Lana finally forced her eyes open, petrified of the unknowns of what had just happened to her—and what the fallout might be from it. She gathered her strength and courage as she prepared to face her new circumstances… and herself. Laying here in the dark ignoring her predicament wasn’t going to magically change it, and if she wasn’t brave enough to figure out what to do next, certainly no one else was going to do it for her. 

The first thing she noticed was how the room didn’t seem nearly as dark as it had before. Not quite like a light had been turned on, but more as if the darkness just didn’t seem as dense. 

The second thing she noticed was the smell. Or, rather, the overwhelming plethora of smells. There was a strong mixture of salty sweet, a spicy cologne, something very earthy and reminiscent of cloves, cleaning supplies, laundry soap, and some sort of berry scented air freshener—though there were so many other less potent odors in the background as well. The sheer influx of input to her nose was overwhelming. 

Her mind was beginning to clear, though her thoughts came in quick, staccato flashes as opposed to fully conceptualized ideas.

Lana took a deep breath and immediately wondered at the feeling of it. It was wrong, though, not unpleasant. It actually felt deeper somehow, as if her lungs were fuller or getting more out of the oxygen than they normally would. The sensation of it moving through her nostrils was foreign.

She uncurled her body, and her eyes traveled down to her hands… which had been replaced by a large pair of light-colored paws. Sure there was a mistake, she moved her arm, and the long, tawny leg in front of her moved too. Her heart thudded in her chest, which was now wide, flat, and covered in fur. 

Searching frantically around the room, she spotted the door to an adjoining bathroom. In a motion that felt both completely unnatural and strangely normal somehow all at the same time, she jumped off the bed and ran towards it—trying desperately to ignore the fact she was on all fours while doing so. 

Lost…my mind. Not real, her confused brain screamed as she fought back the all consuming fear and disbelief. 

It was a small, uncluttered bathroom, but all she cared about was the mirror. She had to see. She raised herself up on her hind legs, unable to fully comprehend she now had hind legs, and anxiously peered into the the glass.

Staring back at her—where a petite, fair-skinned, freckled teenage girl should have been—was a narrow, wolfish face. It was covered in thick fur, the color a muted yellowish brown. The long snout opened, lips curling up to reveal sharp, white teeth, and she snapped it shut in terror. The only thing recognizable as the girl she had always been were her eyes. They were wolf eyes, and the color was hard for her to determine because everything seemed duller, more washed out. But they were somehow Lana. 

The horror of it all welled up inside her, and she let out a pitiful cry, which came out a high-pitched whine. 

Must…out.

But how? The door was locked and she didn’t exactly have opposable thumbs anymore. She hurried from the bathroom and looked around frantically. 

The window. It was open just enough to be able to get her head under it. She pushed it up further and assessed the screen. It would have to be a casualty of her escape. Fortunately, the window opened out onto an upper level porch that wrapped around the majority of the house, and she hurled herself through the mesh and onto the piazza.

All was quiet on this side of the house, and she bolted around the corner, hoping for more of the same—and maybe some exterior stairs. Her heart sank as she found a large crowd of people gathered at the front side. 

There was a scream as a group of three girls caught sight of her and all heads turned in her direction. A mixture of shouting and blaring music filled her ears, which were far more sensitive now, and she winced against the barrage of noise. 

No stairs, but she spotted an open door and knew it was her only shot. Ignoring the startled cries of the now-completely hammered party goers, she pushed her way through the crowd, eyes only for her escape route. People shrieked and jumped back, and cold, sticky liquid rained down on her as numerous drinks spilled as she passed. 

Lana made it to the door, and then Dylan was right in front of her. 

“Hey, everyone okay? I heard screaming and I’m looking for my—”

He stopped in mid-sentence, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of her. Every instinct told her to push right past him, but the part of her that was still Lana couldn’t do it. Not that he had any idea it was her, but a friendly face suddenly seemed like the only thing powerful enough to keep her tethered to reality at the moment. She stared up at his dark figure, feeling as if he were her last salvation.

“Whoa there, how did you get out here?” He held out his hand tentatively. “It’s okay fella, I’m not gonna hurt you. Just don’t bite my face off please…”

A glass bottle shattered beside them.

“Get that monster out of here!” a girl shrieked. 

“Hey, careful! It isn’t hurting anyone!” Dylan shouted, hand still outstretched.

But his cries were ignored, and five big guys advanced in Lana’s direction, none of them looking very friendly.

Terror welled up inside her and her nerves vibrated through her like an earthquake.

Wondering if she would ever see him again, Lana threw one last longing look at the only real friend she had ever made, and then bounded past him and inside. The bright lights hurt her eyes as she sped down a hallway and then down the staircase she had stumbled up earlier. 

More shouts and screams surrounded her and beverages splashed down on her, soaking into her fur. 

Exit, must… find… out.

There, finally. The front door.

Bodies jumped out of her way as she dashed towards it and chaos rang in her ears.

A massive man appeared and his eyes widened when he caught sight of her, though he didn’t seem nearly as surprised as everyone else. He was far older than anyone here, but she didn’t have much time to puzzle it out or care. Probably an older brother or parent or something. She just hoped he would let her pass without altercation. Mauling a random stranger was certainly not on her to-do list this evening.

Fortunately, he stepped back and swept a gentlemanly hand as if ushering his date for the evening through and not a large, wild animal. 

There was no time to wonder at the strangeness of the gesture; she needed to get out of here and away from everyone and everything until she figured out what in the hell she was going to do now. 

More screams and cries went up into the night as she fled past the parked cars and towards the dark, looming trees of the thick Darkwood. She normally would have been terrified to be out here, all alone with the creatures of the night; but now, she realized with far greater terror, she was one of them.