Mythology/ Legends

Spotlights cut through the crisp night, slicing through the darkness. The lights were begging to be noticed by an annoyed neighbor, yet nobody seemed to stop them. They waved wildly through the air, light bouncing off everything. The erratic behavior of the lights could only be matched by the people who wielded them.

Teenagers.

Specifically, high school graduates.

The party would be insane–that's what Finn had told the whole 12th grade of Trinity High School. Finn was well known for being the spoiled rich kid, son of Henry Tosi, and future heir of the Tosi fortune. But all that put aside, he was just a normal kid. A normal kid that owned a mansion while his parents were out on a month-long vacation cruise.

Everyone knew Finn threw the best parties.

And Blake partied the best at the best parties.

The party was just getting hyped up, the DJ had finally arrived, and the fire-breathing show was about to start. Blake was in the middle of all of it, yelling excitedly as the butlers set up the swimming race before the shows started. The main butler, Mr. Ryder, if Blake remembered correctly, was gathering everyone to state the rules and invite people to race.

"Now we want a good, clean race today for everyone who is watching and participating. No sabotaging fellow racers and nobody in the audience shall find themselves being disrespectful to the racers. No outside help from any technologies." The former students all nodded, Blake thought that sounded like they were back in school, but that was just her summer mind speaking. "Now, who wants to participate?" 

Finn suddenly appeared right next to Mr. Ryder, taking the microphone out of his hands. His blue eyes sparkled as he shouted into the microphone. "The winner of this race will win the newest gaming setup designed by world class engineers at Fire Games®!" Finn moved to the side to reveal a whole gaming setup, complete with three monitors, a gaming chair, headphones, speakers, and a mouse with a large mouse pad. Sounds of excitement rippled through the crowd. Blake was impressed, those were so rare these days. Fire Games had started to expand their company, and were now mostly in the East-West. "Competitors come on up here with me. We have room in the pool for about seven people. First come first serve!" Blake sprinted forward, her competitive nature kicking in, along with her natural swimming skills. She mumbled 'sorry' to the people who she accidentally bumped into.  

Blake jumped up onto the mini stage that everything was on, standing next to Andrew, who Blake knew from acting in the musical, and Leo, who was in most of her classes last year. A girl that Blake didn't know took her spot next to Leo, while Sasha, Blake's friend-turned-frenemy, stood next to Andrew.  Harley, a genius who everyone went to for homework help, took his spot next to Blake. Blake gave him a small smile which he returned. Finally, Phoebe, a girl who was famous for breaking up with boys after a week, joined them after a slight hesitation. 

"There we have it, folks! Our competitors for today's competition!" Blake winced as Finn's voice vibrated from hidden speakers. "Andrew Wills! Leo Abbot! Blake Whitlock! Sandy Miller! Sasha Lopez! Harley Sawyer! And Phoebe Anderson!" The crowd let out a rally of cheers, while Blake and the other participants shrugged off their sweatshirts and jackets, revealing packed swimsuits underneath. Most of the people here had theirs on, as Finn had sent out in the invitation to bring swimwear. High schoolers being high schoolers, just put their swimsuits underneath their clothes to skip a step.

"Racers to your places!" Finn gestured for them to follow him as the seven contestants trailed behind like ducklings following a mother duck. The crowd behind them moved as one, lining up along the sides of the pool. Blake blocked in all out, focusing on picturing herself winning and proving that she was the best at swimming. "Stay in your lanes," Finn pointed to the lines painted on the bottom of the pool. "Two laps, there and back! And make sure to swim fast!" Finn smiled with excitement as Blake and the others found their spots. Her's was right smack in the middle. Blake's favorite lane. 

Blake slid into the water alongside the competition, the cool water sending a shiver up her spine. She took a deep breath, calming her excited nerves. I've been taking swimming lessons forever! Blake thought. I have this in the bag! She was wearing a purple, one-piece swimsuit with white stripes. She hung onto the side of the pool with one hand, watching Mr. Ryder for the cue to go. Blake quickly glanced at her former classmates, seeing how comfortable they were in the water. Andrew looked–BAM!

It took a second for Blake to realize that was the starting sign, and she propelled herself off the wall with her feet. She chose the backstroke, as it was her best swimming style, and fell into a steady rhythm. 

Soon enough Blake felt herself hit the end of the other wall of the pool. Blake opened her eyes which were instinctively closed and quickly peeked at the other teenager's placings. Both Phoebe and Andrew were neck-and-neck with her. Blake barely saw Harley and Leo, who were matching each other stride for stride but behind Blake, as she pushed off again. The rowdy cheering of almost 300 teenagers was muffled by the water, but it was still loud. Blake cut through the water like a shark, pumping her legs to swim faster and faster. She pushed herself harder than she'd ever gone, grinding her teeth together in concentration.

Out of the blue, her hand touched something rough. 

Something, like the wall of the pool. 

Blake opened her eyes, and she was at the end. She knew she could swim fast, but not this fast! She brushed her wet hair out of her face, and locked eyes with the person right next to her. 

Phoebe Anderson. 

They had tied!

Blake climbed out of the pool and was offered a towel that she graciously accepted. Phoebe was offered the same thing but declined. 

Very, very dramatically. 

"I won fair and square! Did you see her? I was definitely ahead of her!" Phoebe shouted, pointing at Blake. She was such a drama queen,

Finn came up behind Phoebe. "Now Phoebe, we have cameras around the mansion, we'll review the video, then decide who won." Phoebe quieted down, probably realizing that there would be a better time to be dramatic. Mr. Ryder showed up next to Finn. "Mr. Tosi is right. How about you two go dry off and change? While you're doing that, we can review the footage as to who won. Does that sound reasonable?" Blake nodded, not wanting to ruin her chance to get her hands on rare technology,  while, after hesitating, Phoebe nodded too. 

Blake's friend, Sadie, came up to Blake holding her clothes. "That was awesome!" Sadie exclaimed, throwing her arms around Blake to engulf her in a hug, rambling just like always. "I've never seen you swim so fast! You definitely won the race! Phoebe was right next to you when you touched the wall, but I think you won." 

"Thanks, Sadie," Blake smiled, hugging her back. Sometimes, when Sadie went to big gatherings, she would get so excited that she forgot to filter her thoughts, and everything spilled out. It was cute, but when Blake needed her supporting, ready-to-jump-into-danger friend, she would be there. "Can you hold this while I get dressed?" Blake held out the towel, and Sadie took it. Blake nodded in thanks as she turned away and entered the pool house, quickly changing. 

When Blake came back outside, everyone was gathered around the mini-stage, and Blake jogged over. Her pants felt heavy in the places where it was still wet, and her shirt stuck to the back of her back, but she ignored it as she trotted onto the stage. The other contestants–the ones that weren't Blake or Phoebe–were also on the stage, but hung to the sides, giving the center of the stage to the winners. 

Phoebe was already out, wearing a black crop top and ripped jeans. She had her long, blonde hair pulled up in a high ponytail, and was arguing–very loudly–with Finn. "Why can't you just tell me right now!" Phoebe looked over Finn's shoulder, right at Blake. She pointed a manicured finger at Blake. "Look, she's here now! Just tell me if I won!" Phoebe whined. 

Finn turned around and herded Blake onto the mini-stage. Finn stood between her and Phoebe, who was giving Blake the evil eye. "Ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between!" Finn's voice boomed in the late-night air, fueling the already crazy party. Please be me. Please be me, Blake thought as Finn continued, "The winner of this party's competition is, after careful examination…" Finn paused for an even more dramatic flare, and Blake felt herself sweating nervously. "Blake Whitlock!"

The crowd roared as they broke into a massive stampede heading toward Blake. She didn't even try to stop them, just held her ground as they surrounded her.  Blake was filled with adrenaline as everyone shook her hands and slapped her on the back in congratulations. She shrieked in happiness along with the other people. She never felt so pumped up in all her life! 

"Ms. Whitlock?" Blake looked up to where the voice came from and saw the crowd parting to let Finn through. "Follow me, if you will." Finn brushed his hair out from his eyes, holding out a hand for her to take. Blake took Finn's outstretched hand, blushing lightly, as he pulled her through the giant mass of people. Finn led her out of the crowd, and they came up right to the gaming setup. Somewhere in the middle of the crowd, Blake heard Phoebe screeching like a dying seagull. "This is now yours."
Blake blushed lightly, breaking away from Finn and running her hands over the leather padding of the gaming chair, sitting down slowly, afraid that if she let this moment go, it would never return. The speakers on the side of the computers were bigger in person. In front of the speakers was a box that, upon closer inspection, held many different kinds of webcams. The mousepad and mouse felt perfect, and Blake could imagine all the games she would win. The three black screens stared at her, easily reflecting Blake's bright, smiling face.

But there was something wrong. 

Not with the party, of course. Blake was having the time of her life, and it was perfect.

But with her teeth. 

Blake leaned towards the screen, her heart fluttering with anxiety as she examined her teeth. They looked normal, except for her canines. 

They were sharp. 

Sharper than normal. 

For the first time that night, Blake looked to the sky. 

To the full moon. 

Blake's chest immediately tightened as she understood what was happening. She had been so caught up in the party, she forgot to check the moon cycle! Or just have the plain sense to look up! She looked back at the black monitors, seeing a little more sharper than normal. 

The process had begun. 

"Blake, you good?" Finn's voice was just barely heard over Blake's hammering heart. She muttered that she'd pick the gaming set later as she pushed through the crowd, searching for a familiar face. Her eyes saw everything and nothing at the same time, skimming over concerned face after concerned face.

All of a sudden Blake heard the reassuring sound of Sadie's voice. "Hey. Hey, look at me." Blake glanced up, seeing all of Sadie's features like she was looking under a microscope. "What's wrong?" Blake forced herself to breathe, to loosen the tightened knot in her chest. 

"L-look to the sky," Blake stammered. Sadie peeked over Blake's shoulder, and gasped. 

"We have to get you out of here!" Sadie frantically searched the small purse hanging from her shoulder.

"Yeah, no kidding," Blake said dryly. 

Sadie pulled out her iconic car keys, always recognizable from the fuzzy, pink keychain attached to them. Sadie turned to the curious crowd of fellow non-high schoolers, coming up with an excuse on the fly. "Thanks for this awesome party! But it looks like somebody had too many pieces of pizza before going swimming." Blake recognized Sadie's high-pitched voice she did when she was lying. Blake just hoped nobody else did too. 

"Does that mean I get the gaming set up!" Phoebe squealed, pushing her way through the crowd. 

Blake felt a sudden fury wash over her. "No," she growled coldly, straightening up. 

Finn emerged from the giant clump of people. "When you're feeling better I'll send one of the butlers over so you can pick it up. That's good with you, Blake?" Finn glared at Phoebe as he said her name. Blake nodded, shaking off the hot anger that had just taken her over for a second. 

"Let's go." Sadie ushered Blake along the huge backyard of the Tosi Family, but it was a long walk down to the parking lot. They both paused, clearly thinking the same thing, 

"The golf carts!" Blake exclaimed, pointing to the neatly parked carts on the side of the trimmed grass. Sadie shoved her keys back into her purse, jogged over to the golf carts, and quickly found one that still had the keys in. Sadie slid into the driver's seat, and Blake rode shotgun. 

"What level is it?" Sadie asked. She was referring to the system that Blake uses to rate the process of the transformation. Level One is slight transformations, like teeth and eyes. Level Two is increased aggressiveness. Level Three is when the fur starts to cover her body, and her ears, muzzle, tail, and claws start appearing. Level Four is basically full Werewolf, but Blake still has slight control. Level Five is full Werewolf. Blake has no control and is like a prisoner in her own mind. 

"Level Two. Maybe Two and a half," Blake replied, feeling a little itchy. Blake pulled up her sweatshirt sleeve and cried out in surprise. "Three. Level Three," she stammered, staring at the soft, brown fur appearing on her arms. 

"It's changing Levels so fast!" Sadie exclaimed. 

"It's not my fault!" Blake snapped. "I can't control the process!" While she was panicking, more fur started to spring up on her hands and face. Blake peered into the review mirrors as her nose started to itch. "Of course," she muttered, staring at her fur-covered muzzle. She pulled her hoodie over her head, her hands bumping into something furry. She wasn't even shocked anymore. 

But Sadie was. 

Sadie glanced over at her when she pulled the hoodie back down, giving up covering her ears. "How is it moving so fast!" Blake shrugged as she took off her hoodie which was covered in sweat. From the time she had last checked, the fur had tripled in quantity. Now, it was completely covering her arms. Blake ran a hand through her hair and was confused why she felt fur. Blake stared at her hands which used to be tanned, that were now furry paws. Sharp claws pushed through the pads of her former fingers. 

"Sadie!" At the sound of the urgency in Blake's voice, Sadie put her full attention on Blake. "Pull over now!" Sadie followed her directions as she veered into the soft grass. "It's almost Level Four!" Blake shouted as she stumbled off the golf cart, falling to her knees. "You need to get out of here!" 

"No! I'm not leaving you!" Sadie yelled. "I can help you!" 

"Sadie, no," Blake's tail lashed with annoyance–when did that appear? "Remember what happened last time?" 

"Yes…" Sadie mumbled. She had tried to stop Blake when she was in Level Five, and just barely escaped with her life. 

"How about–" Red flashed behind Blake's eyes as she was thrown backward into her mind, momentarily losing control. Blake struggled to regain control, and when she did, Blake blinked away the red and gaped at what happened. In her giant claws, she held the mangled pieces of the golf cart over her head. Cowering beneath her, was Sadie. She was curled up in a fetal position, whimpering slightly. 

"Sadie?" Blake whispered, dropping the golf cart behind her.

Sadie peeked at Blake from her place on the ground, slowly pushing herself up. 

"I-I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" Sadie shook her head. 

"I'll go warn everyone at the party," Sadie suggested, turning away and jogging back up the hill. They were only halfway down the hill, so it wouldn't be the whole way up she had to run. Blake wasn't convinced that she hadn't hurt Sadie, since she was running with a slight limp. 

Blake found herself staring at the hunk of metal that used to be the golf cart. Her eyes caught on a shard of glass, facing her and reflecting what she looked like. She was three times the size of a human and her clothes were ripped. Her sweatpants were stretched and there were holes in them. Blake's tank top was now more of a crop top. She stood on her back legs, and all over her body was brown fur. 

Blake leaned forward to get a better look, but all of a sudden went rigid. Blake knew this feeling. It was when–

Blake got thrown backward, but it didn't feel physical. She didn't hit into anything. 

Anything, in the real world that is. 

Blake opened her eyes to darkness, except for a giant screen in front of her. The screen was tinted red, casting a blood-red hue that covered the entirety of where she was. Where was she exactly?

Her brain. 

Specifically, a jail cell inside of her brain. 

Blake had enough room to pace around, but not much else. The cell had bars as thick as Blake's arm, impossible to squeeze through. The first time Blake had transformed–when she was six–she had tried to come up with a superpower that would get herself out of the cell. It's what any superhero-loving kid would do. After all, this was her brain, couldn't she control it?

But it doesn't work that way.

The Werewolf decides what you can and can't do. The Werewolf decides when to release you from her prison. The Werewolf decides how much damage you will inflict. Which, from the screen hanging in front of her, wasn't much at the moment. The mind prison is like a movie theater, only you can't leave, and the movie that is playing is real. The screen is what the Werewolf sees. The speakers, wherever they are, are what she's hearing. Unfortunately for Blake, touch, smell, and taste are all connected to her directly. 

The taste of human flesh is something that will haunt Blake forever. 

Blake had learned a long time ago that it was impossible to escape. She just had to accept that when the moon disappeared, she would finally be back in control. Or the Werewolf was forced, painfully, to retreat back into Blake's body. Blake preferred not to resort to the latter. The only entertainment was watching her life being ripped apart by a monster that was always inside her. 

That was so fun to watch. 

But there was nothing else to do, so Blake settled down, leaning against the bars. The red mask over the screen wasn't fun to look at, it made it hard to see the fine details, but Blake could make out the flashing spotlights of the party. Aggressive growling came from the speakers as one of the lights landed on her. Blake covered her eyes–instincts were another thing that funneled into Blake in this show. Blake's Werewolf had never killed anyone particularly special to her, but she knew that it couldn't be delayed for much longer. Injuries, sure. Her parents have the scars to prove it. 

Her Werewolf dropped down to all fours, plowing towards the party at an incredible speed. Blake hoped that Sadie had gotten most of the party out, if not, this party would turn into a massacre. The Werewolf bore down on the light, destroying it with one mighty swipe of her paw. However, whoever was manning the light was long gone, they had the smarts to book it when they saw a giant, furry, deadly creature barreling toward them. The thing about Werewolves is that they are incredibly dumb. They see a thing, and decide, I'm going to kill it. They only focused on where the creature was last, not where they were going to go. It helped whoever was being chased outsmart her. 

The Werewolf on the screen continued to wreak havoc on the party area, but there was nothing living to maul. However, Blake loved the taste of scraps of metal and concrete being shoved down her throat. That was great. What Blake's Werewolf didn't know, was that Blake knew where the students had gone. It was the only place to go for refuge, and it was big, so if her Werewolf somehow got in, there would be many places to hide.

The Tosi Family Mansion.

Finn, along with all the butlers at the party probably herded everyone inside when Sadie came running. But, from what Blake could see through the red screen, it seemed they somehow brought the gaming set with them. Blake smiled as she imagined former high schoolers carrying a gaming chair across the big lawn. 

Because of the quick thinking of Finn and his butlers, it looked like Blake's werewolf wouldn't put anyone in any more danger tonight. 

But that was before the sirens started. 

Someone must have called the police because, in the sky, a black helicopter was circling the compound, the searchlight scanning the giant yard. When Blake's Werewolf turned around, there were a couple of dozen police cars and officers right behind the giant gate that led to the driveway. The helicopter's searchlight found her Werewolf, shining brightly–brighter than the party's spotlight–right into her eyes. 

This made her Werewolf very angry. 

Blake's Werewolf let out an angry howl, clawing her way up the nearest tree. Once she got to the top, her Werewolf leaped at the hovering helicopter. Blake looked away as her Werewolf clawed open the helicopter. 

But she heard the screams. 

Blake's Werewolf jumped off the helicopter, letting it spiral to the ground in a death grip. The helicopter exploded behind her werewolf when it crashed into the ground, sending pieces flying. One piece hit Blake's Werewolf's back. Blake cried out in pain and held the back of her shoulder in the same way the Werewolf was. Luckily, Werewolves have extra built-in durability, so Blake's Werewolf just shook it off, and the pain in her shoulder disappeared.

The Werewolf turned around, squinting at the line of police just behind the gate. Blake's Werewolf was scarily fast as it bore down on the gate. The few police officers who had the common sense to run away did so as Blaze's Werewolf crashed into the gate. It groaned in protest until her Werewolf sliced open a big enough hole to crawl through. 

The next part Blaze wished she could fast forward. 

But she couldn't do that, this was real life. She covered her ears as police officers–the people supposed to be fearless–screamed like little girls. Blake tried to block out the fleshy taste that filled her mouth. The feeling of flesh peeling at her fingertips. 

Blake tried, but failed. 

Blake doubled over and puked out the contents of what she ate at the party. She made sure to direct her puke outside of the prison, so she wouldn't get covered in the slimy goo. Blake brought her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly as the Werewolf continued her kill streak. 

Looks like she's going for a world record. 

The only thing Blake could feel was the continuous nausea of tasting human flesh. She should have adjusted to it by now, but it was disgusting. Blake constantly felt nauseous,  like how you feel after you throw up. 

Finally, the Werewolf finished her dinner, gulping down a giant van. Blake watched as the beast swung her head around for more victims. The screen focused on the city. 

No. No, no, no, no! Not the city! There are too many innocent people living there! Blake thought, too nauseous to say it out loud. 

However, before Blake's Werewolf could continue hunting, she was brought down. Invisible fire danced across Blake's skin, causing her to cry out in pain. From the screen, she could see armed men–not the police–circling around her. From what she was feeling, and what the Werewolf on the screen was seeing, she was trapped in a silver netting. The only weakness of the Werewolf. 

Blake's Werewolf struggled to move, every movement causing a burn-like feeling over her. Blake was curled up in a ball, tears forming in her eyes. She just wanted this to be over. She wanted her body back. Her life back. She wanted to lie down and sleep for a week. She was just so exhausted. 

But the Werewolf had other plans. 

Blake's Werewolf decided that it would be a great idea to struggle even more. Blake was full-on sobbing now from the pain. It felt like a million hot needles were puncturing her skin, and then moving around inside. Suddenly her Werewolf stopped moving, growling at a figure that both Blake and the Werewolf saw loom over them. Blake saw the mouth of the person moving, but couldn't hear anything. The Werewolf decided to not listen, so Blake couldn't listen also. The man was in a trimmed suit, which almost looked like something a classic villain would wear, and was holding a contraption in his hand. 

The man aimed the contraption at Blake's Werewolf, and Blake realized that it was a net gun. That's what they must have used to get her to the ground in the first place. The man tried to say something, but the Werewolf growled, saliva dripping down her muzzle. The man tried again, but still got interrupted. A second man suddenly appeared next to the other one. He looked even more like a villain, with a big frame and black tailored suit, paired with glasses with jet-black lenses and frame. The new man in the suit snatched the net gun away from the other one, and without missing a beat pulled the trigger. 

The first thing that Blake realized was that she was alive. 

The second thing was how much her body hurt. 

Blake's eyes snapped open and then snapped back closed from her bright surroundings. She tried again, this time slowly opening her eyes. Her eyes adjusted, and Blake gaped at her surroundings. 

Underneath her was one small, flimsy blanket with an even smaller and stiffer pillow. Other than that, there was nothing. She had a black and white striped shirt on, with matching pants. Oh, and surrounding her was a glass wall. It wrapped all the way around her, giving her as much space as she had in the prison while trapped in her mind. Blake hoisted herself up, giving herself a little more to see from her new vantage point. The outside of the glass prison was as bleak as the inside of it. Grey, concrete walls and floor made up 90% of what Blake saw. 

Until Blake saw something new.

Behind her, there was a big, metal door. It had multiple locks on it and looked thick. Very thick. It had one window at the very top, and even that looked like it was a couple of inches thick. Other than that, she seemed to be alone in this prison.

But Blake felt like someone was watching her. 

There was a slight shuffle of feet, and Blake whipped around, her bruised body protesting, at the sound of another person being in the room. Standing as still as could be, was the man that shot the net gun. His suit was still in pristine shape, as well as his glasses. His face was unreadable, it was like he was made of stone. That was, until his mouth turned up to a smirk. 

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?"