From the moment I woke up I was starving, irritated, and felt like I was going to die. I was absolutely exhausted and in pain, my skin still feeling like it was boiling hot and ripping apart but thankfully not as bad as It was last night. The ringer to my phone went off, telling me someone- not just any someone was calling. Who was the someone deciding to ruin my already horrible day you ask? My father. He was the someone deciding to ruin my already horrible horrible day. "Yes?" I yawned and half snarled into the phone.
"Glad I didn't wake you. I was just calling to let you know that I'm on my way to John and his family and that I just crossed over the Montana and Idaho state line. I would have woken you up before I left but I left faster than I intended too so I decided to just call you instead." My father explained. YAYYY. I said sarcastically. Thanks for letting me know you were leaving today, glad you told me last night at dinner. Oh wait, he didn't; when he told me he was leaving I figured he meant AFTER today, A.k.a my mother's anniversary, but of course he left today so that he had an excuse not to go. I was just arrogant, and stupid to think he would wait one extra day before leaving. An animalistic growl started to rumble in my throat.
"Sounds good," I lied, gritting through my teeth. "Hey I gotta go, I'm about to jump in the shower but i'll talk to you later yah?" I asked angrily as I tried to keep my calm.
"Sure, talk to you-" I hung up on him before I crushed my phone to bits in my fist. My stomach growled in hunger, and my mind screamed in anger. Just the thought of my father skipping out on today made me want to scream in annoyance and anger but I knew that that would have been childish and immature.
Getting out of bed tirely, I didn't even care about making my bed. Not that it would have mattered since my father wasn't here to nag at me about it and I was just going to ruin it when I got back in. I lazily grabbed some blue jeans, and a random shirt from my suitcase so that when I went out I would look presentable. Heading to the shower I decided to make it quick, my stomach growling in hunger. Taking off my clothes till I was in nothing but my boxers and leg wrap I sat down on the toilet and lifted my leg onto the hamper so I could let my leg breath and get out of the stupid cast.
Looking at my leg, there was nothing. No cuts, no scars, no bruising, nothing but the little remnants of where the stitches used to hold my skin together to heal. Feeling my scarless leg, I stared at it in wonder and confusion. How had there been no cuts? Not even a scar to say the least!
Getting on my phone I opened my contacts, my finger hovering over my father's contact. I wanted to press it. To ask him what was happening to my leg. But how would he know? How would he know why I had no scars on my legs, why I grew every which way in one night, why I was in pain all the time with my skin burning and feeling as if I was tearing apart. No. he couldn't answer those questions. If google couldn't even give me a hint of what was happening then how could my father? Canceling out of his contact, I went to Spotify and pressed the shuffle button in my playlist.
Turning on the hot water, I finished getting undressed and got in. Almost instantly, the warm water sent my muscles into relaxation as it cascaded down my body. I didn't make the water any hotter, the summer heat and the sweltering and burning feeling my body has been experiencing already making me hot enough.
"What do I want to eat today?" I spoke to no one in particular as I peered inside the empty fridge. Only a half drank box of orange juice, a microwaved hotdog wrapped in paper towel, an old bowl of cereal, and an empty carton of milk sat on the shelves. Damn, my father was a pig. It was a surprise he even had anything to feed me since he seemed to have eaten it all. Emptying out the fridge of all the trash, the only thing that remained was the orange juice.
"Couldn't have stocked the fridge like ya said you would could you!?" I grumbled in anger. I didn't know what had come over me these past few days. Today I had woken up angry and irritated, anger eating away at me. Opening the freezer, my eyes met with frozen chicken, a box of nasty microwavable frozen spinach, and mint chocolate chip ice cream bars. Mmmmmm, chicken. It sounded so delicious right now. Grabbing out the half frozen chicken, My gums suddenly started to hurt, my teeth started to ache.
As I went to set it in the sink, I accidently dropped into the sink instead the pain started to become unbearable. Suddenly the pain stopped. It seemingly vanished, the only thing left was the numb feeling I felt in my gums. Shaking it off, I turned on the cold water and let it run over the chicken so it could dethaw faster.
Setting my phone down on the counter, I walked to the livingroom and turned on the TV my father must have set up while I was rotting away in my room with nothing to do. PFFT Figures. Opening YouTube, I logged onto my account and pressed play on a Salena Gomez song. As the song played on, I danced to the beat, swinging my hips as I danced over to the sink lost in the rhythm and hunger. Using my claws, I ripped open the package of chicken.
Dancing to the song, I ate my raw, delicious and bloody chicken, its blood dripping down my face and staining my shirt caused me a sly smile and smirk to form into my face. One by one, the six pack of chicken disappeared rapidly, my teeth seemingly destroying and shredding the chicken to bits before I swallowed them. It was a little cold, and definitely not totally dethawed but overall it was- Oh SHIT. The realization of what I had just done struck me. Oh SHIT Oh FUCK Oh SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT. I ran to the bathroom and forced myself to puke. Well I tried to. But it seemed that my stomach wanted to keep it. And it loved it.
Getting off the ground, I stood in front of the mirror. My gums started burning, blood drooling out of the corner of my mouth. WTF!? Opening my mouth, my canines looked sharper and rounder, nothing but my suddenly bleeding gums were out of place. Gripping the counter tightly, I stared at myself in the mirror. Taking deep breaths in and out, I tried to calm down. Whatever was happening to me? I needed answers. Leaving the bathroom, I heard something crash in the other room. "What the hell?" I muttered to myself before turning my walk into a jog.
There in the living room was one of my grandmother's vases shattered on the ground, and in the middle of the table sat a black and white tuxedo cat in its place. I couldn't help but smile. The cat was licking itself as if it hadn't just knocked down something probably valuable and priceless. "And how just did you get in here!?" I looked around but found no possible way for him to have broken in.
"MEOW." He seemed to have responded to me loudly. As if beconning me forward, he started to pur.
"Do you have a name, baby?" I asked in a tone that I've parents talk to their babies in.
"PURR MEOW MEOW." He meowed louder as if yelling at me for not petting him. Following his orders, I walked towards the table. "MEOW PRRRRRR MEOW." He started purring as I picked him up and put him on my shoulder.
As I pet the cat, I noticed he didn't have a collar on which either meant he was a stray or his owner didn't get him a collar. "What are we going to name you? Anything you like?" I asked him as I set him back down on the table. Crouching to make eye contact and pet him I tried to figure out a good name. "Tux."
"Meow." He spoke and started to purr while rubbing up against my arm.
"You like that huh?" I asked giggling as I put him back on my shoulder. "Sadly I'm going to have to kick you out Tux. Dad's allergic to anything with fur and you already made a huge mess!" Before I knew it, I was at the front door. I've never had a pet before, my father allergic to anything with fur, and my hatred/ fear for reptiles and amphibians kinda crossed out all options for a pet.
"MEEEOOOWWW!!!" Tux started hissing and scratching at me when I opened the door.
"What is wrong with you!?" I threw Tux outside and away from me. I looked outside to see what had scared Tux so badly. "Oh my god!" I jumped as James entered my vision, scaring the hell out of me. "What are you doing here!? And how do you know where I live?" Was he stalking me?
"I am so sorry Mon Ami. I did not mean to startle your cat." He spoke as his eyes darted after the cat.
"It's fine, he's not my cat. Now what are you doing here?" I asked, rolling my eyes without meaning to.
"You told me to pick you up today mon ami, we had made plans for today, no?" Crap.
"Shoot you're right. I uh- I feel like a complete jerk. Listen, I can't really hang out today. It's uh- its uh." I tried telling him but it was hard. "My mother died a year ago today. I have to go and uh-" I started, clearing my throat. "I have to go visit her."
"No worries Mon Ami I am so sorry!! If you would like the company I can give you a lift if you need it?" His statement sounded more like a question.
I wanted to say yes, and I wanted to say no. YES! I wanted to blurt Yes I want your company, yes I want someone to help comfort me. But I didn't. All I did was stare, and think. Did I want him there with me? Did I want anyone there with me? I could use the company... and a distraction and it would be nice to have a little fun. "You do not have to say yes if you do not want to."
"No it's not that I don't want it, it's, Oh I don't know it's hard to explain. Here come on in and let me clean up and i'll think about it." I said standing to the side allowing him to enter.
"Merci Beaucoup." He said entering the house. Remind me to take french. I made a little note to myself in my brain that I would probably forget. Closing the door behind me, I felt something start to burn.
"Ahhh!" I hissed, pulling my hand away from the handle.
"What happened!?" James was by my side in seconds.
"Nothing, just the handle. It must have gotten hot in the sun." I pulled my hand away quickly so he couldn't see the two and three degree burns that laced my hand.
"Does this happen often to you Mon Ami?" He asked, stealing a glimpse of my burnt hand.
"No, never. Now please drop this it's only a little burn."I said closing the door the rest of the way behind me. Looking at James, his face had an almost suspicious look on it. Brushing it off, I went to get a fresh shirt and clean myself and the vase up.
"Thank you for doing this with me." I smiled slightly as I stood in front of my mother's grave.
"No need for thanks Mon Ami. I am just glad you allowed me to come. I know how hard this les choses peuvent être." He smiled back, sorrow for me written on his face. Okay it was kind of annoying when he spoke frainglish. Not that I hated it, I just hated that I couldn't understand what he was saying when he spoke in french. For the next few minutes we stood in a comfortable silence.
"You mind If I get a second alone with my mom?" I said the question as more of a statement.
"Sure mon ami. Take all the time you need, I shall be in the car." He patted my shoulder sending me an almost somehow pleasant electric shock that sent heat through my body as he turned and walked away. I watched James walk away, letting the pleasurable current to settle down.
"Hey mom." I said turning back around to speak to her. "I think you might be happy to know dad and I've settled down here. At least for a bit anyways. I just wanted to see you, and let you- let you know how um- how sorry I am." Tears started running down my cheek now.
"I shouldn't have left you alone. I just... I'm a pathetic excuse for a son and I wanted to let you know how sorry I am and how I wish I could take it all back. I know we weren't close with you being away all the time but I do miss you and love you. I know I haven't said it enough before you- before you passed so i'm at least going to start saying it now." I wiped the tears away with my arms before they could dry and crust on my cheeks.
I said my goodbyes and left. "Are you okay mon ami?" He frowned as I entered James's car.
"I will be yeah." I tried to reassure him.
"Tres bon. What do you want to do now?" He asked me but I guess I never really thought about what I wanted to do.
"I don't know. Why don't you pick." I smiled.
"I could show you all of the and I quote-" He used air quotes, "the hangout spots I believe that is how you say it yes?" I laughed and nodded.
"Yes." I giggled.
"You have a beautiful smile." He smiled and stared at me.
"Oh uh thank you I guess." I blushed and turned away from him. Come on idiot. 'Oh uh thank you I guess'!!??? Not 'you have beautiful eyes'!? Idiot idiot idiot! I mentally groaned.
"No problem. Now let's go to the hangout spots." He turned on the truck and we left the graveyard. James drove me around the small town I was supposed to call home. He showed me around, the places where the popular kids hung out, where he hung out, the best places to go shopping, the highschool, everything.
And let me just tell you, Whitefish was beautiful. It was a small enough town to walk around and get where you wanted, but big enough to have a McDonalds, a resort, and other restaurants and hotels/ motels.
"Wow." I said in astonishment as I walked along the beach of whitefish lake barefoot.
"It is beautiful no?" He chuckled at me as I got lost in the beauty of the clear blue lake, and mountains and forest that surrounded it.
"One of the most beautiful things i've ever seen. And trust me, i've seen a lot." Not all of what I have seen was beautiful. There was a lot of ugly in the world. A lot of which I never wanted to experience again.
"We best get going, I need to go to a friends house and I would like for you to meet them. I think you'll find how much we all have in common." James said getting up from where he laid on the beach.
"Oh okay." I responded, taking my eyes off of the sight before me for the first time in the past ten minutes since we got there.
"Is that alright mon ami? We do not have to leave yet if you do not want." He smiled at me telling me there was no pressure.
"No we can go now. I just love this sight, it really is beautiful." I spoke, walking his way.
"Then I shall bring you here again. But maybe next time to swim!" He said happily, a grin plastered in his face,
"I would like that." I smiled back at him, a blush forming on my face.
"Would you like to stop at McDonalds for a burger first?" He asked as we started our drive to his friends.
"Um, I'm not really in the mood for a burger or any kind of meat right now." I said wanting to puke. Just earlier today I had eaten a whole six pack of chicken raw and I wasn't really up for anything meat.
"Ah, okay if you say so mon ami." The rest of the drive was silent, the quiet turn of a radio station played on the radio. James owned a silver Jaguar F-type convertible, which James told me was a present on his sixteenth birthday from his parents. I wish I could afford a car like this. I muttered to myself with a smile. I wasn't really the type to get jealous about what someone else had that I didn't. Not unless it was something that I really wanted anyway "We are here." James spoke quietly.
My mouth dropped open in awe. I felt so out of place being here, while James looked like this was exactly where he was meant to be. James drove down a road that went through the forest, breaking off into a driveway that ended in a roundabout, with a beautiful white marble fountain erected in the middle. The house was magnificent. It was a Victorian three-story house with white pillars that helped to support what looked to be a balcony.
Extravagant wood carvings were carved into the wood near the roof, bushes ran against the base of the house, two bushes stood at the front corners reaching up to the second story. Vines ran up and down the bricks giving the house the Victorian look. But I couldn't help feeling an eerie feeling. Like when the whispers called to me in my house. I felt like I was being watched, stalked.
"Don't worry Mon ami you will get used to the feeling. It is to keep people away. I am sure you will hear how this is a creepy place when you go to school. But I assure you that it is not." James smiled at me somehow knowing what I had been feeling.
My mind could only come up with two solutions. Either A) he felt the same thing when he first came here, or B) he was a physic. But I was going to go with A) he experienced the same feelings. "Come on, let me introduce you to Mes Autres Amis." But he needn't have to say anything more to get me out of the car. I couldn't wait to check out the beautiful, victorian house that stood before me.
"How old is this house?" I asked, my eyes looking at the surrounding forest, and lawn in awe. It was a little overrun with weeds, and dry spots of brown grass here in there, and almost abandoned.
"It was built in the early nineteen hundreds, but that is all I know." He walked forward as if the house wasn't extravagantly beautiful but was probably due to the fact that he most likely has seen this house a million times. That or it just wasn't his taste. After giving everything another look over, many times spinning in circles, and almost tripping over my own two feet I noticed James was gone from my side.
"James!?" I called out.
"In here Mon Ami." I heard him call from inside the house. Walking inside, I was just as taken aback by the inside as the outside. The walls were made of dark oak wood panels, paintings of older but still powerful looking men lined the walls, the red carpet had intricate gold and black designs.
A beautiful and grand staircase stood in the middle of the room, splitting off to either side of a stained glass window and curving around and making way to upstairs, a huge chandelier hung from the ceiling between the staircases.
"Well nice to see you again Taylor." A familuar voice said from above.
"Wh-what?" I asked looking at the top of the stairs where a dark figure stood.