Territory

Sanity

Changkyun and I spent a lot of time together for the next few weeks. We would race each other every day to class just like we did when we officially met. I started to think we were dating but nothing was confirmed.

"Are you sure you want to go to the lecture with me? I mean you don't have to if you don't want to." I said.

"No no you really wanted me to go so, I'll be there." He said nervously.

"Is everything ok you've been acting weird all day?" He had been very agitated ever since this morning in English.

"Yeah I'm fine."

Maybe it was the weather, today was the worst day ever. Not metaphorically I mean physically. It was raining so hard students were slipping on the sidewalks outside and they still didn't cancel class. Anyways, it was now time for our late night lecture. Our English teacher gave us the option of going to one of her night classes to gain extra credit, so, I signed us up.

During the lecture I looked behind me to see what Changkyun was up to.

"Hey-- Changkyun?" I stuttered.

His skin was pale and sweat dripped from his forehead. He was breathing heavy while he clenched the corners of the desk.

"Are..you ok?" I asked.

He didn't answer.

"Changkyun?"

"Huh? Oh hey sorry." He mumbled.

"You don't look too good. Are feeling ok?" I was worried.

"Yeah I'm fine, just...tired."

"Maybe you should go see a nurse." I reached the back of my hand over to check the temperature on his forehead but he grabbed my wrist; rather tightly too. I was taken back.

"Ow Ch-Changkyun my wrist-" I flinched in pain. He quickly let go and put his hand under the desk; his eyes wide as if he were shocked by his actions.

"I'm- I'm so sorry. I- I gotta go." He got up out of his seat and ran to the door.

"But it's the middle of clas-" Before I could finish he had already left.

"Claire, would you mind telling me why your friend thinks it's ok to just up and leave during one if my lectures?" The professor asked.

"Um, he has a cold. Yeah it's just a cold....a-actually Miss may I be excused I also don't feel well?" I jumped out of my seat with my hand raised.

"Fine whatever I guess you two won't need the extra credit then." She huffed.

I ran out of the class and searched for Changkyun. He looked so bad I wanted desperately to help him.

It was so cold; the rain. My clothes were drenched and my teeth chattered.

"Changkyun!" I yelled. I ran further off campus; into the dense forest that surrounded the school. 'He wouldn't go out this far, right?' Finally I saw someone leaning against a tree.

"Changkyun?" I stuttered.

"Go away." He growled.

"Di-did you just growl?"

"Claire please go." He turned his face so I couldn't see it.

"Look Changkyun you need to see a doctor-" I pulled his arm so he would face me, but, what I saw, what was in front of me, made me regret that decision.

His canines where abnormally long and sharp and his eyes, his eyes glowed a brilliant gold. I heard a terrible scratching noise and glanced over at his hand. His nails grew like talons out from the tips of his fingers; easily slicing the bark from the tree. I couldn't think; my mind blank.

"Claire-" he looked up at me; a cloud of breath escaping between his sharp teeth.

I stuttered nonsense then quickly turned around and ran. As I sprinted across the wet grass I noticed a full moon high in the sky. It felt like something was chasing me so naturally I started to run faster until I reached my dorm hall. I swung the doors open and raced to my room. I unlocked the door and quickly closed it behind me; my chest moving fast from the fear and adrenaline.

"Um...." Yana mumbled. "I would ask if you're ok but I have a feeling I don't wanna know."

I wanted to tell her everything; tell her that the boy I fell for was a monster this entire time.

"I'm fine."

She just sat there and pondered. Her eyes said everything as they scanned my body. They had so many questions but she never asked any. She stood up and handed me a towel without saying a word.

"Thank you." I gulped and took it from her hand.

---
"Are you almost ready? I just want to see it already I've been waiting all summer for this movie to come out!" Yana yelled.

"Yeah yeah just let me put some mascara on first." I said and went to the bathroom mirror. As I pumped the wond in the tube of mascara something felt off. It was quiet, no, it was silent. Completely silent. "Yana?" I waited for a response. Nothing.

"Claire." Something whispered to me. I looked around. No one. "Claire." It whispered again. I slowly put the makeup down and gulped.

"W-who's there?" I mumbled.

"Claire over here." My eyes scattered everywhere; my heart beginning to race. What the hell is going on? "Over here Claire." "Claire" "over here Claire" "Claire over hear." Whispers flooded my head. "Please--stop." I begged, clenching my ears. "IM OVER HERE" I looked in front of me; in the mirror. "Oh god." Golden eyes looked back at me. Then, the mirror started to fog up and the eyes began to fade. I leaned in closer and pressed my ear against the glass. It sounded like there was a heart beat behind it. I slowly took my ear off and looked closely in the mirror; trying to rub the fog away with my hand. "Changkyun?" I whispered. All of a sudden a hand with claws slammed against it. The glass became like jello and the hand reached out and grabbed my face.
---
"Claire wake up! Claire!"

I shot up from my bed. I looked around. I was in my room. I was safe.

"What the hell is up with you?" Yana asked.

"What?"

"Claire, you were screaming. And look what you did to your sheets." She pulled the blankets off me. My eyes widened. They were all shredded, my sheets, ripped to pieces.

"What's happening-" I whispered.