NEVILLE"What's going on, Arnold?" I run my hands through my hair. "What's all this talk about my genes and my dad leading a pack?" My eyes land on his eyes, and I see a golden speck in his eyeball that sends a shudder down my spine. "What are you? And what am I?"Peter stands next to me after he brings forth an old armchair from the corner of the room and gestures with his eyes for me to take it. Quietly, not breaking my gaze on Arnold's eyes, I take the seat. A twinge of fear exposes itself within my skin. But it's a different kind of fear than I have seen before. I'm worried about all the lies that will shake the foundation of my trust in the people I have known since I was a kid."Do you have any answers for me, Arnold?" He shuffles on his feet as he repositions his weight with his back against the wall. "Why aren't you saying anything? What's going on?" My patience runs thin, and I find myself lashing out against everyone. I turn my head towards Peter. "What is all this talk abou
NEVILLE"What is that?" I point at the shifting colours as I gesture to my eyes. "Can you see that?"Arnold doesn't blink while Peter runs a hand over his face and stares at me for another long moment before he decides to speak."Yeah, I can see it, Neville." He clears his throat. "We can all see it. This ability means that you have the genes, and perhaps you are a part of us."Arnold shakes his head."This small thing means nothing. It doesn't clearly mean he carries the shifter's genes because we haven't seen him turn yet. Unless he does that, I don't think I can put the annoying suspicion I have about his capabilities to rest." Arnold exhales a breath. "You, me or Rick, none of us can be so sure of the extent of his capabilities just because his eyes have the same eye colour manipulation powers that we have. We use opti-chromakinesis to see our kind out in the wild.""What are you even talking about?" As I say the phrase, a shrill noise buzzes in my head. Sweat beads line my forehe
They killed him. The night that I had gotten out of my shared room to go out and let my hair down and party with the two gorgeous women that I had met the previous night before at the local pub was the day I got a call in the middle of a forest rave that my dad is no more.No fucking more.He's gone. Somebody has killed him and has gotten away with it.They are still searching the area for the perpetrator.That was all I could hear on the phone.My fingers are tightly wound around the metal exterior of the cellphone's slim body as I press my fingers against it till my knuckles are white. All blood is zapped from my face, and I look around myself and let out a loud cry, but nobody hears anything. The music overpowers everything in the surrounding air. Nobody even stares long enough at my face to notice the tears forming on the sides of my eyes. They spill, and I wipe them with the back of my hand. I can't stop myself from wailing. I scream from the top of my lungs, but nobody pays an
My phone blows up as I adjust to the light streaming in from the window. I didn't expect anyone to call me this early in the morning, but whoever was calling me must have something important to say. Without thinking anymore, I try to lift my lids and fish for my phone in my pockets. My hands reach for it, and I pull it up in front of my face, and the name on the screen is my Uncle Jean. I let my eyes adjust to the morning light as I yawn and stretch into the lying position with the phone in my hands. I accept the call as soon as I see his name blinking on the screen for a minute too long."How are you feeling today, Neville?" he asks. "Are things okay with you?"I twist and turn abruptly, and the pain shoots from all sides, and the pain is so sharp that I close my eyes shut. I couldn't realise that I was in this much pain. Then, I softly open my eyes again and try to remember how I got here last night, and then it all comes back to me at the mercurial speed of time.The news, the par
AMELIA“Amelie, can you get me that glass of water?” My mom yells my name. Hearing her voice reverberate around the room, I find it hard to move around the desk because I have my library book open on my lap while I'm sitting on the couch next to her hospital bed. “My throat is so dry. I need to drink something.”“Yeah, mom.” I finally close the book in front of me and make my way to her side next to her hospital bed, in which she's lying with her eyes open. “Let me get some water for you. It’s time for you to take your meds, anyway.”Then I walk around her hospital bed to the small metal nightstand that they have perched against the eggshell white walls. It has all of her medications marked in fresh bottles, and I pick up the one that has the current time marked on it. Then I pour some water for her into a styrofoam cup and stroll toward her side to give her what she needs.After my mom takes the meds and drinks the water, she pats the bed next to her and I take a seat on the edge of
NEVILLEMy phone rings again after I get off the plane with my baggage strolling behind me to get through sweaty bodies to baggage claim. I decline the call as I make my way through customs. They do a quick passport check and then stamp my passport as I walk around the busy airport trying to get out of it and head to my car brought here by one of my core trusted house staff. Uncle Jean texted me earlier, telling me that my driver was waiting for me outside the front main exit.My phone rings again when I locate my car, and my driver opens the door for me, and I slide inside the back seat.I check my phone screen to see who’s calling me now. It’s an unknown number. Nobody knows except my close family and staff that I’m heading back home. Arnold, my driver, adjusts the front mirror and then puts the car to drive.He speaks first when I silence my phone and pocket it.“I’m extremely sorry, Neville.” Arnold takes a hard look at me through the mirror that's aimed at the backseat. “I can’t
NEVILLE “Work for you?” She shakes her head. “Are you a crazy asshole or what?” She puts some distance between us. “I’m not what you think. I’m not looking to work for some stranger that I don’t know anything about!” She stares at me wildly. “What do you mean by ‘my driver will drive you back to my house?’” "I meant. . .you're looking for work, aren't you?" My fingers are under my eyes, massaging the eye strain from being up all night and not sleeping enough on the flight on my way back home. "I can offer you work if you are earnestly looking for it. I just want to help you." I try to focus my gaze on her face. "My dad's-his real estate property probably needs a keeper and I need someone who I can trust." "And you think you can trust me?" "Is there any reason why I shouldn't?" I give her a look. "What are you trying to say? That you're not to be trusted?" "No, that's not what I am saying." "Then what is it?" "I'm saying that you need to get the hell away from me." She's exudin
AMELIAWhat is wrong with him?Was I too harsh?Maybe I was.I shouldn't have said those things to him.I don't know what came over me."Get those frozen foods in aisle five cleaned up," Larry speaks into the small bluetooth that he has us wear at work. I have gotten so used to zoning out his voice half of the time I don't even realise I'm wearing it. "Why don't you take this, Amelia?"I roll my eyes.Of course, I would. The supervisor guy wants to punish me for what I said to the customer that came in earlier. What was I supposed to say anyway when the customer was the one who came in my way? I haven't gone out of my way to make things harder for anyone other than me since I started to work here.Argh.I sure hate working here.The things I make myself do for money.At least that guy wasn't all that bad.Maybe I had him pegged all wrong.He could have acted way worse, but he didn't.He was non-threatening in every way possible, but I still had to be cautious in my decisions."Clean u