MINE

The darkness enveloped her, surrounding her fragile being and threatening to consume her. The fog didn’t help either; all she could see was him, looking at her with his glowing yellow eyes, big and tall, ready to attack. He was the wolf of her dreams.

He drew closer, appearing twice as large as she was, roaring and instilling fear in her. Selina had been having these nightmares for some time now, especially as her 18th birthday approached. They had never been this vivid or terrifying before. Each night, she woke in a sweat, her heart racing with fear.

That night was no different. With the full moon shining outside, she noticed that her nightmares often coincided with these lunar phases. It wasn't unusual; people usually experienced nightmares during a full moon, and she thought she was just like everyone else.

But, deep down, Selina was different in many ways that she didn’t yet understand. Her mother, Maya, did. She recognized the signs of Selina’s nightmares, evident in her daughter’s eyes each morning.

Maya didn’t know the specifics of the nightmares, but she sensed their weight and feared for Selina, especially with her 18th birthday looming just days away.

Selina had never known her father—he died before she was born, and her mother avoided all conversations about him, even about his parents, and Selina's grandparents. It was a forbidden topic. Maya believed it was for the best, choosing to raise Selina alone without anyone else in their lives. But now, she questioned that choice as she watched her daughter succumb to nightmares.

Maya had also grown up alone, like an orphan, working hard until she met her husband. She thought she could manage the same situation again, raising Selina by herself. But Selina wasn’t an ordinary human; she was special, just as her father had been. That was why her mother kept it a secret out of fear.

Since Selina was little, her mother, Maya, had given her medications, claiming they were for her muscles. This was a lie; the pills were suppressants. Maya believed Selina was fragile, and she administered the drugs out of fear for her daughter's life. It was strange that they lived so close to the forest, far from school and other people. It felt as though Maya wanted something different for Selina, as if her instincts were guiding her to act that way.

Selina hated taking the medication and was determined to stop when she turned 18, knowing her mother wouldn't be able to do anything about it then. She felt fine—her muscles were strong, and she walked to school every day without any issues. So why should she take something harmful? Moreover, her mother had given her these pills despite Selina never having been sick or seen a doctor in her life. While she had her doubts about the medication, she kept them to herself; she didn't want to upset her mother, who meant everything to her.

Selina had no friends, but it wasn't because she isolated herself from others. She got along well with everyone, yet she lacked a true friend. Deep down, she sensed something was different about her. Her looks attracted boys, but she wasn't interested in them—at least, not until now. Nightmares about a wolf haunted her, which made her wonder if having someone for protection would be beneficial, but she didn't seek anything more than that.

Despite being attractive—with her blond hair, big dark blue eyes, and a petite figure—she didn't care about appearances or gossip. She identified as a geek, yearning for something greater in life than the waitress job her mother had. Selina wanted more for both of them.

There was a neighbor named Dean, a tall and handsome boy who was every girl's dream. He lived a little further down the street and was the same age as Selina. Occasionally, they would walk to school together when he had car trouble or some other issue, but he didn't have any romantic interest in her. Although he acknowledged that Selina was attractive, he made it clear that she wasn’t his type, as he was more interested in boys. Selina was fine with this because it meant he didn’t bother her.

Tonight's dream was more vivid than usual. A large silver wolf was approaching her, and she felt an instinctual fear that he might bite or devour her; he was massive. His jaws were open, and he was roaring at her, seemingly ready to pounce. Just then, she woke up in a panic, drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Selina could only hope she hadn't screamed in her sleep, as that would wake her mother, and she didn’t want that.

Her alarm was still ringing, and she struggled to turn it off, but she managed in the end. She rushed to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, hoping to hide any signs of her restless night. Tiredly, she looked in the mirror and noted the dark circles around her beautiful eyes—she didn't like them at all. "Damn nightmares!" she murmured to herself.

Maya was in the kitchen, baking pancakes for Selina, when she noticed her daughter enter.

"Another nightmare?" She asked, knowing the truth. Every night, she heard Selina walk into her room in the middle of the night, especially after Selina went to the bathroom to wash her face. This seemed to happen every full moon, and it scared Maya.

"What? No!" Selina denied it, but Maya wasn't convinced.

"The full moon always affects me, so I sleep less, that’s all, Mom. No need to worry," Selina lied.

"Hm, if you say so, young lady. Have you thought about your birthday? Maybe invite someone from your class or school, like Dean?" Maya asked.

"No!" Selina replied quickly. "I won't be celebrating anything. It's just a birthday. I’ve never celebrated with my so-called friends, so why bother now?"

"Because it's your 18th birthday, that's why," Maya said. "I already told my boss I will take some time off, and my girls will bake you a cake."

"Do as you wish, but no party, Mom. I need to go or I'll be late for class," Selina replied, grabbing a pancake and running through the door.

Maya felt a wave of emotion wash over her, and tears began to spill from her eyes.

"God, help me," she whispered to herself.