I heard the wind rustle the leaves of the tree I was napping under at school.
Even though the bell didn't ring, I figured it was time to stop napping and return to class.
I opened my eyes to see a dark sky with a full moon shining, lighting up the sky.
"Wow, the moon's really bright tonight … Oh crap, I overslept and missed my whole first day!!!"
Quickly jumping up in a panic, I grabbed my school bag, ready to run home, hoping I could sneak in unnoticed and that the school hadn't called my parents.
I quickly rubbed my eyes and looked around, trying to get my bearings.
When I looked around, in every direction, there was nothing but trees.
"What the hell, where am I?!"
Where is my school? How did I end up in a forest? I know I'm new here, but being this lost is ridiculous.
Realizing that I have no idea where I was didn't leave me with much of a choice.
I guess I'll just head in one direction and hope I can get back to civilization somehow.
A twig snapped under my foot, its sound echoing through the quiet forest.
I quickly looked around to see if there was anything in the tree altered by the snapping twig but didn't see anything.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I began walking again.
Somewhere in the dark, a twig snapped.
Looking over my shoulder, I could see a pair of hazel eyes staring at me through the tree line, below them white fangs glowing in the moonlight.
A large, towering black wolf stepped out from the tree line, its large size making even the largest bear look small.
Turning my head back quickly, I began to run screaming.
"Please don't eat me!!!"
I made it a few steps before I felt claws piercing my back, sending me to the ground. The wolf's paws held me down as its jaw clamped down on my neck and shoulder.
"Aaagh—!" The sound ripped from my lungs before I could stop it. White-hot pain exploded through my body, leaving me writhing.
My vision faded as my consciousness slipped away.
Well this is it, I guess, I thought to myself, looking up at the bright moon. At least the night sky was pretty to look at before I closed my eyes and faded away.
I came to with a sharp breath entering my lungs.
Panicked from my attack, I attempted to push off the ground with my hands quickly in case another attack was coming.
Forgetting my injury, my arm gave out, and I face planted into the ground.
Damn, I need to move. Who knows what else in this forest could be out to get me, and being a sitting target isn't going to increase my chances of survival.
Struggling with all my might, using my one good arm, I managed to push myself onto my knees, taking a moment to catch my breath.
I can hear whatever else is in this forest scurrying about much better than before.
I didn't feel any danger close enough to me to worry about running at the moment, so I took my time rising to my feet.
It was still night when I awoke, the moon shining down even brighter than before.
Beginning to take some steps forward, I felt the pain from that beast's bite with each step.
I won't make it very far with the little strength I have. I need to find some help.
Leaves rustled behind me, twigs snapped as if someone was slowly trailing my every step, watching and waiting for me to drop dead.
"Show yourself!"
I yelled with all my strength, hoping to scare off anything or anyone that might be following me.
Losing my strength, I dropped to one knee, unable to move forward, when I heard it in the distance.
The howl of a wolf in the distance echoed throughout the forest.
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
I could hear my heartbeat echoing louder and louder, speeding up every second.
My wound is burning hotter than before, the heat spreading through all of my body, radiating into my stomach, creating an intense flame.
Every sound around me is intensifying every creature's heartbeat, echoing in my ears.
Every smell is stronger than before.
I can sense all the creatures moving around in the forest near me.
Looking down at my hands, my nails seemed to be growing into claws.
A guttural howl in my throat attempted to claw its way out.
"What is happening to me?"
My teeth clenched, I pulled myself to my feet, and began to walk again.
With each step, I can feel my body getting hotter and hotter, but I have to keep going, I have to find help or I'm going to die in this forest.
Distracted by the feeling of my body burning up, I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking.
I felt my feet slip out from underneath me.
"Shit!!!"
I screamed as I began sliding down a steep hill with no chance to stop the fall.
Looking down and seeing that I was headed for a rocky riverbed, I did everything I could to slow my descent.
Clawing into the ground as hard as I could to stop myself, I managed to slow down enough to try and jump, hoping I could make it to the other side of the river without getting swept away.
Knowing this was my one chance, I mustered all my strength, the burning feeling in my stomach flooded into my legs.
I need to time this just right, or I'm done for.
"Now!!"
I pushed with all my might and soared across the riverbed, crash landing on the other side of the river.
My body slid on the ground of the riverbank, unable to stick my landing, and my body tumbled like a ragdoll before coming to a stop on the riverbank.
I couldn't even attempt to step back up, all my energy was drained from my body.
Even the burning feeling in my stomach had begun to fade away.
I looked down at my legs, hoping they weren't broken from the fall.
What I saw was some type of half-wolf, half-human legs.
Panicked, I rolled flat onto my back and lifted my hand to my face.
"Why do I have claws!?!"
Please tell me I don't have a tail.
I took one good arm and reached my lower back, feeling nothing, not even a bump.
"Well, that's good, I don't think this day could get any worse".
To my right, a glowing blue light emerged from the tree line.
"What now?"
Unable to move using all my strength in the jump, I just had to hope that whatever was coming was friendly.
The sound of soft footsteps getting louder when a hooded figure stepped out from the tree line next to where I was lying.
A timid female voice came from underneath the cloak.
"Are… are you okay?"
Do I look okay?
Now is not the time for sarcasm, Tatsumi.
"Help me, please."
Reaching out my hand, forgetting about the beast claw that had replaced my normal hand.
She jumped back in fear, her hood falling off her head, revealing a teenage girl with long blue hair and shimmering blue eyes.
A blue staff appeared out of thin air, she quickly grabbed it and pointed it at me.
"Stay back, beastman!"
Her face turned serious despite her staff trembling in her hands.
"Please, I am not a beastman, I was attacked, I don't know where I am, a wolf bit me, I don't want to die."
The young girl bit her lip, mulling over her decision of whether or not to help Tatsumi.
"Fine, I'll help you, but don't make me regret this beastman."
The staff in her hands lit up as she muttered something in a language I've never heard of before.
The water in the river began to glow, and an orb of water lifted from the river, floating over to my body, resting itself on my bite wound.
A cooling sensation permeated through my wound.
Any remaining pain from the attack faded away, my body finally began to relax the adrenaline from almost dying started to wear off.
Exhausted, I closed my eyes and began to fade away.
"Watch out for the black wolf."
A shocked look of panic fell over the girl's face.
"The black wolf has returned?"