Chapter 5

Ava had hope that, if she followed Lucas's instructions, she could sneak across to the other side without anyone suspecting anything. At night, she read The Tales of  Lunacrest Mountain while holed up in her cabin.

Late at night, when the moon is brightest, the young werewolf undergoes its transformation. His ability to change on the night of the full moon becomes fully developed by the time he reaches maturity. During his formative years, he is incapable of conscious thought and experiences an insatiable hunger.

The words "insatiable hunger" caught Ava's attention. She felt the chill and shivered.

Ava didn't complain when she had to leave the cabin for activities. She did some kayaking and swimming in the lake. She spent her time hiking, making bracelets, and researching edible plants. It appeared as though Tia was still terrified that Ava would explode, so the two avoided each other.

Anabelle felt a sense of relief.

"You've been doing fantastic all week," she added as Ava helped clean up after a campfire dinner. "I'm grateful. Thank you very much.

She managed a feeble grin for the counsellor. It was difficult to protest when the thought of changing into a furry creature on the next full moon consumed her thoughts.

Ava attempted to read The Tales of  Lunacrest  Mountain cover to cover, but she kept going back to the parts about the lunar cycles. The last werewolf resembled an ordinary wolf, albeit larger and more dangerous.

It wasn't even her fear that was the worst part. No. The worst part was that she seemed nearly pleased by it all.

She attempted to ignore the thought as much as she ignored the meat on the buffet line, but it was difficult to do so. After the archery incident, nobody had picked on her, and even Tia had stopped. Creating hemp lanyards was about as exciting as watching The Legends.

Reading helped her spare time go very swiftly. In her spare time in the evenings, she began reading it by the campfire, occasionally dusting ash off the pages.

The following full moon. Ava's fingers curled as she examined them closely. She just couldn't picture the tips of the fingers erupting into claws. It was completely absurd. Seemed like a nightmare.

There was no denying her symptoms. Ava once again hovered over her lunchtime sandwich, this time visualising the meat ripping between her teeth.

That night, burgers would be on the menu. Even though they hadn't started cooking yet, she could already smell it being ground in the kitchens.

She muttered, "I'm a vegetarian," to herself, as she did for the past two weeks. This time, it sounded even less believable. 

After making such a big deal about wanting more vegetarian options, giving in to eating red meat would not be keeping a low profile.

After stubbornly choosing the tofu that Anabelle had ordered and a bag of potato chips, Ava sat down by herself at the far end of a table. As usual, nobody else joined her. She was past caring. She was too busy to engage in conversation.

The bulky figure of a man entered the dining hall. His gaze swept the room, stopping momentarily on Ava.

Jimmy.

She fell even further onto the bench and, while trying to conceal her shame, ate even more rapidly than before. 

Jimmy, however, did not go over to her table. Instead, he joined Anabelle at a nearby table. No amount of concealment would help Ava if he revealed that she had crossed over to the boy's side of the lake. That meant she was going home.

When she ate, Ava avoided looking at the counsellors. She promptly left the kitchen, leaving her tray on the drying rack behind.

“Ava!” Mia sped off to find her. She had returned to her summer uniform of ripped jeans and a black T-shirt. How long have you been eating lunch?

She nodded and cast a glance into the cafeteria. They (Jimmy and Anabelle) had disappeared.

"So, you want to hang out, huh? Since when did we last see each other?" Mia asked.

“Uh, no. Not at this time," Ava said. "Apologies, but I must leave right now."

“Why?” To prevent Ava from leaving, she physically blocked her way. "Check out these crazy new drawings I've been working on!"

Jimmy and Anabelle came out of the building's rear and started walking up to the office floors. She should have gone back to her cabin and avoided Jimmy, but instead she cautiously approached Mia.

“Sorry. One day, perhaps." Ava replied and left hastily.

She hid behind a tree while the counsellors stopped to chat on the trail.

"Problems over there, eh?" Happy Anabelle inquired. "I've always found the boys to be more well-behaved than the girls."

Jimmy scowled and crossed his arms. He was like a black hole devouring the sun. "Perhaps a girl was influencing one of the boys negatively."

"A girl was over there?" "Did you see her?" Anabelle inquired.

"It was nighttime, but I noticed two children. I was unable to place them. One of them might have been a camper from your side of the lake, but even so, I have my doubts." Jimmy replied.

"That's a problem," Anabelle remarked.

“Yes. Why would a girl do that?" Jimmy asked.

With a chuckle, she continued. "Ah, probably the usual reasons. It seems like every year we witness a couple in the act. Do you remember those two from last year? Each and every Tuesday evening! That was never a major problem. They're just being typical adolescents."

"It might turn into a bigger problem than we think," Jimmy warned. "Someone also broke into the guidance counsellor's quarters."

"Who do you suspect it was?" Asked Anabelle.

Ava peered around the tree again, holding her breath. Jimmy turned his back on her. She was unable to read his face.

"I can't make allegations since I don't have adequate proof. But if you find out that one of your females has been sneaking out, you need to tell me about it," Jimmy stated. "I want to know about it."

Anabelle added, "There are a few troublesome campers this year, but I don't think any of them would steal." Do you really think it's that bad?"

"Oh yes."

With a groan, she looked about. "That's OK. If I learn anything, I'll be sure to share it with you."

"Thank you, Anabelle," Jimmy replied.

They got up and left. Ava had heard enough and decided to stop listening. Jimmy knew she had sided with the boy, but he lacked sufficient "proof" to prove it. It was more crucial than ever that she be on her best behaviour, but she didn't want to think about how he was going to prove it.

Ava would have had to amputate her foot at the start of the summer before being sent home. That had been the last thing she wanted after more than a month had passed. The idea of becoming a werewolf in her father's home made her uneasy. There was no way to return home. Never again.

After dinner that weekend, everyone gathered around a massive bonfire in the amphitheatre. Logs were piled high in the fire pit in the centre of the boys camp, with enough extra fuel added to send flames soaring higher than the highest benches. The bottom row was uncomfortably hot. Ava sat down quietly in the back, out of the spotlight, to wait for any updates.

Mia sat down next to her.

"How are you doing today?" she asked Ava as she handed her a chocolate bar from the supply of s'mores fixings by the fireplace.

Ava reached out to grab it, but her hands were shaking so much she couldn't grasp it. She sat down instead and did nothing. “I'm good.”

"Are you sure?" Mia asked, looking worried.

“Yeah. Why?” Ava replied.

"You've been acting strange," Mia remarked. "I am tasked with doing exactly that." She laughed, and Ava assumed it meant she should as well.

She tried to mimic the sound, and failed. It sounded awkward and strained as it was being spoken. "I'm homesick, I suppose."

Receiving any letters from your family? Mia inquired.

“Sometimes.” Since Ava's mother brought her new clothes, they haven't written to each other, but that's probably because they're too preoccupied with the divorce to do so.

"I'm not." Mia took a bite out of the chocolate bar and chewed it unevenly, causing her cheek to puff out. "They hate me."

With much deliberation, Ava bit into a square of chocolate and let it melt on her tongue. 

The only thing she could think to say to Mia was, "What about those drawings you wanted to show me before?" because she had nothing pleasant to say about Mia's family.

Mia exposed her wrist by rolling up her sleeve. New line art extended from the inside of her elbow to the palm of her hand, while the older ink was beginning to fade. A hairy wolf bared its teeth, as if it were about to gnaw on a vein.

Ava spent too much time staring at it. It appeared to be nearly alive. "That's a really fantastic drawing," she remarked. Her words lacked life.

The director took a seat in front of the fireplace and began to speak. Ava, relieved to have a diversion from Mia, feigned to be engaged in the lecture. Not a syllable reached her ears.

She turned her gaze upwards instead.

It was almost full moon.