Lunera Viola Academy

"What the Fuck!" Ilyne screamed into the torrential downpour shards of water drenched her maroon curls as she ran through the streets of her small town. Darkened gardens and pristine lawns passed in a blur running down her cheeks, trapped. How could she be so blind?

All the times he disrespected her, didn't listen to her when she asked him to slow down, to stop the excessive PDA. Over the last few months, he'd gotten more insistent. Sliding his hand down past her waist, kissing her in the hallways despite her attempts to push him away.

It always seemed so innocent in the moment, that he forgot himself sometimes because of how much he liked her.

Stupid.

She knew better, and now she was running home from the first dance of the year without a clue of what to tell her mom. One minute everything was amazing, simply enjoying a school dance for once, and the next she was pinned to Trevor's car with his hands groping her chest, his thigh pressed between hers.

He had caught her off guard, thunderstorms were like a drug to her, to her whole family. For as long as she can remember the energy that filled the air during a storm washed over their skin like waves of the ocean, charging every cell. In the middle of a storm, everything felt right.

That's what made his touch so wrong, when she first realized it she tried to pull away, to insist that she had to go home as soon as possible when his hold tightened. One final shove gave her just enough space.

Before he had a chance to move back in, Ilyne rammed her knee into his groin and ran as he fell to the ground. Shaking her head she stopped willing the scene out of her mind. She couldn't stand to think about it.

As the rain began to ease she turned her face to the sky, watching as the clouds spun, folding into each other. She took this moment to pause to take a few minutes before going home. That's when she realized where she stopped. The old cemetery.

A small strip of land that had its last resident added decades ago, the one marker without a single word etched in the stone sat just past the entrance. She often wondered who slept there and why no one had added a name. But right now she didn't care.

Stopping in front of the empty stone slab, sobs wracking her body she fell to her knees, head in her hands. Ilyne couldn't go home, not like this, not yet. How could she face her family?

What would she tell them? She couldn't tell them what had happened, what almost happened. She looked like hell, mascara staining her cheeks, eye shadow smudged. If it hadn't been for her stained lips, they would have been as well.

She loved the cemetery, it was one of the few places she could go where she wouldn't be bothered. Most of its residents were long gone, their stones worn down by the elements, barely legible. All except the first stone she faced.

Dragging her hands over her drenched, knotted hair she distanced herself from the events of the night, distracting herself with thoughts of who this had been, forgotten and abandoned. Wondering about what it would feel like to be like that.

In the distance a lone wolf howled up at the moon as she broke through the clouds, illuminating her surroundings for a few moments. Strange that a wolf would still be outside, the charge of electricity in the air had become stronger until she was certain the rain would come down any moment.

Caressing the smooth stone Ilyne noticed a change in the air. The hair on the back of her neck rose, signailing that someone was watching.

"Trevor, is that you!" She called out, scanning the headstones before looking for any sign of a car coming down the road. Nothing looked different, which of course was when the shadow appeared. Just like in the movies, if you thought you were being followed you almost certainly were.

Standing up Ilyne turned her back to the stones in an attempt to run when something slammed into her knocking the wind out of her lungs as she hit the ground.

After drawing in enough air to stand, she tried to make a dash for the road when she heard the most terrifying sound, the kind you don't want to hear at night, especially alone. Still on the ground, she heard a deep menacing growl reverberating around her.

It was too close, she'd never be able to make it if she tried to run. Her only certainty was that she needed to get away, hide, or do something.

Its massive paws dug into the wet grass as its heated breath sprayed over her exposed neck, its wet nose brushing her hair aside. Keeping as still as she could, Ilyne prayed to the moon, to the night, and the darkness that this was a dream. That while staring at that blank stone, she'd fallen asleep and the wolf was nothing but her fears manifesting themselves in her nightmares.

At the same time, she knew she wasn't dreaming; she knew this was real, and if she didn't die tonight, it would be a miracle.

She whimpered from beneath it as another growl left its throat. "How can this be happening?" she thought. Just as nails skim her exposed back the wolf moved off her howling a grotesque sound. This was her last chance, a chance she took running towards the one place she might hide, the mausoleum. The next moment she felt was knocked back, crying out in pain as she fell to the ground.

Lights blinked in and out of her vision as long claws curled into her side. Burrowing into her flesh and holding her still. Her already raw throat screamed once again. It howled again as the rain fell from the sky.

Having no way to escape or get help, she collapsed to the ground when her shoulder was clasped by the beast, its teeth piercing her skin as her screams continued into the night.

When she couldn't hold on any longer, Ilyne's eyes fluttered shut, the warmth of her blood a stark contrast to the rain. Her last thought was of her family, wishing she could see them one last time before she slipped into unconsciousness. Certain death was soon to follow.