I think she looked at me... I know she sometimes did… I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop looking at her… This caused some awkward episodes once in a while… but it’s all good fun. One day, early in the morning after a full moon (I can’t sleep when the moon is full), biology class. I was “almost” dozing off, dreaming about her. We were in a temple, one I’ve never seen before, but I think it was called “Temple of Storms”. Jusuf, a priest I got to know later on, but at that time I didn’t know who he was, he was going to perform the ritual of bonding in our names. It was at the final stage, all we had to do was accept our future. That’s when I popped out of my little dream-world and into the cold world, just when the teacher asks me “And how about you Mr. Storm?” I was kind of halfway out of my dream and answered “I do,”
Some girls started giggling, the guys smirked. The teacher was pretty much pleased with my answer. “Right! So there is only one in this class who does what any normal youngster would do at this stage! Either that, or all you others are too scared to admit you’re doing something that’s completely natural!” I was confused, therefore, I consulted my neighbor. “Psst… What the hell did I just answer to?” He cracked up a bit “Do you masturbate,”
Oh well… This was true anyway… I think this impressed HER, my honesty I mean… She was talking to her friend while she was looking at me. Didn’t matter too much if I missed a few things in this chapter anyway, ‘cause I already got the works on how to reproduce. Hehehe… I’ve had some years to think of the full meaning of sex and relationships and such before it finally is a subject in school, but I still find certain chemical reactions hard to remember.
At this stage, I had “evolved” a bit since age 6; I’m 14 My fur has become more and more gray over the years. I look more like a MD than a SG, and certain conservative-thinkers start to dislike me. Old playmates turn into bitter enemies, or at least THEY became hostile towards me. I wish they could see with other eyes than their elders’… Some girls thinks my fur is cool, one or two guys say the same. There is of course the possibility to dye my fur, but it wouldn’t be ME!
The humans admire my courage… Or so they told me after they held a lecture in evolution, and how Noo’Rahdians are really an accident.
They also told me some news about my dad and sister. Star was quarantined with an unknown disease with similarities to a fever. Main difference was that it pushed her temperature up to 50\xB0C, and made her chant in languages never heard of. They said dad might have an idea of what was happening, but he said they wouldn’t understand. Dad had been chosen to be the Beta of eastern MD-territory, closest to the SG-border. The humans wondered if I had experienced anything strange happen with my body or anything.
There was of course my fur, but they said it seemed natural. One other thing had I noticed, two bumps on my back, near the shoulders… Their cybernetic bodies were filled with all kinds of technical equipment, they x-rayed my back on the spot and congratulated me. I was obviously becoming more the likeness of my father than I had first anticipated…
They took a blood sample as well before they left, said something about a crystalline element in it.
Of course, those who sort of cared about me in my class were curious.
“Why did those strange things want to talk to you?”
I seriously stirred things up when I mentioned my twin-sister Star, as there were mostly girls who were interrogating me… I wouldn’t deny the girls the truth, they wondered “What does she look like? Why isn’t she at the same school as you?” I told them she was white with red hair, and a black star on her right eye. Why we weren’t together was not in my power to answer. Then SHE asked me “Why did they take a blood sample?” The boys that were listening had gone away, only girls remained. “Well,” I paused for a moment. I thought no one saw us while I got the quick examination. I was wrong. I lean closer to the group of girls swarming me, then I whisper “I’m growing wings…”
Imagine the expressions; Gasping for air, shocked, confused, in awe… They pretty much look the same if you ask me… But that’s what I got from the girls. Plus a stuttering choir, everyone going “But… What… How… Why…”
Guess who was the talk of the school.
Yep, that’s right. ME…
And then, guess what this caused.
I was the one everyone would swarm, only to bombard me with insults.
“Freak!” “Fucking MD!” There were of course worse things said, but as you might imagine I don’t want to bring it up…
I was reluctant to tell the folks at home about this. I was on the brink of suicide. My days would end with a soaked pillow, and the terror of what would happen the next day…
This went on a long time… Every day, things got worse. The only few that did NOT insult me were girls. Among them, was HER… They were the only ones who showed compassion. God bless them…
I was down on my last straws, I had a knife, I was alone. This repeated itself some nights. I didn’t want to hurt those I love the most, that’s why I never did slit my throat or wrist. That and a very important action, made by HER…
The day it happened, I had been beaten, hard. There was no denying she saw the blood streaming from my muzzle.
She came to our house after school. I was in my room, sulking. She told mom what was going on at school. The insults, the bloodshed, the works…
Mom came to talk to me after SHE left. “Zil was here…” She opened the conversation, she had a worried face.
“Is this true?” she asked after a short résumé of what Zil had told.
I just nodded, was too choked up to even breathe. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Tears started trickling down my cheeks, as I let my vision shift down to the floor…
“Look, I’m gonna see if the principal can’t do something about this… Okay?”
She left me alone as she took a phone call. I found my knife again…
I drew the blade across my wrist… I bled…
The cut was skin-deep, I’m not the kind of person to take lives…
Mom returned, I had wiped away the blood before she saw it.
“The principal said he’d try to deal with it…”
She left me alone again after a few sentences of maternal compassion…
To me, those sentences were burdening, especially at that moment.
Aunt Eve came into my room later in the evening. She knew I was not myself. I didn’t play any of my computer-games, nor did I try to move stuff about with my mind… I had completely forgotten my powers…
Anyway, Eve said “Give it to me…” and stretched out her hand. I immediately gave her the knife. She dropped to her knees and looked up at me. She put her arms around me. She did something while her hands were behind me. But I’ll be damned if I know what. I noticed her palm was bleeding when she left me.
To complete the night, uncle Zaz popped in right after I had gotten into bed.
He sat down beside me. “Don’t trust that the system will help you out of this mess…” he sighs. “I can’t fight your battles, but I can and will support you…”
In that moment I kinda wanted to ask him if I could borrow his minigun.
“I don’t know what mom or Eve have told you, and I don’t want to torture you further, but remember one thing; Big boys don’t cry, real men DO…”
The next day, the usual treatment, only worse… I was now a snitch, and had to pay… One cast the first fist, right in my gut. I rolled up, but not because of the punch. Something snapped when he hit me… Not bones, something deeper. I was on my knees with arms crossed, screaming of pain. This was no ordinary “ouch that hurt”-scream, it was a “WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO ME!?!?!”-scream. Everyone looked at me, as if they were scared. I never knew my lungs had such great capacity. My sweater tore open on the back, as wings burst out, flipping a liter of blood in the faces of everyone watching. Their fear grows… I keep screaming, as my body is wrapped in silky, red flames. Those on the first row tried to escape. This was impossible, as EVERYONE was crowding around me.
I wanted a vendetta, from the very start, but after I saw what I had done, I wish this never happened…
The gang I hated the most, were those who got killed. The very flesh was ripped from their bones… They died…
Everyone else were thrown to the ground and got their fur singed.
I never went back to school after that…
I was now alone…
All alone…
Alone…