Midnight Creature
Last night, as I was sleeping, I started to feel this pain grow within my body. I started to ache all over so I rolled out of bed and walked to my restroom. I splashed some water on my face and looked in the mirror. I had scales all over my faces. I panicked. I splashed more water on my face and closed my eyes really tight. I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t sleep all night. I was hoping it was just a nightmare. It just wouldn’t get out of my head.
The next morning my mom was acting weird. She told me and my siblings to wait down in the kitchen table, she wanted to tell us something. She seemed nervous about it, “Jackie, Jonathan, and Lilly. I know you’ve been experiencing many situations lately that you don’t understand. But today is the day that all your questions are answered.” I knew it was about what happened last night. My dad looked happy but nervous. He knew we were growing up. My mom cleared her throat, “We uh- sort of have this magical thing passed down from our ancestors.” She looked at my father, “we have the ability, to change ourselves.” My dad said abruptly. He said we had some kind of amulet that made us who we are. We got them the day we were born: I got a necklace, Lilly got an ankle bracelet and Jonathan got a ring. My mom said they were filled with the ashes of my ancestors. That’s how we were able to transform.
The day after that, I was at school, where most of my bullying happens. Jessica, the popular girl came at me and started laughing at me calling me a freak. I was tired of her trying to step over me all the time. So I had to do something, although I had to keep my anger down. I ran to the restroom to calm down, I heard the bell ring but I didn’t care that I was late to 3rd period. As I was washing my hands I heard someone coming, it was Jessica. She was alone this time. I was waiting for her to say something to me so that I could finally give her what she deserved. She saw me and laughed, “You are such a freak. Why do you even come to school? You are just a waste of time and have no reason to be here. Your existence annoys me. You and your family are freaks.” Okay. There she crossed the line. I could no longer control my anger so I jumped on her. I pulled her hair and punched her a couple of times and she started screaming. The janitor heard us and walked in. Next thing you know we were sitting in the office.
I got suspended from school for 2 weeks. I tried to explain that Jessica tested me. She insulted me. But like always, she got it her way. It was Saturday morning and I was just waking up. My dad yelled from down stairs “everybody up! We have somewhere to go!” I was a dead zombie walking to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get ready. I had oatmeal for breakfast and started packing for a little vacation this weekend. Apparently, we were going to some of our relative’s homes. It was 3 hours long, we came to this house very deep into the forest it was a huge house. As we walked in, many, many, many people came out. That I have never seen. My mom said these were all my relatives. I had a huge family. My grandpa came out and said it was training day. I was mortified.
All my family got together, it was like an Olympics day for them. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Believe it or not, my grandpa was the trainer. He made us run 3 miles back and forth. I was pretty good at track so it was a piece of cake for me. But somehow I was going much faster than usual. It was a stress releaser. I was the best girl in track in the whole Junior High. I was proud of myself. Grandpa made us climb mountains, swim across rivers and climb ropes. Everyone was feeling hyped about these workouts. We did this all weekend and we left Sunday night because my parents had to go to work Monday. They were so glad that we knew already and we could now defend the pack.
I asked my father what they meant about “defend the pack” he said we had rivals, the Jeggars. They were like us except that we are Repills. Half human half animals. We have been combating long ago. Before we were allies. Until the Jeggars betrayed my ancestors. After the two weeks were up, I went back to school. I tried to apologize to Jessica about what happened but she ignored me and walked away. So I just didn’t try again.
During biology, we received a new guy from Arizona. He was my lab partner that day. “Hey, my name is Alex.” I didn’t realize he was talking to me so he cleared his throat. “Oh sorry I didn’t know you were talking to me.” I felt him staring at me, I was turning red. I looked at him and he was smiling at me. I raised my and went to the restroom. I tried to stay as long as possible but I didn’t want him to think I got stuck in the restroom or nothing. When I came back, Jessica was talking to him. I sat down and he came back to his seat. Jessica threw at paper ball at me and her little group laughed. I opened it and it said “he will be mine” and I just threw it away. I walked out as soon as the bell rang and Alex ran behind me. He grabbed my arm and asked if I was okay. I told him I was fine but he did not leave.
That whole week I tried to ignore Alex. I think he’s kind of cute. But I don’t know if I still want to meet him.
We started to go every weekend to my grandparent’s house to train. On Saturday, I was by the river walking alone. I saw people I had never seen before. I went back to the house and told my mom. She quickly told my father and all of the sudden everyone started asking me questions. They knew they were not Repills. “They are not supposed to be on this side of the land” my grandpa said.
My grandpa and dad went to go talk with them. Apparently the Jeggars said it was just a coincidence they were there. My grandpa told us to start preparing. He said that whenever someone crossed to our turf there has to be something done about it. We started loading our equipment to get ready. He said we had to take a battle now. I was kind of nervous about my first battle. But other relatives were so much stronger and had more training than me.
The next day it was time. We gathered at the river, it was full of Jeggars and Repills. At first it was quiet, in a blink of an eye, everything was going by so fast. So much blood was all over. All the green turned red. All the rocks were bleeding. I lost many relatives. And some Jeggars were lost also. At the end of the battle, my grandfather was extremely hurt. We went back home. But I thought I recognized someone during the battle. Alex. He was a Jeggar.
I tried to avoid him at school I didn’t want to talk about yesterday. I was putting my stuff in my locker and I saw him, I tried to walk away but he grabbed my arm and pulled me. “Why are you acting like this?” “Isn’t it obvious? We are opposites.” He chuckled and said, “Have you not heard ‘opposites attract?” I told him I would ask my mom about it because I was wondering that too.
My mom told me it was a rare type of love but it was possible if we did the right ritual. I told my grandpa and he said he was willing to come to an agreement for his family. At the end of that night the chief of the Jeggars was talking to my grandfather. They compromised on no more war because of all the people we lost.
10 years after me and Alex met, we are finally getting married this summer. Jessica apologized and we are now best friends, she got tired of being popular so she heard what had happened with me and her boyfriend. I guess stories can have their happy endings.