"The general meaning of The Moon is that everything is not as it seems. The Moon can also signify dormant insecurities or repressed issues resurfacing. When it comes to relationships, The Moon can represent uncertainty."

June, 2023

"Why are you doing this?"

"Emma?"

"Answer me!"

Abi never got an exact answer of why Emma decided to end their relationship. She made up an excuse. She blamed the distance and the fact she had to focus on her acting career. Of course Abigail never really bought that. She was heartbroken for a while. Then, she blocked Emma in every possible social media. Which was good. Emma wouldn't be able to stand if she ever found out she was dating somebody else. Somebody better than she ever could be. Somebody normal and unaffected by a curse.

Another five months had passed and Emma was still a werewolf. Every month, every full moon, she hoped it'd be different. She hoped her body would somehow kill the infection. She hoped Eliza's curse would lose its power. But…

"Aaaarghhh…" Emma panted on the floor, while she uselessly tried to prevent the transformation. "FUCK!"

Her wrist started to burn in contact with the silver bracelet she kept there. Inflicting herself pain was another method she was attempting to use to banish her werewolf form away.

"Water… now…" she begged Benjamin, who stood by the basement's door. "The… water hose…"

"Stop," he told. "We've tried it many times before. You're only hurting yourself."

"You're not… my fucking father…" every single inch of her body ached. It was like something was slowly consuming her organs, her flesh and bones from inside. "Just do what I'm telling you, asshole!"

"No."

"I HATE YOU, YOUR MOTHERF…"

One second of distraction and done. Her voice disappeared and her conscience started to fade too. It'd be a matter of seconds until she transformed again.

"See you in the morning, Emma," Benjamin spoke before shutting and safely locking the door.

When she woke up, back to her human form, she was feeling horribly sore. The silver bracelet burned her skin and her werewolf form wasn't able to heal from that. As usual, Emma dragged herself to the shower and stayed there for a long time, letting the water wash away the blood that covered her entire body.

"I'm sorry, Abi. Someday you'll see I was only trying to protect you," a few tears streamed across her cheeks. "I… can't even imagine what it'd be like if I ever hurt you by accident."

When she returned to the studio apartment she shared with her roommates, Benjamin had prepared her breakfast.

"I'm sorry," she said as she sat down to eat. "How bad were the insults this time?"

"We've had worse before," he smiled and ruffled her wet hair. "Don't worry."

Emma was on a break when she checked her phone and saw that text message. Her heart stopped for a second. Then a wave of emotions hit her. Anxiety, rage, sadness…

She read it again. Her hands were shaking, making her almost drop the phone. It took minutes for reality to sink in. That was indeed happening.

"Oh, fuck me!"

Emma's swearing came out louder than she expected. She was soon scolded by Addison.

"Mountebank! Would you please watch your mouth around the customers?"

"I'm so sorry!"

A two years meeting for the counselors. A gathering organized by Jacob himself. He created a group conversation and added all of them. He stated it wasn't a party, but it still didn't feel right. People died that night. Lives were changed.

Dylan was the first one to confirm his presence. Followed by Kaitlyn, Max, Laura and Nick. Ryan had just sent a thumbs up emoji too.

She and Abi were the only two who hadn't said anything yet. Emma wondered what Abigail was trying to avoid - seeing her, seeing Nick or causing a major impact on her mental health.

"I think you should go," Jenna gave her opinion. "It'll be a good chance to find out if someone else is going through the same as you."

She was right. Emma never really had the chance of speaking to the other counselors. Max, Laura and Nick had transformed into werewolves that night. Ryan and Dylan were bitten too. They seemed to be cured when everything was over, but what if it had left traces inside them? They could search for a solution. Together.

"I don't think it's a good idea at all," Ben added. He had that protective older brother's expression on his face. "This guy, Jacob. I don't trust him."

That was one of Emma's biggest discomforts regarding that meeting. Two years had passed. They all had changed. But what if Jacob started pursuing her all over again? She was shocked to find out he had been responsible for breaking that van to trap them all in the camp for one more night. All because he couldn't take 'no' for an answer.

In her darkest moments, Emma still blamed him for being cursed for the rest of her life. She still hadn't forgiven him completely. Seeing him could bring a lot of negative feelings to surface.

"I don't know if I'm ready for it," Emma closed the group conversation again, without giving her answer. A couple of minutes later, a notification popped on her screen. Abi also confirmed her presence.

"Or maybe I am."

"You don't have to do this. We can still go back if you want to."

Driving to Jacob's house was the last thing Emma thought she'd ever be doing in her life. Whenever she felt too angry, she always imagined what she'd do if she ever saw him again. Especially when she was about to transform. A lot of revenge plans crossed her mind - that included shifting in his backyard or even ruining his wedding day.

Now she was just nervous.

"I'll be okay."

No one had said anything about taking guests to the meeting, however, Emma would be taking Ben. They agreed to lie and pretend he was her boyfriend. That could help to prevent any conflicts with Emma's former fling.

"So, how long have we been together?" Ben asked, checking the GPS and announcing they were almost there.

"Uhhh…" Emma thought for a minute, "four or five months?"

"Okay. Pet names?"

"You're definitely going to be my Benny Bear ."

"Alright, Emmybug ."

They let out a laugh. It wasn't the first time they did that. Emma once helped him to get rid of an obsessive ex-girlfriend, now he was returning the favor.

"It's here." As they searched somewhere to park the truck, Emma felt her stomach twisting. Memories of that traumatic night started to replay inside her mind, such as being chased by Max in a werewolf form and getting bitten by Silas in the woods.

"Are you okay?" Ben gave her one last concerned look, squeezing her hand and noticing how cold it was.

Emma nodded, forcing a small smile at him.

She rang the doorbell and in less than a minute, Jacob opened the door. Real Jacob. Not the Jacob from her imagination, the one she punched and yelled at. A Jacob that, like her, probably carried regrets and trauma from that Summer. And then, she did nothing at all.

"Emma," Jacob smiled. "Hi."

"Hi," she limited herself to say.

"You look…"

"Howdy, dude," Ben stepped in, shaking Jacob's hand and placing his arm around Emma's waist. "I'm Benjamin. Emma's boyfriend."

"Oh! Sure."

Tension and embarrassment filled the air between them. After that awkward moment, Jacob guided them to the living room, where the rest of the group was reunited.

"Emma!" Kaitlyn was the first one to speak. The others all stopped to look at her.

The night wasn't being any easy for any of the former counselors, Emma could tell. Each one of them looked tense, uncomfortable. Even if the subject they had in common hadn't been mentioned. Even if they were only sharing stories about their current lives.

Emma had been avoiding Abi's gaze all night. She could notice how the girl looked genuinely upset when she entered the room, holding hands with Benjamin. How she still shot glances in their direction from time to time, probably asking herself how Emma could be such a bitch.

"It's easier that way, Abi," she thought. "You're safer hating me."

Between Dylan's hilarious stories about his dorm mates and Benjamin exchanging threatening looks with Jacob, Emma exhaled weary. She was there for a reason. It was time to attempt to obtain some answers. And the person who could tell her anything useful was on the opposite side of the room. Laura Kearney.

They didn't even have a chance to talk yet. It was only in the Police Station that Emma found out Laura was the missing counselor who was kept locked in the North Kill precinct along with her boyfriend. And also the one responsible for shooting Kaylee Hackett and Silas Vorez.

She swallowed her drink in one sip, before getting enough courage to speak to that girl. As she started to walk in Laura's direction, somebody else called her, getting her attention.

"Fuck!" Emma mumbled. "That will have to wait, I guess."

"Hey!" A male voice greeted her though. She looked up, noticing Max Brinly was staring at her. "You're the girl who took my clothes."

"My bad?" Emma apologized and then let out a small laugh, sitting by his side.

"It's okay. I… I'm sorry for attacking you in the tree house. They told me later."

"No hard feelings. It wasn't you."

She knew it better than anyone. Her biggest fear during her transformations was to break free from her restraints and accidentally hurt someone.

"So, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot it."

"I was also bitten that night," Emma told. "Do you still feel… something during Full Moon nights?"

"Oh my god," Max almost choked on his drink. He lowered his voice. "You too?"

"Yes!"

"I always tell Laura, but she tells me it's in my head. I don't know… I just feel sick, you know? It's something in my stomach, I don't know how to explain."

"But you don't actually…" Emma made a dramatic explosion gesture with her hands.

"Oh no," Max shook his head. "Thank god, no."

"Okay."

Emma stood up, ready to leave and search for Laura again. She still had time to hear Max's last question:

"Wait! Do you?!"

Laura went to the bathroom and Emma took the opportunity to follow her. She waited outside, in the corridor, pretending she was taking a look at the Custos family portraits hanging on the walls. Jacob holding his first football, Jacob holding a trophy, Jacob… being Jacob.

"Ugh."

"Hey," Laura greeted as she left the bathroom. "You're Emma, right? We didn't meet that night."

"Yes," Emma extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Laura. I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

They entered one of the doors, in a small home office. They sat on a couch where Laura started telling Emma her version of the story, from the beginning, when she and Max hit Silas on the road.

"When I woke up, I was in a prison cell," Laura told.

But Emma couldn't pay attention. There was something, a voice in the back of her mind, keeping her distracted. A voice that told her Laura was the one to blame for her situation. A voice that suggested Laura should be punished, along with Ryan.

"Wait," Emma confronted those thoughts. "Even if she hadn't shot Silas, I'd still be infected anyways!"

The voice immediately disappeared.

"Did you see anything else while you were in the woods?" She asked. "A ghost maybe?"

Laura took a deep breath, looking pensive for a moment.

"Eliza, or The Hag Of Hackett's Quarry. Sometimes I still listen to her, accusing me of hurting her baby . Now the Hacketts are dead, she hates us. She blames us for what happened to him."

"I had visions about her too, when I went back there last year. She was so full of hate. She was promising to get revenge."

"I know," Laura said. "But it doesn't really scare me. I mean, what can she do? She's dead!"

"I don't know," Emma shrugged. "I didn't really believe none of this before. But I wouldn't underestimate her. She seemed to be a powerful witch."

"Emma," as soon as she left the room, Emma heard Jacob's voice calling for her. "I… I wanna talk to you."

She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

"We have nothing to talk about, Jacob."

"Hey, no, listen. I know I fucked it up really badly, but when I broke the van… I had no idea. If I only knew about all that crazy shit…"

"It still doesn't make it right," she continued to walk, ignoring him. She knew that if she stayed, that could escalate to a level she wasn't willing to risk. "You didn't respect me. You didn't respect Mr. H. You didn't respect the others. Your actions had serious consequences, Jacob. And I hope you learned your lesson."

"Just listen to me, I…" Jacob held her arm, attempting to force her to stay.

"Let me go."

"Please, I just want to…"

Something started boiling inside Emma's veins. It was like her werewolf side was attempting to come to surface and protect her from a possible threat, even if it wasn't a Full Moon night.

"Is everything okay here, Emma?" Benjamin appeared just at the right time. She closed her eyes for a second, coming back to her senses. "You were taking too long and I thought I should come here to check on you."

Jacob immediately let go of her arm and she ran to her best friend, wrapping her arms around his waist. He embraced her back, protectively.

"I'm okay," Emma said. "Let's just get out of here, please?"

She looked back, Jacob looked irritated. He still wasn't the kind who would take 'no' for an answer. She hoped that at least he'd respect her this one time and stay away for the rest of the night.

"What was he doing?" Ben asked, gritting his teeth. "God, when I saw him touching you like that…"

"It's okay," Emma's heart was still racing inside her chest. She was never able to use her werewolf abilities before, except when she transformed. Was it trying to protect her? And why did it feel so good? For the first time ever, she didn't hate it. "No need to worry."

She looked around, noticing Abi had disappeared. Was she gone already? Damn, Emma hoped she'd be able to talk to her, at least.

"Where's Abi?"

"She had just gone outside when I went after you."

"I'll be right back."

"Are you sure?"

Emma nodded, heading directly to the backyard. She found Abi sitting on a bench, drawing something on her sketchbook. The view made the corners of her mouth curl up in a smile.

"Intense night, huh?" She had no idea what else to say.

"Yeah, it is."

She sat down by Abi's side, attempting to discover what she had been drawing. The girl closed the sketchbook, annoyed.

"So, is this why you broke up with me?" Abi asked, after a long sigh. "To be with your roommate. The one you always told me you saw as some kind of older brother."

"And I still do," Emma confessed. "Ben isn't my boyfriend, Abi. We're only pretending."

"And for what reason, Emma?! To hurt me? To make Jacob jealous again?"

"I was afraid when I first saw his message. I didn't want him to think there was any possibility we'd ever get together again."

"Do you realize this is not about you?" Abi raised her voice. "What happened at Summer Camp wasn't some sort of Halloween special from your show - 'The Dramatic Life Of Emma Mountebank' ."

"Abi…"

"You're always pretending. You act so much you don't even know who you truly are! That horrible night changed all of us, but you didn't change at all ."

"You have no idea how much I changed, Abi!" Now that was too much. Emma raised her voice too. "That night ended for all of you, but not for me. I'm not allowed to forget. I'm not allowed to move on. I'm forced to replay that nightmare every fucking…"

Full Moon. She was about to tell Abi the whole truth. The one reason why they no longer could be together. But before she could finish the sentence, a commotion inside the house interrupted them.

"Don't you even dare to speak to her again," Ben, being held by Ryan and Nick, yelled and pointed his finger at Jacob's face. "Or to even look at her!"

"Why?" Jacob had cut on his lower lip, Emma assumed it was caused by a punch. "You're not her owner, dude. Let her make her own decisions."

"You have no idea what she's still going through because of you!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Emma screamed, stopping Benjamin from advancing at Jacob again. "I leave for a second and you two are fighting like animals."

"Your boyfriend started it," Jacob accused. But Emma knew he probably said something really stupid to really trigger Benjamin like that.

"You promised me!" She angered at her best friend. "You said you'd stay out of trouble."

"Not if I had to protect you," Ben argued. "Come on, Emma. He said that night was your fault too!"

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. That sensation was coming back. She could listen to her own pulsation inside her ears.

"Really, Jacob? Will you… will you ever learn? Will you ever leave me alone?"

Emma grabbed Benjamin's hand, attempting to get them both out of that house. She wasn't willing to spend another night in a police station.

"I just want to apologize and you won't even let me do that," Jacob insisted. "Or are you afraid of something? Are you afraid to find out there's still something unsolved between us?"

"There's nothing here anymore, Jacob. Get over it. I just…" Her blood was getting warmer with rage. If she had a mirror, she wouldn't be surprised if her eyes were turning yellow too. "It's just… meaningless. It won't change anything."

"Then just listen to me. Do you know how much I still blame myself?"

"It's good you acknowledge your mistakes. But it'll never make it right. Not for me."

"Why, Emma? Everyone has accepted my apologies but you… you even brought this guy along, only to put a barrier between us."

And then he touched her arm again. Suddenly, she had no control of her next action or her next words. She just pushed Jacob away, sending him flying against the coffee table and smashing it into pieces.

"I'M STILL A FUCKING WEREWOLF BECAUSE OF YOU."

The revelation caught everyone by surprise. A long silence hung in the air for minutes. No one really knew what to say. They probably expected Emma to say it was a joke or that she was only being dramatic, but it never happened.

"Since…" Dylan was the first one to break the silence, "then?"

"F-For a-almost two years, yes," Emma answered. Her hands were shaking. She could barely breathe.

"This is fucked up," Kaitlyn said in disbelief.

Emma's eyes immediately searched for Abi's. The girl was still standing in the same spot, her eyes widened in shock. Emma didn't know what she expected - Support? A hug maybe? But instead, Abigail just went back to the backyard. Jacob had disappeared too. He was nowhere to be found.

"How's that even possible?" Laura was asking. "I shot Silas. Ryan was there too. We saw him dead."

"Eliza," Emma explained. "She cast a curse after she died. If her son was killed, the infection would remain through his lineage. It was supposed to be Caleb, but he died too. I was the only one left."

Everyone started to speculate and exchange ideas about her condition. That started to bother her a little. She felt a heavy pressure on her chest.

"Have you considered doing a spiritual cleansing at the camp?" Dylan suggested. "Or an exorcism, maybe? I mean, now we're dealing with an evil spirit."

"I don't think that would actually work," Ryan added. "The infection is in Emma's body."

"Oh my god, Laura," Max Brinly was starting to panic with all that information. "Do you think The Hag Of Hackett's Quarry is coming for you next? I don't want to become a monster again."

"Max!" Laura censored him. It was too late. That one word was enough to suck the last bit of energy that still remained inside Emma.

"Let's get out of here," she asked Benjamin. "Please."

The way back to their apartment was silent. Emma was staring at the window the whole time, not saying a single word. She didn't want people to find out, especially the other counselors. She became the entertainment of the night. At that moment they should still be making theories about her curse. Jacob was probably saying she deserved it.

What about Abi? What was Abi even thinking? There was no way to know, since she just vanished.

"Already?" Jenna asked when they entered the studio apartment in silence. "Did Jacob…"

Ben gave her a signal to stop. Emma went to the kitchen and found a bottle of vodka they saved for the most terrible occasions.

"I'll be on the rooftop," she announced. "Please, don't bother me."

"Fuck them!" Emma shouted out to the void as she impatiently walked across the rooftop of the building. She took a sip directly from the bottle of vodka she was holding. "Fuck each one of them. Eliza, Silas, the Hackett's, Jacob…"

"You're always pretending. You act so much you don't even know who you truly are! That horrible night changed all of us, but you didn't change at all."

Abi's words were still replaying over and over again inside her mind.

Yes, she was pretending. For the last two years she pretended all the time . She pretended to be normal. She pretended to be happy. She pretended she wasn't fucking destroyed inside.

Indeed, she didn't know who she truly was. She never knew exactly - Emma, the perfect daughter? Emma, the popular girl? Emma, the heartless bitch? It got even more complicated now a freaking werewolf curse was added to the equation.

"Fuck you too, Abi," Emma threw the bottle against a wall, smashing it into pieces.

"Emma?" A familiar voice made her turn around. Her boss was standing behind her, with her arms crossed.

"Addison? What are you doing here?"

"I heard you always come here when you're upset. And I assumed this meeting with the other counselors wouldn't end well."

"It didn't," Emma told, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "But it was no big deal."

"Emma, we need to talk."

The woman lifted up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing a tattoo on her upper arm. The phases of the moon. It had a beautiful and delicate design.

"Have you ever seen this before?" Addison asked.

"No," Emma said. "It's beautiful. Does it have any meaning?"

"Moon phases, Full Moon… does it mean anything to you?"

"Wait! Are you also a… No. You can't be."

"Werewolves do not thrive on their own," Addison sat down and invited her to do the same. She started explaining. "They tend to search for a pack, even unconsciously. And they can smell each other. I knew exactly what you were from the moment you entered the diner."

It explained everything. Addison never asked any questions about Emma's past when she did the job interview. She never questioned her absences, her mood swings or the days she was feeling terribly sick.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Emma asked, angry and frustrated. "For the last two years, I had to face it all alone. I had no one to talk to or to answer my questions."

"I was waiting for the right moment," Addison told. "Otherwise, you'd have ran away and I needed to keep track of you. I knew Jenna and Ben were helping you and I'd interfere if I had to. I failed once. I won't make the same mistake again."

"The Hackett's?"

"Yes, we had no idea. It only came to our knowledge when the incident happened. We had no idea about this wolf named Silas."

That was what happened to a lone werewolf, Emma thought. Silas was caged and used for human entertainment. Nobody knew about his existence. Nobody even tried to help him. Until he met the Hackett siblings, who had absolutely no idea of how to deal with the situation and ended up infected too.

"You can join my pack, Emma. You'll be marked as one of us and live by our rules. You'll have friends, a family. During the Full Moon we reunite at this big rural property to transform together. It's not lonely or painful. It can even be fun."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think this can get any fun or pleasant. I feel awful!"

"Because you're doing it wrong. Locking yourself in the basement? Restraining yourself with metal chains? Sedatives?"

"You don't understand! This curse wasn't supposed to be mine. I want to break it. I don't want to be a monster for the rest of my life."

"You're not a monster. You're a werewolf. Lycanthrope. Call it as you want, but don't call yourself a monster."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. Addison made it sound so easy, so simple. Would she think any differently if she had witnessed the incident at Hackett's Quarry?

"It can be different, Emma," Addison placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come with me in the next Full Moon. Get to know us. It will change your mind."

"I've made my choice," Emma said. "But I'll think about it."

At first, it was strange to enter the diner again and face Addison, after finding out she was also a werewolf. But now, Emma was enjoying having someone to talk to, someone to answer all her questions. She was even taking some extra shifts at the diner to spend more time with her boss.

"How did that happen?" She took the opportunity they were alone in the kitchen to get to know more about the condition they shared. "How could I use my werewolf strength without transforming?"

"You felt threatened and it connected you to this other part of yourself," Addison told. "If you were more attuned to your werewolf side, you'd be able to make use of your abilities voluntarily."

The noise of the door opening interrupted their conversation, Emma went to check if they had any customers but she was caught by surprise when she noticed who was standing at the diner's entrance.

"Abi? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Emma. Can we talk?"

"Of course."

She asked Addison's permission to end her shift a little earlier. They followed to Emma's apartment, where they sat on the couch to talk. Abi looked tense and nervous.

"This is going to be a difficult conversation, I suppose," Emma broke the silence. "Maybe I should get us something to drink."

"Water is fine," Abi said.

Emma agreed, bringing her ex-girlfriend a glass of water. Abi drank it all in one sip, as she was gathering strength to ask that question.

"Is it true what you said at the party?" She finally asked. "Are you really a…"

She couldn't finish the sentence. The word wouldn't come out.

"Yes," Emma answered before she finished. "I record every transformation. I can show you if you want."

"N-No. I can't see that. Not again."

Emma couldn't judge. She felt bothered herself when she watched those videos. Even two years later, she still hated seeing herself as a monster.

She changed the subject. She asked about Abi's mental health. The girl was doing better now. Her PTSD episodes were becoming more rare and the memories were less triggering.

"I was even able to speak to Nick at the meeting," Emma felt a hint of jealousy in her chest. "I apologized for that occasion in the park. I was a mess."

"I'm glad for you, Abi," she forced a smile. "At least one of us is being able to move on."

"Maybe someday you'll do too. I mean, there must be a way."

"This is what I've been trying to find out in the last two years."

"Goddammit, Emma," Abi said with some anger. "You hid this from me. From us. You were suffering in silence. On your own. For two years."

"It was my problem to take care of," Emma told. "Everyone was already carrying their own baggage. It didn't feel right to ask for help."

"But you're not alone now…" Abi rested her hand on Emma's knee. "Not anymore."

"Breaking up with you was the hardest thing I've ever done. But I was afraid to hurt you. After all, like you said, I'm a…"

"You're not a monster, Emma."

"No?"

"No."

Abi pressed a kiss on Emma's lips. Emma retributed by placing a hand on her neck and pulling her closer.

"I missed you so much," Emma smiled when they parted.

"I missed you too," Abi smiled back, as her hand stroked Emma's hair.

"So," later, in her bedroom, Emma played with Abi's hair while she was still lying in her arms. "Jenna must be home already. How am I supposed to explain this to her? I mean… where do we stand?"

"I'd like to take it slow, if you don't mind," Abi answered with a sigh. "I'm not fully recovered yet, Emma. And I still don't feel ready to face… you-know-what again. Not so directly, if you know what I mean."

"I thought you said we'd be doing this together ."

"As friends. I'm not ready to be your girlfriend again yet, until…"

"Until we fix the problem."