The chirping birds didn’t wake Frank up. With the light coming into his room, he felt that it was morning, but he was drained and he wanted to sleep and never wake up. He recalled the yellow eyed man, and the thought alarmed him because there might be other werewolves out there.

The alarm on Frank’s phone kept playing over and over again, but he didn’t hear it because he was trying to figure out who the other werewolf was. It walked like him, but unlike other wolves, it walked upright. After a while, Frank’s father walked in and switched the alarm off, but Frank thought it had went off on its own. He felt a presence in his room, but he remained lying there with his eyes closed in the dreamland.

“Son, we have to talk,” a voice spoke while sitting in Frank’s bed. A hand rubbed him, and he was sure to feel it.

After the voice spoke, Frank opened one eye and saw that there was light shining in his room. He then noticed that the voice belonged to his father, so he rubbed his eyes with his hand and yawned. His father brushed him once again, and he sat up while being attentive.

“A long time ago, I was with my sister sitting outside, enjoying the cool breeze, when all of a sudden the sky got covered with dark clouds, even though it was just afternoon. The clouds came with a big whirlwind, so we rushed inside the house, leaving our chairs and everything outside,” Frank’s father said, then he sighed and took a deep breath.

While listening to his father, Frank rubbed his eyes because they were still itching with sleep. He fidgeted on his bed and paid attention to him, wondering where the story was leading.

“The chairs, table, and everything else was blown away by the wind. It all took around ten minutes, and when it stopped, I went outside to check how much harm was done by wind. It wasn’t bad, but I found a basket on the door,” Frank’s father continued while scratching his bald head. He took a deep breath again, and looked at the window. “There was a baby inside,” he continued.

After hearing his father speak, Frank flipped the blanket off to digest what he had heard. He suspected that the baby was him. He then opened his mouth wide in shock when he realised the truth, but he needed confirmation.

“You are not my real dad?” Frank asked anxiously.

His father nodded in response, then he rubbed his son’s shoulder in order to comfort him and tell him that he would always be there for him.

“After finding you, my sister and I looked after you. Sadly, she died when you were only four, but there were yellow eyes we always saw whenever there was a full moon out. We never saw the figures though, only the eyes,” Frank’s father said, speaking gently, but Frank became angry and shoved his hands away.

After shoving his father’s hands away, Frank jumped from the bed because his head was going round and round. He felt rejected because his own parents had left him with strangers, and that they never loved him. Questions circled in his head, but then he remembered what his father had said about the eyes. He had been seeing the same yellow eyes in his dreams.

“Maybe they know me … That’s why I ‘m also a werewolf … Dad, I’m scared …” Frank said, dropping himself on floor and burying his face on his knees. “What if I ‘m a danger to you? I’m even scared to be with Ruby, and I even find myself devouring raw meat now,” he continued while sobbing. Being different from others dug a hole in his heart.

Frank’s father didn’t know what to say. A part of him was scared, and another part of him was reassured that Frank would never harm him. He knelt down before his son, and lay his hand on his shoulder.

“I know I’m safe, but I don’t know what to do,” Frank’s father said worriedly. He was sad with mixtures of fear inside, and the nerves he had had earlier subdued him, then they quickly disintegrated.

**********

A few days went by, and Frank noticed that the moon would be full soon. He noticed that, after 27 or 29 days, the full moon reappeared again. A full moon happened every month, depending on the days, and it appeared 12 to 13 times in a year. Because of this, his father would work in his study because he was afraid of meeting Frank at night. He would lock himself in his room in fear that his son would devour him. But a part of him assured him that he was safe, and that his son would never harm him because how could a man he raised eat him up?

**********

After a few days, the full moon reappeared, and Frank ran to the forest. He didn’t notice Ruby calling for him when he jumped into the bushes because his body was covered with hair. He kept running, and Ruby kept tailing him until she lost him.

“I don’t believe this … Frank looked strange … The ears, and the way he ran,” Ruby sighed in the trees.

There was an owl howling where she was standing, and she was frightened. The leaves on the floor were rustling, as if something was passing through them. She then hid between a rock and a small tree which had plenty of leaves to cover her.

While she was hiding, the sound of footsteps drew closer to her. She was sweating, and she covered her mouth to avoid having the sounds of her breathing being heard. A big wolf with red eyes appeared, and her heart was pounding fast. She was horrified to see a wolf walking on two legs. She wondered if it was a person wearing a mask, but the teeth had saliva dripping from it. There was a loud echo of howling, and she nearly peed herself when she heard it, but she held herself steady.

***

Tell us: Do you think it was smart of Ruby to follow Frank into the forest?