The Books that Never made it

Growl

The door to the boy’s shower room clanged open, banging against the wall, echoing throughout the room. Xavier tripped over his feet, stumbling into the center of the room, throwing his football helmet and gear down on to the floor. A labored grunt came through clenched teeth as he slid across the wall, clutching his stomach as his legs buckled from underneath him as he fell against the wall.

          “Xavier!” I cried running over to him, reaching out to him, but he only cringed away from me, hissing.

He panted wildly; sweat drenching his face and his hair to his forehead. His eyes blazed a light golden, like a lion’s mane. “Stay away from me!” he moaned and collapsed on to the floor, withering around like a wounded worm.

          “Xavier, Xavier!” I said grabbing each side of his face and making him look at me. He was turning and the more time that went by, was more of him I was losing. “You need to fight this, okay?”

He shook his head wincing. “I-I can’t,” he moaned but it came out like a growl. Pointing down from his upper lip I could see his fangs poking out, white like snow and sharp like daggers.

          “Yes, you can. You just need to focus.”

He slammed his palm against the wall, claws sprouting from his nail beds as his hand dinted into the wall, “Ugh, Kara!” He trembled wildly, heat wafting from him like he was a fire.

          It had been when Tanner, the opposing team’s biggest defense smashed into Xavier, that I knew something bad was about to happen. It was the feeling you get like you’re about to drop on a rollercoaster or walking down a quiet dark hallway listening to your breath as it quickens. Xavier had hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of him and enough to stir the monster inside him awake. Coach and his teammates all surrounded him as he was sprawled out on the ground, still for about a minute, until he started moving about, his chest rising and plummeting in quick almost pained gasps. He’d jumped up to his feet, pushed everyone’s helping hands out of the way and taken off like a speeding bullet across the field, trying to escape everyone’s wary gazes before they saw the true beast come to life.

          “I can’t control it!” he yelled, pacing away from me, his claws raking the walls and destroying the metal from the lockers.

          “Don’t say that, you can do it, just look at me.” I stomped out in front of him, making him look at me. He tried pushing me back, but I nudged his hands out of the way and held them in mine. I laid my forehead against his and breathed with him.

He shook his head squeezing his eyes shut. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

          “Then don’t.”

He opened his eyes, his breathing slowed. “I can’t stop it.”

           "Make it stop,  force it back, remember who you are, get a hold of yourself. Push it back," I whispered.

I held his hand tighter with mine looking him in the eyes. His dark hair was damp and his eyes were blazing. The animal within him surfaced and wanted to come out, but with every bit of strength Xavier pushed it down like swallowing a big mouthful of pills. He squeezed his eyes shut again, grimacing and grunting like he had oncoming labor pains. He gritted his teeth together, forcing himself to stand, to take big breaths and slowly let them out. I waited with him, wishing and sending him positive energy, clutching his hands so tight my own fingers began to cramp.

Feeling his hands tremble and shake against mine, I could hear as his breathing calmed. I released one hand and placed it over his chest, feeling as his heartbeat steadied, pulsating rhythmically.

“Xavier,” I said with relief. “You did it, open your eyes. Xavier.”

He slowly flexed his jaw back to normal and slowly his eyes fluttered open, revealing his smooth chestnut eyes. It was over, the change had passed.

          “You did it, you beat it,” I said smiling up at him, laying my palm against his cheek.

He sighed with exhaustion and toppled against me, laughing freely. “Oh,” he breathed. “I did it,” he mused with a celebratory laugh. “I did it!”

I laughed as he wrapped his arms around my sides and lifted me with ease, twirling me around with a new found energy. “I did it!”

          I hung on to his shoulders for dear life as the room around me began to spin. I twirled around my hair getting in my face, but that didn’t stop me from seeing the dark ominous figure standing in the doorway, watching us. His eyes glowed bright red and a low growl ripped through the room.