4

Cheeseburgers, pizza and fries along with a soda or water were just about the only thing on the menu for lunch. Everything seemed disgusting since everything was over cooked completely. It seemed like every kid had lunch at the same time. The school cafeteria seemed to match the size of the parking lot. Almost everyone sat randomly. I saw some of the geeky kids talking to the more popular looking guys and girls as well. At the same time, I see kids simply sitting alone with a small group of friends.
Since it was my first day at school, I didn't expect to sit with anyone. I didn't want to sit with anyone either. I saw a empty table at the corner of the room and I walked over there to sit down. I didn't get any food to eat and I had no snacks as well. All I bought was a small bottle of Sierra Mist at the vending machine to the left of the table. I had nothing to do for the next hour so I simply took out my sketch book and began to sketch. I never really knew what I sketched until I finished.

"Nice wolf you drawing there kid."
"Umm… thanks… wait what?" I turned around to see the girl from gym along with about 4 of her friends. The one to her right was a skinny looking girl wearing a skirt and a tank top.

-She must be a cheerleader-

-But then again… does this school have cheerleaders?-

The second girl standing to her left had a small book bag. However, she was holding most of her books as well. The other 2 girls were twins. Both of them dressed almost exactly identical. One of the twins slowly drifted off to another table to sit without even saying a word to her other 3 friends that were staring at me.

"Nice drawing you have there."

"Mind if we sit with you?" She said with a very innocent looking face.

"Uh… sure… out of all tables why this one?" I responded while giving a small glare at one of the girls who seemed to have noticed.

"This is usually our table kid" said the girl with the skirt.

-Did she just say kid?!-

"Jenny that's rude" she replied with a light slap to the girl's arm.

"Well he is in our seat!" responding while glaring at me.
"Uh sorry want me to get up then?"

"No its fine you can stay and sit with us. You're new aren't you?"

"Yeah. Name's Cory." I replied to the girl from gym.

"Oh hi, My name is Ariel" she said with a smile. She had the most unique eyes I've ever seen in my entire life. At that very moment, her eyes were dark blue colored. The mere fact of seeing blue eyes amazed me. Never in my entire life have I ever seen dark blue eyes like hers. They seemed to have a trance or spell that would drag any normal person into her arms or grasp. I would've probably been dragged in as well if it wasn't for my unique type of eyes… eyes that are keener then those of any normal human being.

"Hi there. Your eyes are amazing."

-What the fuck… why did I just say that?!-

"Umm thanks" She laughed lightly. She sat down next to me and started to gaze at my drawing. I hadn't realized what I have drawn until I looked down my self to realize that I have drawn a wolf howling at the full moon.

"You draw very well" she said with a smile while gazing at me. I didn't even know what to respond with. I've never had anyone comment on my drawings before.

-Maybe that's because I've only hung out with the family for the past 10 to 16 years…-

"Uh thanks. I draw every so often" I didn't even know how to smile because I was so stunned by her mere existence next to me. Something about her made me desire her very greatly and I was starting to lose control. I felt my eyes beginning to change so I quickly got up.

"Um nice to meet you Ariel. I have to be somewhere so see you around" I said while barely even being able to focus on what I was seeing. I ran out of the school building and into a near by forest. I believe I ran for about 10 minutes before I felt safe to change. In that split second that I released my desire and everything that was clogging up my mind, my eyes shifted. They changed and grew darker, sharper and more deviant then anything. Soon after that, I felt my teeth and my claws beginning to grow. It wasn't until my legs began to crack and change form had I realized that I wasn't changing into my full wolf form. I was changing into the more destructive form that a shifter possesses. Every shifter possessed 3 forms: a human form, a full wolf form, and what some shifters call it, a howling form. The howling form was what most shifters used to fight off an enemy whose strength was enormous and unavoidable. Not only is the howling form the most superb and most perfect form of the shifter, it is also the most painful form and the hardest to shift into.

Shifting into the howler form involved the spine to crack so that it would be able to bend freely as well as the legs to grow in size and strength. The body of the shifter had to withstand the stretching of the skin and muscles until the body has gotten used to the change and grow along with the strength of the shifter. To finish off the shift, the shifter had to endure one more type of pain. It was a pain that struck the brain of the shifter. The howling form was the most dangerous form as well as the most uncontrollable. Most shifters are forbid to shift into the howling form because they lose control of their self and run around on a rampage killing anything they see. However, as soon as the shifter is able to fight off and endure such a conflict with one's self, he will be complete. He will become the perfect form of the shape shifters and also accepted as a shifter of my family.
Shifters were grouped into families and some lived together or some didn't. My family was the family second highest in the line of shifters. The highest line of shifters was almost never seen and some even believe they were just legends. However, I always believed that the highest line of shifters met with the head of each family once a month to discuss the plans for the next month as well as give orders for what to do for the following month. My father always disappeared for a few days after the full moon every month. He never said a word to me and I never asked so that I would not anger and disturb him.

My spine cracked and my body grew bigger in a matter of seconds. Since I was supposed to genetically be able to shift into the howling form, it was easier and almost pain free for me to shift into the form. I realized that my shift had been complete and I now stood in the middle of the forest with not a single living human being within a 20 mile radius. I thought I was out of the weird and sudden desire that I obtained just by sitting next to that girl until my head began to spin. I began to lose vision and I slowly blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was standing in an empty white area. I was in my human form and I was simply walking straight ahead. Then, that was the first time I saw it. I saw a beast with the appearance of a vampire with angelic and devilish wings while also having the teeth and claws of a shape shifter. The body size of the beast was slightly smaller then the howling form of a shape shifter yet the eyes of the beast were more dark and more horrifying then those of a howling shape shifter. Once it stared at me, I trembled. Just staring at it made me feel extreme fear. I was unable to move and unable to even look away. The beast never stepped anywhere near me yet it felt like the power and strength of the beast was crushing me where I stood. I was not being harmed even in the slightest bit yet I felt like I was at the edge of death. Then something from the sky shone down at me. I looked up to see a full moon shining down upon the beast which was standing before me. Suddenly, the moon faded away and the beast before me began to shrink. The wings of the beast began to disappear and the claws and teeth began to shrink as well. Soon the beast seemed to have shifted back to his human form. The human that now stood before me looked up. I was shocked and confused once I saw the human's face.

-Is that possible? Am I dreaming?-

The human that stood before me was…

­-It's impossible. How can that possibly be…-

Me.