DarkWing (Final Editing in Progress)

Chapter 8 - Leaving the Nest

It was painful, the evolution, becoming something else, becoming someone else. Although the worst was over, the entire process had just begun. Now that my physical body had changed, it was my mind's turn. Coping with the fact that you are no longer the same person, hell, not even a person at all anymore. Hardly being able to remember your past, your friends, your family, your own name. Watching everything that you once knew fall apart in front of you. That is what ended up changing me the most. I'd look in the mirror, and see the face of a man I once knew, but see the eyes of a monster I'd never wanted to know.

"I have one question..." I said as Jinx let go of me. "You all... You have names. Jinx, Drake, Wulf, Shadow, but you guys are test experiments just like me. You said your name never comes back to you."

"It doesn't," she said. "Our names, we gave them to ourselves. A time will come when you choose your name as well."

"What do you mean a time will come? Why can't I just name myself now?" I asked.

"It's not as simple as picking a few letters. It's not exactly a choice, it's more like a discovery, a realization," Jinx said.

"It's different for everyone," said Drake. He turned his head away from the fire and looked at me.

"The time it takes to learn your name, it's different for everyone. Your body has almost completed the evolution, but your mind hasn't. The human body is pretty consistent for everyone. There's no major differences between one human and another. Sure there's reproductive organs, muscle mass, but overall, most human bodies are basically the same. The time it takes for the physical transformation to occur is therefore pretty consistent, and, as you well know, takes around a month. The human mind, however, is another story. Our lives, our experiences, they shape who we are. Our minds are like small separate universes, vastly different from one another. No two people's minds are alike. The transformation basically takes apart your mind and fuses with it, creating this new being, a hybrid of the old you and this new form. It takes a different amount of time for everyone. Some find their new name in a day, and others a few months. One thing is for certain though, one day, you know and it'll just feel right, as if it's completing you. You'll know then that your transformation is over. The new name is the beginning of your new life."

I looked down sorrowfully. I wasn't exactly sad, but I didn't know how I felt. My entire life was no longer my own. My childhood, my parents, my friends, none of it was truly mine anymore. I knew I should have been sad, hell, I should've been completely broken, but deep down I didn't care. It felt like it was never really my life to begin with, and a lot of it I couldn't even remember. How can I miss something I don't even remember? The fact that I didn't feel bad was what hurt me in the end.

"You should get some rest," said Jinx as she put her hand on mine. I looked at her and nodded. I lied down but it was no use. I wasn't even tired I was just... overwhelmed. I was just overwhelmed and I didn't want to deal with it. I heard Jinx and Drake whispering to each other, their words hidden by the crackle of the fire. Soon, the doors of the warehouse shrieked as the heavy-rusted hinges tore at one another. I turned over and sat up to see what it was.

"Jinx! Next time, YOU are the one coming with me!" screamed Shadow. She was pale white, same height as Jinx, same age. She wore a black tank top with long, black skinny jeans. She had long, black hair that naturally curled. She had wings as well, but hers were smaller than mine. Also, instead of feathery bird wings, hers were fleshy and a sickening gray. Her nails were black and long, but thin. Her arms and legs were thin as well

"Aww comeon, Shadow! It wasn't that bad!" Wulf was just shorter than me, but he looked a few years older. He had brown hair long enough to cover his ears. It was wavy and disheveled, but kept out of his face. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and ripped blue jeans. His skin was a light tan, and his eyes were big and a strong maroon. His ears were pointed, and stuck out of his hair. He had a 5 o'clock shadow that looked abnormally well-kept for someone in the same situation that we were in. His eyebrows were thick and dark. His teeth were abnormally sharp and large, and they showed whenever he smiled. He had a scar going down his left cheek. His hands were very claw-like, and he wasn't huge, but toned.