MARKED BY THE MOON; SHE WHO SHINES IN BLACK

ia's

fresh air-daytime air at Northmont feels like it's been filtered through a pack of aggressive werewolves and served with a side of j

medy at my expense. My jesters were probably already rehearsing new material. I sat quietly on my bed, clutching my blanket like a se

. "Think of... the time. Yeah. That's sa

o, or just breathe the same awkward air. But nope. Who would willingly

all clock, I watched it

, Dahlia Reed," I muttered. Maybe I'd get a miracle me

to gravity, and just

here glowy and suspicious. A woman appeared like she'd been airbrushed out of a fairy tale. Her gown sparkled like someone weaponized glitter, and her eyeballs were...

" I asked, because apparently

essed, your journ

her. Seriously? Moon Blessed? Wrong girl. I'm not even a wolf. I mean, I do look

glowing void. "I can be round, but

capes? And boom-suddenly I was in a creepy forest. Is

ches looked like claws. I was officially terrified. The f

too many words being spoken that I couldn't make a sentence out of

ce cut throu

d. You are the last one.

a drumline. And then-bam. Light. And I was back in my room, s

eam. Right? Because I can't be the last anyth

with Dad and his high-gloss wife. I had another moon-themed dream then, too. A wide field. A glowing woman. Another weird name I forgot. Dad said it was just my imaginati

ers. About my mom. About who she was, what she left behind. No

sed. I lay back and played my favourite game: "

Maybe it was how she stared at me like she already k

ere I could kind of prove I wasn't completely useless. Biology-ironically

ving one? My stepmom did the most to get me accepted into Northmont High, whe

brain. I clutched my head, rolling on the bed like some dramatic soap opera patient. I prayed for it to stop. Bargained with the unive

ught my brain was g

IFIED: MOON‑BLESSED. STATUS:

e had just gone from tragic to ex