Skinwalker - Completed

CHAPTER 7

(Rylie's POV)

Rylie's eye bags became evident in the morning. She has dark circles under her eyes, and she felt so sluggish. She didn't sleep a wink because of the sounds she hears that night. The morning didn't get better. She still hears loud and clear, the birds and the rustling winds outside. She can also hear her grandma in the other room, getting ready. She can even hear the activities of other people around them. Someone is mowing their lawn, and she heard lewd noises from the other neighbors.

Rylie lifted her hands to try and cover her ears, but she suddenly stopped. She shook her head at what she's seeing! Her nails gradually grew into a claw! She shrieks loudly and fell down on her bed. A few seconds later, her grandma bursts open the door to her bedroom.

She quickly hid her hands behind her back. Her sweat came down on her temple and neck. And her heart is beating wildly against her chest.

Her grandmother will surely be horrified.

W-What is happening to her?!

"What happened, Rylie?" Her grandma Pep has a worried expression on her face.

She looked in her grandmother's direction. Rylie tried to lift the corners of her mouth, but it turned into an awkward smile. She was so nervous! Her grandmother can detect a lie on her if she ever did one! "I-I'm ok, grandma. I-I just fell off the bed."

Her grandmother looked at her skeptically. Grandma Pep lifted her left eyebrows. "Alright. I should head down and make breakfast. Come down to it, ok?"

She quickly nodded.

Her grandmother turned her massive form on Rylie to head downstairs. After her grandmother left. She looked at her fingernails again, hoping that it was just another hallucination, but it wasn't! The long claws are still there. She frantically looked around. She needs to remove this. She got up and found a nail clipper on her drawers. She started cutting them one by one, but to her amazement, they still grow back.

She shook her head in disbelief.

How did this happen?!

She reached for the Totem, but it doesn't tell her much anything on what to do. So she put it down on her table. She reads her father's journal repeatedly, but there was no explanation for how it happened. She sat on the edge of her bed, defeated. Her shoulders dropped then she put her hands on her head.

What did she get herself into?

She got up and went to her own journals. This is a perfect opportunity for her. Might as well put it to good use; with this, she can journal her journey throughout this whole phase! Then she remembers the transformation of a werewolf she saw in her father's journal. There was this pictogram depicting it!

Rylie felt a surge of excitement. She flipped through the pages until she saw it. Her eyes went wide, and she shook her head when she realized something. First, she touched the Totem, then recited that ancient word on the temple, and here she is with the claws of a werewolf!

No... No. No!

Just then, Rylie felt her mouth open on its own. She frantically went to a mirror to see what's happening to her. Her eyes grew wide when she saw her reflection. Her canine teeth grew 5 inches larger!

Shit!

"Rylie! Come down! The food is getting cold."

She heard her grandma walked up the stairs to her room. Her eyes quickly went to the door, and it wasn't locked. Her grandmother will see her in this state!

She runs to the door, and she was surprised that she has a speed of an athlete! She got to the door in a second, but she has to stop herself from crushing into it. She got into it at the last minute.

"Rylie!"

She began sweating again. She finds it challenging to use her hands with claws like this, but she successfully locked it as soon as the doorknobs started jiggling.

She exhaled a breath.

"Rylie! Why did you lock your door?"

"G-Grandma. I'm sorry, but can you leave the food? I---- "Rylie needs to think of an excuse, but if she says she's sick, her grandma will try to open her door. What excuse will she give that will make her granny let her off the hook. "I—I actually. I'm not hungry."

If she tells her grandma to leave the food outside, grandma Pep will surely try to come inside her room, and she doesn't want that to happen with her like this!

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah, sure." It was also hard to speak with these fangs. Her voice sounds like she was speaking in gibberish. It was hard to make her voice sounds clear.

"But it's still early in the morning. What did you eat?" She heard the doorknob jiggled again. "Come down and eat."

"I-I'm not really hungry, Grandma Pep. I swear." She heard silence on the other side of the door, then she heard her grandma exhaled a breath. Looks like her granny is giving up on persuading her.

She closed her eyes. Please. Just go down, grandma!

"O-Ok, but please eat something if you're hungry."

"Yeah. I will."

There was a doubt in her grandmother's voice, but then Rylie heard her go down the stairs. Exhaling a breath, she flops on the floor near the door.

What should she do?

Rylie felt like crying, but she decided to get up, square her shoulders, and start to jot down what's happening to her. She spends her time contemplating too on what she should do. Should she go back to Shasta Mountain? Are those people really a werewolf? Maybe they will be willing to help her?

She shook her head. Alyssa is one of those people. Will this blue-eyed woman get mad at her for still going to the forest even though she was warned?

Just then, Rylie's stomach growled. She put a hand on it and rubbed it in circles. She was hungry too. It's still early in the morning. What about lunch or dinner?

She needs to find a solution now, or her grandma will find out what she did. She can't hide being a werewolf with her claws and fangs like this!

She felt like throwing a tantrum. Then she remembers her father's research about the werewolf. She has proof right here! But if she just took a picture, no one will believe her. If she goes out like this, she will surely get shot. She will die before proving that her father's research is valid.

The best option for her is to go to Shasta Mountain and ask the Werewolf people to help her. Then before the eyes of other archaeologists, she will transform.

That's a good idea.

Rylie mentally pats herself on the back. A smile lit up on the corner of her lips. She narrowed her eyes and nodded. It's really a good idea.

She looked out of the window and opened it. She took a step back and stared at the space it created. Her petite frame could get through this. But could she survive the fall? She looked down, and she almost fainted at how high it is.

But she's a werewolf now. She will survive the fall. Isn't she? Rylie suddenly felt scared. Her hands started sweating again, and her heart began palpitating really hard. She gripped the window sill, fitted herself on the space on the window, and closed her eyes.

I'm sorry, mom. I'm sorry, Grandma.

That's the last thought Rylie had as she hurled herself off her window and plummeted down.