Lunar Bonds

Cast Out

The next week was difficult, as anyone would understand. Going to school and trying to pretend everything is fine ended up being harder than Willow initially realised. 

Finally, the end of the week arrived. Friday. 

The hallways of Greenwood High School buzzed with the usual chatter of students moving between classes. Willow navigated through the crowd, her backpack slung over one shoulder, trying not to think about anything to do with wolves.

The school day had been relatively normal for Willow, or at least as normal as it could be with the weight of her secret pressing down on her shoulders. She made her way into a particularly tedious history lesson, her mind drifting away from the teacher's monotonous voice.

Beside her, Arthur scribbled notes furiously, trying to catch up on the lesson he'd missed. Willow glanced at him, a small smile playing on her lips as she nudged him gently. "Hey, Arthur, mind if I borrow your notes later?"

Arthur scoffed. "Hah. As if." But a moment later he nodded and nudged her back. "Course."

Before he could reply, an uncomfortable sensation pricked at Willow's skin, a tingling that spread through her body like wildfire. Panic clawed at her chest as she felt the subtle changes beginning, her senses sharpening, and a strange restlessness taking hold.

"Arthur, I... I need to go," Willow stammered, her voice strained as she fought against the sudden surge of transformation. Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to maintain control, but the classroom walls felt like they were closing in on her.

Arthur looked at her with concern, confusion written across his face. "Willow, what's wrong?"

Willow glanced at Arthur, eyes filled with worry. Slowly, she rolled up her jumper to show the bite. 

Arthur tilted his head. "It hurts still? You should talk to your mom, she knows about herbs more than anyone."

A tremor of fear flickered in Willow's eyes. "I can't, Arthur. You know how she feels about the forest and the wolves. It's like I'm torn between two worlds, and I don't know how to navigate either."

A flicker of a smile on Arthur's face, and then it was gone. "I know it's not time to make a joke, but...you make it sound as if you're actually a wolf. It just bit you, and it's not that big of a deal. Seriously, you never fight with your parents anyway. Just talk to her."

Willow shook her head. He doesn't understand. Can she expect him to? She turned her attention back to the lecture, and tried to focus. The air thickened, and an invisible force tugged at her.

The tingling sensation intensified, and Willow felt a surge of fear wash over her. She couldn't control it, not now. The walls seemed to blur around her, her vision distorted by the impending shift. She felt Akira's presence in her mind, the soothing voice trying to guide her through the turmoil.

She clutched the edge of her desk, desperately trying to anchor herself in reality.

"Willow, are you okay? Seriously, don't joke." Arthur whispered, his eyes filled with concern.

"I... I don't know," she stammered, her voice strained. She could feel the shift beginning. Time to get out before it consumed her entirely.

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Willow gasped, her voice strained as she stumbled out of her seat, the commotion drawing the teacher's attention. She bolted out of the classroom, her chair scarping against the floor, ignoring the bewildered stares of her classmates and the teacher's urgent calls.

The hallway stretched before her, the world spinning in a whirlwind of sensations. Her body convulsed, and she struggled to maintain her human form. She could hear the echoing chaos of her surroundings, the panicked shouts and the hurried footsteps, but they all felt distant, obscured by the primal struggle within her.