I have always wanted to do this, Ever since I was 6. But until now, I have never been
able to. Thanks to the events of a few nights ago, though, now I can. It is very useful to be
able to do. No more worries. No more problems. They are all solved easily now. But, at this
point, you have no idea what I’m talking about. So, we will begin from before
this—change— happened. Let’s go back to last Monday, the day it all began...

I was driving to school one Monday morning, just like any other morning. My old,
beat-up red Pontiac van sputtered a few times before finally gaining enough speed to move
through the intersection as the light turned green. Having been the family vehicle for years,
it was good for little more now than my ride until I graduated high school. I hate school,
I thought to myself. Finally, I was able to steer the van into a parking space, and stepped down into the cold morning. I shivered a few times as I walked towards the front entry of the
building. I hate the cold. I would stay warm all winter if I could only be a... But that was crazy. Surely it’s impossible. People don’t just change into things like that.

Grudgingly striding across the frozen grass while deep in thought, I suddenly blacked out
and bent double. I caught myself by putting hands on my knees to prevent falling. A
shapeless black image throbbed darkly in my mind. Not again, I thought as the sweat rolled down my forehead despite the frost on the ground. This was the 3rd time in as many days this had happened. The shape left as soon as it came, and I was able to stay standing, but just barely. Not like anyone would have cared if I had fallen anyway. I was always such a pessimist, then.

School was the same old boring routine: sit through 4 boring classes of teachers that
had nothing interesting to say while trying to entertain yourself the best you could, then go
home, do your homework, get to sleep, and repeat. Right then, I was entertaining myself by
listening to Metallica’s “Of Wolf and Man” on my Ipod, One of my favorite songs.

Bright is the moon high in starlight,
chill is the air cold as steel tonight.
We shift, call of the wild.
Fear in your eyes, it's later than you realized...

I could picture myself there. Running free from my problems. Flowing through the
forest without care in the world.

back to the meaning of ...life!

“Take off your headphones and pay attention!” I jumped as my teacher— Algebra I think, I
never paid attention to my schedule— brandished her yardstick at my nose. Pausing the
song for when she had her back turned again, I moved the headphones reluctantly off my
head. “Next time, I’m taking that,” she spat, glancing down at my pocket. “Sorry,” I
breathed through gritted teeth. As she walked away, back turned, I eased the headphones
back on, pulled up my hoodie, and laid my head on the desk. A typical day.

Eventually, school was over. I couldn’t take much more of this, though. There had to
be something better, something devoid of the boredom and worries customarily welded to
everyday life. Walking to the van, somewhat glad to be away from school, the dark shape
formed in my mind once again. Much clearer this time; it looked like some 4 legged animal.
Still vague, but at least this time I didn’t black out. I dismissed the thoughts entirely, and
continued home.

I went to bed early that night. This tired, it was all I could do to fall onto my soft bed
before I fell asleep. I had only rested a few hours, however, when I was suddenly jolted from
my restful sleep. Sitting straight up, I listened, sure a sound had been the cause of my
awakenment. Hearing nothing, I slowly eased back down into the comforting warmth of my
blankets, and barely suppressed a yell as my gaze fixed on two gleaming yellow eyes right next to my face. Before I knew what had happened, sharp, dagger fangs plunged into my neck. I felt my warm blood run down my shoulder. Fear had me paralyzed; not a sound escaped my lips.

A voice came then, silent yet powerful. “You are now capable of form shift. You have
wanted to do this for quite some time. Simply imagine yourself in the form you have always
wanted to be, and that is what you will become.” I blacked out once more, and saw
clearly now that the dark shape in my head was a wolf. That was the last thing I remember
before I again fell back into a deep sleep.

The next morning at the usual time, my alarm clock went off. Reaching up to hit the
snooze button, I lazily climbed out of bed. That had been one crazy dream! Too bad it was
just a dream. As I was stretching, there was a sudden jolt of pain along the side of my neck.
Quickly moving my hand over the area to feel for blood or the fang marks from the night
before, my hands felt nothing unusual. The quick flutter of hope that maybe it just wasn’t a
dream after all vanished. Oh well.

Arriving at school (tardy again), this Tuesday had the feelings of a long, tedious day
that would never end. There were 2 tests to take, a research paper assigned, not even
including all the book work to be done in each class. By lunch, I was ticked. Walking
through the hallway, some kid bumped into me while lost in conversation. “Watch it!” I
growled loudly. Everyone around me stopped to stare, backing away. Had that really
come from me? That sound was more bestial than any normal person would make.
Laughing nervously, I started walking away in the opposite direction. In the lunchroom, I
stopped to think. Suddenly, it all came together. The Dark shape in my mind, the bite I'd gotten last night that was too real to be just a dream, and now my newfound ability to make animal-like noises. I knew I had become a werewolf.

All during lunch and through the last period of the day, I was deep in thought. This is
it! My chance to break free from the everyday drudgery of life! As soon as the bell rang, I
tore out of the class, eager to get outside. I sprinted all the way to my van and drove up to
the base of the mountains that jutted out from the ground near my house. Stepping out onto
the dirt road, I locked up my vehicle. Glancing around, I began to jog warily up the
mountain, then stopped to see if anyone was following. Only pausing for a moment, I took
off faster than before. It was getting dark by then, but I didn’t care. I was too ecstatic to
care.

I ran until I found a secluded spot behind a ridge in a dense thicket of trees.
Remembering how to do it was easy: Just picture yourself changing, and it would happen,
the voice behind the golden eyes had said. I took a deep breath, and then thought about
changing. Slowly at first, and then in a rush, I began. My arms started sprouting fur, then my
legs and face and tail. Tail? Where did that come from?

The fur kept growing until it covered my entire body. My Legs shifted Direction into
a digitigrade stance. Claws appeared on the end of my quickly forming paws, pads and all.
And then I started to grow. My clothes tightened, then tore off my growing body in shredded
ribbons. Then came the Hearing! It was amazing, but It was nothing compared to my sense
of smell. That was incredible. When the shift was done, I crouched down on all fours, half
human, half wolf. I looked up at the sky, and let loose a long, joyful howl.

Freedom!