I look out my window to see the sky alive with hues of orange, pink, and blue. Clouds accent the colors above, and a flock of birds fly overhead. Evenings have always been my favorite - the sounds and sights at this time of day are wonderful.

I turn around and see the living room full of wrapping paper and ribbons. With a gentle smile I think of the events of the day - blowing out the candles on my cake, opening presents, hanging out with my friends.

All that's really left to do today is watching the sunset. Luckily, I know just the place. I run to the front door and head outside, taking in a deep breath of fresh spring air. The sun is just about to go beneath the horizon, and there's no way I'm missing that.

Running as fast as my feet will take me, I take a secret route to one of the best spots nearby. Hurrying up the grassy hill, I reach the top and see the last glimpses of the sun before it disappears.

The stars slowly appear one by one as the sky becomes darker and darker. I trace my finger to see the constellation Lupus, the Latin word for wolf. Something catches the corner of my eye, so I turn around to see the full moon in all its glory.

The light is creamy and the craters are visible if you look close enough. Some instinct calls me to it, wanting to embrace the silvery light. I can't look away for some unknown reason.

My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden wave of pain throughout my body. I wince, stumbling back a few steps. It happens again, this time more painful.

"What is this...ahhh!" I fall down, not able to handle the feeling in my body. It's like all of my bones are snapping out of place. A tingling sensation on my skin startles me. Grey fur starts growing all over.
I scream in horror as my hands start snapping and changing into a different shape, followed by my feet. What's happening to me?! Is this some kind of crazy seizure or something?

My face begins lengthening into a muzzle, and my ears move to the top of my head. My screams become animalistic howls, not at all human.
My nails sharpen and become harder, and I can feel myself becoming taller. The feeling is overwhelming. I close my eyes, unable to handle it anymore.

All of a sudden, the pain stops. But everything about my body feels different. I look at my paws and-

Wait. I have paws. I have paws!?

A terrified howl escapes me, and I know for a fact that I'm no longer human. Looking between my legs, I see a furry tail thumping against the ground. No no no. This isn't happening. What did I just become?!
Please let this be a dream...

All of my senses seem heightened. I catch the scent of dogs nearby, and the roar of car engines in the distance. With a frightened whimper, I run as well as possible on all fours down the hill. It takes me a few moments to get the hang of it, but eventually I'm running on my new paws like I've been doing it forever. The watery image of the moon hits the pond nearby, which makes me realize I can see whatever I turned into there. I head over to the pond quickly and look at my reflection.

Where my human body once stood is now a large grey wolf with greenish-golden eyes, standing about three feet tall. Oh my goodness.

There's only one reason that this could happen. Actually, two.

Either I'm crazy...or I'm a werewolf.

I don't know how or why this happened, but I'm going to find out. However, there is one thing I've always wanted to do. Looking up at the full moon, I let out a loud howl that echoes through the spring night, announcing my transformation to the world.