The skywas blood-red. Smoke curled in the distance, fire crackled and shadows moved quickly between trees. Lucas could barely make out faces, only voices. Someone was running very fast and was holding a baby wrapped in black cloth.
"Take him! Go! They've breached the Southern line". A woman said in a breathless state.
"I won't leave you! We stay together!" A man said amidst the noise in the woods. The baby continued crying.
"He's not normal! You know what he is. If they find him, they'll kill him!" The woman said in a teary voice as her breath increased.
Just then, they heard some footsteps approaching them in a haste.
"Shit! They're close. Where's the portal? Where's it?!" The man asked.
A growl, deep and guttural breaks through the woods. The ground rumbles. Lucas sees glowing yellow eyes, sharp fangs and sharp claws. The man turns and runs holding the baby close.
"You have to survive! You're the last hope. Forgive us!" He whispered to the baby who was still crying. Just then, there was a flash of light....
Lucas opened his eyes immediately. He was sweating profusely. He was also breathing very fast. He got up from the bed and turned off the blaring alarm clock. He sighed. Then, he walked to the mirror and looked at himself in it. He noticed that his eyes were green. He sighed. He looked at his nails, they were long, his palms too were broad. He began to feel very hungry all of a sudden, then he yawned. He noticed that he had fangs.
"What the.." He said to himself as he touched the fangs. "This is bad. I can't go outside with this!" He said to himself. Just then, his mind flashed back to the dream he just had. He remembered the fangs, sharp claws and glowing eyes. He was experiencing the same thing. "Werewolf. I'm a werewolf not a demon!" He said to himself....
**************
Lucas arrived at the dining table wearing a face mask. Everyone wondered why he was wearing a face mask when it wasn't the period of COVID. Nanny Doodlehead knew what he was hiding, she guessed he had developed fangs!
"Lucas Thompson! What's with the face mask?" His mother asked.
"Just felt like having something different, something that the other students at school didn't wear". He lied.
"Face mask is too boring and weird to someone as popular as you!" Mariam said.
"You look good on it son". His father said. Everyone became quiet. Then they continued eating. Lucas then fixed his gaze on Nanny Doodlehead who was staring at him. Then he sighed.
"Is she supposed to stand over there while we eat? Doesn't she have something else to do?" Lucas asked as he lifted the edge of the face mask slightly, just enough to slide food into his mouth. He chewed very fast. He was so hungry.
"Uhh, Doodlehead, you can leave. We're okay. Thank you". His mum said.
"Okay ma'am". Doddlehead replied as she left for her room.
Mariam watched her brother as he ate very fast like a hungry beast even with the face mask on. She was startled.
"Lucas, are you okay? This is unlike you. You don't eat like this". She said. Their parents looked at him. Then, he looked at everyone.
"Uhh, I'm so hungry. I mean, I didn't really eat much yesterday". He replied.Then, his parents continued eating. Marian watched her brother as he ate very fast.
************
Lucas and Mariam arrived at school at 07:23am. The hallway was filled with students and the sounds of lockers. Lucas felt like his head was spinning because he was able to hear almost everything that was happening and all that people talked about. He walked to his locker and leaned on it, closing his eyes. Then, he took in some deep breaths. Just then, someone walked up to him.
"Yoo!" The person said. Lucas turned to look at who it was. It was Philip.
"Sup?" He asked. Philip laughed.
"Why do you have a face mask on?" He asked.
"Having cough and catarrh". Lucas replied.
"Ohh, sorry about that". Philip replied.
"Yeah, all good". Lucas said. Just then, the others walked up to them. Phoebe was frowing her face and didn't want to look at Lucas. Lucas sighed.
"Hi Philip, hi Lucas". Annabelle said.
"Hey". Philip and Lucas said in unison.
"Lucas, you good?" Max asked.
"Yeah". Lucas replied.
"Why do you have a face mask on?" Annabelle asked.
"Cough and catarrh". Lucas said. Just then, he began to feel very hungry.
"You don't apologise to your friends?" Phoebe asked as she fixed her gaze on Lucas. Everyone became quiet.
"I'm sorry about yesterday guys, was having a bad day". Lucas said.
"It's all good bro". Max said.
"We're cool". Annabelle said.
"Cool". Phoebe replied.
"Uhh, does any of you have something I can eat? I'm kinda really hungry right now". Lucas said. The others stared at one another.
"Since when did you start eating at school in the morning?" Annabelle asked.
"Today, I really didn't eat much yesterday and didn't eat before coming to school today". He lied.
"Wow". Phoebe said.
"I think I have a beef jerky". Max said as he checked his bag for the snack.
"For real?" Lucas said.
"Yeah". Max replied as he brought out the beef jerky from his bag and handed it to Lucas.
"Thanks a lot man. I'll see you guys later". Lucas said as he dashed out of the hallway. The others looked at Philip. He shrugged and his hands were subtly raised in mock surrender. Then he shifted his gaze elsewhere, distancing himself from them without saying a word..
Lucas arrived at the males bathroom and flung his bag on the floor. He glanced around to make sure no one else was watching. Then he heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't sight anyone in the bathroom. He pulled down the face masks revealing the sharp fangs he had been hiding all day. From the pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a stick of beef jerky. He tore the wrapper open like a starved animal, sunked his teeth into the dried meat and moaned low, eyes fluttering shut as he chewed aggressively.
"God! This stuff is magic!" He said to himself biting down with a ferocity that made the plastic wrapper crinkle under his grip. Just then, a voice echoed from one of the stalls.
"Bro! Are you eating like your life depends on it or is that a stuff made from heaven?!" The person said as he laughed.
Lucas froze mid-chew, jerky hanging halfway out of his mouth. He cleared his throat and mumbled.
"Mind your business man!"
A toilet flushed.
"Damn! Whatever it is, save me a piece!" The person said as he swung the door to the stall he was in and walked out of the bathroom checking around for who was eating.....
**************
Lucas sat on his seat in his classroom as he moved his body on the seat like he was uncomfortable. The History teacher, Miss Billie noticed the way Lucas had been moving on his seat and pretended not to notice. Philip had been looking at Lucas as he moved on his seat.
"Bro, what's wrong with you?" Philip asked in a low tone from his seat.
"I'm hungry man!" Lucas replied in a low tone.
"The fuck? I thought Max gave you a snack not quite long ago?" Philip asked keeping his tone low.
"That tiny beef jerky?" Lucas asked.
"Huh? That shit wasn't tiny! You and I know that". Philip replied.
"Lucas Thompson and Philip Walker. I see both of you understand this topic very well. Why don't you two come and teach us". Miss Billie said. Lucas scoffed.
"Uhh, no Miss Billie, I was just asking Lucas for a pen". Philip said. The teacher arched a brow.
"Yeah, what he said!" Lucas replied. The students laughed.
"Alright students, as I was saying...."
**************
It was lunch break. Lucas had been at the cafeteria before anyone else. He had eaten two full plates of spaghetti with meat sauce.
The cafeteria became filled with students who watched Lucas eat and gossiped as they passed. Lucas could hear what they were saying and didn't care. He just wanted to eat a lot of food and satisfy his hunger. Just then, Philip and the others walked up to him with their trays of food in their hands. Then, they all sat down and began to eat with their gazes fixed on Lucas who moaned as he ate.
"Lucas, what is wrong with you? Why are you eating like an animal?!" Phoebe asked.
"I'm super hungry Phoebs!" He replied. She scoffed.
"Take it easy man!" Max said.
"Even with the face mask, you're eating like there's no tomorrow!" Annabelle said. Philip was quiet. Just then, Gabrielle walked up to them and laughed when she saw Lucas eating. They all stopped eating and fixed their glances elsewhere. Lucas sucked his teeth.
"I can see that my ex or should I say, ex crush has a very irritating way of eating". She said as she smiled.
"Can you guys please tell her to leave here!" Lucas said.
"Uhh, Gabrielle, Lucas doesn't want to see you or talk to you..." Philip said as Phoebe chipped in.
"Apparently, he thinks you're irritating, a dumbass and a weirdo!" She said. Gabrielle scoffed.
"Oh really?!" She said.
"Mhmm". Annabelle said.
"Lucas doesn't like you as a friend or the other way round, so stop disturbing his peace!" Max said. Lucas sighed.
"Lucas baby, I'll be back soon!" Gabrielle said. Then, she walked away. Lucas sighed.
"Thanks guys". He said.
"We gat your back bro!" Max said. The others shook their head. Lucas smiled.....