Imagine one day you woke up to find out that you could shapeshift into a wolf. Well, that's what happened to Ash. Just a little bit about her: she was your typical high schooler, she was finishing her last year. Now, Ash was *too* academically focused until she met someone who could occupy her free time so that books wouldn't have to. She had long, auburn hair that was naturally wavy. Her eyes were a shade of brown that looked like a mix of tigers eye, a touch of red, and a hint of green. Her skin was tan due to her Native American heritage and the amount of time she would spend in the sun during summer. She was never very “sporty” but that never stopped her from participating in gym. When she smiled, it could light up even the darkest of rooms. She had a heart made of gold, she always cared, was always there for others, and would never let someone battle adversity on their own. She was empath (someone who can feel physical pain, emotions, or mental turmoil) but only one person, besides her, knew that. Then, something changed, she could feel it. 

It all started on that cold February day. It was the first day of February break, the sky was clear and the snow was reflecting the sun in a way that made the white, fluffy powder on the ground, look like it was made of glitter. The trees were bare and dormant, but still just as beautiful as they were during the rest of the year. It was eight in the morning when Ash’s alarm went off, the birds were singing and the morning air was crisp. Ash stirred under the blankets and peeked her head out from her hiding place. She looked around and caught the scent of bacon being cooked. She quickly fumbled out of bed only to realize, she was a lot shorter than she remembered being last night before bed. She also realized she could hear things that she shouldn't be able to,like the sound of bacon sizzling and popping in the pan. Now, this was unusual, seeing as how she had an upstairs bedroom with the door closed and the vent covered by a blanket, so as to not disturb her family when she decided to stay up late. She could smell the water in the creek behind her house and hear it burble as it would rush over rocks and sticks. She looked down now, hoping to find out why she had suddenly shrunk, only to find two furry paws. She was frightened, confused, and shocked. She let out a scream, but what sounded like a scream to her, was a howl to everyone else. She went over to the large mirror in her room, only to see that she was a wolf. Her fur was a silky auburn color with occasional black freckle like specks scattered across her torso and hind legs. Her eyes were two different colors, one was her original eye color, the other was this beautiful, electric blue with flecks of green and gold. Her tail was long and had a black tip that faded back to the fur’s auburn color. On the black part of her tail, there were gold specks that made the tip resemble the night sky. She found her wolf form terrifyingly beautiful. She didn't want to change back, seeing as how she was so intrigued on how this was possible and mesmerized by her reflection but she knew that she needed to control this newfound power. She had spent most of the day getting used to switching back and forth between wolf and teenage girl, learning how to act like a wolf, controlling herself when she was angry, and teaching herself how to lay comfortably as a wolf. She knew that she had to tell her best friend who was also her boyfriend, the one she shared everything with, and the best thing to ever happen to her. She didn't know how he would react to this news. 

She decided to tell him in person so she went over to his house. She went around back and knocked at his window. Knock knock. Nothing, so she knocked once more. She heard shuffling and saw the curtains draw back to reveal a very dishevelled, groggy Neil. His eyes widened, he looked shocked but then smiled. He walked to the back door and unlocked it, signaling that she could most definitely come in. She walked through the door and could hear the music coming from his sister’s earbuds, his sister was in her room with the door shut. Ash started to walk to Neil’s room, where she would reveal the new secret she had kept from him all day. She sat on his bed and he followed suit. She slowly told him that she had gone through something crazy. He gave her a concerned and confused look. Ash took a deep breathe as she felt all of her human qualities change to wolf ones. Neil’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped but he never once freaked out or called her a monstrosity. Once she changed back, Neil got up and hugged her. She had never felt more accepted than she did with him. When they graduated from high school then college, they got an apartment. They both were very successful in their lines of work. On that February day, five years later, Neil proposed to Ash, promising she would never be alone or thrown aside for as long as they may live.