New Beginnings

Michael flicked the lighter in his hand, watching the flame dance for a moment before extinguishing it.
         
“Cael!” A sharp voice interrupted his reverie. “If administration catches you with that, you’re gone.” He looked up into the laughing face of his drama teacher Ms. Raine. “And where would I be with out my leading man.”

         The teenager rolled his shoulders. “They won’t catch me.” He cracked a half smile. “ ’sides if they do I’ll tell them its Zeke’s. He’s the smoker.”

         She flipped on the light and with an audible click the classroom door slid shut behind her. He sighed, pulling out his copy of the crucible to go over his lines.

         She pulled down the projection screen at the other end of the class and paused. “Cael?” He looked up from his text. “Are you nervous?”

         He shrugged. “Not really, I mean it’s not the first time I’ve been in one of your plays.”

         She smiled at him oddly. “Could you come here for a sec? I want to show you something.” She drifted closer to the heavy black curtains that lined one wall.

         He shrugged and rolled languorously to his feet. His teacher smiled, pulling back the curtain.

         “What do you see?” He looked into the mirror behind the curtain.

         “I see myself.” He answered slowly. “Why is this important?” The figure in the mirror looked back, too tall, ridiculously skinny and loose-jointed, his hair a subtle blond paired with pale eyes and skin.

         She pulled the curtain wider. “Look again.”

         “There’s nothing….” Pinpricks of pain pulled at his neck as limbs like steel wrapped around him. He felt dizzy in the mirror he saw only himself, held by invisible restraints. “What…?”

         The pain stopped and he struggled to regain his feet and free himself. “I see myself… in you dear Cael.” Her voice rolled over him. “And soon, you will be as me.” Something forced itself into his mouth, tasting of metal and acid.

         Then the pain returned.











         Marie stood in front of the school watching the last of the buses leave and hoping for a way to put off going home.

         A hand snagged her by the back loop of her jeans and pulled her back.

         “Hey Zeke.” She grinned bouncing out of the larger boy’s embrace.

         “Hi Marie.” He returned her grin. “You seen Michael today?”

The girl shook her head, causing her light brown ponytail to bounce slightly. “He wasn’t in English or art.”

Ezekiel sighed. “Dammit, I wanted to ask him something.” The pair turned back towards the building.

“Well he can’t be sick, he called me this morning, Ms. Raine probably has him holed up studying lines.” She skipped slightly. “Lets go hunting.”


         



Cael awoke full of rage and an indescribable hunger. But despite that there was a euphoria that scared the scraps of his mind he could still identify.
         
His teacher, his maker, walked into the room. He wanted to thank her, the world seemed so clear now. He was on his feet, not sure how he got there, wrath and gratitude fighting within him, he opened his mouth to speak.
         

And rage won.
         
Flames boiled out of him consuming the other.
         
She didn’t even scream.
         






         Marie snuggled into her seat as her mother read the program next to her. The place was packed, well… as packed as anything ever got in Moscow, Maine.

         The lights dimmed, the curtains opened, and the first lines of The Crucible rolled out.  It was a good performance.

         The cue for Cael’s entrance as the honorable John Proctor came up. And there was a pause.

         Jenny White improvised a second line covering for the slip and Cael stumbled onto the stage. She whirled, perfect in her role.

         Then Cael reached for her, and all hell broke loose.

         Before Marie could blink she saw blood spilled down the boy’s front, and for a moment she lost sight of the world for a second in the rush of blood and fear.

         People panicked, pushing and shoving; Cael’s face was everywhere.  Her mother pushed her towards the door but Marie clung to her as the wave of people crushed towards the door.

         The crowd thinned and she turned as her mother’s hand was ripped from her own. Marie fell and she watched as blood, her blood, flowed out.

         Then Marie’s mother, her family, was gone.

         Marie felt her body seize as if she had stuck her finger in an electrical socket; grief, pain and disbelief running through her. 

         But her eyes met with Cael’s and the world stilled; there was no pain, no rage, and no fear. Only them and nothing else mattered.







         Cael felt his rage and hunger fading, disappearing under a wash of calm and vague contentment.

         His body felt strange, electric and strong, without pain, as he hadn’t been for many years. He looks down at himself, blue button down and khaki’s soaked in dark red liquid. He held up his hands both of which were soaked in the same fluid.

         The young man licked one finger. “MMM tasty.” His eyes rolled with pleasure. “Marie….” He couldn’t say how he knew Marie was the presence in front of him but didn’t really care.  “What happened?”

         Grief and confusion swallowed up that beautiful warm contentment before fading altogether leaving him more confused then ever. “You were late.” A pause. “I’m not really sure what happened after that, I don’t remember.”

         He spun slowly, eyes sliding across the piles of bodies. He paused, pain striking through his bones as his eyes caressed the body of his high school crush. But after a momentary twinge of pain it passed and he felt no guilt or loss.

         “Did anyone escape?”

         “Yes, you were fast though so not many.” He sensed her shrug. “That’s probably a bad thing. “

         “That any escaped, or that most of them didn’t?” Cael chuckled, licking his hand clean contemplatively.

         “I’m not sure. I don’t remember.” Her voice grew high and whiney. “I don’t know what’s going on I don’t want to think about this.”  Then quieter almost defeated. “Please, please Cael can we just leave?”

         There was a groan over in the corner and both grew silent. “Ow… Fuck…” That was a familiar voice, rougher and deeper then usual, but familiar. “Marie?…. Is that you?”

         Caels eyes fell to the corner the voice had come from. He could feel the female’s eyes on him and he nodded sharply.

“Yeah… its me.” Her voice shook faintly but he was surprised that she wasn’t having panic attacks as they stood there.

A hulking figure hauled itself to its feet, in the corner and stumbled towards them. There were a number of large boys in their class, Zeke not least among them but no one in town was eight feet tall with shoulders like the side of a building, skin a rough mottled blue-grey, still that voice… “Zeke?” 
         
“What happened?” The massive being in front of them held one hand up to his head, lifting it to look directly at the other teens, in the process revealing short tusks protruding from inside his lower lip. “Cael… “ He swallowed slightly trying to figure out what question to ask first. “Why is the dog wearing clothes?”
         
Cael looked around. That blissful feeling of contentment quickly faded as his eyes fixed on the female by his side.
         
“……. Marie?” Clear hazel-gold eyes met with is own. “You’re literally a bitch.” She blinked owlishly and the other two burst into hysterical laughter.

         Zeke leaned on one of the seatbacks weak with mirth. “Look… Look down.”

         She looked down her eyes locking on big furry paws. “…. The FUCK!!!!” She whirled, half-tripping over the pants still clinging to her. “I have a TAIL!”

         The two males locked eyes sharing a moment of understanding and amusement. “Shut up Marie.”







          Zeke stared down at one grey hand. “This is nuts.”

         “Yeah…..” Marie chewed at her shirt, sharp teeth cutting through the fabric with surprising ease. “Its not everyday we stage a massacre after all.”

         Tension leapt back into the air. “We should go kill the radio tower before someone remembers to call the National Guard.” Cael vibrated in place. “Time to go.”

         Marie pulled the last of her clothing of her newly furry body. “This is weird.” She said starting for the door.