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I could feel it bang against the cages. The wolf clawed at its meat flesh, urging to be freed. I stumbled down the abandoned cobblestone pathway like a drunk, almost losing my footing every time the wolf threw itself against its cage. My muscles tensed and my bones ached. I moaned as the wolf scratched at me. I looked up at the big beautiful full moon. Its light caressed me, making the cage weaker, helping the wolf be free, betraying me. I could hear my pounding heartbeat in my head; each beat made it hurt more. I clutched my head and groaned. With the pain and pounding there was regret, regret that I had hurt John. The sun had gone down, I was about to go out, and then John came up to me, complaining about how I needed sleep. I would’ve agreed with him if it was any other night. He got so close, and I was already on edge. He pushed me to over my limits. I had lunged at him, leaving a deep scratch in his right arm. As soon as I realised what I had done I ran. I knew I should’ve rung someone to get John, but I needed to get the wolf out somewhere safe.
I dragged my claws along the cold brick walls of the alleyway as I wondered. I arrived at my destination; an abandoned closed off underground subway. There was a large sign reading KEEP OUT covering a closed off door. In the corner of the door parts had withered away and left a small hole, but large enough for me to squeeze through. I managed to do so, like I had done every other full moon night. The sharp edges of the jagged hole ripped at my clothes and skin. I staggered down the steps of the old dark station and into the subway. I had just made it to the subway when the white hot pain shot up my spine. My body shook violently, my muscles exploding in pain and my bones breaking. I screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground. The transformation lasted for a minute, but it felt like hours. My body twisted and warped, fur sprouting out all over and my tailbone extending. The wolf had broken out of the cage and was clawing at me, destroying my mind, taking over my body. I knew the wolf would travel up and down the tube line, hunting for whatever meat it could find. Most of the time the only prey is rats or feral cats, on rare occasions a human, almost always homeless.
I don’t remember much after the wolf is let loose. I always wake up in darkness naked. As the days go by I remember bits and pieces of the night, but nothing that makes sense. If I had time to prepare I would chain myself to something, stopping the wolf from hurting anyone. One time though, I didn’t chain myself well enough. The wolf got loose. The next day in the papers there was an article about a young girl who went missing in the subways that night and was found ripped to shreds not too far from the abandoned station. It wasn’t too hard to join the dots. I hated myself for the things I did, I hated what I was; a bloodthirsty monster. And I had just hurt the only person who I cared deeply for.
The last thing I remembered was my howl echoing through the tube lines.