One.

Running, sparring, flying, swooshing. Then the surprising death.

VALCHER
things aren’t just things

 

Written by Azela

 

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Leaves were rushing past us, the rocks were dashing dull colors beneath our feet, and while the bulky, robust old trees covered most parts of the Woods, I could still feel the tender warmth of the sun rising as our breaths did in our chests.

My muscles moved swiftly and comfortably under my tight jeans and white tank. I was running so fast. So fast that I couldn’t get a clear glimpse of Maricris except for fast-moving lines of sleek black.

We were running and running at a sensational speed that we didn’t know for how fast or how far could we go deeper into the Woods. It was almost like flying. It was as if we were the wind. (Actually, that would be really possible since we were kind of part Beast.)

I had the sudden impulse to call Maricris and stop to get our sparring session over with.

You’re heads’ are probably spinning now from the mention of “Beast”. Well, take it literally. I can really turn into a Beast. I wouldn’t say a wolf, or a tiger, or a lion, or even a wolverine, but take the same characteristics of those four animals I mentioned and you have a Beast.

I’m a thirteen-year-old Alexandra�"call me Alex, please, and never Sandra�"living in a house near nowhere also known as the Woods. I don’t know what I like in particular because those kind of things can change like the weath affected by global warming. Four years ago, something miraculous happened in my life.

I died and lived again.

Believe me or not, this really happened. I died, as in, death-died. I felt it. I felt my system shutting down, my breathing tighter and further away, life closing its gates and leaving me outside to wither. It felt like an eternity while nothing happened.

And all of the sudden, I felt myself holding on to life again, or life embracing me. I felt the rush of blood through my veins again. I felt breathing. Even the sharp pain of the wound inflicted on my side.

When I woke up, I wasn’t the normal Alex anymore. I had the sudden need to eat a buffet, drink gallons of water, run a thousand miles, sleep for centuries or something like that. It was really odd for me to like that out of the blue, but as long as it wasn’t too repulsive, I didn’t complain.

I woke up to notice that my hair grew longer and thicker at a faster rate than before, that even if I eat large amounts of food containing dozens of calories, my build stayed the same. My skills became sharper, too. The act-on-paranoid-impulse kind of skills. (My very poor vision didn’t improve, though.)

After a few months, my body started changing. I was half expecting myself to lose control and just kill somebody on the street while on Beast form, or experience sever amounts of pain while changing. But no, it didn’t. When I turned, I felt nothing. It was only like trying on a new suit, and then everything went back to normal. I didn’t even lose control of myself.

That continued every night until after another few months, it stopped. I tried to practice my body to change when I wanted it to, but couldn’t. It didn’t even react. But my body changed naturally, like, when I needed it to.

I didn’t know what to say to my family, or even Maricris. No one knew, except for myself, myself, myself. And anyone who knew pretty much about my life.

I inhaled a hefty amount of air and let my lungs eat it up and release its own gas, but for some reason I still couldn’t call Maricris. Then, just as I saw a clearing from the narrow spaces between the tree trunks ahead, my lips moved and my voice rose to the top of my lungs.

“Maricris!”

“Oof!”

My left shoulder hit the dusty earth first, and automatically my arm and hands supported myself.

“Darn,” I spit the grime that went near my mouth. I’m going to kill Mari today.

I stood up, my knee and hand sturdying myself until I was able to fully position myself on my legs. The rushing feeling of running a while ago began to fade as the heavy gravity began pulling my weight back on the land. I felt my muscles grow tense, my teeth gritting against each other, and the hairs on the nape of my neck stand. All that, and, my Beast senses were acting unsurprisingly to the situation.

I looked around, looking for Maricris. She would know if she ran too far away from me. If she did, she’d come back. If she didn’t, she’d probably encounter trouble.

But then again, it was Maricris. If things were dangerous, Maricris was three times as dangerous as those things were.

The bushes behind me crackled. Immediately my body turned a one-eighty. This is a forest, I reminded myself, as I was beginning to expect that it was Maricris. It can be anyone, anyone at all, anyTHING out there to get ya.

The bushes crackled even more, but the noise shifted behind me again. Turning, I didn’t saw anything, and the shaking stopped. I was getting annoyed.

“Whoever’s out there, show yourse�"”

“Gotcha!”

I turned around as quickly as I could and saw that Maricris was ready to pin me down on the ground like a nail. Of course, being Alex the Alexandra, I would never let her do it.

My knees bent smoothly and I jumped up to her height, focusing myself on the air. It was the perfect time.