**Midnight Metamorphosis**

In the small, sleepy town of Meadowbrook, nestled between rolling hills and whispering forests, a full moon cast an eerie glow over the serene landscape one autumn night. The town's park, typically filled with laughter and the rustling of leaves, lay silent and empty. The towering trees seemed to hold their breath, their branches arching protectively over the winding paths below. Carter Daly, a 13-year-old boy, walked through the hushed park, his thick yellow hoodie standing out prominently in the moonlight. The hood was drawn over his head, shadowing his face, while a white undershirt peeked out from underneath. He wore a pair of well-worn blue jeans and black-and-white sneakers that crunched softly over the fallen leaves. The night air was crisp, and his breath formed misty clouds as he exhaled. Carter loved the solace of the park at night. It offered him a refuge from the chaos of school, the pressures of adolescence, and the tumult of his thoughts. There was something soothing about the night’s embrace, the way the moonlight created an intricate lace of shadows on the pathways. But tonight, something felt different. Walking deeper into the park, past the playground and the small pond where the ducks slept soundly, Carter felt an unexplainable tension in the air. It was as if the very fabric of the night had thickened, wrapping around him tightly. His steps slowed, and he frowned, unease prickling at the back of his mind. As he reached a small clearing, a sudden chill rushed over him. Instinctively, he turned around and looked up. The full moon hung high and heavy in the sky, its silvery light bathing the park in an otherworldly glow. For a moment, everything seemed to stand still as Carter's gaze locked onto the moon. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, a slow, deliberate rhythm. Without warning, a searing pain shot through his body, causing him to gasp and stagger. He tried to cry out, but his voice caught in his throat, a strangled sound of confusion and fear. His muscles began to tremble uncontrollably, and beads of sweat sprang to his forehead, despite the cold. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he felt his bones grinding, stretching. The pain intensified, radiating from his core to his extremities. His fingers twitched and spasmed as his hands began to grow, the knuckles cracking and thickening, nails sharpening into claws. His sneakers strained, the fabric creaking before they split open, exposing rapidly expanding feet. Carter's jeans tore apart at the seams as his legs elongated, muscles bulging and sinew rippling under his skin. His body widened, growing more massive with each agonizing second. He felt his spine stretching, vertebrae shifting, and a pressure building at the base of his skull. His hoodie, once comfortably loose, now tugged painfully against his chest and shoulders before it too gave way, ripping apart in tatters. The white undershirt barely clung on, but it too was soon shredded as his torso expanded. Unable to comprehend the transformation, Carter's mind spiraled into a frenzy of pain and confusion. He tried to hold onto his sense of self, but it was slipping away. His face contorted, jaw elongating into a snout, teeth sharpening into fangs. His skin prickled and stretched, coarse fur sprouting over his once-smooth flesh. The last threads of his humanity snapped as the change completed. The boy was gone, replaced by a towering, muscle-bound beast. It stood hunched in the moonlit clearing, breath heaving, a low growl rumbling deep within its powerful chest. Its eyes glowed with a primal ferocity, reflecting the pale light of the moon. Lost to the beast within, Carter was no more. The monster, now fully aware and filled with an insatiable rage, turned its gaze to the shadowed trees surrounding the clearing. With a deafening roar that echoed through the park and into the silent town beyond, it began its rampage. The night, once peaceful and still, had been irrevocably altered. An ancient curse, awakened by the full moon, had claimed an innocent boy, unleashing a terrifying force upon Meadowbrook. And under the watchful eye of the moon, the beast roamed, its powerful body moving with a predatory grace, as the world slept, unaware of the horror that stalked the night.