Panther's Teeth

Tonight is such a beautiful night that I just might sneak out, climb down the eucalyptus tree.  It makes such a pretty, herbal smell.  Yes, that is what I’ll do right when everyone is asleep, I’ll go and enjoy a warm night.  Sleep is for people with no powers, of gifts, and if you read any Harry Potter books or movies, you’ll know that they call non magical people muggles.  I do read a lot when you come to think about it.  I read so fast, that I don’t even consider that I’m reading.

So here I am, making my way down this huge eucalyptus tree, as a full grown Black Panther.  It feels so nice to be outside and in a different form.  I can take naps out here; I just have to be back home before anyone wakes up.  Just thinking about who I am, I’m thinking about Sapphira, my necklace.   As a different animal, besides human, my necklace will hide under the fur, or feathers with a stronger chain, with nothing but the gem showing.  So it looks like a jewel is sticking right out of my chest.  Still by the tree, I take a running start to change into a flying eagle.  It is hard to get airborne from there, but I manage.  Now flying, I have a great view of everything, the land, animals and houses.  And an occasional bat that flies past.  Just to enjoy the beauty of the land, and the night.  For you, that would be like swimming on a very hot day.

As I was flying over the forest, I saw something move.  Circling above to get a better look, I saw a shadow moving quickly across the meadow and back into the trees.  Something was telling me that this wasn’t a good idea to go down and that morning was going to come up soon, so I need some sleep at least.

That morning was fairly cloudy, just not cold.  That is odd around here, because when it happens to be cloudy, the sky is cold and threatens to become a rainy storm.  It gets windy and everyone stays in, and right before the storm comes, the air is still, so deathly still.  But it was different today so, I just texted both Sophia and Molly to meet in the same place maybe around 2:00 pm instead if the sun comes out.  I hate cloudy weather, but you got to live with it, it’s not like I was also gifted with the power of changing the weather to whatever I please.  That would be wicked cool though, don’t you think?!  Think about it, I could make every day of summer hot, and at night rain, but leave some night days nice enough to prowl around.  And snow in the winter, high enough to make excellent forts.  What fun would that be, don’t you think?

Anyway, it’s 12:00 now and lucky for me, the sun is out and nice and bright.  So I’ll be having that meeting with my friends after all.  What were we suppose to talk about again anyway?  Oh yah, about that strange new boy, Damon who gives me some unwanted competition and happens to like my favorite spot in town, the forest.  Not my luck for some new kid to boot me out of first place and my favorite spot.  I better get going if I want scout around and have some flying time.  If only I can get to the roof, and make it seem I went out the back door. 

“Mom, I’m going to meet Sophia and Molly, and I won’t be back for a while!”  I yell up the stairs.  I hope she heard me, or else I’ll be in big, and I mean big trouble.  Leaving through the back door, I go around to the side of the house to climb up the eucalyptus tree to the roof.  I get a running start and jump.  I hate that falling feeling, but it’s not so bad after a while.  From there I changed to my Golden Eagle to glide across the land I call home.  I’ll be way early before Sophia and Molly come, but they just might come early knowing Molly.  Oh well, it’s nice to talk to friends, even if your just complaining about other people.  The forest seems awfully still today from up here, the tree tops are always waving at me.

Here’s the spot!  Umm, it seems quite a bit colder on the ground than in the sky, but it may be that the hot air rises up thing that is applying right now.  Who cares though, I wish my brain isn’t at work all the time trying to figure out everything that doesn’t seem to fit.  It seems weird to think that the things I think are weird.  Never Mind!  I didn’t even understand that myself.  This is one nice spot to take a nap though, I didn’t get much sleep last night and all, because my over active brain was keeping me up.  It may be cold today in the damp forest grass, but my blood system it tougher, and can handle anything. 

Thinking about blood anyway, it reminds me that I have never got my blood tested.  I don’t think I should though, knowing that I must have a little bit of Black Panther and Golden Eagle mixed in to my unnatural human blood.  And I don’t get hot or cold easily!  I feel so uncomfortable with this topic and when my brain has time to wonder it goes from one thing to another.  On how I hate taking naps right out in the open and I really wish my friends were here at this very moment so we can talk, instead. 

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew was that I was being shook gently by who, oh Molly.  I must have out for quite a while then, I rarely do that, and when I do, it is only when I’ve been getting like no sleep at all for a week.  I yawned and then sat up, see that both of my friend at staring at me worriedly.  

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“Oh, well.  We came a little late, only to find you on the ground and you looked, well, dead!” said Sophia quickly.  

“We were just worried!” added Molly. 

“Oh, I just got a bit tired waiting for both of you, that’s all.  And the main reason is that I just wanted to talk to both of you, being so mad that day and al,” I let out.

“Then out with it.”  Sophia answered impatiently.

“You know what I can do, and because of it I can’t let anyone see me transform.  So I come here to the forest where no one will see me when I come to stretch out my shape-shifting.  That Friday, I was really aching to get to the forest, and you won’t believe who was there to spoil the whole thing?!” I told them.

“Your mom!”

“NO!”

“Your dad,  your brother?”

“No, and no.”

“Who was it?” both Molly and Sophia said together.

“It was… Damon.  I know I shouldn’t get too wrapped up, but he gives me competition everywhere I go.  For some reason I just disliked him the moment he came.  I already hate his guts then he  shows up to ruin the rest of my day by going to the forest himself.  I turned to leave, and he starts an unwanted conversation.  When I found a way to get a way, he offers to walk me home.  Can you believe it?  I hate him more and more, the way he shows up, and that it is even possible that he can give competition.” I said hurriedly.

“I think he was just trying to be nice!”  Sophia says.  Shy Molly just sits there and nods in agreement. 

“I would think so too, if it was any other guy.  No one has ever got close to beating me at anything, and here comes the new comer doing just that.  After I figured I could be the best at everything, I decided that I would do just that.  I can’t even believe I have friends like you two, for someone who isn’t quite human.”

“Hay, friends are there for each other.  You shouldn’t take all of this so hard, haven’t you been the top for like eight years.” Molly says softly.

“Nine years to be exact,” I correct.  “I have some weird destiny that I don’t have a real clue about, and who would want to fight monsters for a living, except Mathew.  I just want to be more normal, I can’t even remember being normal.”

“So you’re saying that you don’t want to be friends anymore!”  I can see the anger in Sophia, just welding up.

“Oh, no, nothing of the sort!  If I didn’t have friends like you and a nice family, I would be long gone.  You guys are the only ones who know my secret, so you are the only ones I talk to about animal problems.  I would be all alone if I didn’t have two good friends like you guys.”  There was a short pause, no body spoke.  We all sat there shifting in the uncomfortable silence.  I finally got the courage to complain something.  “You know that Damon kid came around the middle or end of November, already the teachers seem to like him.  And almost every girl going GA-GA over him.  I hate it!  I was the smartest and the best student, and nobody got close, ever.  Until he came along to ruin part of my life!”

“Well, it’s not like he is the only one who got a bit close.  Remember that nerdy kid, Johnaten, wasn’t he even a bit better at like history and english, but all he did was homework, and extra credit,” Molly corrected.

“Yeah, but not at every subject.  Defiantly not even close to my favorite subject, gym.”

“I just think that you should give him a break, he hasn’t done anything bad, and you got to thing he is a bit cute.”

“Come on Sophia, I don’t think about boys looks, I think about how much competition they can give me, and how close they can get to my record.”  I don’t like this little pep talk is going to.

“Oh, Amber, you need to give yourself some time off, even Molly isn’t so stuck up like you.  You need some fun with people not just with your animal ways.  You should really …”

“SUSH!! Everyone quiet I hear someone coming up!”

“Exactly what I’m saying Amber, you act too much like an animal…”

“I told you to be quiet, Sophia!  You’re too loud and I’m trying to listen”

“BOO!” 

“Mathew!  What are you doing here!?”

“I came to get you silly.  Hi Sophia, hi Molly.”

“Hi Mathew!” both my friends said together.

“Mathew, what do you want?!”  I can’t stand it when my little brother comes to get me, he sneaks up, as quietly as he can, and then jumps out.  The only surprise I usually get is seeing him, most of the time I’m quite sure it is him.  But today all of my senses are off, and I knew someone was coming, just not who was coming.

“Mom thinks that you and your friends should come to our house and finish the talk up there.  She said it was getting cold and that you guys needed some food in your tummies.  So she sent me to get you.  Okay!”

“That’s good enough for me!” Molly told Mathew before I could shout at him again.  As we were leaving, I followed behind everyone else.  I felt as if someone was watching me, I turned quickly, to catch a glimpse of a dark shadow walking away from us, with great speed.   Back at home, we all ate, and talked a bit more, but I really didn’t pay much attention, my thoughts were elsewhere.  My brain kept going back to what I saw, I don’t know, it must have been my imagination.