My eyes fluttered open. The first thing my eyes took in was the full moon, glorious, shinning, radiant and high up in the sky amongst a sea of twinkling, shimmering balls of fire. I stared at its mysterious beauty in admiration, a sight to behold, my mind free of any thoughts but praise to the luminous orb, Earth's loyal companion and lover since the dawn of time.

Sleep eluded me. I couldn't go back to sleep, something that rarely ever happened to me since I was a deep sleeper and awoke to almost nothing. But tonight I did, and for no reason, it seemed. The digital alarm clock sitting on my nightstand read 3:37 AM. The flickering bright red digits glared at me and I stared back, waiting for sleep to wash over me again.

3:39 AM

3:55 AM

I finally gave up on the notion and flung the covers aside, sat upright and threw my legs over the edge of my bed. A chill raced all the way from my toes and up my spine when my bare feet touched the cold floor, a cold reminder of what season was upon us. My eyes swept over my furnished room, lit up by the moon's glow, casting frightening shadows across the floorboards. I glanced at my window. Had I fallen asleep with the curtains open?

Shrugging, I rose from bed and went to the window, wanting to admire the full moon a little longer and act all lovey-dovey and stuff. Resting my elbows on the windowsill, I noted the way the Evergreen forest's trees swayed violently as the wind roared viciously outside, their branches twisting and bending until I thought they'd snap. The last of the colored leaves abandoned the trees and were blown away into the night. I looked up at the clear night sky, noticing the stormy clouds predicated to arrive during this week hadn't shown up yet.

Eighteen tomorrow, I thought with giddiness accompanied by a little unease. 

Something stirred the thick, evergreen, two-feet-tall bushes separating the Evergreen Forest from my house's backyard. Something big. Two tiny baby rabbits jumped out of the bushes and scurried away hastily, leaving cute immaculate paw prints on the snow in their wake. Whatever had given them cause to abandon their home moved once again, fiercely shaking the bushes like an earthquake until the leaves started falling off.

For an unexplainable reason, I held my breath until my lungs screamed for air. Anticipation and excitement with a hint of fear bubbled inside me, the sleepiness completely eradicated. My once droopy eyes were now as wide as saucers and my heart beat an unhealthy staccato rhythm, hammering against my chest. Was it a deer that had somehow lost its way and wandered all the way here, to the outskirts of the forest? Or perhaps it was simply an overgrown rabbit?

To my shock and horror, what had to be the biggest, blackest, furriest and scariest animal I had ever seen e emerged out of the bushes, its moves graceful, elegant, leaving massively large paw prints on the snow in its wake. I had no experience or knowledge when it came to animals, but from the way that beast stalked into my house's backyard like it owned the place to its appearance told me that it was a wolf, and a gigantic one at that. It was about the size of a cow, if not bigger. Even from up here in my room, I could see just how silky and soft its coal-black fur was as it beautifully reflected the moon's glow. The wind blew at its glossy coat, ruffling it the way wheat swayed when a strong wind swept by. Reflexively, my hands ached to brush the wolf's attractive fur, ruffle it myself and feel that velvety softness between my pointer fingers and thumbs. The wolf was magnificent indeed, beautiful.

In my daze, I failed to notice just how close to the house the wolf had gotten until I was bending over the windowsill, trying my best to keep the wolf within my eyesight. When it finally sunk in, it was like a jolt sent from my brain or like cold water being poured on me that made me jump, alarmed.

I gasped. 

It looked up.

Our eyes met.

I gasped again.

Startling, breathtaking amber eyes stared back at me, two brilliant, mesmerizing orbs that glowed like flint and took my breath away. My heart stammered and not a single coherent idea went through my brain, a turbulence of emotions upsetting the serenity my mind once possessed. Time seemed to stand still. No matter how hard I tried to look away, my eyed were glued to the wolf's, a strange, unidentifiable feeling settling at the pit of my stomach. They were hypnotizing and beautiful in every way imaginable, that particular shade of molten golden and fire arresting, a knowing look and an intelligence hidden in them that did not belong to animals.

Out of the blue, my back started tingling right where the wolf birthmark was, a strange sensation I'd never encountered before. It was as if an army of ants was marching all over my back, causing me to itch a little. A shiver skittered down my spine, intensifying the strange tingly sensation. It wasn't cold or fright, so what was it? And it seemed to grow in intensity as I continued to stare into the wolf's striking eyes, and it quickly morphed into an annoying prickly, thorny feeling on my back's flesh.

Could it be my birthmark causing the irritating feeling? I thought as a frown drew my eyebrows together.

Suddenly, the room's lights were switched on, the abrupt, bright light blinding me for a minute or two. Weird spots danced around my vision, making me rub at my eyes in hopes of clearing my vision.

"Carly? What are you doing up at this early hour?" My mother's voice had me whirling around so fast; I had to steady myself for a second before looking up and taking in my mother's sleepy frame standing under the doorframe, dressed in pajamas. I hadn't even heard the door opening. She yawned, drowsiness evident in her droopy eyes.

"Uh..." Words evaded me for a few seconds, my mind a giant pile of scattered, unorganized thoughts. It seemed that all I could think of was the gorgeous amber-eyed wolf. "There's some kind of animal in the backyard." 

"What?" 

Suddenly, she was standing right next to me by the window, staring out at the backyard. The look in her eyes filled me with dread. 

"Yeah, it's right over... Wait, where did it go?" 

The wolf-like creature had disappeared. 

"Go back to sleep." My mother abruptly commanded, her tone off and her face pale. 

"But I can't go to sleep-" 

"I said, go to sleep!" she snapped at me. It was rare for my mother to snap or raise her voice at me like this, so I initially stared at her, surprised, then I decided to not argue and do what she wanted and moved to my bed. 

A sudden loud sound rent the air. 

I froze. 

It was the howl of a wolf. Something about that howl made my heart race. Something about it spread adrenaline all over my body. Something about it made paths of gooseflesh rise up and down my arms and legs, sent chills to dance up and down my spine and warmed me from the inside out. It was as if it were a warning of sorts. A call. A summoning.

Deep inside me, something seemed to click into place, like the missing puzzle of a jigsaw. My back where the birthmark began to tingle. 

I made the mistake of glancing at my mother's face. My stomach plummeted. 

I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but she went to the door, stopping me. With her back to me, she said, "Lock the door." 

Once the door clicked shut behind her, I unconsciously moved to lock the door as she ordered. 

Never in my life had I seen my mother look so terrified.

****

That afternoon, my mind was occupied by my mom's weird behavior. I sat in the living room's couch, flipping through channels, not really watching. Both my parents were out, but I wasn't even in a mood to seize the rare chance and go out and play in the snow! Questions galore soared through my mind, each one as imposing as the one before it. I couldn't help but feel my parents were keeping something from me, something crucial.

From all the thinking, my head soon started to throb. I groaned and turned off the TV, deciding to rest my eyes for a bit since I was extremely exhausted. When I was finally about to fall into deep sleep, a loud knock on the front door echoed all the way to the living room. It was more of a bang than a knock. I pried my eyes open and rose, wondering what caveman stood outside the house; we had a perfectly-functioning doorbell they could've used instead of banging on the door. 

I got to the door and opened it, now agitated that my much-needed beauty sleep had been interrupted. When I found no one outside the door, I blinked in confusion. Was it the neighbors' kids playing pranks again? Before retreating back into the house, I glanced around with narrowed eyes, expecting little devils to pop out of the bushes growing against the house on both sides of the door. Just before I shut the door, I spotted it. Someone had placed a white vase that contained roses on our doormat and fled. I stared at the pink, wilting roses, with flakes trapped on its petals and its leaves, already brown, dry and long dead.

I frowned and bent to pick the vase of roses up. A white, undecorated card was attached to one of the roses. I looked around again, but there was no one in sight, so I closed the door and went inside. I put the vase on the living room coffee table and took the card in my hand and read it. It said:

Dear Carly, 

Happy 18th birthday. Be prepared. We're coming for you.