5:30 a.m.

It’s a mystery how Morgan wakes up early every day and somehow manages to still be late for school. The past few days have been different, however. He still wakes up around the same time, but he feels so exhausted and his body is so sore that he spends the next hour groaning in bed. By the time he convinces his body to stand up and get going, the house is already empty, and his medications and breakfast are left on the table.

It would be a miracle if he could leave the house before seven. Maybe then he could hitch a ride with Doc and Matt, but lately Doc would be doing day-long shifts at the hospital and Matt would be up early, headed for the cemetery. Some days, he wakes up there. Today was a lucky day for Morgan. He heard the jeep honking at him on the streets. The old but still cool-looking Jeep Wrangler stopped right by his side, and without any invitation, Morgan opened the passenger door and hopped in. Matt was at the front passenger side, sitting quietly. It might be a rare sight to see, but he is this focused when listening to medical recordings. It may be one of Doc’s tapes he mentioned the night before, another walkthrough of an operation. Matt says it was about a doctor amputating an arm. It may have been the quiet ride or the overcast weather, but Morgan suddenly felt sleepy and weak.

Their usual drop-off point was the corner street by the school, but for today Matt insisted on being dropped off at the Seven Stop three blocks away. He needs a few things for gym class, he told his uncle, and Morgan just went along with it, though he knew what Matt was up to even without saying a word.

Matt was quick to grab a handful of snacks, chips, drinks, chocolates, and the like, leaving with two full bags on hand. One was for Morgan, where everything inside is the same as Matt’s but in their diet or sugarless versions.

“I’m afraid to ask, but just in case you go missing, May I know where to look first to find you?" Morgan said, opening a box of Nerds candy that was in his bag.

Matt pulled out a black jacket hidden in a corner stall of the store, just one of many jackets he has lying around everywhere across town.

“There’s just something I need to check.” Matt tucked his supplies into his bag. “Just something I remembered last night, and I need to see it now. I didn’t get enough sleep thinking about it.”

“Can’t you do it after school?" Morgan asked. It was a rhetorical question, of course, since he already knew the answer. It’s not like this is the first time Matt has skipped school. Matt handed him his Calculus workbook to be submitted later. Clearly, he has no plans to return after lunch.

"Okay, before I go, if Mrs. Bonquin asks where I am, you’re gonna say?”

“Unless you tell me where you are going, I’m not gonna lie for you, and I'm going to tell her the truth.”

Matt sneered at him. “Beacon Lodge. What’s the story you’re supposed to tell me?”

“If you keep doing that, Doc may just cook us something that will keep you at home for days.”

“He’s not gonna form an opinion about it unless he finds out that I went there. And he won’t find out because you’re gonna tell the teacher that…”

“You’re at the hospital helping out at the pediatric ward for some program or something.”

“Wrong! That was the cover story last time. Pay attention, Morgy, we’re now on cover story D. Doc was called out of town early in the morning and he needed someone to assist him. That is cover story D.”

Morgan nodded his head while keeping that judging look on his face. Matt should write a book in the future because he has proven himself good at making up stories.

"Okay, I’m set,” Matt announced. “You should go too,” he said, flashing his watch onto Morgan’s face. There are only five minutes left before eight, and that means Morgan only has five minutes to run three blocks before the school gates close on him.

Morgan has a phone and a watch—everything he needs to be able to check the time—but every day is always like this. His brain seems to be wired to always assume there is more time left. The gates were about to close, but he made it in time, speeding through the entrance. His feet were burning from the run, but strangely, he was not out of breath considering the distance he just ran.

“You’re alone.” He heard a familiar voice, although he could not put a face on it. Standing a few feet from him was a girl he immediately recognized because of her long hair pulled into a single braid. It was the woman he saw at the mayor’s office a few days ago, who apparently appears to be a student here. She looked much older when he saw her at city hall. “Don’t you usually come with your hyperactive friend?”

“He’s sick,” Morgan said, biting his lip after remembering that wasn’t the cover story they were on. He’ll make sure to say the correct one when the class advisor asks later. She nodded, then gave him a look. “Can I help you with something?” Morgan asked.

“There's a full moon by the end of the week,” she said, very eerie. “Let’s hope nothing crazy happens.”

It was odd to hear from someone else’s mouth the words perfectly describing what has been troubling Morgan lately. Morgan hopes her wish comes true. The idea of werewolves sounds as silly as Matt makes it out to be, but Morgan finds it terrifying more than anything.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“I was told he’s one sneaky kid on day one, and I didn’t believe it.” She sighed once again and held her gaze at Morgan before walking away. The sound of the school bell echoed across the grounds, signaling the start of first period and the fact that Morgan was sure to be late again.

The first period passed quickly. The teacher for the next class was not around, so they had nothing to do for a whole hour. Like any typical high school classroom, instead of using the extra time they were gifted for studying, they instead descended into teenage chaos, scattering in groups and talking about the latest gossip or comparing levels on their online RPGs. He pulled out his MP3 player and buried his head into his arms, diving into his music if only to drown out the noise around him. Even just a few minutes of sleep could help get rid of this tiredness all because of his sleepwalking, but it is very difficult to make his mind rest. New, louder thoughts bombard him each time he gets to silence them. The full moon will be in the sky this Friday, and there is a growing fear in the pit of his stomach that something will happen to him on that day.

The afternoon classes went by like a breeze. The teachers didn’t even care that most of their students were asleep. Maybe it was because they themselves had one of their eyes closed. No one seems to have had a good night’s sleep for days. Basketball practice at the day’s end is the only thing Morgan’s really looking forward to. He had already accepted and moved on from the fact that Cedric had taken the captaincy from him. He’ll have a chance to do it again by next year anyway, so the team just needs to practice and focus on the game.

Thanks to his enhanced hearing, the coach’s whistle, the dribbling of the ball, and the screeching of everyone’s shoes as they slid across the court have made it difficult for Morgan to focus on his games for the past few days. Today’s a little different, and he has been able to at least filter things that enter his ear, which is a little comfort to help him with the practice match.

The team was divided into two groups, with Cedric leading the first team and Morgan taking charge of the second. Everything was going smoothly, which was good for practice, until he noticed that everyone was doubling down on him. Two people are guarding him at all times, ready to block or steal the ball from him. He is getting tackled to the ground for no reason. What’s more frustrating is that even his teammates were in on it, as they were reluctant to pass the ball to him unless Cedric gave them a signal. It was a one-versus-nine game that ended in frustration. Cedric giving him a sneer after the match ended didn’t help his claims of turning over a new leaf.

Morgan clenched his fist, and the thought of pummeling it on Cedric’s face seemed oddly enticing.

“Nice game,” Cedric said, followed by a sarcastic laugh.

One of Cedric’s lackeys grabbed Morgan’s arm and said, “Take it easy, man. It’s just a game." His tone was not comforting at all. “Can’t believe they considered you for team captain.”

Morgan swung his arm and grabbed the boy. The next thing he knew, he had pinned the kid face-first on the ground and was twisting his arms in a painful lock, gnarling his teeth as the boy started to whimper in pain and regret. Morgan didn’t know where he got the strength to put him down on the ground considering the other kid was larger than him, but he didn’t care when the thought of ripping the kid’s arm out sprung to his mind.

That was not a good idea, and he loosened his grip seconds later than he should have, leaving a red mark on the boy’s arm with the possibility of it being twisted. Morgan stood up, looking at his shaking hand, and noticed that everyone had gathered around them in grim surprise. There was nothing else he could do but run away.

Morgan knows what anger feels like, but whatever it was that made him do that to his teammate was something he had never felt before. It was the kind of rage that clouded not just his vision but also his judgment. He didn’t care if he ended up injuring someone else. It was satisfying at first to be able to have the power to do that to someone who was pestering him, but as soon as he regained clarity of what he was doing, the guilt started to pour.

This year was supposed to be his year as the basketball captain, leading the varsity to an unquestioned victory, but everything that has happened so far has been questionable and definitely not according to plan.

He waited for everyone to leave before he picked up his things and prepared to take a shower, afraid of nosy eyes and unwanted murmurs. He definitely looked like a spoiled kid who was throwing a tantrum because his toy got taken away from him. It took a while for everyone to leave, but it was better than seeing the looks in their eyes.

The water had been running on his head for at least half an hour now, but the comfort of the cold water was not enough to wash away the rage still circling his stomach. Steam had filled the shower room when he decided the best way to calm his nerves was to go home and rest.

Morgan.

The voice came from outside.

The janitor must be checking if there are still people inside, but how would he know to call for Morgan specifically? It was definitely time to go or risk getting locked in the gym for the night.

“I’m almost done. Just finishing up. Sorry!” He shouted when the voice kept calling for his name. It sounded close, so the janitor must be inside the locker room next to the shower.

“I’m here. Sorry I took too long.”

There was no one there.

Morgan.

There it was again, but this time it seemed to be coming from the shower room he just exited. Whoever it was must have snuck into one of the shower cubicles while Morgan was drying up. One by one, Morgan opened the four shower cubicle doors. One by one, he found them empty. There was only one left, and it was the one he was using earlier.

Morgan.

Morgan approached the last shower cubicle, walking on his toes and making sure he made as little noise as possible. There has to be someone there, right? He has been hearing this voice calling out to him for a while now. It has to be real. It cannot be something his mind is just making up. A lot of things have happened in just the past two weeks, and he is probably just tired and stressed out. This voice... Is it really just his mind playing a trick on him?

He tapped the door slowly, and with a swift blow to surprise, he shouted, "Who's there?"

“Who’s there?” He shouted, trying to hide the fear in his voice as he reached for the door handle. It could just be Cedric or anyone else from the team trying to scare him off.

It was empty.

"Hey, Morgy!"

The voice came from behind him, and a hand grabbed his shoulder, drowning out his energy from such a surprise. Morgan turned, shrieked, and tumbled down the wet floor. It was just Matt standing above him with a bag of chips in one hand and a big, unsettling smile on his face.

"Whatcha doin?"