Chapter 2 The Results.

The next week floated by in a mist of anticipation and nervousness. The end of term could only mean one thing: our grades. Whispers darted from student to student through the hallways, with everyone trying to guess their results—a pressure that weighed heavily upon my mind. I had tried to focus, but those strange dreams and unsettling feelings had distracted me more than I would have admitted. Well, the long-awaited day finally came, and I walked to school, full of both dread and hope. It was crisp that morning, but that did little to quell the jitters in my stomach as I set out toward the bulletin board where the grades were posted. Several students had already formed a crowd in front of it—there was a mix of relief and disappointment on their faces. I elbowed my way forward in the crowd, peering up and down the lists until I came to my name. My heart sank as I saw the grades beside it: a mess of C's and D's, with one lonely B in English. It was worse than I could have anticipated. I thought of my mother's reaction. Noelle had ground into my head how important a good performance in school was; this was not going to make her happy. The walk home seemed a little longer than usual. Each step was heavy because I dreaded the thought of facing my mother. Finally, I arrived at the house and took a deep breath before pushing open the door to where Noelle was in the kitchen making dinner. She looked up when I walked in; her face brightened with a smile that fell quickly at the sight of my expression. "How were the results?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. I handed her the report card, unable to meet her eyes. She took it from me, and watched her eyes, as they moved through the grades. Her face grew stern, and she let out a long sigh. "Jessica, these grades are unacceptable," she said, firm and hard but not mean. "I know you can do a lot better than this. What's going on here?" I swallowed an emotional lump, trying to find the right words. "I've just been distracted, Mom. I don't know—things have just been weird lately." "Weird how?" she asked, her eyes raking over mine in search of answers. I didn't know how to explain the dreams and the feelings without sounding crazy. "Just… weird dreams and stuff. I'm sorry, Mom. I'll do better next term, I promise."   Noelle sighed a second time, more softly. "I believe you, Jessica, but there have to be consequences. You are grounded until your grades improve. No going out with friends, no distractions." I nodded in a mix of guilt and relief. At least she wasn't yelling. "Understood." "Good. Now, go start on your homework. Dinner will be ready soon. I plodded upstairs to my room and dropped my backpack onto the floor. Being grounded wasn't the end of the world, although it certainly wasn't fun. I plopped down in the chair at my desk, focusing on my textbooks, willing myself to begin my homework. The dreams invaded my mind: the sensation of running through the woods and an equally unshakable feeling of being watched. I halfheartedly crammed for some couple of hours. I had taken a DVD from my friend at school—this fantasy movie which I was dying to watch. Maybe a little escapism would do me good and get my head off everything. I popped the DVD into my laptop and lay on my bed, letting the opening shots transport me into a world of magic and adventure. It was about a young heroine who discovers that she is endowed with special powers and is ordained to save her world from the forces of darkness. As the plot began to unravel, I got lost in the fantasy, with worries of real life erased into the background. It was the kind of movie I needed. I could totally relate to the journey that the protagonist goes through in this story, much like the strange things I have been experiencing lately. But most of all, I could not help but draw a line as she learns to master her powers and face her fears—the movie speaking directly to me with courage, identity, and transformation. Just as the heroine was going to fight it out for the last time, someone knocked at my door, jerking me straight into reality. I paused the movie and called out, "Come in." Noelle came in, her expression grave. "Dinner's ready, Jessica." I nodded and closed my laptop. "Thanks, Mom. I'll be down in a minute. She hesitated, then sat on the edge of my bed. "I know being grounded isn't fun, but I want to make something clear for you. I only do all of this because I want what's best for you. You're capable of so much, Jessica. I don't want to see you fritter it away." "I know, Mom," I said softly. "I'm sorry I let you down." She responded very softly, "You didn't let me down," and continued, "We all have our struggles; just promise me you'll try harder." "I promise." She smiled and squeezed my shoulder reassuringly. "Good. Now, come on, let's eat." Dinner was a quiet affair. Hertha and Ethan chatted about their day while Noelle and I exchanged only occasional glances. After dinner was cleaned up—I helped clear the table—I retreated to my room, finally wanting to see how the movie ended. As the credits rolled, I felt that once more peace had eluded me for the past weeks. It reminded me of the overcoming of challenges and made me realize how, even the most arduous journey, one could face bravely and hence victoriously. Then there was one of those nights when I lay in bed with the prescience that something huge was going to happen. The dreams, the strange feelings—it all seemed to point into a change, a transformation that was beyond my present understanding. Then I laid in bed to sleep, and here came images of the movie heroine again. So much fighting and courage it was. She could meet her destiny straight in the eyes. If she is, then I am too. Ready would be for whatever came. This morning I was more determined than usual. Getting up, I quickly dressed and downstairs to face the day. Noelle was in the kitchen, fixing breakfast. She turned around, smiling at me. "Morning, Jessica. How did you sleep?" "Bette," I replied, getting a piece of toast. "I'm going to try harder, Mom. I promise. "I know you will," she said with proud eyes. I walked to school with a renewed spring in my step. My grades could not be great, but there was a resolution that had settled in my stomach. These dreams, weird feelings were still there, and instead of letting myself be ruled by fear, I just shrugged and learned to live with them. Maybe they were trying to tell me something or guide me toward something important. Few minutes after I arrived at school, I headed straight to my locker with a heart full of energy to conquer the day. While retrieving my books, I noticed that group of students whispering to each other and glancing at my location. I turned a deaf ear to them and ensured my mind was set on how I wanted to raise my grades. The first few classes passed uneventfully, and I found myself actually listening a lot more than I normally do. Maybe the distraction of the dreams was starting to wear off as I burrowed into my studies. At lunchtime, I felt satisfied with myself. It wasn't much, but it was a start. I was in the cafeteria, eating my lunch when I couldn't help but overhear a conversation happening at the next table. There was a group of students, talking about some kind of strange animal sighting in the woods, near Ashwood. "I saw it with my own eyes," said one boy, his voice all animated with excitement. "It was huge, like a wolf but bigger, and its eyes were glowing. "Are you sure it wasn't maybe really just a dog, or something?" another student asked, sounding dubious. "No way. It wasn't a dog – guaranteed. It was a werewolf; that's for sure." I listened with bated breath; perhaps this was something to do with my dreams. It sounded absurd, but somehow, somewhere, a part of me connected it to what was going on. It was the drone of a school day gone by in a haze as my mind wandered with images of the strange creature. I thought I was full of business when I came home and immediately began to research. I spent hours online looking up information about werewolves and strange animal sightings. Most of what I found was folklore and myth, but some of the stories bore a striking resemblance to my dreams. I felt my heart race with anticipation as the sun began to set and darkness crept in through the town of Ashwood. Whatever it was, I would be there, ready to face whatever was thrown my way. The answers were somewhere out there, and I had to get them.