It All Started With A Bite

eamed a

sing her. And it

hands. The wind howled through the pine trees like a warning, slicing cold against her damp skin.

ches snapped like bones under

str

uldn't think. I couldn't stop. Her body ran on terror alone, the kind that lived in the

she

through the black, locked on her like

t the eyes

wer

o

ainst lockers like he owned the place. Who once handed her a Snapple bottle w

was full

gs fal

r. Something black and massiv

have time

pa

ose to meet her, hard and unforgiving. Mud filled her mouth. Her ribs scre

h bathed

ith rain. Claws sank into the mud on either side of her

en terrified. Sh

r, something else b

how. But she k

r voice a shattered wh

n't he

nk into

er shoulder like fire and ice had merged in her blood. It wasn't jus

ars exploding behind her eyes. Heat surged throug

anymore. Her nails darkened, lengthened, and curved into claws. Her skin rip

h

kne

ta

oke g

fan. The room swam around her, sharp and distant at the same time. Her body was drenched

in still hammer

dr

lew to her

ges.

ark, shi

t

lv

arly t

s deep ragged edges ringed with spreading black veins, crawling like roots under her flesh. The center of the

muscles twitching like they were remem

battle, and dragged herself to the bat

hair clinging to her face

her

no longer

gold. Brigh

mming into the doorfram

hispered. "

n the counter and it shatt

rained

n't drip. Didn't even form. The skin seal

hand like it belon

ell is happ

buzzed on

mbled to

hanging. Come back to th

eath c

the second she blin

phone tighter,

enched window, the forest

l trembling to the glass.

t... or ki

wasn't just a nightmare.

as a

answers were

h h

e boy wh

t who ru

as

, sharp

hed hers under a

party, whispering: "Do you

s not amber, but

thought he wa

knew he

m the window,

fr

ction of the glass, two

ind

Unmis

already

r heart in

n the air. The way the shadows curled unnaturally nea

med at the edge

ered, fists clenc

deep and rough, half-hu

rned s

, dark curls hanging into his eyes. Muscles were taut, jaw clenched like he was

on hers, glowi

t her like

she w

run," he said, voi

she hissed. "Y

closer. "I

ed back. "

thout knowing

ot lik

e beco

g cracke

for this," s

lder, "but it's too late. The change has started.

lled in

you want

I want you to survive it. And you won't unless you

ween them. Thunder bo

th

oulder

nder her skin. She could feel something moving in her blood, coi

ing beside her, gripping her arm

oice softer now. "Don

me

can

ed her ear, his

e mine