Imperfect Life: Arc 1

Chapter 9

Brandon woke up the next morning and got ready for school. He contemplated what his life had become while he got ready. *I met a girl, she turns out to be part fairytale creature, she saves my life a few times, I nearly fell to my death last night. Well, can't say my life is boring.* He thought. Brandon stepped out the front door of his house when he was ready and saw Crys waiting for him on the sidewalk.

"Well well. You had me waiting for awhile now didn't ya?" Crys said to Brandon with a playful tone.

"Sorry. Was just thinking." Brandon replied.

"What about?" Crys asked.

"Life. This universe. Everything. You know, the usual." Brandon responded with a giddy tone.

The two started to walk to school.

"Any revelations?" Crys asked.

"My life is most definitely not boring." Brandon responded.

"Yeah, that's for sure." Crys said with a small chuckle.

They kept walking to their destination, discussing minor things here and there, although not touching on the topic of what happened the previous night. The two of them eventually arrived at school. They entered and we're trying to get through the crowd in order to get to their first class. Brandon and Crys had done this almost every day. Everyone was crammed into the hallways and nobody knew how to make space for the people trying to get by. Crys and Brandon were making their way through the crowded halls when they encountered Thomas.

"Hey." Tomas said. "C'mere I want to talk with you two."

Brandon and Crys looked at each other then they both walked over to where Tomas was.

"Tomas... right?" Asked Crys.

"That's me." Tomas replied kindly.

"Oh, yeah, thanks for helping us out yesterday." Brandon said with a smile.

"No problem. I was happy to help. I've known Josh for a while. I know he can be a bit," Tomas paused to look for the right word, "intense, so I try to keep him out of trouble. His athletic career is his life to him, so somebody has to keep him in check." Tomas explained.

Crys scoffed. "You'd think Josh'd be nicer if he really cared that much about his career."

"Yeah." Tomas paused for a moment. "Uh, right, I saw you in gym class. You have some serious skills. I know Josh already asked, but I'd be honored if you'd join one of the sports teams. You'd be really good." Tomas asked with a bit of hope.

"Oh, well thank you. I'm really not that into sports, but thank you anyway." Crys said back.

"Yeah no problem. Just thought I'd ask."

"Crys we better be heading to class." Brandon intervened.

"Yeah you're right Brandon." Crys replied back.

"Sorry for keeping you both. I'll try to keep an eye out for Josh making trouble." Said Tomas.

"Thanks!" Said both Crys and Brandon.

The three of them then parted. Brandon and Crys went to their first class together while Tomas went to his.

When lunch came around, Brandon and Crys sat at their usual table and ate their lunch. After lunch was over, the two friends were on their way to their next class when Brandon fell in the hallway. Crys immediately stopped and helped Brandon up. When they looked around they saw the other students in the hallway just staring at them. One of them being Josh, who looked satisfied, smug, and a little too happy about Brandon's little trip. After the incident, Brandon and Crys just went on with their day. When they finished the school day they started home. While they walked home they both felt as if they were being watched.

"Crys, is someone following us?" Brandon asked cautiously.

"I don't think so..." Crys said, extremely unsure.

They both looked around trying to see if they could spot anyone. They didn't see anyone around. If someone was watching them, they could very well be in one of the houses or hiding somewhere where Crys and Brandon couldn't see them. Brandon and Crys decided to just keep moving on. When they both got to Brandon's house they went into the living room and relaxed until nightfall. Once it was dark, the two of them ventured out into the forest to try and test their ideas on how Crys could transform without the full moon.

"Suppose we could figure out how you transformed last night. What would we do then?" Brandon asked.

"I don't quite know. I mean, I'd know what not to do if I wanted to stay myself, but, I don't know if there would be any use for it." Crys responded,

"I mean... yeah. I don't know what I mean. I can't think of any way we could use it." Brandon admitted.

"I suppose then I'd just be able to transform at will right? So like, if we ever needed it, I could be a werewolf."

"Yeah. Basically just that."

"So what did we say we'd test?"

"Uh, physical stress, anger, and I think that was it."

The two of them then began preparing for the testing. They found a big and heavy rock out somewhere in the forest. Crys tried to pick it up, but failed, and nothing happened. Crys then mustered up all her hatred and anger, but that didn't make her transform either. Crys then thought about her past, and how sad it made her. Nothing. The duo tried out a few more ideas, but nothing they came up with seemed to work.

"Dang..." said Crys, after the two of them exhausted all their ideas.

Brandon sighed. "Oh well. It's getting late and we have school tomorrow. We should probably head back and get some sleep."

"Yeah."

Crys and Brandon then headed back to Brandon's house. Crys got her stuff and went back to her place. Crys washed up in the bathroom and sighed. *I was really hoping to figure it out.* Crys thought. *Maybe then I could have more control over this stupid curse, especially now that something I don't even know about makes me turn into that monster. Oh well. No point worrying about it right now, I guess.* Crys then went and got into her bed and closed her eyes. When she reopened her eyes she was back at the cliff that overlooked the small clearing. She didn't know how she got there, but there she was. She looked forward, and there was Brandon.

"Crys, I..." He began to say, and then the cliff broke, and he fell again.

Crys tried to run and catch him like she did before. *I'm here, Brandon I'm here... I can in time. She couldn't catch Brandon. He fell. It seemed as if time slowed down again. She saw him falling and falling and falling. His outstretched hand that desperately wanted to be caught was right there, but Crys couldn't reach it. She saw the terror in his eyes, the realization that he was going to die. He fell, and fell, and then, he stopped falling. He hit the ground. His legs shattered, his head splayed out on the ground, his arms in directions that they shouldn't be. A pool of blood formed around him. Crys saw all of this. She was horrified. She just witnessed her best, and only friend die right there in front of her, and she could do nothing about it. She felt powerless. She couldn't save her friend and she was horrified about it. It was her fault he fell. She didn't catch him. She is the reason he died.

And then Crys woke up. She was having trouble breathing. When she finally calmed down enough to realize that what she experienced was just a dream, she also had the sudden realization that she wasn't human anymore. She held up her hands and looked at them in horror. They were covered in fur and had claws on every finger. Crys had figured out what caused her transformation. She was scared to lose her friend. Crys then took a second to quiet herself and breath. She was still quite shaken from the vivid imagery she saw in her nightmare. Crys sat awake in her bed the rest of the night. She couldn't sleep.