Lycanthropy and Me: The First Semester(mlm)

Days 2-7, Waning Moon

Day 2-Tuesday-Waning

Fat raindrops dribbled down the window of Hunter's dorm room. The sky was wonderfully gray. Hunter gathered his things and headed to the showers. The hot water felt amazing. He would have stayed in the shower longer, but there were only eight stalls and a line was forming outside.

Hunter stopped at the mirror. His reflection showed dark skin, bags under his tawny eyes, brown bed head hair poking out from under a thin shower cap. Several beige scars crept up near his neck, disappearing beyond the neck of his t-shirt. As he brushed his teeth alongside a row of other students, Hunter felt an odd sense of community. He didn't know anyone in his dorm, but if they made eye contact they would exchange hellos and good mornings. People made space when they saw his crutches, no questions asked. The generally friendly mood was already helping him forget the previous day's chain of events.

He decided to splurge and have breakfast in his dormitory cafeteria. It wasn't as big as the main one, and the food was limited, but the smell of sausage was enough to get him to fork over his cash. He sat by a pillar, using it as a rest for his crutches. He paid for extra meat and eggs--one large breakfast was all he needed daily due to his small frame. Just as He shoveled a forkful into his mouth, a voiced called to him.

"Reeds?"

Hunter looked up, his mouth full. Standing across from him was a somewhat familiar face--Malcolm Dupereon. He also had a plate of mostly meat. "I didn't know you dormed in here." He smiled, sitting down. "I thought I smelled some kin."

Hunter chewed and swallowed. The taste of meat had overtaken his other senses. "Mm. Did you start classes yet?"

"Started on the seventh last week," Malcolm said, stabbing a sausage link. "Phased in an' out. Mine get real short in the fall y'see. But longer in the springtime."

"I'm just about done riding it out." Hunter enjoyed another two forkfuls of meat and eggs. "Mine can be long."

"Yeah? Like what, a day?"

Hunter felt a stab of jealousy. "Oh yeah, something like that..."

They wolfed down their food in silence for a moment.

"So..." Malcolm came up for air. "How big is your pack?"

"About thirty near me."

"Nice."

"You?" Hunter chewed.

"Mm." Malcolm gulped down his orange juice. "About the same. You know how it is. People move in, people move out."

"Yeah. People are always moving from one pack or tribe to another..." Hunter kept his gaze on his food.

"Can't wait until next week." Malcolm kept the conversation going. "Then it's goodbye cane!"

Hunter gave him a small smile, not worried about his teeth for once. "Yeah, same for these crutches." Phases aside, they could both be ecstatic about the coming week. The new moon approached--a point at which their Lycanthropic urges would dwindle down to near non-existence.

"Bless the new moon." Malcolm sighed. "Smooth sailing for the rest of the month for me! How about you?"

"Well..." Hunter scratched his head. There was no reason he couldn't be honest about his condition. "I start to get back pain when the full moon creeps up. Then I'm ticked off 24/7 until the half moon is back."

Malcolm nodded in understanding. "Same thing here! I'm a rage monster during big moon week! Aw man, I dunno how I'm gonna do it." He shook his head. "My Momma's worried about me. She's trying to come down here with a cage. I don't know how my roommate's gonna feel about that..."