Tares City

16. Chaos Under The Moon

NAOMI REID

Naomi sighs in annoyance as she presses the bell again. Leaning over the gas station counter, she tries to peer into the back room - But sees no one. With a groan, she presses the bell again, this time not letting up.

The high pitch dings of the little device sound throughout the store. "Alright, alright!" A male voice calls out from the back room. Naomi stops pressing the bell as a bored-looking teenage boy walks out. The young boy glares at her, "What can I help you with ma'am?" He asks with a heavy sigh.

"Sixty on pump eight," Naomi says to him placing her money on the counter. The boy takes the cash, moving at a snail's pace. "That all?" He asks after ringing her up. Naomi replies with an "Mhmm," Walking away.

Going to the pump, she starts filling up her car. As she waits, she glances around the gas station. The place quiet and lonely, with no sounds in the night. The little town of Clearmeadow was a far cry from the busy city of Tares – But it had its charm. Naomi's eyes fall on the trees across the road from her, admiring how tall they were – The bright lights of the gas station allowing her to see them clearly through the night.

Her phone beeps with a message from her aunt – The reason she was in Clearmeadow, to begin with. ''Thanks again for all your help darling!'' The text read. Naomi rolls her eyes at the message as she replies with a "no problem''.

Her aunt had called her on her last day off, roping her into a last-minute impromptu birthday celebration for her husband. Not wanting to decline and wanting a little distraction, she agreed to attend – Only to spend the majority of her time decorating and baking. Not exactly what she had in mind when she agreed to the party.

Once her tank is full, she heads to the driver's side door, digging in her purse for her keys as she walks. Feeling the sensation of someone watching her, she raises her head, looking at the shop. She'd expected to see the teen but there was no one at the counter. Her head darts around her surroundings, her hands now digging frantically in her purse. Finding her keys, she goes to the door - Hearing a crunch sound behind her. She spins around, dropping her keys in the process.

Naomi lets out a choked gasp, pressing her body against her car in fear. Across the road from her, between the thick trunks of the trees stood a large Lycan. She begins to hyperventilate as the beast takes slow steps toward her. Behind her back, her hands go to the handle of the door pulling it harshly. "Shit!" She hisses out, realizing she dropped the keys before she was able to unlock her car. She weighs her options, rationalizing that making a run to the gas station's store would not end well for her. Instead, she opts to slowly lower herself to the ground, her hands feeling around for her key - As she keeps her eyes trained on the beast.

It takes more steps towards her, its yellow eyes staring into hers. She noticed one of its eyes was dull in comparison to the other, making her wonder if the creature was blind in that eye. Its fur was mostly dark brown, with a few patches of light brown in between.

Tears begin streaming down Naomi's face as she struggles to find her keys. The beast tilts its head to the side slightly, watching her intently. Naomi's heart speeds up in fear, a sob escaping her lips – Thinking it was about to run at her. Instead, the Lycan turns around abruptly and runs into the trees. Not wasting any time, Naomi looks to the ground and grabs her keys. Unlocking her car door in record time, she hops in and speeds away.

As she speeds toward Tares City, she catches a glimpse of the full moon rising in the sky. She curses herself for being careless as tears continue to escape her eyes. She chides herself for not knowing about the full moon the entire drive.

~

YARA ROSEWOOD

"What do you mean you have different plans for her?" Vanessa asks as she runs to catch up with Marshall who was walking away from her. "We agreed we were going to let her go and carry on with the plan. It's not like she could interfere with anything we're going to do."