WEREWOLVES NO.1 || Unchained ✔️

11; going out

after the dream, Rhi couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. it was 2:30 am and she felt like staying up and researching more about werewolves. she stayed far, far away from the topic of lycanthropy this time, instead researching about Evergreene and finding out if the place in her dream was real or not.

unfortunately, it wasn't, but Rhi wasn't so surprised. it almost seemed too good to be true, what that mysterious Grey person was saying. and she still didn't quite understand who Malice was, but from what Grey said he sounded extremely evil.

and he turns innocent people into werewolves, just like you... her subconscious whispered, and Rhi shivered, suddenly feeling very cold. she shut off her phone and decided to lay back in bed. it seemed pretty official now. she was a werewolf, and she had a feeling that she had been turned on the night of the party. it was too obvious.

but who was she supposed to talk to? no one would possibly believe her, and she would just get sent to a mental hospital instead, since her mom or basically anyone would think that she was diagnosed with lycanthropy...

"shut up, just shut up!" Rhi growled to herself, and she rubbed her temples. there was no point in getting herself worked up. she could figure out a way to cure herself, and maybe talk to someone about it.

because for all she knew, it couldn't be good to bottle up werewolf emotions.

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the next morning, Rhi did the unthinkable and skipped school. she told her mom that she wasn't feeling well, and had stuck a thermometer in hot coffee for fake proof. Jenny bought it, and called the school to say that Rhi wouldn't be attending today.

and now Rhi was home alone, eager to find someone that would help her.

she received three texts from Amber, of course asking where the hell she was, but Rhi just responded with a "🤢" emoji and carried on.

Rhi wondered if anyone in town would be able to help her.

she left the house and locked the door behind her, and with no other means of transportation she was forced to walk. fortunately, the travel wasn't very far, and she was walking fast but didn't need to pace herself like she used to do.

once she got into town, Rhi breathed in a wide arrangement of smells, hoping they wouldn't overwhelm her like they did the other day at the mall. feeling distracted, she followed the scent trail of a stray cat and found it in an alley, rooting through some garbage. she growled at it, and it yowled and ran off.

this must be what it feels like to be a dog.

"focus, Breckholm. you can't keep chasing stray cats all day. you have a mission," she muttered to herself as she walked away from the alley and continued along through town. she couldn't believe it; she had newfound super senses and the first thing she did with them was to track down a stray cat and scare it. the irony.

after ten minutes of searching, Rhi found a psychic parlor almost hidden between two office buildings. the glowing neon green sign above the door read, Madame Moone's Psychic Readings, $5 per reading.

Rhi was lucky that she had brought her wallet with her, or else she'd have to walk all the way back to the house and waste time. she couldn't stay in town too long anyway.

she pushed the door open, and the bell above the door jingled loudly and announced her sudden arrival. there were no other customers inside, and it didn't look like there had been for a very long time. suddenly, a woman in her late 20s with hair the color of pearls stepped out from behind the beaded curtain in the far corner of the store. "hello there, welcome to my parlor. i haven't had a visitor in a very long time.

Rhi nodded. "yes hi, um i need your help with something..." her voice trailed off when she noticed the woman's outfit; she was wearing a long, gold trimmed and black colored robe that went down to her ankles, and golden colored sandals. both arms were covered with small tattoos and large golden bracelets, and her neck was adorned with at least five different necklaces.

"help? you're gonna have to be more specific, dear. i don't get paid for cloudy readings." her voice wasn't snappy, but very calm and reserved.

"oh, right. where can we do the readings?"

"in here. follow me." she disappeared back into the dark room behind the beaded curtains, and Rhi quickly followed her and pushed through the beads, leaving them clacking loudly behind her. once she stepped into the room, she saw Madame Moone already sitting down in a green sofa in front of a table full of tarot cards and candles. there was another green sofa across from Madame Moone, so Rhi sat there and awaited her reading.

Moone began to gather the assorted cards and fanned them out. "you ever done a tarot reading before, hon?"

"n-no, i haven't. i'm just really curious about it, i guess," Rhi said with a nervous smile.

Moone didn't respond, instead fanning the cards out in front of Rhi with quick precision. "close your eyes and hold your hand out in front of the deck. then choose any card that you first touch."

Rhi closed her eyes, the held her hand out and picked out a random card without opening her eyes again.

"open your eyes, child. look at the card you have just chosen," Moone said with a small smile, and Rhi opened her eyes and gasped when she saw the card she had chosen. it had thick gold trim around the edges, and there was a full moon emblazoned on the card. the white of the moon shimmered in the candlelight.

"what does this even mean?"

"well, usually the people that choose the full moon card are undergoing a serious inner battle, and the battle is involving you and your inner self."

"my inner self?" could she be onto what Rhi was becoming?

"yes... uh oh, i'm sensing some major tension now. are you... in conflict with your inner self?"

Rhi frowned. "well, over the last few days i have been, but i need to ask yo-"

"sorry, but you'd have to pay me another $5 to hear the rest of your reading," Madame Moone interrupted with an almost apologetic look on her face.

Rhi has an extra $5, but there was no way she would be spending more on this lady. "nevermind, but i think i've heard what i wanted to hear. you have a good day ma'am."

"you too, child. and i wish you luck on your next full moon."

and that very sentence made Rhi realize that the physic knew she was a werewolf.