Moonlit Dangers

Chapter Eight

        I started my day by taking a long hot shower. I didn't know how my test would work out, and I wanted to enjoy at least one little thing beforehand. The water was hot and wonderful as it sluiced down my skin, and I had enjoyed every small droplet. Now I stood outside the door of what the guardians jokingly called the arena. It looked like any other door in the building; painted a drab gray color with a silver handle and a metal box for biometric scanning, but I knew that inside I would either die or kill something on purpose for the first time in my life. I was dressed in black yoga pants and a black ribbed tank top, both of which fit snugly to my skin. The tennis shoes I wore seemed garish for the occasion, a kaleidoscope of pink, blue, and green colors that had enticed me into buying the pair months ago. With me were Ana, Darla, and Kory. They all looked at me expectantly.

        "Are you ready?" Kory asked. "We can always postpone."

        "No. Don't postpone. I'm just psyching myself up." I said quickly. "Let's start."

        "Very well." He said, doing the usual scans to open the door. He walked in and gestured for me to follow. I looked back as I stepped forward, smiling quickly at Ana and Darla, who both wore sympathetic looks.

        "You'll do fine." Darla said. Ana just smiled grimly and gave me a thumbs up. They certainly wouldn't be winning any awards for being morally supportive, but somehow I still felt comforted. Kory took me by the elbow and walked me into a corner of the room. Once there, he handed me a katana sword that had been propped up against one of the walls. It was a thing of beauty; the handle made of ebony that was shiny and reflective. The blade itself balanced perfectly with the handle and it was evident that it was a work of love for it's creator just by looking at it's polished, oiled surface.

        "Don't try to fight it hand to hand."

        "What?" I said, startled. I stopped inspecting the katana and looked at Kory.

        "Listen to me." He said anxiously, grabbing me by the shoulders and looking into my eyes. "A lycan is fast, strong, and deadly. Always. Don't try to duke it out with the thing. Kill it as quickly as you can. Okay?"

        I looked at him askance, touched that he was giving me pointers. "You don't do this for everyone do you?"

        He shook his head slowly. "No. I usually send people in on their own and immediately leave to get the lycan. But...I don't want to see you killed. I offer you advice, even though I shouldn't, so don't make me regret it. Be the killer Elle."

        My eyes teared up. "I don't really know if I can do this." I murmured. I really hadn't ever harmed another creature unless it was on accident. The thought of actually killing something, even if it wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, made me nauseous. "The only time I ever killed an animal, I had run over a chipmunk sprinting across the road with my car. I swerved to avoid it, but it changed directions and ran right beneath my tire. After I felt the bump...I-I pulled over and jumped out of my car to make see if it was ok or if it could be okay, you know... if I took it to a vet immediately. But, it was dead. I cried off and on for a week." I stopped and took a shaky breath. I thought I might hyperventilate.

        "Elle!" Kory said, shaking me a little. I stared at him. He wasn't my friend whom I had kissed so passionately the night before, he was once again my near Neanderthal trainer. "We have to do this. If you can't kill a lycan, we can't let you go. You'd be dead within a week. And that's if you're lucky and don't change!" He let go of me and ran his hands over his face. "Look, I love that you are sweet enough to be empathetic. I like that you don't feel that taking a life, any life, is a small matter. But, this is not a chipmunk we are talking about. Kill it."