The Masks We Wear

Ch. 17

Sunday morning, as usual, my parents and I were on our way to church. I've hated going in there for so long, ever since I realized what I was and what would happen if it got out. As we pulled up into the parking lot my parents looked at each other and began making sure they had everything that they needed as my mom went through her purse.

Once she was done we hopped out of the car and began our short walk into the building. The humble "House of the Lord" we were gathered in wasn't huge but it was big enough to fit the 75 or so members that attended. The stained glass window of the white Jesus with both his arms spread wide as if ready to hug every member was almost ironically beautiful as we entered the church. After finding some seats the three of us sat down and the normal part of the church service began. The prayer, the service, the tithing, and my favorite part, the singing which gave me an almost similar feeling to jumping rope but instead of the troubles vanishing, they seemed to be let out of me. Unfortunately, I knew that the part I dreaded most was coming. As the pastor, a white man with slick brown hair basic yet clean skin, whose age was perfectly hidden aside from the few wrinkles around his mouth, walked up to the front of the church and stood behind the podium. With a smile that was reflected in his amber eyes, he said, "Now everyone I would like for you to give your prayers as we exorcise the son of the Smith family. We hope that he will let go of his evil and be spared by our Lord."

My parents both began praying as the pastor said and I bowed my head but left my eyes open just enough to see what was happening close to us, the entire time. I know that he isn't actually dangerous, evil, possessed, or anything along those lines but ... for me, he actually was a threat.    The medium-sized boy with a slim build who seemed to be about my own age had orange fur with black stripes all over his body. His cat-like eyes darted around frantically as if hoping someone would save him, fortunately for me, there was no way he could tell I was more like him than these monsters. His hands with claw-like nails were bound together behind his back to keep him from fighting and "endangering" the people who couldn't fight yet still believed that this magic, ki, powers, and creatures that weren't, according to them, normal, were all evil. Unfortunately for this kid, they always made sure to gag the mouths of their victims. If he could speak then he'd probably only drag his family down with him and make them seem like those of "little faith". Instead, the church would say it was to him from biting them. As they moved the striped stripped man his eyes meet with mine. A feeling began to swell within the pit of my stomach, a mixture of sorrow, rage, fear, disgust. I wanted to help him, but, I knew I couldn't. However, as I thought about helping him; the kids' eyes began to change, going from those of desperation to eyes of surprise before a rage filled them soon after. My eyes had done it again, maybe, for just a brief moment, they had turned into the color of a wolfs, the wild yellow I hated so much.

Taking a deep breath, he glared at everyone in my direction and began growling. The three people holding onto the polls bound to his neck began tightening their grip before his thrashing started, unfortunately, they got shook off by his pure raw power and strength. Others came in once again, trying to subdue him as two people came in, thrusting a long spear with a taser instead of a blade at the end towards him. With almost no effort, the kid lunged towards the ground, dodging the attacks and snapping two of the wooded polls that he was being held by. Before the two spear users could hit him with the spear-like weapons they were using as baseball bats, he rolled over, breaking the other poll. He was now completely free and jumping to his feet. People began running out of the church, all his family included besides his little sister, my father, and me.

I had met the kid one time before and knew for a fact that if he got up people were going to get bodied, after all, this guy was almost a black belt in karate. Soon after, due to the incompetence of these two spear using dumbasses, he managed to get to his feet. The two lunged at him and swung their spears one coming from the left going towards the right the other coming from the right going across to the left. Unfortunately for the left to right bitch, he went for her instead of her brother, pivoting to the side and doing an almost downward roundhouse. He put his foot behind her head and then using his own momentum to overpower any force she had, stomping her headfirst into the carpet floor. Her red-haired head should've been cracked open from that and yet ... there was no blood.