Full Moon Rising

One

The crunching sound of bone isn't exactly something you want to hear when you first wake in the morning. It had become my alarm clock, escaping my nightmares and making its appearance in my day. Wonderful. My therapist said the pills should help and yet, I feel the same. The same nightmares, same tremors, same everything. She hits me with the "it gets better with time" bullshit every session but I just tune her out. She says the same monologue every week. No wonder insurance is expensive, they know they're paying for crap.

I drag myself out of bed only to lay on the floor. Nothing about the first day of school is exciting, especially college. I didn't even want to go to college but here I am. They said it supposed to help you get a job and be successful and blah, blah, blah. I just feel like it's a waste of time and money.

My phone buzzes as my real alarm goes off. I suppose it's time I get ready and suck up my pity party. I force myself up and drag my feet over to the bathroom. As I turn on the light, a face I barely recognize looks back at me. The dull yellow eyes glare back at me, forcing me to blink and look away. I could wear my colored contacts, but not all year. They don't supply enough to use every day, especially since I don't need glasses anymore. They're for cosmetic reasons now and I'm too lazy to buy them online from cosplay suppliers.

It's cold out, so I wear my jeans and hoodie topped with my beanie and torn boots. I hate the cold and miss the south. The snow is not something I've adjusted to well, but Indiana is one of the only states that has a college for my kind. Can't complain, at least they accepted me.

After grabbing a pack of poptarts and my coffee thermos, I head out the door and stand for a second to breathe in the chilly air. My studio apartment was provided from the college and just a short walking distance to the campus. Most students take the shuttle, but I hate the idea of being crowded in a bus with smelly people and loud drunks. Also, knowing I'll be stuck in classrooms all day makes me want to get the freedom while I can. So, I walk.

It only takes me about fifteen minutes to make it to the front gate, the name of the school looming over me like some reminder of my current condition. I huff and continuing walking down the sidewalk. Other students are arriving, some stare, some ignore. The glances don't bother me anymore, if they stay as that, glances. I shove my headphones in and try to drown them out, but it's almost impossible to do. My senses are heightened now. The smell of curiosity, distaste, and fear clog my nostrils and almost make me gag. Then there's the familiar scents, those of my kind and some stuck in the same predicament just different shoes.

The campus is small, so it doesn't take me long to locate the administrative building. Not all students have to report to the dean of enrollment the first day but I'm a little special, I guess. Right when you walk up the steps and through the front door, there is a desk. Behind is a short, stumpy woman with fake nails and a lipstick shade not for her. She gathers my name and gestures to the door on the right. I knock twice.

"Come in."

I walk through the door and softly close it behind me. The room is rather large, with different chairs and tables with brochures, plants, and pictures. I didn't realize I was being stared at until I walked closer to the desk in the middle of the room. The woman sitting there looked tall, and intimidating. Not scary, just someone I probably wouldn't want to get on the bad side. She has her hands clasped and politely waits for me to sit. I walk over to the pair of chairs in front of her desk and chose one. She pulls out a file and begins looking through it. I see my name and picture on the cover.

"My name is President Helm. It's alright. I was giving you time to take in your surroundings before beginning. I know it must be unsettling being in a new place and registering new smells, so I try to be patient." She continues looking through my file. Her strong perfume reaches my nose and causes my eyes to water. Mixed with the hairspray holding her blonde hair in a tight bun, I feel overwhelmed immediately.