The dirt, dust, and graffiti told a story of a place long forgotten. At least that was what was left within the confines of the damaged, abandoned factory. Chipped bricks and all, the decayed lot hadn't nearly gone to waste. The once forsaken space was suddenly illuminated by the vibrant hues of the graffiti that adorned its walls. The once-crumbling bricks now bore witness to an explosion of colors, a testament to the resilience of the artists who had transformed the factory into a canvas for their creative expression bequeathed the mill a new purpose. It was now a graffiti skate park that would definitely make the B-Boys proud and weak at the knees.

A sense of wonder filled the teen as he tried to imagine the history that these rusty walls had witnessed. He couldn't believe that an old, abandoned factory could rival the vibrancy of a living canvas. The walls seemed to contain stories, each flake of paint a testament to its rich history. The tousled, sun-bleached hair teen could almost hear the factory's hum and the clanging of machines that once filled the air.

The teen sat comfortably on the cylinder seat. His black puffer jacket hugging his body as he adjusted the straps with eases. His eyes darted from the mural on one wall to the other, taking in the intricate details and the bold colors that brought the old factory to life.

With an air of carefree confidence, dude was in his element. He was daydreaming, gazing at the cobalt, baby blue mixed airspace. A sight for sore eyes, this mill happened to be a solace for him. When there were times of unrest, he would visit to release his nerves. Energy that others witnessed but hadn't lived to tell the tale. The vibe was calming, but the prowl within lingered. His hand held a switchblade in his pocket for precautions. The surfer was waiting for closure, but he needed someone to help him get it off his chest.

"HEY! Asshole!.." a feminine voice screamed, causing the boy to jolt his head around. "...I've been calling you all this time! You didn't even have the nerve to pick up your phone!" The girl was complaining as if someone cut her in line at Starbucks.

The boy glanced at his phone and looked back. "Ohh…shiit….damn my bad Jules. I just lost track of time. Honest!" The teen reassured the girl. He had to tread lightly or else he would be down bad.

The hippy, strawberry blonde shook her head as the bangs flowed "UGH!...that's what they all say…" she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you made me walk through these woods and mess up my slips!" The girl was disgusted by the dirtied hard stoles but eventually smirked. "..You're lucky I love you….jerk!".

The couple both laughed knowing how hygienic she was. They hugged and kissed each other. Lovers at day, roasters at night, the star crossed couple had a warmth that stood firm like no other.

"Seriously….Khris, what's been happening?" The girl was worried about her partner's discreet attitude. "You've been really quiet lately. Did I hurt you? Did I do something wrong? Are you breaking up with me or-"

"What!...No…" Khris was shocked, he calmly explained "...It's not you….It's not like that at all." The surfer boy gaped at the graffiti covered scenery. "I just haven't been honest with you these past months."

"Please…" Jules sighed "...When haven't you been honest with me?" The long sleeved red & white fitted hipster sarcastically replied.

"Damn Jules…don't play like that. I'm for real this time" Khris declared his stance.

She had a confused expression written all over her face. "Then what do you mean…." Jules immediately gasped and her eyes widened with assumption. "You're not talking about the crazy shit happening in town lately?...Are you?!"

The ocean blue eyed teen looked at his girl in fear and sighed. "...Yea…I haven't told you the full truth." The cool breeze pervaded softly amongst the area. "The town, the fukkery, the disappearances, Coop-".

Jules interjected, "My brother?!...Khris I told you I DIDN'T want to talk about that anymore…" The girl uncomfortably warned.

The mention of her departed twin made her feel ill at ease. "Khris, I know things have been horrible for everyone but …whatever you're doing, this has got to be one sick joke!"

"No!..." Khris grabbed her arms to calm her nerves. "Stay!….I need you…I just don't know how to tell you…" Khris' composure was filled with regret and hesitation. His heart was open but he didn't want it to be broken.

The girl was on the verge of tears. "Khris….you're scaring me..." She was choking up sobs to her partner's disarray state. "Just please tell me!...P-Please!....T-Tell me so I can understand!". Khris was speechless. "...Give me a resolution, PLEASE!...I don't want to brace the pain anymore!" The hazel eyed Jules tears were uncontrollable. Frantic and broken deep inside. The pieces of her heart shattered; her heavy cries morphed into that of a sorrowful melody. The creatures of the woods heard her voice but knew there was no point of saving her. Just like all of the others.

"Jules….look at me…" The young man pleaded remorsefully "...Look at me!".

After Jules' emotions poured out like rain, she finally matched her partners' gaze. Only hesitantly, she raised her head. "I know, I know…..it's been strange but if I don't tell you, then…". The boy's speech cut almost as if the record on the turntable stopped working. He looked at the sky and realized it was a full moon.

"No….No….NO!" The human had walked backwards away from his lover. Immediately, he peered at his hands and arms. Red veins popping in and out of his skin, nails growing from the depth of his fingers. The boy was transforming into a creature that no man had ever seen before. "God please! I don't want to do this! I can't be like this anymore!" Khris begged for his life but his eyes changed from blue to red. The takeover was complete and there was no going back.

The scream changed from humane to feral. What was originally a teenager had become something of a canine being. Sharp teeth and nails, silver fur had defined the now husky dark skinned wolf. The creature banged his head on the wall to resist the urge but it couldn't be done. The beast's thirst for blood grew heavy and Jules was right in the middle.

"Oh My God….WTF!".The girl was shocked and beyond fearful of her lover's transformation. "No! No! No! No! NO!..."She crawled from behind in order to find cover. The female warrior threw rocks at the beast for a chance at distraction.

. The beast was ready to commit his usual routine but was conflicted. The urge had dominated yet the consciousness was felt.

. The canine charged at the victim but made awkward stops. "AHHGG". The humanity in the beast awakened. He didn't want to murder his partner, it was hurting him inside. "JULES! STAY AWAY! RUN-H!"

The beast and human subconsciously fought over the soul. The creature charged at the traumatized girl as she was scared of it's wrath.

"Oh…no!" She tearfully moaned, begging for the chaos to end. "Khris!...I know it's you! I know it wasn't your fault!.. Khris!..Khris!..KHRIS!" She cried not knowing if this was her last moment.

The beast plunged at her until he heard Jule's melody. Khris' senses started to take form and hold off the monstrosity. The beast went from a feral scream to the young man's tearful outburst. The urge became nonexistent, and the beast had surprisingly been dominated by the human. "Ugh!..." Khris frustratingly cried and disgusted at the sight of his hideous form.

"...I'm awful, I'm garbage..". The young man self-depreciated himself. "These powers I have…..I couldn't control it, I let myself go over blood!" He shouted.

"I slain people I care about: friends, innocents,...your brother!..." The young man put his hands on his face as the tears rolled down. Jules became speechless and worried.

Her twin brother murdered was something that she still couldn't get over. The family had not fully processed Cooper's sudden death. A mutilated corpse with remnants of his cherished hoodie, it was nearly unrecognizable. Her father believed that his son was still alive. Often going on trips to the forests to call out his little man. Ma dukes had turned from cheerful, optimistic to silent, moody at the loss of her baby boy. She's been in her room for awhile and hasn't seen the sunshine.

"Jules….You don't deserve me! I'm a monster,..a ugly fuck!" Khris angrily exclaimed. "Fuck God! Fuck My Parents! Fuck being born! Fuck this curse that God has forsaken me with…!" Jules stood up with a pained expression. She was upset that he felt this way and shook her head during his tirade.

"Why didn't they just tell me about who I was….I'm a mutant for god sakes!" Khris filled with regret and anger, felt hopeless. His parents passed away when he was an adolescent. Leaving the orphan in the arms of the group home. Surfing and skating were his source of happiness, but the powers he possessed had obviously made his life complicated.

"Stop…please…" Jules remorsefully pleaded "...Just STOP!...I don't know how to feel right now. I don't know if I should be mad at you or…I-I don't know what to do anymore…." Jules coughed trying to make a semblance of her mind.

"Jules…just kill me…I don't deserve to live. I don't want you to be an inhabitant of my terror. End it….please!" The conduit had admitted to his crimes and guilt. "Take the knife..Please!" He pointed at the switchblade that came out his ripped jacket. Jules looked yet pondered whether it would make a difference. A whole bunch of emotions had her shaken up, but this time, Jules realized that the monster was still Khris.

"Khris….this isn't your fault, this isn't on you.." Jules reasoned. "I know you can't control it,..that's not your fault!" Khris looked up to her. "You're a victim….Shit, we're all victims of the madness."

Jules wiped the tears out of her eyes. "...I care about you, Khris. I've known you since we were kids. You helped me out a lot, especially when we trained at the beach; You were the one that cared about me…"

The girl walked towards Khris and crouched. "...I love you…" she confessed her truth. "Even with your curse, I'm still here for you no matter what." She hugged and wrapped him within a warm embrace. Jules' eyes were glued to the switchblade. "We'll get through this. I know we will…" Khris accepted his confidants' acceptance. He finally felt acknowledged and was now at peace from Jules' lustrous comfort.

The cries of the couple were heard throughout the area until it transitioned to silence. Pain and tragedy brought these lover's together. A trauma that resulted in resolution. Weeping endured in the night, but tranquility came in the morning. The apparitions were avenged but the melody was still heard. The terror had finally outlived it's usefulness to the joy of the survivors. No more drama. No more atrocities. No more pain.