The Boy And The Red Panda (Turning Red)

Pandas Run In The Family

Aunt Ming and I came home out of breath from chasing Mei. "Mei Mei!" Aunt Ming gasped. Inside the house, Mei left some scratches and footprints all over the place. We rushed into her bedroom to see her crying on the floor. "Mei?" I asked. "Don't look at me!" Mei bawled. "Stay back!" "Sweetie, it's okay. Mommy is here." Aunt Ming said, hesitantly. "What's happening to me?!" Mei cried. "What is it?" Uncle Jin gasped. "It's happened already?" Aunt Ming groaned. "What did you say?" Mei asked. "What are you talking about?" I wondered. "Ming." Uncle Jin said, comforting his wife. "It's time."

We all followed Aunt Ming to the temple. All I could think was what she was hiding. She pulled out a chest behind a hidden drawer. "As you know, our ancestor, Sun Yee, had a mystical connection with red pandas." Aunt Ming sighed, revealing a scroll. "In fact, she loved them so much that she asked the gods to turn her into one. It was wartime. The men were all gone. Sun Yee was desperate for a way to protect herself and her daughters. Then one night, during a red moon, the gods granted her wish. They gave her the ability to harness her emotions to transform into a powerful, mystical beast. She was able to fend off bandits, protect her village, and save her family from ruin. Sun Yee passed this gift to her daughters, for when they came of age. And they passed it to theirs. But over time, our family chose to come to a new world. And what was a blessing became an inconvenience." "Are you serious?!" Mei snapped, trying to destroy the temple. "It's a curse!" "She meant it as a blessing." Aunt Ming explains. "Listen to me! There's a cure!" "Really?" Mei panted. "How do you know?" "Because it happened to me." Aunt Ming replied. "Why didn't you warn me?" Mei asked. "I thought I had more time! Your just a child." Aunt Ming explained. "I thought, if I watched you like a hawk, I'd see the signs and be able to prepare. But it's going to be fine. I overcame it and you will too." "How's the cure supposed to work?" I asked. "On the next red moon, Mei Mei will undergo a ritual that will seal your red panda spirit into one of these." Aunt Ming explains, showing her necklace. "And then she'll be cured for good. Just like me. But any strong emotion will release the panda. And the more you release it, the more difficult the ritual will be. There is a darkness to the panda, Mei Mei. You only have one chance to banish it and you cannot fail. Otherwise, you'll never be free." "Let's see, the next red moon will be the 25th." Uncle Jin said. "That's a whole month away!" Mei complained. "We'll wait it out together." Aunt Ming explains. "And I will be with you every step of the way."

Back at the house, my aunt and uncle thought it would be for the best if I shared a room with Mei for a while. Turns out she's a ginger now because of the panda. I helped Uncle Jin move a mattress into my room. "Not bad." Uncle Jin commented. "Yeah, until she goes on a rampage during the night." I mumbled. "I saved Wilfred." Uncle Jin said, handing Mei her stuffed puppy. "Thanks, Dad." Mei gasped, handing him her glasses. "It's only temporary, Mei Mei." Aunt Ming reassured her. "This way, we won't worry about any more accidents. Hmm? Sleep tight, you two." After Aunt Ming left, Mei looked at Uncle Jin. "Red is a lucky color." He said, closing the door. "This is awful! What are we gonna do?" I overheard Aunt Ming ask. "Don't worry. We'll get through this." Uncle Jin replied. "No one can see her like this. I never wanted this for her." Aunt Ming said. "Did you see how she was in the temple?" All of a sudden, Mei started crying softly, but she still released her panda. Despite our differences, I still feel bad for Mei.

The next morning, I was woken up by Mei, trying to get rid of her panda. Let's just say she flung me at the wall. All of a sudden, I heard a knock at the window from Mei's friends, Miriam, Priya, and Abby. "Edwin? Is Mei there?" Miriam asked. "Uh, no." I lied. "But, I'll take messages." "Guys? What are you doing here? Go away!" Mei asked. "Mei! We thought you died of embarrassment." Miriam replied. "You need more pads? I brought extra." Priya offered. "Forget that. 4-Town's coming to Toronto!" Abby exclaimed. "What?!" Mei gasped, revealing the panda to her friends, leaving them screaming in terror. "Everybody be quiet! Everybody, it's just me." Mei explains, bringing her friends inside. "It's just Mei." I added. "I'm gonna let go and you're gonna be chill. Got that?" Mei asked. All three girls nodded as Mei put them down. "Chill." "Mei?" Miriam asked. "Are you a werewolf?" Priya wondered. "Is Edwin a werewolf?" "No!" Mei and I replied. "Thank God!" I exclaimed. "She is a red panda!" Abby gasped. "You're so fluffy! You're so fluffy!" "I've always wanted a tail." Priya added. "Priya, Abby, quit it!" Miriam snapped. "Mei, what the heck happened?" "It's just some, you know, inconvenient, uh, genetic thingy I got from my mom." Mei explains. "I mean, it'll go away. Eventually. Maybe." Mei falls to the ground, sobbing. "She's been like this all day." I groaned. "I hate this! I'm slobby, I'm smelly. My mom won't even look at me, and now, 4-Town? When are they coming?" "May 18th. They just announced it." Abby replied. "The 18th?!" Mei cried. "There's no way this will be gone by then. Just go. Go become women without me." "Mei, it's gonna be okay." Miriam reassured her. "No, it's not. I'm a freak." Mei sniffled. "Just leave me alone." "She's been having a rough time." I explained. All of a sudden, Miriam started beatboxing, shortly after joined by Abby and Priya. To be honest, I would feel like a jerk if I didn't join in, so I did. Not too bad for my first time beatboxing.

Me and the girls:
I've never met nobody like you
Had friends and I've had buddies, it's true
But they don't turn my tummy the way you do
I've never met nobody like you!

Mei: You're never not on my mind?

Oh my, oh my
You're never not by your side
Your side, your side
I'm never gonna let you cry
Oh, cry, don't cry
I'll never not be your ride or die
Alright!

Mei started to calm down and hug her friends. "Thanks, guys." Mei sniffles. "You're the best." "We love you, Mei." Miriam said. "You're our girl." Priya added. "Yeah. No matter what. Panda or no panda." Miriam continues. Mei takes a deep breath as she returns to normal. "God, I hate the smoke!" I coughed. "I need my inhaler!"