Lycanthropy and Me: The First Semester(mlm)

Day 61. Wednesday, Waning Gibbous/Day 62. Thursday, Waning Gibbous

At first, Hunter thought he was going to be fine.

And then it became very clear that he wasn't.

While he stayed at the local clinic for observation, Hunter had slipped into his shift quicker than normal. The next day he remained in the cot, determined to do nothing but sleep as his body healed. But there was no rest. Only nightmares.

Every time he closed his eyes that night, Hunter found himself back in that cabin in the woods, and by sunrise, he never wanted to sleep again.

Day 61. Wednesday, Waning Gibbous

Late that afternoon, on the third floor of the Stetson building, beyond the rooms of the warring crochet and knitting clubs and tucked into a corner across from the rowing club's storage closet, an anime club meeting was taking place.

In the room, illuminated by the large projection of their show of the week sat thirty students, one uncle and son duo, two alumni, and a very, very tired werewolf. Between the dimly lit atmosphere, the crinkling bags of chips, and the hushed voices around, Hunter was on the cusp of sleep which he had been craving for days.

Upon returning to Redwood he had learned that details of his abduction had been reported to local law enforcement, shared with school faculty, and eventually trickled into rumor and suspicion among the students and staff of the university. Already known for his public meltdown, golf cart joyriding, and nearly being killed by a wolf, it was clear that Hunter Reeds was in fact, the most well-known student in Redwood. And he was sure it was turning him into a social pariah.

But he didn't really care about that. He just wanted sleep. As quietly as possible he slipped away from the clubroom, through the back door, and headed down the hall to the bathroom. Opening the door, he found three stalls. It was pleasantly warm and wonderfully unoccupied. He looked himself into the last one, slipped his hood on, and willed himself to sleep for a few minutes.

Resting his eyes turned into a twenty-minute nap, which didn't go unnoticed by his boyfriend, Grayson Lee.

Sitting with Ashley in the front row, Grayson looked back at Hunter's empty seat.

"He's been gone for a while..."

Ashley shrugged. "Maybe he just needs a little break." She glanced back at the projection on the wall. "Things have been so crazy. At least we have Christmas break coming up!"

"I wish we could do something before finals, though," Grayson replied, watching the screen as a group of girls began to get out of a car. "Get off campus and..."

He trailed off as the group on the screen moved towards the woods, already discussing their evening meal. As they began to put up a tent, Ashley's face lit up as she turned towards him.

"Go camping!" They both exclaimed.

It made sense. The club had been watching the slice of life show about a group of high school girls enjoying the outdoors for several weeks.

"Professor Garou mentioned that the wolves used to go camping," Ashley thought back to their orientation. "I bet there's a nice secluded spot nearby."

"This state has a bunch of state parks. I'm sure we can find something cheap. We can go on a weekend." Grayson concluded.

The two began to research on their phones before Grayson excused himself to go find Hunter.

The werewolf in question was roused from his sleep when Grayson opened the bathroom door. His scent cut through the cheap air freshener that blanketed the room. With a stretch, Hunter opened the door and slipped out. The automatic sensor went off as he exited the stall. Pretending that he had simply used the restroom, Hunter moved towards the sink. "Is the meeting over?"