The Familiar (7 page)

As we enter, everything becomes a little bit darker; shadows cast abstract patterns along the way. Occasionally a ray of sunlight manages to break through, illuminating the floor, which is littered with pinecones and needles, twigs and moss covered stones. We stroll, relishing the tranquility. As we continue walking farther and farther, we have to pause and get our bearings. Suddenly we hear someone behind us.

“Try not to get lost around here… We wouldn’t want to come looking for you in the middle of the night,” says a male voice. We both whip our heads around, scanning the forest with our eyes. It takes a minute to spot him, but we finally see Jared, our mythical creatures’ teacher, perched on a boulder close to the edge of the cliff. He’s no longer wearing his uniform but instead has on a dark, well-worn pair of jeans, along with a long sleeved black t-shirt, and black boots. He still looks intimidating, but at least his smile looks friendly.

I stammer for something to say and blurt out, “Uh… We were just killing time, checking the place out.”

Louise eyes me nervously. “We weren’t doing anything wrong. We just wanted to explore a little.”

Jared chuckles. “Don’t be so defensive ladies, you’re not in trouble,” he replies, looking mildly amused.

“You have the advantage, so perhaps you should both introduce yourselves…”

Louise smiles, clearly more at ease now that Jared seems more cordial. “I’m Louise and this is Hazel.”

Jared hints surprise as he examines me intensely.

“So, you’re Hazel Smith, huh? I was expecting you to be… I don’t know… Different.”

My face is suddenly hot and I know my cheeks must be flushed. “I don’t know what you mean…”

“You kids always think different is a bad thing,” he pauses. “Let’s just say I’m pleasantly surprised, that’s all.”

Louise butts in, “You should be. Hazel is pretty awesome.”

I glare at Louise, my face getting even hotter. “Don’t listen to her. I barely know anything. I’ll probably just embarrass myself in front of everyone.”

Jared grins and pushes himself up from the boulder. “Somehow, I doubt that.”

The sunset is crimson and orange, illuminating him like a grungy Greek god. He climbs effortlessly off the large rock, and saunters into the dark forest.

“See you both in class,” he says before disappearing into the shadows.

I glance at Louise, my eyebrow raised, and we both chuckle. Then, she gazes at me mysteriously, feigning a dramatic look. “
Hazel, you’re… so… different
…” she says, doing her best Jared imitation. We both laugh again until our stomachs are sore.

“That guy is intense, huh? Makes me wonder what that class is going to be like.”

Louise screeches excitedly and says, “I can hardly wait… I just hope I won’t be a total failure!”

It suddenly sinks in that we’ll be starting class tomorrow and all these kids have years of knowledge, compared to my measly few weeks.

After the excitement dies down, we head back since the sunlight seems to be disappearing fast. By the time we arrive at the dorm, it’s almost dark and the grounds are now illuminated by tall antique looking iron and glass lamps. We go to our room to freshen up for dinner and just as we’re about to head out, someone knocks on our door. Louise opens it, revealing Akiko and Samir standing in the hallway.

“You guys going to dinner yet?” asks Akiko. They both look freshly showered and changed.

I pull on my sneakers and reply, “Yes, I’m starving!”

We leave the dorm and follow the throng of students heading to the dining hall. The mood seems to be cheery, as they laugh and mingle. When we arrive, we’re led to a formidable archway past the grand lobby. We enter and find ourselves in the midst of a warm and comfortable dining room with tables of all sizes, surrounded by counters offering a variety of gourmet meals. It almost reminds me of an upscale, old-fashioned food court. Hanging above the functional wooden tables and chairs are smaller versions of the black chandeliers in the lobby. We find a table in the corner near some windows, and then go our separate ways to get our food. After a few minutes of perusing, I find a wok station and order a tofu, broccoli, and snow pea stir-fry with sesame peanut sauce on noodles. At the dessert counter, I grab an apple pie and a brownie. By the time I get back to our table, everyone is busy chatting and devouring their food.

Louise is recounting our run-in with Jared in the forest. “To be honest, he scared the crap out of me at first… He’s kind of creepy.”

“No way! I think he’s just the quiet, mysterious type,” blurts out Akiko.

“Well, whatever he is, he showed a lot of interest in Hazel,” Louise says eyeing me with a smirk.

“What? Louise is totally exaggerating,” I try to say with a mouthful of noodles.

“No, I’m not! He just seemed fascinated by the daughter of Maven Smith… I mean, I think everyone would be kind of interested if they knew,” says Louise out loud.

Suddenly, our area seems kind of quiet and the kids at the tables around us glance furtively my way as they start whispering to one another.

Louise looks embarrassed and speaks in a hushed voice. “Oops… I guess I kind of talk loud sometimes. I can’t help it… I’m from Texas.”

I’m annoyed that Louise put all these eyes on me, but in some way, part of me is relieved that it’s out there so I can move forward. “It’s okay, Louise, everyone would have found out about it sooner or later.”

Samir tries to look nonchalant, but I can see that he too is fascinated. “Don’t worry Hazel, I don’t think it’ll be such a big deal. It’s just most kids have heard stories about your mom, and since nobody really knew what happened to her, it’s kind of shocking that well… you’re here in front of us…” he explains.

Louise places her hand on mine apologetically, and Akiko and Samir smile, their warmth, putting me at ease. Despite only knowing each other for less than a day, we’re in tune enough for them to sense I’m uncomfortable with the situation.

“So, how about you give me some of your pie and I’ll give you some of my ice cream?” says Akiko, breaking the ice. I take half of my pie and put it on her plate and she takes a scoop of my ice cream and plops it on top of my pie.

After dinner, we’re stuffed, tired, and looking forward to hitting the sack. When we reach our own rooms, we part ways and all go to bed.

“Good night, Akiko, Samir. See you tomorrow,” I say with a yawn. They wave and shuffle away sleepily. When we get inside, I brush my teeth as Louise changes into her frilly pink pajamas. I’m too tired to even change, so I take my pants off and get into bed with my t-shirt and underwear. I hear my phone beep from the nightstand.

I open my inbox and see a message from Andy:

I hope you enjoyed your first day of camp… Have you already forgotten about me?

I snicker, knowing he’s being sarcastic.

I send him my reply:

The first day was awesome and I’ve already made some cool new friends, but of course I won’t forget about my cool old friends. Especially if they remind me every so often… Goodnight, Andy!

I turn the night light off, knowing he won’t answer. For some reason, he always lets me get the last word in. I finally drift off to the sound of Louise humming in the bathroom.

11

The morning sunlight streams through the sheer curtains hanging over my bed, and from the looks of it, it’s going to be a beautiful summer day. Louise is already showering in the bathroom, and I’m secretly glad that I have a few minutes to myself. I play some music and open the windows to let in some fresh air. My uniform is hanging behind the door where I placed it the night before, in anticipation for the first day of classes. I give it the once over, and take it off the hanger, thinking to myself that it’s not half bad, and hopefully, I can pull it off without looking like a janitor.

Louise exits the bathroom with a cloud of hot steam behind her.

“Good morning! Glad you’re up, we’ll have time for breakfast.”

“I hope you didn’t use up all of the hot water. It’s like a sauna in there,” I reply, as I peek over her shoulder into the bathroom.

Louise rolls her eyes and laughs. “My… I guess someone isn’t a morning person.”

I grab a clean towel from the linen closet and smirk. “Well, not until I’ve had a shower and a cup of coffee.”

I close the door, and turn on the shower full blast. Thankfully, there’s plenty of hot water left. By the time I finish, Louise is already dressed in her uniform. She manages to fill it out in all the right places, and as she pulls her hair back into a ponytail, I can’t help but think she looks like a Hollywood actress in a sci-fi movie.

“Guess what? I figured out a trick with this get-up,” she says in her southern drawl, while pointing at the uniform. I look at her, puzzled, as she picks up the uniform I laid out on my bed. “See how there aren’t any zippers, buttons, or snaps? The whole thing is like a glove, and there’s only one way to put it on. Let me show you.”

I dry off, and stand in front of Louise. “Okay, are you ready?” I nod, waiting for her instruction.

“So, go ahead and scrunch it up into a ball as best you can,” she explains. I ball up the garment, holding it in my hands. “Then, throw it up in the air, as if you’re tossing a pizza.”

I do as she says, and throw it high up in the air above me. The uniform opens up and slowly falls towards me, as if it’s an autumn leaf drifting lazily to the ground.

“Now, stand under it and just let it land on you,” she commands. I look above, and wait for it, wondering what will happen next. As the uniform nears, it fractures into pieces, and thrusts itself onto my body as if pulled by some magnetic force. I can feel the fabric adjusting to my limbs while it shrinks to my size. In a matter of seconds, I’m dressed and the uniform looks like it was tailor made to fit me.

“How on earth did you figure that out?” I ask, staring at Louise in awe.

She blushes slightly and shrugs her shoulders. “Well, I just started obsessing about it after Sabrina showed us… I tried putting it on a ton of different ways, but then I thought of this. It just seemed like the most logical way…”

“Huh,” I say, leaning my head to one side, amazed by Louise’s ingenuity.

I hurry getting ready for breakfast, brushing my hair brusquely and braiding it down my back, a style that reminds me of Mom. Just before leaving, I slip on the light as air high-top shoe that goes with the uniform. It resembles a cross between a boot and a running shoe, without any laces or velcro. The shoe molds to my foot and it almost feels like I’m walking barefoot. After the ensemble is complete, I inspect myself in the mirror amazed by the way I look. My reflection empowers me and I feel warrior-like, ready for the battle ahead.

“You ready?” Louise asks.

“As I’ll ever be,” I reply, stealing one more glance before leaving.

When we get to the dining room, which is an organized chaos of teachers, counselors and students milling around with trays, enjoying their meals with gusto as the sound of chatter and clattering dishes echoes in the background, we manage to find Akiko and Samir.

“Morning!” they both say in unison between bites of scrambled eggs and bacon. I smell pancakes and waffles, and find a counter with a woman pouring batter into a cast iron waffle maker. My mouth waters, when I spot a giant jug of maple syrup.

“Two please,” I say, handing the woman my tray. She pulls two crispy waffles off and places them on my plate.

“Here you go, dear,” she says with a smile.

I slather the waffles with soft creamy butter and pour a generous amount of maple syrup on top. When I get back to the table, Louise is digging into her pancakes and sausages. As I eat, I begin to wonder why my appetite seems to have doubled, maybe even tripled, since this whole thing began. I scan the room, and notice that everyone seems to be eating their giant portions of food heartily; some even have two or three plates in front of them.

“So, is there an explanation behind my suddenly ravenous appetite?” I ask.

Samir pauses in between bites. “Ah… A scientific question,” he says, his face lighting up.

“It’s all about metabolism. As a shape-shifter starts to mature, much like when humans reach puberty, our metabolism will increase at a rapid rate. We need to consume as much as ten times what we would normally need for our bodies to be able to sustain the shifting process. That’s why shape-shifters will never be overweight. In fact we have a propensity for being underweight, so it’s important to eat as many calories as possible throughout the day… I should also mention that because of all this, we also need a lot of sleep.”

“Huh, well that explains a lot,” I respond, taking another bite of my waffle.

Maya breezes in, with the other teachers in tow, smiling as she walks up to the window near our table.

“Good morning, students! I just wanted to explain our curriculum before the day gets started. Classes will be held Monday through Friday, and weekends will be free, much like it is with the human school system. Each day will be divided into two periods, with lunchtime in between. Classes will alternate every other day, and after two weeks, you start training for your individual evaluations, culminating in the final competition. Those who rank highest in the final weeks will be given first priority at the Choosing Ceremony. I’d like to wish all of you good luck. I know that with hard work and determination, your transformations will be swift and plentiful.”

When Maya is done with her announcement, she returns to the teachers’ table for breakfast. As expected, Jared looks cool and collected as he sits down to eat. Even just putting a forkful of pancake in his mouth he manages to exude an electric vibe. Something about him seems to draw me in, and it can’t be what he’s wearing since he’s got on the same dull black uniform as the other teachers. I look away quickly before he catches me staring.

Akiko follows my gaze and grins. I ignore her, hoping she won’t call me out on it. We finish up breakfast and head out into the lobby where we’re given packets, which include our schedules, as well as several documents, maps and brochures. I study my schedule, which indicates I’ll be starting with land and water animals, followed by air and mythical the next day.

After comparing schedules with Louise, Akiko and Samir, we’re excited and relieved that we will be sharing the same classes. Even though that means we’ll be competing with one another, at least there will be some comfort in seeing familiar faces.

We follow the route on our maps to our first class, and as we turn the corner of the main house, we find an expansive grassy field that is so bright and green, it almost looks like artificial turf. Ivana is waiting for us when we arrive. In the radiant light, her features are more severe and the muscles of her body are even more defined. We congregate around her, nervously shuffling our feet as she studies each and every one of us with an intensity that’s unnerving.

“Good morning, everyone. Please sit on the grass, I will begin with a short lecture before we start our exercises,” she explains with a slight Russian accent. We sit under the shade of a large tree, and wait for her to commence.

“I am Ivana, your teacher for land animals. I have looked over your profiles, so I am now familiar with your skill set. I will be starting everyone at the same level, but as the days progress, I will take time to do some one on one instruction with those of you who are ahead and those who are behind.”

I look around anxiously, and wonder if I will be labeled as one of those who are “behind.”

“We will begin with animals that will be simpler to transform into, then move on to more complex forms of land shifting. Since this is your first class, I would like to explain that shifting is a state of mind. Most of you can already shift quite easily into your primary forms or alphas if you prefer, but shifting into an acquired form will require practice and concentration.”

I’m starting to feel more and more inadequate as her lecture goes on. Even though Mom explained that my abilities were in an advanced stage, the fact that I have only fully transformed once has me feeling on edge.

Ivana sits cross-legged on the grass. “Have any of you ever tried meditation?” Though I’ve seen Mom doing her yoga and meditation poses, I’ve never tried them out myself, and by the looks of it, neither has anyone else.

As Ivana closes her eyes, she exudes serenity. “I want you to sit very still, and try to feel like your body is light as air… Close your eyes, and concentrate on seeing your alpha. Now envision yourself as that animal; imagine your skin, limbs, eyes, ears, and hair are not your own, but those of the animal. Imagine yourself doing something in that form, and feel your muscles moving and working. Will your body to
be
that animal.”

I concentrate and do everything she’s asking. Though I feel like I’m focusing, part of me is detached from the exercise. The sounds of breathing and the heat emanating from the bodies around me, is distracting, and as much as I try and concentrate, I still feel like I’m failing miserably.

Ivana’s voice breaks the silence. “Okay, you may open your eyes.”

When I look around, I’m relieved to see that not everyone has successfully transformed. There are a few of us, including Akiko, who are still sitting cross-legged in our human forms. The rest are relaxing on the grass as their alphas; a menagerie of cats, dogs, lions, tigers, deer, rodents, and even a few birds, all seemingly comfortable in their animal forms.

Ivana stands to address the group, her posture erect and strong. “For those of you who were not able to transform, don’t worry. It may take a few more tries for you to catch on. But you will be able to master your alphas eventually, and by the end of the program you should be able to do this,” she concludes dramatically, as she shifts before our eyes into a powerful black panther with gleaming blue eyes and shiny reddish black fur. The transformation is spectacular. She paces back and forth fiercely, and in a flash she’s standing in her human form once again. This time she’s naked, though she doesn’t seem to be fazed by it at all. She collects the clothing remnants from the grass and tosses them in the air. In a second, she’s dressed in her uniform once again.

“I know some of you may not be comfortable being naked in front of others, but in our world, there is nothing abnormal about seeing each other this way. After a few weeks, you’ll be used to it, and it will just be second nature.”

My face is hot and I’m almost sure that my cheeks must resemble shiny red apples by now. Thankfully, I’m not the only one reacting this way. We are after all self-conscious teenagers who are not only insecure about our own bodies, but completely unaccustomed to seeing others naked in front of us.

“Now, I want those of you who are in animal form to transform back so that we may move onto the next exercise,” Ivana commands. Some change back quickly, while others take a few minutes longer. Louise, who was in the form of a lioness, is one of the first to shift back. I can see some of the boys in the class admiring her discreetly, as she gets dressed. Even the girls seem to glance over, envious of her beauty. Part of me is glad that my transformation on the first day was not successful; the idea of everyone seeing my pale naked body has not sunken in yet.

Once everyone has shifted back, Ivana motions for us to follow her. We cross the field and stop where the beginnings of a forest skim the edge. Ivana hops on a big, round tree stump. “One of the things that will define how powerful you are as a shape-shifter will be your ability to sense things beyond what the human is capable of. I guess most of you know that animal senses are more acute, and that many have what we call a sixth sense.”

She points into the dark forest ahead. “Today, I want to gauge how strong your senses are in human form. This will give me an idea of how well you will do once your animal senses kick in. For this exercise, we’ve cast a spell on the forest so it’ll be more difficult for you to maneuver your way around it. Things may not seem as they appear, and the best advice I can give is to be creative. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box… You will enter from the clearing where we are standing, then make your way through to the other side, collect a golden pinecone, and then make your way back to this spot. You will not be allowed to shift during this exercise. You must complete it in human form.”

When I glance at my friends, I notice Akiko looks ashen, like she might throw up. Louise places her hand on her shoulder and smiles reassuringly, giving the rest of us a thumbs-up while whispering, “Good luck guys!”

We form a long horizontal line facing the forest and wait. Ivana lifts one arm and as she drops it with a fast motion, the sound of a whistle echoes across the field.

I sprint into the forest, absorbing the energy of the others around me, thrusting my body to go even faster. My competitiveness suddenly kicks in and I’m propelled by a burst of confidence. I stop only for a moment to study the terrain in front of me. On one side, the forest seems to veer slightly downhill with a small dirt pathway right smack in the middle, and on the opposite side is a steep embankment, the surface studded with craggy rocks and flimsy little trees. As I look both ways, I feel the hairs on my arm standing on end as my gaze falls on the embankment. I hear rustling footsteps leading down the pathway, and realize most have chosen the easier route. I jog towards the embankment with all my power. As I take the first step and pull myself up, taking hold of a small tree branch, I realize that my body suddenly feels unusually light, almost as if I’m floating on water. I hop and leap to the top, imagining that I must look like one of those kickass kung fu movie girls. When I look down, I catch sight of several students through the treetops running down the pathway and in the opposite direction from where we’re supposed to be heading.