Half Human [#Wattys2016]

Can't sleep

I wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of water crashing and the flow of the river. I look over to Travis who's on the very edge of the non-rock.

I find peace with the sounds of nature surrounding me.

I'm too tired to get up and too awake to close my eyes.

Travis's right arm jerks outwards toward me.

I shift to the side, I will not let him touch me he has none of my respect.
I realize he was still asleep.

As I go into deep thought his left leg jerks out to the side and his entire body rolls over in a sudden motion. His right arm reaches over and slams into the non-rock with enough force that I feel the vibration. His left arm jerks onto his stomach and at the same time his body rolls onto his back. He lays still and I see a drop of sweat trickling down the side of his face.

I find annoyance in his movement.

He finally lays still and I gaze at a cloud gently moving past the full moon.

I feel completely tranquil as if nothing matters,as if  nothing can harm me, all my worries don't matter anymore. It's wonderful and almost magical.

I hear a loud yell that is just a higher pitch above the average human male. Coming from Travis,he quickly sits up and hugs his knees at the same time.

He glances to the side and jumps up and starts screaming in absolute fear "Blood!"

Even more annoyed I was ready to push him into the river and abandon him. I'm not sure why I even let him venture with me in the first place. I must have had a little bit of pity within me. Which is way too much to give.

"We are floating down a blood river!" He's crouching. "Where is she."

Out of concern I swiftly look over to the river and I see transparent dark water shimmering in the moonlight but I reach out to check, I scoop out water and it slips through my fingers. It is definitely water.

"You fiend!" He yells and  jumps at me. I dodge and enraged and stand up.

"If you wish to fight me then proceed it won't take long for your defeat."

He looks beyond enraged, as if I have done something unforgivable to him. He runs at me which only takes two steps.

I internally change so I have the strength of a bear in my arms. I grab his shirt.

He says between clenched teeth,"You killed everyone I know!"

I throw him to my side and hear him yell in fear once again before he goes underwater with a loud splash. I change back to my normal strength which is just above a strong female human my age. I pull back my brown straight hair behind my bat ears, it reaches halfway between my rear and the middle of my back. I turn to see if Travis is following me.

He raises above the surface of the river and gasps for air which is unusual to me since I can shift to a fish or shift to have gills. He swims towards the non-rock slower than I expected an enraged boy to swim. He grabs on the non-rock and I shift back, he gets on. I am alert, he gets his knees on and looks me straight in the eye.

Aggression fills me and I feel my pupils change from a circular into a fine slit and my eyes change from my usually hazel eyes into a glow of orange-gold. I also feel my finger nails grow longer, sharper and tougher in preparation for attack.

Travis looked frightened by my slight shift, which made feel as if I have the dominant up hand of this soon-to-be-battle.

What a coward he is.

I hiss at him in annoyance.

He looks at me in ignorance. He keeps finding ways to get me more annoyed, angry, frustrated and I start to lead to hatred toward him. He acknowledges my warning and he turns and jumps in the water.

I attempt to calm myself down, but I'm still alert. I slowly get up and look around. I don't see him. I sit back down and watch the water flow. I hear heavy breathing from behind me and I turn to see Travis with fear-filled eyes. "Get away you weak paranoid human."

"I don't comprehend."

"Don't act foolish."

"I'm not acting." He starts climbing onto the non-rock. I spot gashes down his left arm and a red inflamed area around his right ankle.