What did you do?

A MONTH AGO

“Go away, Linda,” Derek muttered, gripping the edge of his bed with trembling hands. His eyes flicked up to the mirror on the wall — and there it was again. That face. That thing staring back at him.

Animalistic. Twisted. Not him.

Anger flared in his chest. He had read everything he could find — werewolves, shapeshifters, full moons. It all made terrifying sense now. He knew what he was. And as much as he hated it… he had no choice but to live with it.

Since the incident, he hadn’t returned to school. He locked himself inside his room, curtains drawn, avoiding daylight, avoiding people. Every small thing triggered his rage. Every sound, every voice, every emotion — and with that rage came the urge to kill.

His friends kept visiting. But he never opened the door. They only spoke with his confused parents, who had no answers either. Derek wouldn’t even let them in. The only time he left his room was to grab food from the fridge. Everything else he needed, he kept inside.

And still — Linda came. Every single day.

“Derek, please,” she cried through the door, her voice cracking. “I’ve been coming for over a month. Just let me see you.”

His chest tightened. He pressed his back to the door, wishing he could open it, wishing he could hold her. But he couldn’t.

“You can’t see me,” he said, voice strained. “I don’t want to hurt you. Please… just go.”

His gaze drifted to the window — and then his heart sank.

The moon. It was rising.

“Derek,” Linda pleaded. “Do you love me? If you do… why are you shutting me out? Please, talk to me. Whatever this is, we can face it together.”

His heart skipped.

No. Not now…

“Linda, leave!” he suddenly screamed, collapsing to the floor. His body convulsed as pain tore through his limbs. He clutched his bed, gasping, groaning — his bones felt like they were breaking, reshaping.

“Argh!” he howled in agony.

Linda jumped back in alarm.

“Derek!” she cried.

Without thinking, she ran to the back of the house and kicked the bedroom door open — a surge of fear and love giving her strength she didn’t know she had.

The door swung open with a crack. Her breath caught in her throat.

Derek was on the ground, curled in on himself, gripping his head. His body was trembling violently. His nails — long, sharp — were clawing into the floor. Steam rose off his back as his skin shifted, and his face was buried between his knees.

“Derek!” she gasped, rushing to him.

“Get away from me!” he growled, his voice barely human anymore.

He pressed his face tighter between his legs, ashamed, terrified. Every inch of him shook as he fought the transformation — not because it hurt, but because she was there.

And she wasn’t supposed to see this.

“I’m not going anywhere, Derek. You’re burning up,” Linda whispered, reaching out, her hand trembling as it touched his arm.

“I don’t want to hurt you!” he roared, the veins in his neck bulging as his voice twisted into a guttural growl. His teeth elongated into sharp canines.

Linda gasped, stumbling back in shock. Her eyes locked on his face — no, his eyes. His irises glowed a haunting golden-yellow, while the whites of his eyes turned pitch black. The change was no longer subtle. He was becoming… something else.

“W-What… what are you?” she whispered, voice cracking as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Derek rose slowly, trembling with every movement. His hands — now claws — twitched uncontrollably. His gaze was wild, primal. Linda's breath hitched as she saw the monstrous reflection in his golden eyes.

“Oh my God…” she muttered.

“Get out!” he bellowed, the sound no longer human. He was trembling, clenching his fists, trying to fight off the bloodthirst rising inside him. Suddenly, a loud crack — the bone in his leg snapped, and he howled in agony.

Linda shrieked, frozen in place as she watched him scream and twist in pain, still resisting the creature clawing to the surface.

“GO!” Derek snarled, launching forward. He shoved her toward the door with all his strength, desperate to save her from himself.

Linda cried out as her head slammed hard against the wooden doorframe. She collapsed instantly — limp, motionless.

Derek’s eyes widened.

“L-Lin…” he gasped, reaching out, but his hand contorted again — another bone cracked, this time in his wrist.

There was no time to process what had just happened.

With one final, ragged breath, Derek turned and ran. He leapt through the window and landed on his feet like a beast, bones crunching and rearranging beneath his skin. He bolted toward the woods, the pain chasing him like fire under his skin.

His legs snapped again mid-run, forcing him to his knees.

He screamed into the night sky.

The full moon glared down from above like a spotlight, igniting the final stage of the shift. He clutched the dirt, nails sinking into the Earth, his body convulsing violently. His spine cracked — a sickening sound that echoed through the trees.

Then silence.

His head lifted slowly.

And with a thunderous howl, the transformation was complete.

The werewolf’s senses lit up. Its vision sharpened, catching every leaf, every flicker in the dark. Its nostrils flared. The scent of prey filled the air — warm, fresh, human. Its powerful legs surged forward, paws pounding the earth, kicking up dirt and leaves as it dashed through the forest with feral grace. The wind lashed against its sleek grey fur, glowing beneath the moonlight like brushed silver.

Then — it stopped.

A scent hit its nose. Blood.

It turned sharply to the left, nearly skidding as its claws dug into the soil. The scent grew stronger. Closer.

There — ahead — a human figure.

A man. Unaware. He’d wandered off the road into the woods, just to relieve himself.

The werewolf crouched low behind a thick bush, watching, waiting. Its growl rumbled low in its throat.

The moment the man zipped up and turned to leave—

It lunged.

In a flash, Derek pounced from the shadows, claws ripping through the air. The man barely had time to scream before sharp fangs clamped onto his leg and dragged him down into the dirt.

The man hit the ground hard, and the creature unleashed its full fury—tearing into him with savage intensity. The man’s screams echoed through the woods, but Derek showed no mercy. Instead, a twisted satisfaction filled him as he savored the taste of blood and flesh.

When the man was reduced to a shattered, bloody mess, the beast lifted its head and let out a victorious howl that pierced the night. It flicked out its tongue and licked the crimson from its lips, basking in the dark thrill.

Minutes passed before Derek collapsed onto the cold earth, his body convulsing as he shifted back into his human form. He curled up, trembling, and slowly scanned his surroundings. His eyes fell on the mangled body of the man — torn apart beyond recognition. Fear gripped him, and he instinctively took a step back.

“Did I do this?” he whispered shakily to himself. His gaze dropped to his hands — now normal again, fingers relaxed, teeth returned to their usual shape. He noticed his nakedness and hurriedly covered himself, his mind suddenly flooded with the memory of Linda.

Panic surged through him. Without hesitation, he dashed from the woods, muscles aching but driven by dread. From a distance, he spotted his house and stared up at his bedroom window. He knew entering through the front door in his current state would only worsen his parents’ fears.

Summoning the last of his strength, he climbed up the wall and pulled himself through the window. Inside, the scene shattered his heart — his parents were in his room, tears streaming down their faces.

In his mother’s arms lay Linda, eyes closed and utterly lifeless.

“What have you done?!” his father roared, voice thick with anguish. His mother’s cries filled the room.

“Father, I didn’t mean to…” Derek’s voice broke, barely above a whisper. His father’s eyes swept over him, taking in the dirt, sweat, and his nakedness.

“Why are you naked?” his father demanded.

“How is she?” Derek asked, ignoring the question, dread knotting in his stomach.

“She’s dead! What did you do to her?!” his mother sobbed, her voice cracking.

“I… I…” Derek stammered, tears flooding down his face. The unbearable truth crushed him—he had just killed the woman he loved, the same way he had destroyed the man in the woods.

“You what?” his father growled, fury mixing with disbelief.

“I’m sorry,” Derek mumbled, grabbing some clothes from the floor.

Before either parent could react, he darted out the window. The landing was rough — pain shot through his leg — but he clutched his clothes and sprinted down the street, never looking back.

His parents rushed to the window, shouting after him to stop, but he was already too far.

“Where are you going, Derek? Come back!” his father shouted desperately.

But Derek was gone, consumed by a truth he couldn’t face.

‘I can’t stay here. Not anymore,’ he thought, as he ran on and on, directionless but unstoppable.