Mandy stared at the large book in her front with a perplexed expression. Today was another day in school and fortunately, or rather unfortunately in her case, she was assigned a project to research on democracy. The only good thing about it was that she happened to be paired with Jeremy and Kyle.

History class had ended long ago and Gerard, who had assigned the project, left but not without giving her a longing gaze. She had read meaning to his look. It only meant one thing: Stay out of trouble.

“This sucks.” Kyle slammed his head against the table and groaned. “As if history wasn’t boring enough, he had to do this to us. Democracy? Everyone knew it was founded by Abraham Lincoln. Who gives a flying hell about this?”

Jeremy scowled at him at his last sentence which contained the profane language. Kyle ignored his friend.

“Hell, I would rather be interested in a research on Count Dracula or Frankenstein’s Monster or something like that. And those things don’t even exist.” Kyle ranted on.

“Is that what you really believe?” A sudden dark look clouded Mandy’s face as she turned to face him. Jeremy shifted a bit in his seat at her expression.

“Of course, that’s what I believe.” Kyle raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. “Vampires, Werewolves and zombies are all myths and pop culture references.”

Mandy’s expression softened a bit. Her eyes left Kyle and scanned the class. The students seemed to be in a world of their own. Some were chatting and some were dozing, taking advantage of the absence of a teacher. She turned back to Kyle and her eyes lowered a bit.

“Then you haven’t heard of the tale of Dominic.” Her voice changed tone to a lower pitch at her last word.

“Dominic the profane?” Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’ve heard of him. He’s just part of scary stories my mum used to tell me when I was five. She used them as a way to make me behave. I fell for it then. Too bad I grew up.”

“Yeah. My mum used to tell me stories about him too.” Jeremy added.

Mandy faked a gasp and turned towards Jeremy. Her eyes in fake shock too. Jeremy gave her a confused look.

“What?” He asked.

“It’s just... this is the first time I’ve ever heard you speak since we met yesterday.” Mandy chuckled. “I thought you couldn’t talk.”

Jeremy went pink in the face immediately. She was right. Since she was introduced to the class yesterday, he never spoke a word to her. He never knew what to say anyway.

He muttered something incoherent and looked away when her laughing grew louder.

“Come on, Mandy.” Kyle scolded. “Ease up on him.”

“Alright, Alright.” Mandy raised her hands in surrender.

“So what are the stories you boys heard about Dominic?” She asked, her face becoming serious.

“That he was a hideous monster who usually came into children’s bedrooms and ate them up when they were naughty.” Kyle scoffed.

Mandy held her breath, her eyes twinkling with amusement, and she turned to Jeremy.

“What I was told was that he was a flying demon that only came out at night to eat people who moved about aimlessly.” Jeremy said.

A long pause followed and suddenly, for the second time that morning, Mandy nearly fell on the floor as she laughed uncontrollably, punctuated with small hiccups. The boys stared at her in surprise and then at each other and shrugged.

“You boys are just so cute and hilarious.” Mandy wiped a tear from her eye as her laughter gradually subsided.

“Now, why would your mums tell you such stories?” She asked.

The boys shrugged simultaneously.

“And your dads were in on this?” She asked again.

Her question brought a damper on their moods as they both had sullen expressions on their faces.

“Our dads are dead.” Kyle said quietly, looking away. Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

“Oh.” Mandy put her hand over her heart as genuine sympathy reflected on her face. “I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t…”

“It’s okay.” Kyle forced a smile. “We didn’t really know them per say. They died months after we were born.”

“Both of them?” Mandy raised her brows and turned to Jeremy who nodded.

“Anyway, what do you know about Dominic?” Kyle changed the topic.

Mandy sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a habit she was accustomed to. She saw the boys’ inquisitive gazes and wondered if she should tell them the truth. Clearly, Kyle didn’t really consider the existence of the supernatural so there was a very high possibility of him not taking her seriously. Jeremy on the other hand, she didn’t know what to expect. She might as well tell them.

“Dominic wasn’t a hideous monster that ate children.” She faced Kyle.

“Nor was he a flying demon.” She stifled a giggle, facing Jeremy’s direction.

“Dominic was a supernatural being though.” She continued. “He existed centuries ago during the time when there was a pact between the super naturals. The pact was that they could interact with humans but no human was to be harmed or killed. Dominic broke that pact when he killed a human. He then laid an assault against a werewolf pack…”

“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa.” Kyle raised his hands. “Werewolves? As in lycanthropes?”

“Yes, werewolves.” Mandy gave him a deadly look for cutting in. “As I was saying, Dominic laid an assault against a werewolf pack and killed their alpha. The spirits prophesied that the descendant of the Alpha he murdered will bring his downfall. For centuries, he has been killing werewolves, trying to make the species extinct so that the prophecy can be averted.”

“ You mentioned that Dominic is a supernatural being. So what is Dominic exactly?” Kyle asked.

“He’s a vampire.” Mandy replied after a long pause.

“And where is he?” Jeremy asked this time.

“No one really knows.” Mandy sighed.

A long awkward silence ensued between the trio as each took the time to reflect on the story.

“Well, at least your story is far better than the ones our mums told us.” Kyle chuckled.

Mandy scowled and turned to him

“Dominic is not just a story.” She said. “He’s as real as you and i.”

Kyle deadpanned and Jeremy tilted his head sideways in confusion.

“So I’m supposed to believe that werewolves exists too?” Kyle scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Oh they do.” Mandy’s voice was dangerously low. “And they are closer than you think.”

************************************

Mandy poked her head out of her bedroom and scanned the hallway.

“All clear.” She sighed in relief.

It had been a very long time since she last shifted. Her inner wolf was getting antsy and pesky of recent, pestering her for a release. It didn’t help today when her two new friends couldn’t take her story about werewolf and Dominic seriously. It was almost as if she made a fool of herself as the boys expressions mirrored her thoughts and she came back home with a dark cloud over her head. Her parents had asked what the matter was and she claimed all was well. But at the moment, she needed to release her inner canine and take a run along the woods near her house. It would probably do a lot of good.

As she passed her parents bedroom, her ears perked up at the sounds that came within. Curiously and with great caution, she leaned closer and cupped her ear towards the door. The sounds of moaning, groaning and the bed scrapping against the floor was enough to make her recoil in disgust.

“Gross.” She nearly gagged. “Great, it’s going to be hard to look those two in the face from now on.”

Shaking her head, she made her way out of the house and stopped at the large fence that surrounded the house. A wry smile crossed her face as she imagined her parents thinking this would keep her in. She sprinted towards the fence and with inhuman agility, leaped over it and was on the other side in seconds.

Stepping into the woods, she gently peeled off her clothes and dropped them in a pile just at the border. The cold evening breeze against her skin wasn’t a challenge as her body heat increased quickly in defense, thanks to her canine friend.

‘Finally!’ Her wolf exclaimed in excitement. ‘Now, let me out. It has been long.’

She rolled her eyes inwardly but nonetheless shifted. Her now alternate appearance shone in the night as her thick white fur contrasted greatly against the darkness of the woods. Her ears twitched in excitement as she took off into the woods.

Mandy felt great at the moment. She couldn’t remember when last she did this. Her white fur danced in the breeze and her tongue slipped out of her open mouth as she sprinted along the woods. She could hear everything clearer now. The chirping of crickets sounded like the war cry of a million soldiers. Even frogs croaking miles away could be detected. She smiled within.

Suddenly she detected a different new scent. It was the scent of a familiar animal. Before she could make anything of it, a grey werewolf charged out from a clearing at her right and intercepted her. She screeched to a halt as it stopped a few feet away from her.

Mandy stared cautiously at the wolf in front of her. It was way bigger than her and muscular too, especially at it’s front legs. She gasped inwardly as she detected the blood dripping from it’s muzzle. It’s glowing golden eyes stared at her blankly. Mandy sniffed towards it and her eyes widened in realization as she detected someone familiar within.

‘Seriously, Uncle Gerard?’ She sent a mind link to the grey wolf.

‘Got that right, young lady.’ He retorted. ‘Can you give me one explanation as to what you’re doing out on the woods at this time of the night? A school night for that matter.’

‘I was taking a walk?’ Mandy responded innocently.

‘Not tonight, you’re not.’ Gerard sat on his hind legs and stretched a paw towards her. ‘And where are your parents by the way?’

‘Trust me when I say you don’t want to know, Uncle G.’ Mandy cringed as memories of a few minutes ago surfaced.

‘O, but I really want to know. That’s why I’m asking.’

‘Okay then, you asked for it. They are busy.’

‘What are they too busy with that they couldn’t detect you leaving the house?’

‘Do you really want me to spell it out for you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Two grown adults in a bed inside a bedroom.’

A short painful silence followed and then Gerard cringed, his grey fur stifling.

‘You’re right. I did not need to know that.’ He confessed.

.Now back to you.’ He stood straight. ‘Turn around and go back home.’

‘Oh come on, Uncle G.’ Mandy whined. ‘I need…’

‘Not today, young lady.’ Gerard shook his head. ‘Maybe on a Friday night or a weekend night. And we still don’t know much about your abilities…’

‘Wait a minute.’ Mandy cut in as she remembered something. She stared at his bloody muzzle.

‘Why is there blood all over your mouth?’ She pointed out.

‘I killed a deer not far away from here.’ He said plainly.

Mandy just stared at him in disbelief and a bit of relief.

‘What.’ His ears drooped a bit. ‘I was hungry and I ran out of food at home.’

‘And grocery shopping was out of context?’ She tilted her head sideways.

‘Don’t change the subject, Mandy.’ He dismissed. ‘Go back home.’

‘But…’

‘Home.’

‘Why...’

‘Home.’

Mandy groaned inwardly as constant attempt to patronize her uncle was met with adamant refusal. Trying to engage him physically was not even an option. He looked bigger and was more experienced. Turning around with her tail literally stuck between her legs, she walked solemnly back home.

Gerard would have been tempted to laugh at the scene as soon as she disappeared but a new scent was detected. He sniffed towards the direction it came from. It was a few meters away from the woods. Somewhere in town. A growl and a bark escaped his lips as he quickly sprinted into the darkness of the woods.

Something new just arrived in town. And by the way his senses ticked, it was not to be taking lightly.