A Secret 

  In life you are told to embrace who you are.. But no one can tell you to embrace what you are, especially when they don’t know anything about you. I couldn’t take it anymore, she was in danger what else was I supposed to do. I made a choice but I don’t think she even noticed. I can’t change back right in front of her. Run!

In a small village not too far from the East lived a girl and her family. Their family had moved many times before, they were not a military family if you were wondering. They just had a secret of their own. Located at the top of Berry Hilltop mountain had just been their longest stay since an abrupt movement from their last place out in Arizona. They were happy. Clarice was this girl’s name, a name that was suited just for her. Growing up her life was very monumental. Her family was filled with joy and laughter throughout her entire childhood. At the age of fifteen a strange mark appeared on around her neck that led down to her arms and legs. She knew exactly what it was and was not happy about it…

      *Please leave a message after the..beep*

“Hey, I am outside already, please I don’t want to be late again especially on the first day and finally last year of highschool Val!” says Clarice.

Out comes like a ball of mess in my opinion my one and only dear true friend. Val is very chic. Yes just like what you would have imagine. Any girl you have seen in a high school movie that have every outfit coordinated for every single day, perfume smelling like cotton candy, and high heels that with each step they take it is a roll call with only their name on it because they want you to know that it only them and no one else. Speaking of my dear devil. Behind the bright red door came out Val. In a pretty spring like sun dress, tan color heels, with an enormous designer handbag that probably my whole room can fit in. Val opens the car door.

“Clarice, this does not assemble by itself okay. It takes time and effort to look this good. Not everyone can wake up from their beauty sleep and still look beautiful like you.” says Val in a sassy remark.

“Well this beauty work also takes time and effort you know..” says Clarice mockingly.

“Mhmm yeah your mom and dad don’t count because those are just genes. Now can we pass by starbucks on our way there you know I cannot enjoy the rest of my day without my vanilla latte” says Val, as she is touching up her makeup in mirror.

Here we go, see this is why taking the bus would have been so convenient even if it wouldn’t take me another hour walking up to the mountaintop. I was also wearing a sundress that Val begged me to wear, but I told her that the only way I was going to wear a dress is if i could wear my black converse with it. And as usual she agreed to those terms as long as I didn’t chicken out in the end.

Clarice and Val had been friends for many years. Ever since Clarice walked into her kindergarten class Val was the first one to come up to her with a smile on her face and a chocolate chip on her hand, immediately they knew they were going to be friends for a very long time. Throughout the years Val would always invite Clarice to her house and play out in her backyard in which Val had a little playground made by her father. Later on in their life they went to the movies, out to the mall, and even attended the same school. It seemed that nothing was going to set them apart. Or at least Clarice thought.

“Hey, you remember Victor from last year right?” says Val

“ Who? Emo Victor?” replies Clarice

“YESS girl omg you have no idea, when I tell he transformed he definitely transformed into something else…” says Val

“No way, emotionless Victor ? He was so sketchy, I thought he was going to be a loner all throughout high school…” responds Clarice.

What Val and Clarice did not know was that Victor had a secret of his own. Over the summer the drastic change that he had was not like any teenage boy going through puberty. His complete anatomy of his human body had changed into something no one could have ever thought could be even be possible.  

“Great we are going to be five minutes late!” Clarice reclaimed to Val as they come out of the car.

“No no we are just in time, this is what they call passing period remember.” says Val opening the front door to the school.

Senior year was something I wanted to look forward to. But not anymore, not after what happened this summer. One evening Clarice was wandering in through the meadows, up by the Berry Hilltop mountains very deep beyond the caves, there was a big land space it was empty and it was the place clarice enjoyed spending her time when she had a lot going on in her mind. The sun had been very bright and warm throughout the entire day. Clarice had been sick but she convinced her mom a little bit of fresh air would make her feel better. And as she went about her day walking through the clear cloud like grass and then suddenly her skin began to smoke…What is this? Oh no it's happening, why now?! The smoke on Clarice skin begins to intensify and she lights up into a fireball. Her hands turn into claws and her arms are coated and elongated. Her whole body shifts into a enormous golden cat with beautiful angelic wings coming out of her back. She was a greek sphinx.

As Clarice was walking down the hallway to her class she couldn’t help but accidentally eavesdrop far from across the hall a conversation between two girls.

“Hey you heard what they were saying in the news this morning?” says the girl in the hallway to her friend.

“Yes, do you believe it's true? Do you really think they found that cat with two tails, a Nekomata?” replies the friend.

“I was doing a lot of research on it and apparently this is not the first time they find one, and no one can touch it with their bare hands because it can poison them. Two officers died because of it.” says the girl.

What? I thought my mom said everything was fine, that the problem was solved. Not again, crap we are going to have to move again. I need to find out more about what is going on before they try to find me again. Before the school year began Clarice was rolling in the meadows after her drastic transitioning. She was finding all the joy in her knew abilities, her speed, sight, smell, hearing, taste were all enhance. And this fire of power and strength that ran through her blood was even too much for her to handle on her own so she would often run around beyond the mountains. Clarice had gone a little too far from usual, a place where her mother to stay away from it, the Bayou. She encountered herself with a creature her parents would tell her about when she was very young. It was mostly scary stories about them, how these creatures would kill their own master because all they could feed on is humans, especially the evil ones.

“Hey did you hear what happened in the news this morning?” asks Val as her and Clarice were going into their next period walking down the hall.

“No, what happened…” Clarice says, knowing exactly what Val was going to say.

“They found a dead cat and a person lying next to each other.” whispers Val

“Wow someone did witchcraft again.” Clarice said sarcastically.

“It is not witchcraft, you always say that. I don't believe it is this cat has two tails, that is not possible yet this is the second incident and it happens to be in same place.” claims Val

“I’m sure it’s nothing serious like that you know how the media likes to make things more exaggerated than they really are.” replies Clarice.

“You seriously lack curiosity.” says Val.

I can tell her disappointment in her eyes. Its too much for her to know right now, I can’t tell her because if I do then I have to tell her about me and what I am. It's too soon. I won’t put her in danger. Right before the school year had started Clarice was wandering off into the meadows. She was embracing all of her true self. Behind the mountains there was a small piece of land where she was forbidden to enter. Her curiosity lead her to break that rule and she went off into to the Bayou. This place is not as bad as I believed it was going to be. Why did my mother forbid me from coming here? In the midst of it all out comes a strange looking animal. It was something Clarice had recognized but never believed she was going to encounter one anytime soon. It was a nekomata. When she came back into her human form to see what it was, the nekomata also changed into a human form. It was Victor.

“After school I’m gonna go check it out, you comin?” says Val

I couldn’t let her do it alone so I said “Sure why not, then maybe I can finally be right and you’ll see there's nothing to be concerned about.”

Val rolls her eyes in response.

After the bell rang students were told to remain in class. Everyones phone begins to buzz. *Weather Alert: Heavy sand storm coming in please stay inside.* Everyone begins murmuring at once, it was strange that in a sunny day there could be a storm. Teachers begin telling students to head to the library and to the cafeteria to stay safe. Val rushes over through the crowd to find Clarice.

“Man how are we going to go venture out now and see if this thing is real?” says Val

“Maybe it's a sign from nature itself telling you that there nothing out there out of the ordinary.” responds Clarice.

“Mm sure, well I’m still going.” says Val

“Val don’t you know how these storms get you are going to get yourself hurt.” remarks Clarice.

One of the teachers over the intercom calls out for the principal. Clarice over hears one of the students crying in the corner…

“No one is going to believe what I saw. I think the principal is dead. That animal they have been talking about in the news was out there!”

No! I have to get out there. He lied to me. When Clarice was out wondering in the Bayou and encountered Victor she had argued with him about the killings that was going around. After a long discussion he had promised her he would tell his friends to stop.

“I have to go Val-” says Clarice.

“Where? Aren't you the one telling me to not go out there, why do you get to leave?” remarks Val.

“Just trust me okay, I’ll be back” replies Clarice

Clarice rushes to the back door making sure no one sees or follows her. It had been hours since Clarice went missing and teachers began to take names of students. Val was getting anxious and couldn’t wait any longer for Clarice to come back. What if something happened to her? I’m going… Val heads off over to the back door and as Clarice did she made sure no one saw her and followed her. Opening the door was difficult, the storm was hitting hard. She manages to slip through. Trying to see she was walking slowly covering her head with her arm and out in the middle of the field she could she in an instant two people arguing.

“Clarice!!!” yelled Val. No one turned back.

“Clari-” Val stops because right before her eyes were two really big cats one with two tails as it was described in the news outlets. The other seemed like a lion with angelic wings. They both growled at each other. Val fell to the ground in disbelief at what she was seeing right in front of her. The growling and stomping continued until the Nekomata tails began to light like a blue fireball. The tail smacked the Sphinx wing and there it began the fight. Val was so shocked that every bone and muscle in her body felt impossible to move. The Sphinx with its mighty wings began to to rise and with the gush of wind heading towards the Nekomata she was able to stomp onto its tail cutting it off with its bear teeth. Down went the Nekomata. The Sphinx turned around and looked at Val. Val seeing through its eyes could see something that only she would know. Something told her that she knew exactly who it was… Clarice lowered herself onto the ground again and looked right at Val. She froze and didn't know if she should leave or change back so that Val would not be scared. The sand storm had stopped. Yes it me and you know it… Clarice spreads her wings once more and flies off into the sky.