The Owl and The Snake

Eleven

"Do it again!" Andrey's brother Lyel called from the seat across the table. Andrey smiled, concentrating on the spoon that was balanced on the edge of his plate, before making it levitate slightly, and turn in a circle on its top. Lyel looked in awe at his big brother's trick, still starstruck after he had shown him many times before. "Ande, that was so cool."

Andrey had always been good at magic tricks since he was a kid. He had done mostly card tricks and simple slight of hand, though as he got older he learned that he could do cooler stuff like actually make things levitate and change into other things. He ran a hand through his short hair on the back of his head, "That's nothing, you should see some of the other stuff I can do."

Their mother's car door slammed outside of the kitchen window, and the spoon dropped so fast that Andrey barely registered it. It fell into his mac and cheese with a soft squish. After the 'incident' when he was seven, Andrey had decided to try to not do anything that would make his mother angry, though it seemed that everything he did made her angry. Ever since he had confessed how he truly felt in regards to his body his mother had slowly been coping with it. Well, if you considered ignoring the 'problem' as coping. Ignoring the problem, and in consequence, essentially ignoring him. She had tried to correct him, but eventually, she learned that she couldn't do so, and the two were at a silent standstill. His mom had never raised her fist to either one of them, but her words hurt just as much.

"Addison, Lyel, help me get the groceries out of the car please." Andrey's mother called from the front door. He hated Addison. They both went out and picked up the paper sacks from the back of her car, taking them inside and unloading them without a word.

"It's Ande's birthday tomorrow," His brother piped up once they had finished unpacking the items bought at the store.

"I'm aware that it's Addison's birthday tomorrow," His mother said, "She's turning 11."

"He's turning 11 you mean?" Andrey wanted to slap a hand over his brother's mouth. His mother's eyes narrowed, her lips pressing together in a straight white line.

"Lyel, go to your room. You know not to tell lies." His brother stared defiantly at their mother.

"I'm not telling lies, mom. You ignore him, and then you don't believe him when he tells you the truth. Have you not noticed the cool things that he can do? No, you're too caught up in missing dad to do it." Lyel was nine, and sharp as a tack, but he didn't know when to just stay quiet.

"Lyel. Go to your room now!" His mother's tone of voice meant business and even Lyel would back down from her yelling at him. He may be brave, but he did have the will to live. Lyel gave Andrey a sorry look, before tucking tail and running up the stairs to their shared bedroom.

When he was gone, his mother's full fury was turned on him. "What did you say to him?" She asked, "What did you do to- to poison him."

"Poison him?" Andrey's voice hitched. He didn't poison his brother.

"You somehow convinced him that you are actually a boy. You convinced him that you were magic, for God's sake. You're not a boy, you're sick Addison. That's why after your birthday, I'm sending you to a place where you can get better, and you'll get over this, this sickness that you have." Her voice evened in tone and glared at him.

"You're sending me away?" Andrey's eyes watered, and he clenched his fists. He could feel his breath pick up, sharpening and becoming almost painful.

"Yes, there is a nice camp that will help you. You will go and learn how to become a good young lady like you were born to be. It's called Camp Viridian, and I'm sure you've heard of it."

Camp Viridian was an ex-gay and transgender camp uptown. He had heard stories of it there. It was a prison, that turned perfectly okay kids into self-hating shells. He couldn't go there.

"I can't go there." Andrey squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out his mom. He couldn't go there, he couldn't.

"You can, and you will. That's final," His mother said, "Now, go upstairs and pack your things to go. You leave the day after tomorrow." His mom turned back around to the counter, where she was beginning to lay out the food for that night's dinner.

"No." Andrey whispered, not moving from his spot.

"What was that?" His mother turned around to face him.

"I said, I'm not going!" Andrey yelled, blood coursing through his veins. There was a sharp pop and crashing sound as the light bulbs in the chandelier overhead exploded. Both his mother and he froze, looking at the now dark fixture. His mother was the first to move, grabbing his arm and dragging him to the front door.

"Lyel! Lyel!" He called hopelessly. His mother shoved him out the front door, and Andrey fell flat on his butt.

"You stay the hell away from my kid you freak." Her words were venom, and Andrey turned tail and ran crying down the street to the only person that he knew would understand. Kaydn.