The Blood Moon Chronicles

Lawn of the dead

Another day at school, and another day dealing with Ethan and Benny's endless chatter about random things.

As Cass approached, Benny suddenly conjured a bouquet of flowers.

“Can I talk to you?” she asked Ethan.

“What’s up?” he replied.

Benny returned with a grin. “Great news—Della’s dog died.”

“And that’s good news?” Cass asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah,” Benny said, but then shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Forget it. Later,” Cass muttered, walking away.

***

“Cass!” Sarah caught up with her just as the school day was ending. “Can I borrow twenty dollars?”

“For what?” Cass asked.

“It’s for a good cause, I promise,” Sarah insisted with a smile.

Cass sighed, already impatient. “Look, I don’t have time for this right now, and I definitely don’t have twenty bucks,” she said, trying to slip away, but Sarah blocked her path.

“Cass, what’s going on?” Sarah pressed.

“Nothing. It’s just… it’s my first full moon since I was turned into a vampire. I’m on edge,” Cass admitted.

“Oh,” Sarah said softly. “I could stay with you tonight, if you want.”

“No!” Cass shouted, then quickly softened her tone. “Sorry, I just… I don’t know if I’ll transform or not. And if I do, the urge to kill—especially vampires—will be stronger. That’s what I’m worried about. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Sarah paused, thinking. “Well, I could stay outside, just to remind you I’m here to help.”

“You’re not going to drop this, are you?” Cass asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

“No. I ignored your struggles for too long. Let me help you.”

“Fine,” Cass sighed in defeat. “Whatever. Let’s just go. I have a lot of things to do before tonight.”

***

Here’s a continuation:

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Cass and Sarah walked together down the school hallway, the buzz of students slowly fading as the final bell rang. Cass felt the weight of the day dragging on her shoulders, and the looming full moon only added to her tension. She kept her eyes forward, trying to ignore the curious glances from passing classmates.

“So, what’s the plan?” Sarah asked as they stepped outside, her tone light but concerned.

Cass shrugged. “Just get home, lock myself in, and hope for the best.”

They reached the parking lot, and after a quick drive, they arrived at Cass’ house. The place was quiet, almost eerily so, the autumn leaves crunching underfoot as they walked up the path. Cass fumbled with her keys, her fingers trembling slightly, before finally getting the door open.

Inside, Cass tossed her bag on the couch and began to pace, unable to sit still. Sarah watched her, noticing the way Cass’s shoulders tensed, the way her jaw clenched.

“What does it… feel like?” Sarah asked hesitantly, leaning against the door frame. “To shift, I mean. Is it like, painful?”

Cass stopped and turned to face her, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s… hard to describe,” she admitted. “At first, it’s like this burning sensation in your bones, like every part of you is being pulled in different directions. It hurts, yeah, but it’s more than that. It’s like… losing control. Feeling something inside you claw its way out, and you can’t do anything to stop it.”