Reveal (Cryptid Tales)

by Brina Courtney

  “Excuse me? You did not just call me stupid.” OK I may not be some badass shifter, but I will punch this girl in the face if she does not shut her mouth.

  “I call it like I see it,” she seethes. “I should have known with you being a half-breed and all.” She’s already in a fight stance, legs slightly apart and her hands that are at her side quickly turn into fists.

  I stand up as tall as I possibly can and stare her down. “Will you just tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Her shoulders relax slightly, but she’s still ready to brawl if needed.

  “Shay, he left to find you because he wants to fulfill the prophecy. It says it will tie two tribes together. We made a mutual decision that it wouldn’t be us. I was in love with another man and he wanted to do bigger things. Though I remember him saying they were bigger, better things.”

  She continues, “It hurt at the time, to watch him leave, we were best friends. But now, I get it. He had to leave to find you to fulfill the prophecy. You’re an idiot but you worked your ass off today. Most people quit after one try. Even Alo didn’t try for as long as you did. You’re tougher than you give yourself credit for, not as tough as me, but you know...” She pauses and takes a deep breath.

  “He loves you Shay, just admit it to yourself and embrace it. Embrace who you are.”

  I’m surprised at her compliments, even though she gave them in an ass backwards kind of way, I can tell she meant what she said. She really believes he loves me. She believes in the prophecy and that he and I are whom it’s about. Do I believe it too?

  We walk in silence as I have more to process and Emina is obviously annoyed with me as a person in general. She drops me off at the door of Chenoa and Alo’s home. She doesn’t even wave as she retreats to her trailer a few hundred feet down the dirt road. Can’t say I blame her though, she thinks I practically failed at being a cryptid, not to mention I’m denying feelings for a guy she used to be best friends with.

  I walk past Chenoa and give her a simple wave. I feel her eyes following me as I go, but I don’t want to stop for a chat right now, I feel like I just ran a marathon. I go straight to the guest room and fall into bed, back under the covers.

  Chenoa knocks lightly on the door. “I have something for you. Can I come in?”

  I sigh but say sure. I sit up, mostly while leaving my legs outstretched. Chenoa walks in holding the most adorable little gray kitten.

  “Umm, is that?” Please God, don’t give me a local resident as a gift, it’s weird and super creepy.

  She laughs, “No it’s a real kitten. One of the strays had a litter recently and I thought you could use a friend. Hugh mentioned you didn’t have any pets. I hope your mom’s not allergic or anything.”

  “No not at all,” I say gladly as she gives me the little gray fluff ball. She’s the sweetest thing, giving me a big yawn and shows me her bright blue eyes. “Thanks Chenoa, she’s beautiful.” Petting the baby makes me calmer, almost relaxed.

  Chenoa sits on the bed and puts her hand on my leg. “Shay, I know all this is a lot. But it will work out, I promise.” She gives me a warm smile and it makes me think that she’s right, but I still don’t know.

  I’m having this internal struggle questioning if this is really the life I want. Most of my life I would have given anything to be normal, but now there’s no going back to that. I am not normal.

  I look at Chenoa, sitting on my bed with her beautiful long hair and golden eyes. “Are you happy, Chenoa?”

  “What? Me? Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” She looks flabbergasted as to why I would ask such a silly question.

  “I don’t know, just having to worry all the time. I mean we’re kind of at war with The Darkness and his followers right? And we’re different. Aren’t you scared of what people would do to us if they knew?” Suddenly I realize this is very much an “us and them” situation, and I have put myself in the “us” category.

  She sighs, “Shay you can’t live your life in fear. If you do there’s just no point in living. I am happy with my life. I have a beautiful family, I grew up in this village and I have never wanted for anything more. This is my home, my life.” She brings her hand to her chest to emphasize my.

  The bed creaks under me as I bring my knees to my chin. I move the kitten to the right side of my body. “But is it mine?”

  She looks out the window across from the bed and then straight into my eyes. “That’s for you to decide.”

  Chapter 22

  “You look tired,” Chenoa said, “why don’t you and that baby get some rest?” She points to my new friend, who is already asleep lying next to me. I’ve been absentmindedly petting her the whole time we’ve been talking.

  I smile, “Thanks Chenoa.”

  She stands and walks to the door and then stops. “No problem,” she pauses, “and honey, take a break tonight, it’s just you and me. The boys are staying at a friend’s place in town tonight. Turns out they won’t be back until tomorrow. And there’s some stew out in the kitchen, I know ya haven’t eaten since breakfast and it’s almost six.”

  “Why aren’t they coming home?”

  She sighs, “Turns out that truck of Hugh’s is not reliable as it used to be. The engine’s gone to hell, they’re stuck at the shop.”

  I nod, “Oh ok, thanks.”

  After I hear her close the door, I stretch my legs back out and turn on my side so that my body cradles the small new life next to me. I have to think of a name for her. Lily? Smokey? Finally I settle on Mosi, just like the tribe she came from, her people, my people. She shouldn’t lose her heritage just because she’s going to move away. Just like Hugh. Oh Hugh. I haven’t thought about him all day, but now my feelings come running back to me. I’m glad I have the evening to really think about us, if there even is an us. But before I have the chance, I’m out like a light.

  In the morning I wake up to a strong smell in my bed. Mosi has left a little present for me, lovely. I look around for the little love bug but she’s nowhere to be found. I get up on the other side of the bed and walk out to the kitchen to get some cleaner. Chenoa has her back to me making breakfast at the stove.

  “Morning,” I mumble as I walk toward the sink. My mom always keeps our cleaning products under the sink. “Do you have any cleaner? Mosi decided to have an accident in my bed.”

  Chenoa turns to me. “Who?” She wipes her hands on a towel. I see hash browns in the pan behind her.

  “My kitten, I named her Mosi. She pooped on your sheets, sorry.”

  She laughs, “Oh my, that’s something to wake up to! All the cleaning products are in the hall closet with the washer and dryer. Just put the stuff in the garbage and your sheets in the washer. Don’t worry about it, these things happen. I’ll call the boys and ask them to bring home some extra kitty supplies, a litter box will be a big help. They should be home later this afternoon.”

  “Sounds good,” I say as I grab the paper towels.

  After I drop my sheets in the washer, I hit the bathroom and take a shower. I check my eyes in the mirror again as I apply my makeup, they’re still yellow. From here on out, they’ll most likely always be this yellow, I might even have to talk to Hugh about colored contacts.

  I emerge from the bathroom and go towards the kitchen to dive into the potatoes Chenoa was making this morning. She has a mug set out for me with a matching plate for breakfast. It reminds me of home and makes me miss my own mom. Chenoa is sitting at the table and reading the newspaper.

  I take some potatoes and fill my mug with the homemade coffee that’s on the stove. Once I sit at the table I decide to ask a favor.

  “Hey Chenoa, can I use the phone today? My cell died, one thing Hugh forgot to pack, my cord.”

  She lowers her paper and looks at me with a smile. “Sure, calling anybody I know?”

  I put some hash browns in my mouth before answering so my speech is purposely garbled. “My mom.”

  “Phone’s in the hallway, use it whenever you lik
e. By the way, found your little friend in Hugh’s room. I decided to leave her in there, Hugh could use a little gift don’t you think?”

  I laugh. “Yeah maybe he could,” I say as I finish eating.

  After breakfast I walk out to the hallway and dial my home number, Chad answers the phone.

  “Hi, Tafford residence.” He sounds so formal, I’m impressed.

  “Chad, it’s me, Shay, how are you?”

  “Dude! You jumped ship, Mom was so pissed! What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Honestly, I wasn’t, but listen I’m learning a lot. Chad these people knew Dad. Like when he was young and stuff. Has Mom calmed down at all? Can I talk to her?”

  “She’s at her office, doesn’t have off this week like us remember?”

  “Damn, no.” Disappointed that I can’t fix the situation with Mom I decide talking to Chad will do. “Well what are you doing with your time off?”

  His attitude changes. “I’m practically on lock down thanks to you. Dave’s here though, we’re playing…”

  “Madden,” I say as I finish his sentence. “Sorry about Mom, I’ll make it up to ya, I promise.”

  “Yeah whatever, just be safe OK?”

  “Yeah, thanks Chad, see ya.”

  “Bye,” he says and then I hear the phone click.

  I spend the rest of the morning playing with Mosi in my room, after I made sure she relieved herself. In Hugh’s room of course, oops. She’s so sweet and she likes to play with the tassels on my boots. Chenoa says she’s about three months old and she still naps a lot. As she’s napping I sneak back into Hugh’s room to grab a book. He has loads of stuff on cryptids, but nothing on our race in particular. I guess that’s because technically we don’t exist. My father was the first one outside of this compound to figure it out and that was only with Jeremy’s help. No other tribe would think to approach another tribe and ask them if they were part cat due to a genetic experiment gone wrong hundreds of years ago.

  I pull one off the shelf about cryptids that scientists thought weren’t real but turned out they were. The Okapi was thought to be a mythical creature for centuries. Even though the Egyptians depicted the okapi, a half zebra, half giraffe animal, in their writings it wasn’t officially discovered until 1901 and until then was a cryptid. I think about this, how long until we’re discovered, how long will we be cryptids for? If we are discovered, what would they call us then? Did my dad want to publish his research and that’s why he’s missing? Did someone not want the world to know about us? I was hoping this book would give me answers, instead I just have more questions.

  I eat some leftover stew from yesterday for lunch. Chenoa has left me to my own resources for the most part, just checking on me to make sure I have everything I need. When Alo and Hugh arrive home I’m reading another cryptid book in my room.

  “Looks like you have your dad’s love of research,” Hugh says as he walks into my room with a litter box and cat food in hand.

  I just look at him, still refusing to discuss any of this with him. It’s not fair he expects this much of me.

  Hugh shrugs, “Where do you want me to put this stuff?” He holds up the items in his hand, I notice there’s also a pink collar, cute touch.

  “Anywhere, just not on my bed please.” I look back to my book pretending not to care he’s here, pretending to feel like I don’t want him to be close to me, hold me and to apologize for all the hurt he’s caused.

  He sets the box down on a chair in the front corner of the room. He walks over to the door and looks like he’s about to leave but thinks better of it. He closes the door instead and grabs the collar off the chair. He approaches me and sits on the floor across from where I’m reading and Mosi is sleeping.

  He lays the pink collar on the floor, “It has a bell, so you always know where she is,” he says.

  I pick it up and turn it over in my hands. “Thanks, Hugh.” I smile in spite of myself.

  He puts his hand over mine and leans in. I want to say no, that I’m angry with him, but I can’t. The truth is I am head over heels for him. I want him to kiss me, to touch me, to make feel whole.

  He sits back and says “I’m sorry Shay. I know this is a lot to take in and it’s my fault. I should have given you more time, more space. But you had a right to know.”

  I sit back staring at him, not knowing what to say.

  He takes my momentary brain lapse to make his move. He leans in and lightly presses his lips against my own. It’s a delicate kiss, almost forbidden.

  Then he sits back smiling. I just stay leaned in, dumfounded by what just happened. I was hoping it would be more, I don’t know, movie like? He didn’t run his hands through my hair, I mean hell, he didn’t even touch my face!

  I sit here on the floor thinking about all the romantic comedies I’ve watched hoping my life would be like them when Hugh takes my chin and lifts it up so that I can look at him.

  “Shay, say something.”

  And that’s when it happens, the moment. The kiss is slow at first then it becomes more passionate. Suddenly I’m grabbing the back of his head and pulling him closer. I want more of him. I want all of him. All the emotions that have been running through me the past few days suddenly seem like they’re coming to the surface and I’m about to burst. Our lips are mashing together in the best of ways. I lay back on the floor and he’s lying on top of me, fitting together like puzzle pieces.

  Minutes go by and we finally separate to get some air. I’m breathing heavily and I don’t want this amazing feeling to end. He looks at me and moves his hands to my hips. “Shay, I’ve wanted to be with you since the minute we met. I’m sorry I went about it in such the wrong way. It’s just, our situation is unique and I didn’t want to scare you away. I obviously suck because you’re still worried. I get that, but please give me a chance. I really want to make this work.”

  As much as he makes me crazy, he’s right. We’re meant for each other. Instead of giving him a verbal response I just smile and move his hands so they’re wrapped around me. I look into his eyes and reach up my face to lay one on him. It makes him melt. I can feel it in his body, he just totally relaxes letting me know he understands I agree. We’re connected he and I, and we’re in this whole mess together.

  Chapter 23

  We spend the next couple days working on my shifting. Emina says something’s changed, I’m more relaxed and focused but I still can’t seem to get the hang of it. At one point I think I’m close, “I can feel it, Emina, it’s like I’m flying. Is my hair growing? I can feel it moving.”

  She laughs, “Sorry Shay, it’s just breezy today, you’re not changing. And why do you have your arms out like that, this isn’t a remake of Jesus Christ Superstar.”

  I open my eyes just a crack to see her standing there in human form eyeing my arms up. I put them down at my sides and shake my head.

  “I am never going to be able to do this.” I sigh.

  “You might not, it might not be part of your genetics, but it’s your last day here so I thought we’d give it one more try. I can’t see ghosts but I can feel a presence when they’re near me. So you might not be able to fully shift, but you have definitely retained some of the skills of a cat.”

  She was talking about my agility again, this was the second time today she’d mentioned it, finally impressed by something I could do. Yesterday she and Hugh took turns throwing tennis balls at me. Luckily I love my own face enough that I sprang into action, surprising myself at how fast I could move. I realized that even though I may not be able to fight I can run like hell. They helped me learn about balance and by that I mean they pushed me out of a second story window at the Community Building. I got onto the roof below the window and they told me walk on the roof. I, of course, rolled directly off the shingles, due to my absolute clumsiness. Turned out this Mosi really does land on her feet.

  I take a deep breath and try one more time. I focus on my hands becoming paws, my hair lengthening covering my who
le body. My feline figure is emerging in my mind, but still nothing.

  Emina stands leaning against a tree with her hands in her pockets. “Let’s go, you’ve had enough and I’m sure you’re ready to get back home by now. Enough adventure for one week.”

  She starts walking back towards the house. We’re only about three hundred feet from the house, in what is kind of their backyard. Mostly small dry trees and dirt surround the trailers and homes here, so their yards all kind of meld into one large area. It’s almost like living in a park.

  Right before we land on the back porch Emina reaches back into her pocket.

  “I have something for you,” she says.

  “For me?” I’m shocked, why would she have something for me?