Enchanted Moon

Prologue

I woke with a jolt as a shrill scream erupted through my apartment building. My chest heaved as I forced myself into a sitting position and pushed my blanket away from me. My heart felt like it might burst from my chest. I shivered, but my pajamas were damp with sweat. I took a deep breath as I struggled to calm myself. Light from my tv bathed the room in a blue glow. Had I imagined the scream? I listened for another, but the only thing I heard was the sound of rain echoing through my apartment. Could the scream have come from my tv? I reached for the remote but froze when I heard another scream.

This time the scream was louder, so I knew it couldn't have come from the tv. It was a woman's scream, and it sounded like it was coming from right outside my door. Without thinking, I leaped from my bed and padded down the hall.

As soon as I opened the door to my apartment, a coppery smell flooded my nostrils. Doesn't blood smell like copper? It would have to be a lot of blood to smell that strong. The hall was empty, but a feeling of unease formed in the pit of my stomach. The sickening smell grew stronger with each step until I was gagging from the stench.

I noticed that one of my neighbors had their door open. The woman who lived there was a makeup artist who tended to keep to herself. I couldn't remember her name, but I thought it might be Olivia. I stopped when I reached the door. Did I want to see what was inside? What if something had happened to her? I knew that I should back away and call the police, but curiosity got the better of me. I peered into the room and saw the lifeless form of Olivia. She had been wearing a black dress, but it had been ripped and shredded to the point where it no longer covered her body. Long, jagged cuts covered her back. She had pink and black hair, which was covering her face. I dove towards her, but her body was cold to the touch. It was already too late for her.

I gasped when I noticed a figure standing in the kitchen. His eyes shone yellow, reminding me of a cat I'd had when I was in high school. His body twisted into an unnatural form that belonged to neither man nor beast. Massive teeth jutted out from what seemed to be an otherwise human face. Crimson stains marred his face and body, and I knew it was Olivia's blood. The monster wasn't any taller than the average man, but I knew he would still tower over me.

I stood still for what seemed like a lifetime before the low growl escaped his lips. The creature started to crawl toward me. His movements resembled that of a child pretending to be a dog. I backed away, afraid to turn around or look away from the figure.

"No!" I yelled as the monster closed the distance between us. "Please stay back." I could feel hot tears rolling down my cheeks. My back hit the wall and I realized that I was trapped with the creature.

His bones clicked as he forced himself to stand on two feet. I could feel his hot, rancid breath on my face. Grey fur spurted from his pale skin. He was shirtless, clad only in a pair of black dress pants. At the end of his fingers were long, dog-like claws. "Go," he demanded. His voice came out as a pained growl. "Go now!"

My eyes widened in horror as I searched the dark hallway for an escape route. The elevator was in the opposite direction and I'd have to walk past the monster to get to it. My room was closer than the elevator, but I realized that I'd be trapped if I went there. He tilted his head back, letting out a howl as his teeth shifted. I knew I had to leave before he finished becoming whatever he was turning into. I pushed him away and ran in the direction of the elevator.

When I finally reached the elevator, I pushed the button frantically, as if that would make it move faster. I glanced back to see the monster following me, he was on four legs now and he'd taken on a more wolf-like appearance. He was the most massive creature I'd ever seen, larger than a normal wolf. His paw slapped at my leg, slicing it with one of his claws. Blood trickled down my leg as I kicked at the creature until I was safely in the elevator. My body shook as the creature clawed at the door for a few seconds.

I took a minute to address my wound. The cuts were deep enough that I'd need stitches. I had nothing to cover it with, so my blood dripped down onto the elevator floor. I felt nauseous as the room began to spin. I dropped to the ground and vomited. I howled as pain ripped through my body. My bones cracked and reformed as I doubled over in pain. My skin burned as a thick coat of fur sprouted from it. When the transformation was complete, I stood on four legs instead of two.