Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Craig whistled as he walked slowly towards the alley leading to his home. It was close to the one leading to the forest.

"It really feels weird today", he muttered to himself remembering what Aurora said about tonight being full moon, a spark of shiver ran through his veins.

Suddenly there was a rustling sound coming from the direction of the forest. He stopped to hear it more clearly. It sounded more like a growl. Something in him tells him to run but another keeps pushing him towards the forest.

Before he knew what was happening his feet had started walking towards the forest. As he went deeper, it became weirder and…fearful. He braced himself up as a man.

He kept walking until he heard a sound that sent shivers down his spine and he stood rooted to the ground. Before he was a boy between the age of sixteen to seventeen who was struggling with himself. The boy looked very handsome with a nice build. He looked like someone he had met around the neighborhood.

The boy tried to hold himself but he couldn't as he fell squatting like an animal. As he raised his head, Craig saw the boy's teeth coming out. More like fangs and his nails grew sharper.

Suddenly he ripped his clothes off him as his skin started tearing off bit by bit. The boy cried in agony. His piercing voice cut through the silent night as the wind rustled amongst themselves. Maybe in sympathy for the boy's pains.

As he kept shouting, his skin was tearing and blood was scattered all over the place. His skin was torn into shreds and in place of the boy squatting was a wolf. A grey-eyed wolf with furs as white as snow. He looked beautiful…yet scary.

Craig was so frightened that he let out a shout which drew the attention of the newly turned wolf. He looked sharply around him but Craig had hidden as he held his mouth. The young wolf let out a loud growl as he lunged himself deeper into the bush.

"Craig", a familiar voice rang out behind him.

He turned to see Aurora with a worried expression. That's when it dawned on him that his friend has been telling the truth all this while. She really was a werewolf.

Craig still finds it hard to believe what just happened in the bush.

"Youuu…he…is a wer…werewolf? But he was a human. How can he just turn into an animal? It's not possible", he said, stuttering.

Aurora chuckled at his words, so this means that this dude finds it difficult to believe in werewolves even when he claims to know everything about them. Tsk!

He was visibly shaken by what he saw. He refused to admit that the little boy was indeed a human and he turned into an animal.

Aurora looked at him and was confused. Wasn't he curious to know about her wolf? He even encouraged her to accept Aliya. What changed?

"Craig, you mean you never believed me all these while?", She asked.

"Believe you? Are you crazy? Do you really expect me to believe the story you came up with?", He said.

Well yeah, I know google said something about it but then, urgh! I was only forcing myself to believe. Don't blame me, it feels weird" he muttered.

Aurora just shook her head before grabbing his hands.

"We have to leave here now before he calls the others. He has his pack and if they find you here, you are as good as dead. Let me escort you", she said as she wanted them to leave immediately but he removed his hands from her.

"You said you were a werewolf, right Rora? Can I see Aliya?", He said looking at her.

"Craig, you know that's impossible. You know how much I shut Aliya out. I can't just summon her like that", she explained.

"Oh!", Craig replied and started walking away. He was swaying as he walked through the bushes. He looked very pale. It's like the blood in his body had been sucked out.

Suddenly, a loud thud was heard. He had fainted. Aurora rushed up to him and carried him up.

She walked briskly home. When she got home, her mother was awake. She looked at Aurora who was carrying a man on her shoulder.

"What happened to Craig and why are you outside? I told you to stay close", she said feeling dejected", is he hurt by you?".

"No mother, he fainted after he saw a boy turned"

"Turned? At where?"

"At the forest close to our street", she said to her mother.

"Okay, please take him inside. I will bring a towel and water so you can wipe his head to cool it", her mother said.

"Yes, mother. Where's Maya?", she asked.

"She's fast asleep"

She nodded and proceeded to carry Craig into her bedroom. She placed him on the bed. Looking at the pale man on her bed, she was filled with sadness.

She thought he believed her but apparently, he was just playing along.

"You can't blame him, Aurora. He is human. He wouldn't believe you simply because you told him", Aliya said

"I am not blaming him. It just hurts to see that the only one you trusted just played you for a fool. He must have thought I had gone mad", Aurora said, a little depressed.

"He agreed because he didn't want to embarrass you", Aliya responded.

"Yes, I know. And I also know the fault is yours. Do you have to pop into my head anytime you like? If you had chosen the time to appear, he wouldn't have witnessed me talking to myself like a lunatic", she accused as she tried shutting her wolf out again.

" What do you expect when you keep shutting me out? Fine, I will just leave you alone!", Aliya flared up in anger as she shut herself out from Aurora.

"Good riddance", Aurora sneered.

"Rora, don't hurt me. Please go away. You are a monster. Don't hurt me please", Craig murmured in his sleep.

Aurora felt like she had been stabbed in her chest as a sharp pang shot through it when she heard Craig's murmuring.

"He is just delirious due to the incident. Let him be, Aurora", her mother walked into her room holding the damp cloth.

Aurora took the cloth and started wiping his face. After some time, she used the blanket to cover his body. She got up and left the room.

She needed something to cool off. Her head was all messed up.

She needs to go for a run but how can she because she just shut her wolf out.

"Aliya, can you please come out? I need to go for a run", Aurora said but she was met with silence.

"Aliya? Okay, am sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you. You have to understand me. I was broken and I thought I was a freak when I suddenly turned into a wolf. Aliya, please", she pleaded but Aliya refused to come out.

She totally ignored her.

She lay on the couch in the living room till she slept off.

She opened her eyes slowly only to see another pair of eyes looking at her deeply. She wanted to scream as she jumped off the couch but she realized it was Craig.

"Craig?", She said as she sat on the couch", what happened? You scared the shit out of me".

"I am sorry, Rora. But I really need…", he was suddenly cut off by her.

"I understand. You can leave. You are safe now. Just be careful around that vicinity", she waved him off.

"Thank you, Aurora. I just need some time to process all these. I will see you around", Craig said as he stood up slowly to leave.

Ng

Aurora stared at him. His eyes were bloodshot and it seems he didn't sleep a wink at night as there were heavy circles around his eyes. He clasped his hands tightly. It seems he was trying to say something but he didn't know-how.

"Craig, you can talk to me. Am still that same Rora, the one you know, your best friend", Aurora looked at him sadly.

"Rora, have you ever killed a human?", He asked hesitantly.

"I have not, Craig and I will not. The only people am going to gladly kill are my father's murderers. I will do whatever it takes to find them and track them down", Aurora said.

"So, don't be afraid. I will never kill someone unjustly", she said more to convince herself.

She watched as Craig left the house. Did she just lose her friend? She let out a long sigh before getting up there to wake her sister up for school.

"Mother! Maya…", she called out as she strode into their room.

It was not entirely a room but more like a cubicle that they converted to a small room big enough for her mother to sleep in.

"They must still be sleeping. Let me wake Maya up first so she can prepare for school". As she tried to carry her sister, her hand brushed against her mother's face. It was burning up. She turned to her mother abruptly.

She touched her forehead and saw it was as hot as molten lava. What the heck!

"Mother, please wake up", she tried waking her up.

Mother, you have to wake up. I can't lose you too.