1 - Becoming

My name was Melody Baxter, but now it is Firae, dark whisper. A lot has changed in 2000 years, let me start at the beginning, back when I was human.

Hearing the ear splitting beeping of my alarm letting me know it was already 7:30am , I rolled over and knocked the irritating thing off my dressing table, damn box was the only one loud enough to get me out of bed in the morning, I like my sleep.

Swinging out of bed I gazed around my bedroom, posters cluttered the walls, books lay astray on the floor and a mountain of cuddly toys took up an entire corner. My parents had not changed my room when I moved out, much to my surprise, but when circumstances arose that caused me to move back in with them I do wish they had at least let me paint it.

Stretching out I felt the familiar crack of my back and shoulders, grabbed my dressing gown, shoved the hood up and headed for the bathroom.

Downstairs I could hear my mother preparing breakfast, my parents were lovely people, always going out of their way to help neighbours, taking in animals that needed rescuing, neither of them looked or acted that age, my mother, Jane Baxter, was at a ripe age of 54, however she looked closer to my age of 23, my father Richard Baxter was 57 but he did not look or act his age either, the both of them where always exceeding expectations that came of those over 50 and people where always generally surprised when they revealed their ages, I put it down to good genes. 

As I walked across the landing I could smell pancakes and eggs, marvellous.

The bathroom was filled with a dim sunlight, it was the time of year where it did not get fully bright until about 9am and there was a bit of a chill in the air. I flicked on the light, went to the basin, splashed some water on my face, pulled the scrunchie from my hair and looked in the mirror to start my usual morning routine. I froze.

My eyes, normally a deep brown, were violet, my irises glowing with a deep purple. My hair, usually a curly mess that required a mass amount of taming, was a darker tone of purple and fell in beautiful waves down to my waist.

I shrieked slightly and grabbed at my hair giving it a few quick tugs, it was still attached to my head so it must be mine, but how? Was this some sort of practical joke?

As my hair was pulled to the side my ear came into show, I was always rather fond of my cute little rounded ears but now they were longer, slimmer and shaped to a point.

Obviously grabbing your eyes isn't exactly a good or practical idea so I blinked repeatedly, harder and harder until they started to ache, but there was no change, I stared back at myself, feeling like the glowing purple was burrowing into my soul. This time I screamed and started to sprint downstairs, I needed my parents, I need a doctor!

“MUM! DAD! I NEED YOU NOW! I NEED HELP, MY EYES! MY EARS! MY HAIR!” 

bursting into the kitchen I stared at my parents, my mother was scrubbing a pan and my father was sat at his laptop. 

They said nothing.

“Say something, please what has happened to me?” I pleaded with them, my father shut his laptop, stood up and sighed,

“It has begun, goodbye Melody”

I reeled back slightly and grabbed the door frame to steady myself,

“What do mean it's begun? What is happening to me? Mum talk to me!”

I stared at my mother as I felt the first tears run down my cheeks, she stopped scrubbing the pan, dried her hands and took place beside my father,

“You need to leave now” she answered.

Before I even had a chance to reply my father grabbed my by the scruff, frog marched me to the front door and threw me out. I was scared, my father had never laid a finger on anybody and was a gentle soul by nature, what has happened to them?

I landed with a harsh thud as my back hit the ground, the wind was knocked out of me, how did he get so strong? Looking up at my parent's faces as they stood in the doorway, I tried to again plead with them to at least explain,

“What is happening to me? Why won't you talk to me? I'm your daughter for Christ sake!”

My voice was wobbly and shaking, the more tears that fell down my face the more frustrated I got with their silence.

“You were our daughter for 23 years, until today, now you are one of them, we have no children and you are not welcome”

He answered me in a monotone voice, his face showed no emotion in the slightest and my mother's matched.

It was unreal, my mother is the type of person who would burst into tears at the thought of someone even looking at a baby animal in the wrong way, but now she stands there stone faced as their kick their only child from their home? Something is not right.

As I stood up and wiped the dirt off my gown I noticed my hands, my usual worn out hands from lifting bags of soil and gravel at the garden depot across the village where I worked, were now smooth, slender, even delicate. The two moles I had that resided upon the knuckle of my middle finger has vanished, this isn't me.

Curling my hands into fists, anger had triumphed now over upset, I felt myself shouting with a sudden force that was unknown,

“Fine! If that's the way you want it, where do I go now? Who on earth do I see about all this?”

I gestured to myself but noticed my mother wincing as my tone had became sharp, she briefly took a step back into the house and resumed her stony glance.

My father stared at me for a moment, sighed again and pointed towards the old oak tree that stood a few houses down,

“Go and see her, she will explain”.

I whipped round to find out who on earth he was addressing only to hear the door of my family home slam shut and lock loudly.

Speechless I squatted down to the ground, ran my hands through my hair and squeezed my eyes shut,

“How could this be happening?” I thought “what is happening!”.

Tears started up once again and rolled in big pearly beads down my cheeks and onto the dry soil. What ever had possessed my parents to act this way was not right, had they been drugged?

As I turned my head and gazed down the empty street I saw the oak my father had pointed to, surely enough there was a figure leaning against it.

“Maybe if I leave them be for a few hours they'll calm down and return to normal. See who this mystery woman is, at least then I may get some answers” I muttered to myself.

Looking back at my home I stood up and wiped the wet off my face.

It was hard to turn away but I started a slow pace out of the front garden and down towards the oak, it's Autumn leaves bristling with a gentle breeze, a few fell and came to settle on someone's lawn, pausing for a moment, I realised I had not seen a single soul the whole time I had been sat in the dirt, odd, seeing as usually around this time of morning everyone is running about to get to work on time, but my little village, Humbleside; appropriately named, was a ghost town.

As I finally came a few feet in front of the tree, I was wild with emotions, I think anxiety was a winning one, glancing round the side I let out a whisper, “Hello?” 

hearing a snicker in response,

"Finally got here then, took your damn time, damn kids"

The woman rounded the tree to meet me and lifted her head to meet my gaze, seeing as I was quite tall; 5ft 11, she practically had to go onto her tiptoes.

 Unsure of what to say I just gawked, this woman was a thing of beauty, a full head of cascading blood coloured hair fell to nearly her ankles, her eyes were a glowing red, dainty yet fierce, she wore a thick leather jacket, grey jeans and black trainers. The woman held a strong smirk as I glanced at the pointed tips of her pierced ears poking out through her hair.

“Who are you? What the hell is going on?”

I tried to address this being as firmly as possible but could not help the quivering that took over my voice.

The mystery woman looked me up and down and proceeded to burst into loud laughter,

“Now they have GOT to be kidding me! You! They gave me you! A peachy little kid who couldn't stop bawling for mummy and daddy? Holy hell this is going to be great, I've got my work cut out for me”

At this point she was doubled over with laughter, I felt my face flush with anger from her mocking gesture and a growl entered my voice,

“Listen I don't know who the hell you are, but you better start talking, if you haven't noticed I'm not exactly having a fantastic start to the day, I need answers!”

“All right all right calm down kid” she wiped a tear from her eye and resumed a nonchalant lean against the tree,

“I am Tahlahean, bright Autumn sword, the best, the brightest, the bad-a*s. I am here to collect you and take you on to your new life, so to speak”

Was she for real? Is everyone in this town on drugs today? I brought my hands to my face and rubbed my eyes,

“New life? What has happened to me?”

 I started to gesture towards my ears and eyes, slowly becoming more frantic,

 “What are these THINGS? My eyes are brown, my hair is awful, not all this, this, this theme of a practical joke!”

Tahlahean sighed and rubbed her temples,

“If you give me two damn minutes I will tell you!” she stood up straight, adjusted her jacket and pulled a cigarette and lighter from the pocket,

“This is definitely no practical joke, you are one of the chosen, we are a race that co-exists with this world, never known or sighted until needs be.”

 She lit her cigarette, exhaled and continued,

“Yes there are a lot of us and no I do not know exactly how many. Your body has began the process of new form, you are becoming, as they call it. When we get you a mirror you will see more of what I mean”.

She took another draw of her cigarette and rudely blew the smoke into my face as if to get my answer instantly, I remained silent, still trying to process this information.

Exhaling again she casually continued,

“You are no longer human, nor will you ever be again, you are Inxmira now”

This was too much, my vision started to spin and I grabbed onto the tree for support, Tahlahean jumped back promptly dropping her cigarette,

“Whoa whoa whoa! Don't you go passing out on me now, I can't deal with another situation like that again and plus you look far too heavy to carry!”

“Rude” I grumbled at her, I bent over and took a few deep breaths, looking back up at Tahlahean, she had that smirk back on her face and had lit another cigarette, I lent my head against the tree and tried to diminish the nauseating feeling that had appeared.

“What is Inxmira? Why have my parents never spoke about it, or anyone for that matter?” 

I felt as if the questions would never come to an end,

Tahlahean just sighed, turned heel and began to briskly stroll down the street,

“Come on kid we can walk and talk, I've got a deadline to hit you know!”

Taking a breath I took a last look at my family home, if I followed this woman would I ever return? Would my parents even miss me at this rate? But I needed answers, I made a quick promise to myself that no matter what happens I will return and settle things with my parents.

Standing up straight, I took another breath and did a quick jog to catch up with Tahlahean, I was getting a bit sick of seeing that smirk on her face,

“Tahlahean huh? That's a mouthful” small talk is not my best trait but if I didn't say something, anything now, I would just burst into tears. She glanced at me from the side and a small frown settled on her face,

“That is my formal name, no one ever calls me that, just call me Tahl, it's easier and sounds better” she muttered, I think I may hit a nerve.

Flicking her finished cigarette to the side Tahl resumed her quirky tone,

“Your parents took it a lot better this time, best I've seen, compared to the last two. The first was dreadful your mother gave me a decent black eye with that pan of hers, girl's got a good swing on her!”

I stopped dead in my tracks, grabbing her arm in the process,

“What the hell are you on about now? The last two? I'm an only child!”

she shook me off with a look of disgust,

“Easy on the leather!” she exclaimed

I stood my ground and stared at her until she shifted uncomfortably,

“Keep walking and I'll keep talking” she said strolling off again around the corner towards the centre of the village, I jogged again to catch up, she was an abnormally fast walker.

“You are not an only child, when a human is chosen and takes the becoming, all memory of them in your world is wiped, as if they ceased to exist”

I frowned, this information, just like the others, did not seem as it should be real, but then again at this point, what is real?

I let out a long exhale and fought back tears once again,

"So I had siblings, brothers? Sisters? Tell me".

Tahlahean chuckled,

"No can do kid that's breaking the rules"

I growled with frustration and crossed my arms, Tahl seemingly amused by my irritation.

“Why do you keep calling me kid? You barely look older than me”

This caused her to pause and explode in a fit of laughter once again, I rolled my eyes and waited for her to stop,

“Sweetheart!” she expressed, “I'm 2208, you're a mere babe compared to me”

I couldn't help but gawk at her again,

“Wait, what, how?”

Tahl winked,

“Each new chosen we collect, we get the equivalent of their years added to our own, not to mention our average lifespan is a decent 3000 years, give or take, the more you pick up, the longer you live, my good looks are just a bonus!”

I sighed at her vanity and rubbed my forehead,

“How could my parent's never of told me”

Slapping her hand across my back, as high as her small stature could reach, we continued walking, I noticed that the sun had not risen any higher and a small pinkish glow was coming from the centre of town, we still saw no other people on our journey. This was scary.

“Look at it this way kiddo, there is not a grand amount you can do about it now”. Her god awful smirk had returned,

“Thanks for the comforting talk” I grudgingly replied, Tahl shook her head and put on a beaming smile.

“Plus I am pretty sure your parents are already trying to work out how to split your 23 years between then, picked an awkward number that one”

I stopped dead and felt all colour and warmth drain from my face,

“What do you mean?”

Tahl placed her hands on her hips in mock frustration that I had stopped again, as if all this information shouldn't come as a shock.

“yeah your parents get a cut too, have you never wondered how and why they always looked and acted so young for their supposed age? Never seemed weary or tired for older folk?”

My head was spinning.

“It's their payment, and seeing as it's their third, they must be happy taking it”

My vision started to spin faster and this time I blacked out, falling into a heap onto the floor.

“I always forget to save that one until we get back” Tahl muttered

“How the hell am I going to carry her now”. 

Reviews

[Sapientiam]

I really loved this chapter! There were parts where the sentences were run-ons, but still, very good! I love the plot, too; it's so interesting! You know, this reminds me of a book (I forgot the name...) where a girl finds out that she is actually an elf from another world. Thanks for sharing this. I definitely can't wait for the next chapter...!

[Hello Sweetie]

Thank you for your feed back :),
sorry about the run-ons its been about 8 years since i properly tried to write anything.
hopefully get another chapter up by tomorrow :)

[Sapientiam]

That's perfectly fine! I can't wait for the upcoming chapters!

[Robert Francis Callaci]

You sure know how to tell a story. One thrilling opening chapter. Some minor formatting issues and sentence structure but believe me those are easily fixable and they amazingly didn't deter from the story.

I always know when a story is exceptional. It's when I can't wait to get to the next sentence and paragraph and finally to the end. And when the end comes, I just yearn for more. You made me care for her and feel her distress. You got some powerful writing chops, and you tell us you're rusty. I can't wait till you get back in the zone, my god, will we be in for a treat...


my warmest
bob

[Coyote Poetry]

A amazing tale. You gave enough for the reader to want more. I liked the story line and the characters. I liked the set-up of the story. You led the reader to proper ending and you answered many questions for the reader. I hope to read more. Thank you for sharing the excellent opening chapter.
Coyote

[Hello Sweetie]

Thank you for your feedback i appreciate it :)

[Coyote Poetry]

Was my pleasure and you are welcome.