughts aside, knowing she had to face the day.It was the freshly brewed aroma of coffee and something savory baking that coursed through the house, drawing her out of bed. She got quickly dressed, still mostly asleep, and trod along the hall to the dining area. Her steps were lagging, her mind not awake, until the moment she saw Alph entering the room; then she straightened up, smoothing hair and clothes.Alph moved into the cabi
The morning sun was low in the sky, casting a golden hue across the tranquil beach. The waves lapped softly against the shore, their rhythmic sound soothing to the ears. Maxine found herself walking beside Sarah, the sand shifting warmly beneath their feet. It was a rare moment of peace, one that had not been hers in what felt like ages. No Coreen, no bullies, no stress—just the two of them, the sea, and the sky.Maxine breathed a sigh of relief as the weight of her usual worries seemed to lighten for the moment. She had thrown on her favorite oversized hoodie, which hung loosely over her frame, shielding her from the cool breeze. Sarah, on the other hand, wore a tank suit, her carefree attitude mirrored in her choice of attire.“Maxine, aren’t you hot?” Sarah asked, turning to her friend with a teasing smile. “I mean, you could wear shorts and a shirt, you know? We’re not at school, and it’s a beautiful day.”Maxine tugged at the sleeves of her hoodie, casting a sideways glance at Sa
The night had fallen softly upon the beach, waves lapping at it in a soothing rhythm that joined with the crackling campfire. The warmth of the fire presented an agreeable contrast to the cool evening breeze; its dancing light fluttered across the faces around it. The air was thick with scents of grilled meat and the faraway salty tang of the sea.Sarah had gone off a lot sooner than she normally did, a spring in her legs as she hastened to get back to the beach house. Her mum was going into labor with her second child, and Sarah wanted to be among the first to welcome her little brother to the world. Maxine had decided to stay behind, irresistibly called by the peacefulness of the night. She found herself sitting on the wooden stairs at the beach house and stared at the fire, crackling, popping.She could see her mom and Alph's dad talking animatedly by the fire—getting along real well. They laughed a lot, and the stories sounded good. The smile came softly to Maxine's lips. It was n
Maxine had barely slept since the events of the previous night. Every time she shut her eyes, the image of that big wolf, its claws outstretched and fangs bared, flashed in her mind. The voice that had whispered to her in the woods now echoed in her thoughts, soft yet insistent: *"Release me. It's time."* But who was that voice? And why was the wolf so bent on killing her?More than anything, she couldn't shake the unease she felt about Alph. He was always there at the right place and right time, saving her from dangers she didn’t even know existed. It was comforting and terrifying all at once. Why did he care so much? And how did he always seem to know when she was in trouble?She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out at the balcony of her room. The moon—full and unchanging yellow—hung in the sky unblinking, like an eye. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since the attack in the forest, and Maxine was wide awake, her mind too restless to allow her any peace. She wanted to shake t