I sat up from Rosa's bed and walked over to the window like a zombie. I stared up at the moon, seeing how beautiful it looked tonight. It was an a crescent shape and it felt like I could feel the moonlight beaming on my skin. Was I dreaming or awake? I wasn't sure because I'm sure I couldn't actually run to the moon no matter how badly I wanted to.

“Thalia?” I heard Rosa behind me but I ignored her. Her voice seemed to fade as I opened the jump and put one leg out. I jumped out and last thing I heard from her was a gasp since there nothing to help climb down. I just jumped from the window and landed on all fours on the cold snowy ground.

I knew I was dreaming but it seems so real. I was running towards the woods. I had to get to the moon, it was calling me. It has to be something important.. I was just running, strechting my legs that felt so stiff. I jumped over things that were getting in my way and felt free. I stopped when I saw a squirrel up in a tree and my mouth water up. I ran over to the tree and quickly climbed up to it. The squirrel tried to run away but I was quicker and I grabbed him by his tail.

I was about to lung my teeth into his fur and flesh until I heard something. My head snapped to the right and I saw my parents, Ander, and his parents running over. The squirrel squealed in my hands trying to break free and I was so confused.

“Thalia!” my mom cried up from the bottom of the tree. “Get down here!”

“Mom?” I questioned. I closed my eyes, trying to wake up from this dream since it scared me now.

“You're awake, Thalia.” my dad said, making my eyes snap open and they widen. “I know it felt like a dream but your really awake.”

“N-o, no—no I am dreaming.” I said as I looked at the squirrel in my hands and my stomach growled since I was hungry. My mouth parted as I breathed heavily and I wrapped my hand around his throat. He squealed violently but I ignored the begging. I was hungry and he looked so delicous right now.

“Thalia!” my dad yelled. “Stop it or you're gonna feel very sick in the morning.”

I ignored him. I plunged my teeth into the squirrel skin and ripped it out. The squealing and thrusting stopped as I bit into his flesh more. I could taste the meat on his body and his warm blood flowing into my mouth. The hunger was being filled. I rested my back against the trunk of the tree as I finished my meal before I continued running to the moon. I could still feel the moonlight on me and it wanted me to come to her. I would run for day, weeks, or years until I get to her.

I hadn't realized one of them climbed up the tree until Ander appeared. I jumped, bring my meal closer towards me and I bared my teeth as I growled at him. He held his hand up to show me he means no harm and my instincts of feeling threaten slowly left. He climbed next to me on the branch and just sat there.

“Hungry?” he asked, looking at the half eaten squirrel. He looked up at the sky for a second before looking back at me, “The moon calling you, isn't she?”

My eyes widen and I nodded quickly as I leaned towards him, “You can feel her to?” A bloody hand reached out and grabbed his hand, “Ander, lets go. Lets go to her together. She'll be happy if two Jaguars come. Please say you'll come with me.”

“Okay, I will Thalia.” he said, making me smile. “We have to go down though.”

I started to nod until I remembered our parents were down there. I looked down at them and I knew they would try to stop us. I could let that happen. I quickly got up, “No, we have to go from the trees.” I said, jumping over to the next tree beside the one were on.

“Thalia!” my dad yelled but I ignored him as I jumped from one tree to another. “Young lady get back here!”

“Thalia!” I heard Ander behind me.

I turned my head around grinning, “Hurry Ander or they'll catch us!”

“Be careful!” he yelled as he followed behind me. “Watch out or you'll—Thalia!” he screamed when my foot slipped from a branch and I started to fall. My arms were out to catch something but nothing did. I felt myself falling and my stomach turned. It was that same bad feeling when your sleeping and you feel like your falling.

I fell into a pair of arms though. My hand quickly grabbed onto whoever as a scream finally escaped my mouth. My eyes were squeezed tight as I leaned closer to whoever caught me. Whoever bent down and brought their hand up behind my head. That person brought my closer towards them with comfort.

“Damnit, Thalia! Don't do that again.” my dad said, rocking back and forth. “You could have broken you neck! Damnit!”

Shaking, I opened my eyes and brought my arms around him, “Daddy.” I cried out. I almost died.

*

When I woke up I had such a huge headache and my stomach turned. I quickly sat up and regretted it as fast as I sat up. My stomach turned and I started gagging. A arm came in view with a bucket. I grabbed it as I puked into the bucket. The same hands pulled my hair out of the way before chunks of whatever could get trapped in my messy hair.

After I was done I felt a little better but I still had a headache. My mom sat down next to me and I realized I wasn't in Rosa bed but theirs.

“What happened?” I asked her.

She sighed heavily, “Same thing that happens to all of us. You're body is slowly changing and knowing your sixteenth birthday coming. You thought you were dreaming last night when you left the house. Rosa woke us all up and we cashed after you. You were up in a tree about to eat a squirrel and refused to come down. You ate the squirrel.” she said as she moved the bucket and my looked turned to disgust. “Ander tried to get you down but you started jumping from trees to trees to get closer to the moon. You slipped and fell but your father caught you in time. You fell asleep again when we were walking back.”

Sighed heavily as I closed my eyes and brought my hand up to my hair. Slowly it all came back to my memory and I groaned, feeling ashamed of myself for losing control like that. “Why do I feel sick?” I asked.

“You're stomach still human, trying to get use to a new diet. After your first shift you're stomach will be ready for many different foods.” she said. “Right now it just feels like a bad hangover.”

“I'm never drinking then.” I said, making her chuckle. I opened my eyes and looked down at my arms where I saw dried blood. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as I turned my head away, “Ugh, this is scary!”

“I know, sweetheart.” she said. “It's always scary the first few times. I almost actually attack someone but my father stopped me in time. You just ate a squrriel.”

I looked at her with a pleading look as tears stung my eyes and quickly fell down my cheek, “I don't want this, mommy. I don't wanna wake up after turning and be bloody. I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't wanna blackout and lose control—”

She took me in her arms and comforted me as best as she could, “I know, Thalia. We're here to help you.” she said as pet my hair. “We're not trying to tell you what to do but only help.” After a moment she pulled away and wiped across my face, “You understand how serious this is getting, right?” she asked and I nodded. “This is why your father and I try our best to help you and Kavan. I know it sounds like we're just nagging but we're not. I didn't listen to my parents and I had a rough start. I was so lucky when I met your father to help teach me. Don't ever run away, okay?”

I nodded, “I won't, promise.”

She nodded also, “Good. Come on, lets get you into the shower.”

She helped me up from the bed and I realized I was naked. She wrapped a towel around me and we left the room. We went over to the bathroom and I jumped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. Not only did my hair look like a bird nest but dried blood was all over my mouth and cheek. I brought my hands up and saw blood under my nails.

My stomach turned and I ran over to the toliet before I puked.

*

I looked down at the ashy-gray looking spots on my light ebony skin. I touched them and they were smooth like my skin. My mom sat down next to me at the dinner table and placed a plate in front of me. I brought my hand up to my neck and rubbed where I noticed more spots were appearing.

“How do you feel, Thalia?” Peter asked me.

I nodded, “I'm better. Thanks for asking.”

We all started eating dinner. I tried not to picture the chicken on my plate as the poor squirrel I ate the night before. It felt awkward at the table being with the people who had seen me the night before act like how I was. I could feel their eyes on, watching me as if they were waiting for my next losing control.

There was a knock at the door and it felt like relief since I quickly sat up and offered to open it since it means getting away from the awkwardness. I walked over to the living room and opened the door. My eyes widen when I saw Rian on the other side.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered to him but I know if they wanted to they could hear me.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” he said. “After last night at the movie theater I got a little concern.”

“I'm fine. You can leave now—”, I said as I started to close the door but his hand stopped it.

“What is that on your neck?” he asked, leaning closer towards me and I quickly brought my hands up to cover them. I forget they were on my arm until he looked at them. Shit. “Are those bruises?” he asked coldly.

“No.” I quickly said. I started to close the door again, “Look Rian, you need to move and lea—”

“Thalia if anything happening here—”

“Just leave.” I coldly said. “You don't know anything about us so just leave.”

“Thalia, what's going on?” my dad said, coming up beside me. He looked at Rian with a hard look, “Who are you?”

“Dad, he's a friend from school.” I said. “Rian, this is my dad.”

Ander came up on the other side and I thought I left one awkward situtation but it just turns out there's another one.

“What are you doing at my parents house?” Ander asked coldly. “Scram.”

Rian eyes harden as he looked at Ander, “I was just making sure Thalia was alright.”

“Why wouldn't she be okay?” my dad asked and Rian looked down at my arms. My dad scoffed as he took my arm and pulled me behind him, “Like she said—you dont know anything about us so leave.”

“You're on my parents property. You can't sue if we shoot you if we feel threatened.” he said.

“My father the mayor, remember that.” Rian said. “Thalia if you need anything just come—“

My dad slammed the door on him and I finally swallowed the hard lump in my throat as I stepped back to face them. I shrugged, “What? We're not really friends.”

“Who is that kid?” my dad asked Rian instead of me and I rolled my eyes.

“Some stupid punk who tries to hit on Thalia. His name Rian Stark, he's Mayor Stark kid.” he said coldly, running his fingers threw his hair. “He's always causing trouble in town. Real troublemaker and a player with girls.”

“I don't want him near Thalia ever again.” my dad told Ander and I scoffed.

They both looked at me, “I don't want him around me either. You can discuss this with me please. I don't need Ander with me every second as if I'm some little kid who needs protectiont though. I go to school with him.”

My dad sighed heavily, “Thalia, hush—“

I breathed heavily out my nose, “I don't need a male to tell me what to do!” I yelled before I ran over towards the steps and up to Rosa's room. I turned on the bedroom lights and slammed the door shut. I went over to the window and sat down on the bench. I brought my knees up to my chest and stared out the window. I prayed to see Kavan walk down the road because I knew he would be on my side but he never did.

I saw Rian though. He got out his car from down the street and go close to the house. He waved at me like he was trying to tell me to come with him. My eyebrows furrowed together and I waved at him to go away. He shook his head and again told me to come with him. I remembered about his party tonight and he probably wants me to go there. Wait, if he's here and there's a party at his house...

After a few more moments trying to fight with him I finally gave him before he started to something reckless like knocking on the door demanding I come with him. I held my index finger up to tell him to give me a moment. I quickly changed into some jeans and a t-shirt. I grabbed my shoes and threw on my jacket.

I quietly sneaked into the hallway so no one would hear me as I walked over to the window in the hallway. I slowly opened the window, hearing everyone chattering downstairs. I bit my lower lip, my stomach turning but not because I was. Because I knew how much trouble I'll be in with my parents.

I saw Rian car and sighed heavily. I thought about last night and realized this is the last humans things I could do before I shift next weekend. I never been to a party before and I was always curious to what they were like. That only incuraged me to climb down the flower arch against the house and met Rian down the street at his car.

“You're a bad influence.” I told him.

He grinned, “You only live once, Thalia.” he said. “Gotta make the most of it.”