An Apocalyptic Invasion

the last chapter (birthday and death)

Me again.
After that little rant the previous chapter, I wanted to-I guess make things a bit happier-talk about Marissa's birthday and the tragedy that unfolded the morning after.
As you can probably tell, I'm still alive, don't worry.
5:00 am: the boys and I got up early to give us enough time to prepare for her party.
We were completely generous to ourselves, as we only took twenty minutes to get everything ready.
(I guess that happens when you have five strong teenagers hefting tables like toys. Am I bragging too much? NAH.)
Because of the extra time, we were able to goof off and almost break everything that we set up.
Example: Dakoda got too overconfident with his balance and almost crashed into an extremely expensive vase that ALMOST fell then decided against it.
Overall, it was pretty good.
When the sun began to rise and the sounds of people getting up began, we all agreed to sit behind questionable hiding spots.
Sitting? Crouching would be too uncomfortable; if you've ever done that weird sitting pose for extended periods of time, you would know that your ass and legs would be on fire.
We heard voices clamor outside the dining room and shushed each other; although it took two smacks from me and Dakoda to shut Jeremy up.
Once the girls entered, I counted down and mouthed Three, two, one.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
We jumped up from behind the counter and scared the shit out of Marissa, which made it even funnier.
Riley and Sam smiled at her, because of course they knew where we were and what we were doing.
As expected, she started crying with happiness. Sam gently took JJ from her arms and started cradling her.
Emy covered her mouth with her hands as we brought out her favorite cake: triple milk or tres leches.
A three tiered cake, it was around two feet tall. Emy practically started drooling, and I had to hold her back as she reached out to eat it.
If you've been to a birthday party before, there's no need to explain what happens at one.
However, if there are people who have never been to one for some reason, I'll give you a little summary.
Eat cake, open presents, and just hang out for a couple of hours.
As expected, Emy screamed when she saw the kittens and fanned her face with her hands to prevent herself from crying again.
Gently grabbing one kitten in each hand, she let them pull on her hair- and it's long, so their tiny little claws snagging onto them was barely doing any damage.
As they nibbled on her fingers and batted at each other with tiny paws, she looked up at me at me and Tommy. "Who got them?"
Her brother slung his arm around my shoulders. "This dude did. Bought them a week ago."
"Really?"
"I don't mean to brag," I said, "but they were charging a good price for them. I may have bought them a week ago, yes."
She laughed. "I wish I could hug you right now, but..." she held up the kittens.
I smiled. "Understandable."
Since the majority of us were Mexican, it took us until 11 pm. for us to finish.
We cleaned up and headed back to our rooms. I was carrying JJ while the two kittens- boy named Barley and girl named Peony- were tightly nestled in Marissa's arms, fast asleep.
She placed them in the box they came from, and they immediately curled around themselves.
"They look so cute."
"I know. That's why I got them."
Then she unexpectedly stepped forward and hugged me.
"Whoa."
She smiled up at me. "I can't hug my boyfriend?"
"It's not that. Why are you hugging me?"
"To say thanks for the kittens."
I tightened my arms around her. "Anytime for you."
"Why do I feel something rough on your arm?"
Huh? "Wh- what do you mean?"
She stepped back. "Let me see it."
I held it out, and almost immediately I could see a withered, blackened patch of skin with the texture of scales.
"How did that get there?"
"I... I don't know. This has never happened to me before."
"Look at the mirror," she suddenly said, sharply.
"Why-"
"Just look at it."
I had never heard her so stressed before. When I turned my head, I could see an almost charred version of my face with white eyes and a top hat.
What was strange about it, though, was that the face only appeared in the glass.
"Carlos, who is that?"
"They'll regret abandoning me," I snapped. "I think this is the perfect way to get back at them."
I shook myself out of it. "Wha... what's happening to me?"
"Looks like one of those new things is coming out of you."
"Yes, yes it is." The figure in the mirror wasn't me, but me at the same time.
I liked this new form. It seemed like a good way to disguise myself and torture my friends without them knowing it was me.
But I had a small glimmer of a thought: it would get worse as time progressed, meaning that I could eventually end up hurting my friends physically.
I wasn't worried about that, though. I decided to call this new manifestation the Hat Man.
He consumed everything and did anything he could without a shred of remorse. It perfectly described how I felt sometimes.
On the other hand, there was another pysoliks (personality) that was biding its time, waiting for the perfect time to get out.
After recovering from the fact that a new pysoliks had emerged, I spent some time figuring out- or at least trying to- what the Hat Man could do.
Umbrakinesis and oneirokinesis are probably the most dangerous powers a person could have. This is touched on more in book five.
Knowing me, you could guess I took full advantage of these powers, walking into Riley's dream and disappearing before she noticed me.
It was now nighttime, and after making sure Marissa was fast asleep, I went outside.
She followed me, just as we planned.
"I'm surprised you even remembered."
She shrugged. "I really hate doing this, but I know it's what you want to do."
Notice how she didn't say 'have.' She knew that I was doing this based on choice, not from an impending prophecy.
"I'll miss seeing everything here."
She tilted her head. "I thought you were still... you know."
"Yeah, but-"
"Not in the same way."
"You drugged her?"
She nodded. "I slipped it in when she was in the bathroom."
"Good. She'll stumble out here and watch me die if everything goes to plan."
A flapping of wings and a black robe out of the corner of my eye.
"I believe the Hat Man is almost out," Tykine mused.
Sam frowned. "What is he talking about?"
I grinned and changed into him. "See? This is the only way to disguise myself."
"That is actually terrifying. How- why does your skin look like that?"
I morphed back. "Good. The more terrifying, the better."
The doors flew open as Tommy ran out. "I came as soon as I could."
"No, you're just in time."
"I gave Jeremy and Daky an idea, but they don't know what your disguise is."
"The Hat Man, my first pysoliks."
Tommy looked at me with a confused frown on his face. "What does that word mean?"
"It's Felisid for personality," Tykine replied. "It's a smart plan, too. Even I'm terrified when I look at you when you're him."
"Can I trust you to help me with this?"
Tykine raised his scythe slightly. "If you are truly sure about it, then yes."
"I'll go wake up Emy."
Leaving to do that, I turned toward the path that led onto the freeway.
Tommy stood beside me. "There is no going back now."
I glanced at him. "Promise to keep this a secret from her?"
"I'll try. I have a feeling that she'll find out at some point." He smiled. "But the goal is at least a decade."
"Thanks for sticking with me, Tommy."
"Anytime, man."
As he took off into the sky towards the car, I took a deep breath and prepared myself; once I did this, there was no guarantee that my friends would remember me.
I took a step forward and made my way down the path.