I’ve nearly fallen asleep when the man begins to stir. He’s grunting, kicking at something in his nightmare. Then, he starts clawing at something. It’s funny, really, watching him fight the things in his dreams. How do I know he’s fighting something? Somehow, it just makes sense. I rub at my eyes, staring down at the fire again, when the man starts growling. It’s the growl of a predator, deep and throaty. I know that sound; I’ve made it before. As I look up at him, he is racing towards me, teeth bared, eyes reflecting the moonlight. 

He crashes into me, giving me little to no time to move. My back’s against the ground; his teeth are at my throat. My hand’s go straight for his own throat, wondering if I could choke him out. It takes every ounce of strength I have to push him away from me. It’s surprising how strong he is in this condition. Over his shoulder, the moon gives the cave an eerie glow, casting silver shadows on the clunky rocks outside the mouth of the cave. We aren’t sitting in the moonlight but in the darkness. 

If I could only reach that moonlight. The thought that runs through my mind confuses me. What would the light from the moon do for me? My instinct hasn’t failed me yet today, and so I give the man once strong shove and push him off me, cussing. If I’d known he would attack me when the sun set, I would have left him behind. Panting, I run towards the opening of the cave, standing tall in the dim light. 

“Wake up, you idiot, it’s just me,” I yell back at him, shivering. It’s not cold. But my body is covered in these weird bumps, bumps that itch and tingle. There’s an odd pain in my stomach, an urge to kneel down on my hands and knees, an urge to run. Is it the moonlight? Connections, Jess, make connections. Moonlight. Nocturnal. Animals. Moonlight. Werewolves. Wait, that last connection is so random that it makes perfect sense. If the man before me is a vampire, then why can’t I be a werewolf?