Salina Carpenter slouched at the kitchen table, spooning soggy cereal into her mouth as the tinny voice of the news anchor droned from the ancient TV perched on the counter. She squinted at the grainy image, trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding on the small screen.
“In a shocking turn of events, Moon High School has become the site of a gruesome animal attack,” the anchor intoned, her plastic smile at odds with the grim news she delivered. “Sheriff Daniel Tumblerlee discovered the mutilated body of beloved teacher, Mrs. Peel, early this morning. Even more disturbing, the sheriff’s own daughter, Jessica Tumblerlee, is now missing.”
Salina’s spoon clattered against the bowl. She leaned forward, suddenly alert. The screen cut to footage of Sheriff Daniel, his face haggard and eyes haunted as he addressed a crowd of reporters.
“We’re doing everything in our power to locate my daughter and identify the animal responsible for this tragedy,” he said, his voice rough with exhaustion and barely contained emotion. “I urge all residents to stay indoors after dark and report any suspicious activity immediately.”
A twinge of guilt tugged at Salina’s conscience as she thought of Jessica. Sure, the girl was a grade-A bitch who’d made Salina’s life hell since she joined the mean girl squad, but she didn’t deserve... whatever had happened to her. Probably.
“At least school’s canceled,” Salina muttered, trying to focus on the silver lining. A few days free from the nightmare of high school social dynamics was nothing to sneeze at, even if it came at a horrific cost.
The shrill ring of the telephone cut through her thoughts. Salina groaned, hoping her grandmother would answer it. No such luck.
“Salina!” her grandmother’s voice carried from the living room. “Get the phone, would you? My show’s on.”
Rolling her eyes so hard she thought they might pop out of her skull, Salina hauled herself out of the chair. “Coming, Nana,” she called back, injecting as much saccharine sweetness into her voice as she could muster.
She trudged into the living room, where her grandmother sat ensconced in her favorite armchair, eyes glued to some inane daytime talk show. Salina snatched up the phone on its fourth ring.
“Carpenter residence, Salina speaking,” she recited in her best ‘polite young lady’ voice.
“Salina!” Kevin’s voice crackled through the receiver, high-pitched and frantic. “You need to come over to my house right now!”
Salina blinked, thrown by the urgency in his tone. “Uh, kinda in the middle of breakfast here, dork. Can’t it wait?”
“No!” Kevin practically yelped. “You don’t understand. I... I caught a werewolf!”
A beat of silence. Then Salina burst out laughing. “Right, and I’m the shaggy dog. Did you hit your head or something?”
“I’m serious!” Kevin insisted, a note of desperation creeping into his voice. “Please, Salina. I need your help. You have to come see for yourself.”
Salina’s laughter died in her throat as she realized Kevin wasn’t joking. Either he’d completely lost his mind, or... No. She shut down that train of thought immediately.
Normal people have ever sighted no werewolf before, but that didn’t mean werewolves don’t exist.
And yet... The attack at the school. Jessica’s disappearance. The wild, almost pleading tone in Kevin’s voice.
“Fine,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’ll be over in twenty minutes. But I swear to God, Kevin, if this is some elaborate prank—”
“It’s not, I promise,” Kevin cut her off. “Just... hurry, okay?”
The line went dead. Salina stared at the phone for a long moment, trying to process what had just happened. Part of her wanted to crawl back into bed and pretend this was all some weird dream. But a larger part—the part that had devoured every supernatural novel in the school library—tingled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
“Nana,” she called, already moving towards the stairs. “I’m heading over to Kevin’s for a bit. School project stuff.”
Her grandmother waved a dismissive hand, never taking her eyes off the TV. “Be back for lunch. Gobbledygook sandwiches!”
Salina took the stairs two at a time, her mind racing. What the hell had Kevin gotten himself into? And more importantly, what was she walking into?
In her room, she quickly changed out of her purple pajamas, opting for a gray T-shirt, sturdy jeans, and her favorite black combat boots. After a moment’s hesitation, she grabbed the small knife her dad had given her for her last birthday, slipping it into her pocket. Better safe than sorry, especially with a wild animal on the loose.
As she headed for the front door, Salina glimpsed herself in the hallway mirror. Her long, dark hair was a mess, and there were still traces of yesterday’s eyeliner smudged under her eyes. She looked exactly like someone who’d just rolled out of bed to deal with her possibly insane friend’s werewolf situation.
“What are you doing, Carpenter?” she muttered to her reflection. But she knew the answer. No matter how crazy it sounded, she couldn’t just ignore Kevin’s plea for help. They’d been friends since elementary school, bonding over a shared love of horror movies and general social awkwardness. If he was in trouble—real or imagined—she owed it to him to at least check it out.
With a deep breath, Salina stepped out into the bright morning sunshine. The street looked deceptively normal—kids riding bikes, Mrs. Johnson watering her prized roses, the Martinez twins arguing over a basketball. It seemed surreal that just less than a mile away, a teacher was dead and a classmate had vanished.
And now, apparently, there was a werewolf in Kevin’s house.
“This day can’t possibly get any weirder,” Salina grumbled as she set off towards Kevin’s place, her steps quick and purposeful.
Little did she know, the day was just getting started.
*****
Kevin paced the living room, his stomach churning with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Every few seconds, he glanced at the front door, willing it to open. The weight of his secret pressed down on him, making the air feel thick and oppressive.
He’d rehearsed what he’d say to Salina a dozen times, but each scenario in his head ended with her laughing in his face or running away screaming. Both options lacked appeal.
A sharp knock jolted him from his thoughts. Kevin’s heart leapt into his throat as he lunged for the door, yanking it open with more force than necessary.
Salina stood on the porch, her eyebrows raised in surprise at his abrupt appearance. Before she could utter a word, Kevin grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, slamming the door behind them.
“Jeez, Kevin!” Salina yelped, stumbling slightly. “What’s the big idea?”
Kevin pressed his back against the door, as if barricading it against some unseen threat. “Sorry,” he mumbled, realizing how manic he must look. “I just... I didn’t want the neighbors to see.”
Salina’s eyes narrowed, a mixture of concern and annoyance flickering across her face. “Okay, you’re officially freaking me out. What’s going on?”
Kevin took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Remember what I told you on the phone?”
“About the werewolf?” Salina scoffed. “Yeah, I remember. I also remember thinking you’d lost your mind.”
“I haven’t,” Kevin insisted, his voice low and urgent. “It’s real, Salina. She’s real.”
Salina’s eyebrows shot up. “She?”
Kevin felt the heat rise to his cheeks. “That’s... not important right now,” he stammered, cursing his slip of the tongue. “What matters is that I have an actual, honest-to-God werewolf in my basement.”
For a long moment, Salina just stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Alright, I’ll bite. Where is this supposed werewolf?”
“In the basement,” Kevin repeated, gesturing towards a closed door at the far end of the living room. “I’ve got her chained up down there.”
“You’ve got her chained up,” Salina echoed flatly. “Jesus, Kevin, do you hear yourself? This is insane!”
Kevin ran a hand through his hair, frustration building in his chest. “I know how it sounds, okay? But you have to believe me. Last night, she attacked me. I managed to knock her out and chain her up before she could do any real damage.”
Salina’s eyes widened as she studied the living room for the first time: the furniture overturned and the claw marks scarring the walls. “What happened after that?” she asked, her voice softer now.
Kevin shrugged, feeling quite insignificant. “I left her there. I didn’t know what else to do. I’ve been up all night, trying to figure out how to handle this.”
“And your brilliant plan was to call me?” Salina asked, a hint of her usual sarcasm creeping back into her voice.
“You’re the smartest monster expert I know,” Kevin admitted. “If anyone can help me figure this out, it’s you.”
Salina’s expression softened slightly at the compliment. She sighed, rubbing her temples. “Alright, let’s say — for the sake of argument — that you’re not completely off your rocker. What exactly do you want me to do?”
Kevin grabbed a flashlight from the coffee table, his hand shaking slightly. “Just... come with me. See for yourself. Then we can figure out our next move.”
He moved towards the basement door, Salina following reluctantly behind him. As he reached for the doorknob, Kevin hesitated, a sudden wave of uncertainty washing over him.
“What is it?” Salina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kevin swallowed hard. “I don’t know what we’re going to find down there,” he admitted. “She was... different last night. Wild. Dangerous. I have no idea if she’s changed back or what state she’ll be in now.”
Salina’s hand came to rest on his shoulder, surprisingly steady. “Well, we’re not going to figure it out standing here. Open the door, Kevin.”
Drawing strength from her presence, Kevin nodded. He turned the key in the lock, wincing at the loud click that echoed through the quiet house. Slowly, he eased the door open, peering down into the darkness below.
The beam of his flashlight cut through the gloom, revealing nothing but dusty stairs and shadows. Kevin took a tentative step forward, the old wood creaking beneath his weight.
“Stay behind me,” he whispered to Salina, though he wasn’t sure what protection he could offer if the werewolf was still in its monstrous form.
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They descended into the basement; the air growing cooler and mustier with each step. Kevin swept the flashlight back and forth, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure Salina must hear it.
At first, he saw nothing out of the ordinary–just the usual clutter of forgotten boxes and old furniture. Then Salina gasped, her hand gripping his arm tightly.
“Kevin,” she hissed, pointing towards a far corner. “Look!”
He aimed the flashlight where she pointed, and his breath hitched in his throat. There, huddled against the wall and bound by heavy chains, was a figure. But it wasn’t the snarling beast he’d battled the night before.
It was a girl. A very human, very naked girl with tangled blonde hair.
Kevin’s mind reeled as recognition dawned. “Jessica?” he breathed, unable to believe his eyes.
At the sound of her name, Jessica stirred. She blinked in the harsh light of the flashlight, confusion and fear etched across her face as she took in her surroundings.
“What... what’s going on?” she croaked, her voice hoarse. Her eyes widened as she realized her state of undress, and she curled in on herself, trying to preserve what little modesty she could. “Kevin? Salina? What the hell is happening?”
Before Kevin could muster a reply, a sharp pain seared through his cheek. He stumbled backward, nearly dropping the flashlight as he realized Salina had slapped him.
“You pervert!” she snarled, her eyes flashing with anger. “What the hell did you do to her?”
“I didn’t–it’s not what it looks like!” Kevin protested, raising his hands defensively. “She’s the werewolf, I swear! She attacked me last night!”
Jessica’s head snapped up at that, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Werewolf? Kevin, what are you talking about? This is totally insane!”
Salina looked between Kevin and Jessica, her expression a mix of disbelief and growing concern. She took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm herself. “Okay,” she said, her voice tight with barely contained emotion. “Everybody needs to calm down. Jessica, honey, are you hurt?”
Jessica shook her head slowly, still looking dazed. “I don’t think so. Just... confused. And cold.”
Salina nodded, then turned to Kevin with a glare that could melt steel. “You,” she growled, jabbing a finger into his chest. “Start explaining. Now.”
Kevin’s thoughts were frantic as he struggled to articulate the chaos of the last twelve hours in a manner that wouldn’t make Salina dial the police or consider him for psychiatric commitment. “It’s complicated,” he began lamely.
“Un-complicate it,” Salina snapped.
Kevin took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. “Last night, I heard a noise in the attic. When I went to check it out, I found... something. A creature. It looked like a wolf, but bigger, and it could stand on two legs. It attacked me, and I managed to knock it out with a baseball bat. I dragged it down here and chained it up because I didn’t know what else to do. I swear, when I left it here last night, it wasn’t Jessica. It was a monster.”
As he spoke, Kevin’s eyes kept darting to Jessica. She sat in stunned silence, her expression flickering between disbelief, fear, and something else–a dawning horror, as if pieces of a puzzle were slowly clicking into place in her mind.
“That’s... that’s impossible,” Jessica whispered, her voice trembling. “Werewolves aren’t real. They can’t be.”
But even as she said it, doubt crept into her tone. Kevin could see the wheels turning in her head, perhaps recalling strange incidents or unexplained blackouts.
Salina, for her part, looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown. She paced back and forth, muttering under her breath. Finally, she stopped, fixing Kevin with a piercing stare.
“Okay,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you’re not completely insane. That Jessica really is... what you say she is. What exactly do you propose we do now?”
Kevin opened his mouth, then closed it again. He’d been so focused on convincing Salina of the truth that he hadn’t thought beyond this moment. “I... I don’t know,” he admitted. “I was kind of hoping you’d have some ideas.”
Salina’s laugh was sharp and humorless. “Oh, that’s great. You drag me into this insanity, and you don’t even have a plan?”
“I’m sorry!” Kevin snapped, his frayed nerves finally giving way to frustration. “It’s not like there’s a guidebook for what to do when you accidentally capture your classmate-turned-werewolf!”
“Guys,” Jessica’s quiet voice cut through their argument. “Can we... can we like totally continue this after someone gets me some clothes? And possibly unchains me?”
Kevin and Salina exchanged guilty looks, suddenly remembering the very human girl at the center of this bizarre situation.
“Right,” Kevin mumbled, feeling heat rise to his cheeks again. “I’ll, uh, I’ll go grab something for you to wear.”
As he turned to head back upstairs, Salina’s hand on his arm stopped him. “We’re not done talking about this,” she said, her voice low and intense. “But right now, we need to focus on helping Jessica. Whatever’s going on, she’s scared and confused. We need to handle this carefully.”
Kevin nodded, a wave of relief washing over him. Despite her initial reaction, Salina wasn’t running away. She was staying to help. Maybe, just maybe, they could figure this out together.
As he climbed the stairs to find some clothes for Jessica, Kevin’s mind whirled with questions. How had Jessica become a werewolf? Were there others like her in town? And most pressingly, what were they going to do now?
One thing was certain–their lives had just become infinitely more complicated. And judging by the muffled conversation he could hear between Salina and Jessica, the explanations were only just beginning.
*****
Jessica tugged at the hem of Kevin’s oversized blue t-shirt, trying to make it cover more of her legs. The soft cotton felt strange against her skin, as if her nerve endings were hypersensitive. She curled her toes into the plush carpet of Kevin’s living room, anchoring herself to the present moment.
The mug of tea in her hands sent tendrils of steam curling into the air, but Jessica couldn’t bring herself to drink it. Her stomach churned with a nauseating mix of confusion, fear, and disbelief.
Kevin perched on the edge of the coffee table across from her, his eyes darting between Jessica and Salina as if unsure where to focus. The tension in the room was palpable, thick enough to choke on.
“So,” Kevin began, his voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Jessica, do you remember anything before you... before you woke up in the basement?”
Jessica closed her eyes, trying to sort through the jumbled mess of her memories. Everything felt hazy, like trying to recall a dream upon waking. “I remember detention,” she drawled. “After I stopped that jerk from harassing you.”
Kevin’s cheeks reddened at the reminder of his perpetual underdog status. “Right. Thanks for that again, by the way.”
Jessica shrugged, a ghost of a smile flitting across her face. “Someone had to stand up to that Neanderthal.” The smile faded as she continued, “But after that... it’s all a blur. I remember sitting in detention, and then this terrible pain. Like my bones were on fire. And then... nothing.”
Salina, who had been pacing back and forth behind the couch, halted. Her eyes widened as if pieces of a puzzle were falling into place. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “That must have been when you transformed.”
Jessica’s head snapped up, her grip tightening on the mug. “Transformed? What are you talking about?”
Salina’s gestures became animated as she spoke, her words spilling out hastily. “Think about it. You felt pain, then blacked out. That lines up with what we know about werewolf transformations from movies and books. And then there’s the attack on Mrs. Peel, the rampage through town... it all fits!”
Jessica’s mind reeled, struggling to process Salina’s words. “Are you saying I... that I killed Mrs. Peel?” Her voice cracked on the last word, horror creeping in at the edges of her consciousness.
Kevin leaned forward, his expression torn between sympathy and unease. “We don’t know for sure, Jessica. But something attacked her, attacked me, and then my dad... I mean, Sheriff Daniel... he said he shot at some kind of creature on the news. Then we found you in my basement where I left the creature at.”
Jessica vigorously shook her head, causing her blonde hair to scatter in the air. “No. No, this is insane. I’m not a... a monster. I couldn’t have done those things!”
Salina’s pacing resumed, her brow furrowed in thought. “Maybe you didn’t,” she intoned. “Or at least, maybe you weren’t in control. If the legends are true, werewolves often don’t remember what they do in their wolf form.”
“Legends?” Jessica scoffed, though a tremor of uncertainty crept into her voice. “This isn’t some fairy tale, Salina. This is real life!”
“Is it?” Salina challenged, stopping to face Jessica directly. “Because from where I’m standing, we’ve got a girl who woke up naked and chained in a basement after a night of mysterious attacks by some kind of animal. If you’ve got a better explanation, I’m all ears.”
Jessica opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. She had no explanation. No rational way to make sense of the fragments of memory floating just out of reach.
Kevin cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Maybe... maybe there’s a way we can know for sure,” he suggested hesitantly. “Salina, didn’t you studied hypnosis last summer on the internet?”
Salina’s eyes lit up. “That’s right! We could try to unlock Jessica’s suppressed memories!”
Jessica’s stomach lurched at the idea. Part of her desperately wanted answers, but another part recoiled at the thought of what those answers might reveal. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice small. “What if... what if I don’t like what I see?”
Kevin reached out, his hand hovering uncertainly before gently squeezing her knee. “We’ll be right here with you, Jessica. Whatever happened, we’ll figure it out together.”
Jessica looked between Kevin and Salina, seeing the determination in their eyes. These were her old friends–the nerdy boy she’d defended countless times, and the sarcastic girl who’d been her study buddy since freshman year. If she couldn’t trust them, who could she trust?
With a shaky breath, Jessica nodded. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
Salina clapped her hands together, a mix of excitement and nervousness on her face. “Right. Okay. Um, Kevin, can you dim the lights? And Jessica, try to get comfortable.”
As Kevin adjusted the lighting, Jessica leaned back into the couch cushions, forcing her tense muscles to relax. Salina knelt in front of her, her voice taking on a soothing cadence.
“Just focus on my voice,” Salina instructed. “Take deep breaths. In... and out. In... and out. Feel yourself sinking deeper into relaxation with each breath.”
Jessica’s eyelids grew heavy as she followed Salina’s instructions. The world around her faded, replaced by a soft, comforting darkness.
“Now,” Salina’s voice seemed to come from far away, “I want you to think back to last night. To detention. Can you see yourself there?”
Abruptly, Jessica found herself back in the stifling classroom, the sound of pencils scratching on paper and the ticking of the clock on the wall echoing in her ears. She could feel the hard plastic of the chair beneath her, smell the lingering scent of chalk dust in the air.
“Yes,” she heard herself say, though her lips didn’t move. “I’m there.”
“Good,” Salina’s disembodied voice encouraged. “Now, what happens next?”
The scene before Jessica’s eyes began to shift and blur. Pain lanced through her body, and she heard herself cry out. Her bones seemed to crack and reform, muscles stretching and changing. Fur sprouted from her skin as her face elongated into a muzzle.
“Oh God,” Jessica whimpered, both in the memory and in Kevin’s living room. “It hurts. It hurts so much!”
After the transformation was complete, Jessica saw through new eyes–sharper, more attuned to movement and scent. She felt a hunger, a rage that consumed all rational thought. Her enhanced senses picked up the rapid heartbeat of Mrs. Peel.
Without conscious decision, Jessica–no, the wolf–lunged. Teeth tore into flesh, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. Mrs. Peel’s screams echoed in her ears, quickly cut short by a vicious swipe of clawed hands.
“No!” Jessica cried, trying to pull away from the memory. But it continued, merciless in its detail.
She saw herself bounding through the streets of Moon Valley, reveling in her newfound strength and speed. Cars swerved to avoid her, people screamed and ran. And then–a familiar scent. Her father.
Sheriff Daniel stood in the middle of the street, his gun trained on her.
The wolf snarled, tensing to spring. The crack of a gunshot split the air, and pain bloomed in her shoulder. She yelped, wheeling away and racing into the night.
The scene shifted again. Kevin’s house. The attic. The terrified look in his eyes as she cornered him. The swing of the baseball bat, connecting with her skull.
“Jessica!” Salina’s voice cut through the memories, sharp and urgent. “Jessica, come back to us. Open your eyes. Now!”
With a gasp, Jessica’s eyes flew open. She was back in Kevin’s living room, her cheeks wet with tears she didn’t remember shedding. Kevin and Salina hovered over her, their faces etched with concern.
“What...” Jessica’s voice cracked. She swallowed hard and tried again. “What did I do?”
Kevin and Salina exchanged a look, clearly unsure how to respond. Finally, Kevin spoke, his voice gentle. “You remembered, didn’t you?”
A sob tore from Jessica’s throat as the full weight of her actions crashed down upon her. “I killed her,” she choked out. “I killed Mrs. Peel. I... I’m a monster!”
Kevin moved to sit beside her on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shaking shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault, Jessica,” he insisted. “You weren’t in control.”
Jessica rocked her head, pulling away from his embrace. “But what if it happens again?” she demanded, her voice rising with hysteria. “What if I transform and kill someone else? What if I kill you?”
Salina knelt in front of Jessica, her expression determined despite the pallor on her face. “We won’t let that happen,” she said firmly. “We’ll figure this out.”
“How?” Jessica asked, desperation coloring her tone.
Salina bit her lip, clearly thinking fast. “I... I have a book,” she said slowly. “About werewolves and other supernatural creatures. It’s probably mostly bullshit, but... maybe there’s something in there that could help. Some way to control the transformations or... I don’t know, cure you?”
Jessica latched onto this slim hope like a lifeline. “You really think we might find something?”
Salina shrugged, trying for a reassuring smile. “It’s worth a shot, right? And hey, if nothing else, maybe we’ll learn some cool werewolf trivia for our next game night.”
In spite of it all, Jessica couldn’t help but release a watery chuckle in response to Salina’s attempt at humor. She glanced at her two friends, noting the resolve shining in their eyes. They were certainly scared — the acrid scent of their fear was unmistakable — yet they did not abandon her.
“Okay,” Jessica said, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “Okay. Let’s do some research.”
The road ahead would be difficult, fraught with danger and uncertainty. But Jessica straightened her spine, determination settling over her like armor. She’d never backed down from a challenge before, and she wasn’t about to start now — werewolf or not.