THE AWAKENING

Cassidy couldn’t escape the feeling she was being watched.

And it wasn’t the first time she’d felt this way.

A shiver of apprehension crawled up her spine and rattled her skull as she hurriedly walked home. The walking path was illuminated by the barest of street lamps — budget cuts within the city had eliminated bulb replacement — and it was her bad luck that she didn’t own a car and so had to walk home from the university.

Normally, she enjoyed the time to herself to walk home. But lately, she couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on her, watching her every move.

Of course, the dreams didn’t help either.

For the past week, she’d woken out of a deep, almost drugged sleep, sweat-soaked and achy as if eaten by a fever, and oddly, aroused.

It was disconcerting and a bit embarrassing considering the men in her dreams weren’t exactly men but more like beasts.

Thank God she lived alone. She’d hate to have to explain her behavior when she didn’t have a clue what was going on with her body or her mind.

The bite in the air signaled snow was coming and she pulled her scarf tighter around her neck to ward off the cold. Almost home, she noted with relief, when the old apartment building loomed in the darkness.

A sound, much like that of a coyote or wolf, echoed in the night and she startled at the mournful sound. What the hell?

in her chest. Probably someone’s dog, she told herself when her imagination threatened

running around the city. The idea

So stop freaking out.

seemed rational, she continued to jump at the shadows from the moving foliage, until when she stepped onto the paved parking lot of her building,

leaned against her door to release a shaky laugh.

No

breaths and when she was sufficiently recovered, she tossed her backpack to the table and went straight to the kitchen. She

inside, her eyes lighting on the package of raw hamburger she’d purchased yesterday on impulse.

package and devouring the raw meat, slurping the blood as it ran in rivulets down her forearms.

at the errant thought, she deliberately shut

she munched on the crackers and

wanted meat,

thought, returning the box to the cupboard. Her stomach cramped from hunger and she almost doubled over

wrong with her?

stomach caving in? This had to be some kind of

timing. When she should be cramming for finals, she was doubled over like she was dying. It wasn’t