"Are you sure you'll be okay, Erica?" Mrs. Reyes pulled some money out of her purse and handed it to her daughter. "Mom, I'll be fine. I'm just going to the store for a minute." Erica Reyes pulled on a gray sweatshirt and took the money from her mom. "I know, but you know how your father is when it comes to you going out alone.." You mean with me going out at all. "I know. I'll be fine. Promise!" Erica slipped out the door and started walking down the street towards the mini-mart.

Erica Reyes has blond hair that lays in messy curls, signs of acne here and there, and she stands at about 5'4". There's nothing extraordinary about her life, it's a rather simple one. That is, until she has an episode. Erica suffers from severe epilepsy, the seizures are some of the worst doctors have ever seen. One side effect of her medicine is terrible migraines and she is in dire need of some Advil right now.

It started getting dark and about halfway to the store Erica felt eyes on her. She sped up and kept her hand on her house keys as a makeshift weapon, just in case something happened. What was that? She picked up her speed again, her heart beating even faster. She heard footsteps, at first far behind but then moving closer. I'm almost there. It's right there, I can see it. Just a few more minutes. I'm almost-Oh no. And then it happened.

Just then Erica had trouble breathing. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it was about to come out of her chest as she collapsed onto the sidewalk below her. As Erica lay there convulsing, a man in dark clothing came up to her. Erica was still somewhat coherent and at first was relieved, she thought the man was going to help her. Just as he leaned over her, he turned her on her side to reach into her pockets and pulled out her money and cell phone. He touched his finger to her lips as if to shush her and ran away just as Erica started slipping into unconsciousness.

Moments later another man approached her. He stood over her, at first looking frantically between her and the direction the other man went. Then he knelt down and scooped her up into his arms. It felt like they were flying, they were going so fast, and just before she fell completely unconscious, Erica could have swore she saw the man's eyes flash red when they were hit by a passing car's headlights.

Where am I? Erica woke up in just a hospital gown and her socks and after checking the wall clock she saw that a few hours had passed. Ugh, my head is killing me.. "Erica, you're awake." Nurse McCall approached the bed and flashed a light into Erica's eyes. "What happened to me?" "Well, something caused your heart rate to go up at such a rapid rate it induced a seizure." "I was being chased, someone took my phone a-" "We know, the man who brought you in told us what happened. It's just lucky he was there to save you," Ms. McCall smiled and patted Erica on the shoulder before she started to leave the room. "Wait who was the-" She's gone. She laid in silence for a few minutes before she tried to get up. "Stay down." Erica didn't know who the voice or the hand that was pushing her down belonged to but it sort of frightened her.

The man wheeled Erica down a long hallway and into an empty room, locking the door behind him. "Wh-who are you?" Erica asked, trembling. "You get a warning right before you have a seizure, right?" The man walked around to the foot of her bed, his voice low and calm as he traced a line down the side of her leg with his finger. "It's..called an aura. It's like a metallic taste in my mouth." The man laughed, "You don't have to lie to me, Erica. What does it really taste like?" Erica sighed. "It tastes like blood." "What if I told you, all of that could go away?" The man slid his hands up her legs. "The symptoms, the side effects," he grabbed her legs and jerked her forward until she was just inches from his face, "not only do those things go away, but everything else," the man reached up and caressed her face, "just enhances." Erica let out a small, nervous laugh. "How?" The man leaned back, "Let me show you." Just as the man leaned back in, his eyes turned bright red.

"You did what?" Laura Hale started towards her brother, but just before she got in arm's reach, their mother stepped between them. "Now hold on. Derek, explain this to me. Why did you turn this girl?" Talia motioned to the blond standing timidly in the corner. Derek took his mother's hand and lead her into another room. "Mom, I had to." Talia's face was confused as she listened to her son's explanation. "I was walking back to school and noticed some guy was following this small girl.." Derek shook his head and looked down. "She started walking faster, almost running, and then out of nowhere she just...dropped." "Dropped?" "Dropped. I know now it was because she started having a seizure." Talia's face flashed concern but quickly turned to a calm expression. "The man, the one that was following her, at first I thought he was going to help. He leaned over her and I thought he was going to pick her up but he just took her money and ran." Derek tensed. "I almost didn't even save her because I wanted to chase after him and rip his throat out with my teeth." "Derek.." "I know, we don't harm anyone who doesn't harm us. I know, but how could he do that? She's just a kid. So I took her to the hospital. She seemed so helpless. I couldn't imagine living my whole life like that." "Son, you have a kind heart but-" "I gave her a choice. I didn't force it on her. I did everything right, I just didn't tell you about it." Talia began to shake her head. "I told her all about it. I told her about hunters, about the urges during full moons, I told her everything, the good and the bad." "And she accepted it?" Derek shook his head yes. "Okay, well..what is she doing here? Shouldn't she be with her parents?" "Well, that's just it.. She went to her parents, trying to explain what happened. But..they kicked her out. They didn't think having one of the "filthy murdering mutts" in their house was a good idea." I was really hoping my parents would be happy.. I mean, no more medical bills or hospital visits.. I could be a better daughter for them. I could be a better student, I could start having friends like a normal person.. That's all I want, to be normal. If being bitten by a half wolf half human is what it takes to do that, then fine. I'll use everything I'm given to become the best Erica Reyes I can be. I will be everything I couldn't be before.

"And what do you expect of us, Derek?" Laura said angrily as she entered the room. "We're not some daycare service for every random person you decide to bite." "Laura." "Mother, Derek and I are both in school. We can't just babysit her. She can't stay with you, her parents didn't want her-" "Laura." Talia said more sternly as she glanced back to the other room where Erica sat, almost in tears. "She can hear you." Derek seemed to be getting angry, "No one has to babysit anyone," he said through gritted teeth. "He's right," Talia said with a smile as she turned and joined a now crying Erica and placed her arm around her. "Erica, how would you like to go to a new school?"