Molder

Talia Ayis

I'm not normal. Uniquely unique and an unsolved riddle many have tried to decipher, but all had seemed to fail. The wisest, the genius's, to the wittiest and finest doctors attempted to crack the puzzle, but only succeeded in being unsuccessful. There was no cure or a clue to what happened to me.

Maybe I should tell you about myself, my title is Talia. Talia Ayis, of the South, where the buffalos roam and deer prance among the perennials. A simple life is what I had, living in a quaint straw and stone cottage with my loving mother accompanying me. What I HAD. It all began upon a orderly morning in April...

------Flashback--------

The bright toasty golden light kissed my cheek as I opened my eyes. First thing, I fed the spotted deer who were my best friends. I always had a connection with animals, they flocked to me and accepted me, for reasons unknown. Following that I raked the wheat while the deer watched me from my narrow porch as they munched on a mixture acorns, berries and evergreen plants - a concoction of my own. As usual the Flycatchers (type of bird) would swoop in and steal a couple of berries which got the deer riled up. I chuckled as I watched as a bird hop side to side taunting the deer with the acorn held securely in it's mouth.

I wiped the sweat trickling off my head as I walked inside my humble abode. There, I saw Ella sitting cross legged with her journal in her lap whilst tapping a pencil to the temple of her head. She had her tongue out to the side of her mouth as she did always and I could tell she was in deep thought.

"Good morning Mama." I told her as she quickly shot up with wide eyes open.

"Ah, Talis Darling." She said. Mama always called me Talis ever since I was a wee babe. She thought it was cute and funny, I however, did not so much approve of it, but I got used to it eventually.

"I'm just- just doing the norms." Ella sighed focusing her eyes back on her journal. My mother was a great writer, one of the best in Greenland. She was called the village nut or scum because she was definitely a dreamer. Everyone thought her crazy, but I find her intrepid and magnificent mind intriguing and fascinating beyond anyone else. Her mind was one to boggle others.

When Ella was probably the age of 12, every single person either child or adult told her that she would never accomplish what she wanted to seek out. Desperate to prove them wrong she worked day and night on dozens of books, writing till her head hurt and her eyes could not keep open. Eventually at the age of 24, she opened her own shop in the village market. Those who doubted her still do but she doesn't care. She proved them wrong and that satisfied her.

That's where she met my father. A handsome, rugged but utterly attractive man that all the village girls fell heads over heels for. He was kind and strong too, basically the full package. He was a warrior, a decorated soldier, cherished by all. And he fell for my mother. He passed her shop while buying tools and immediately fell in love. She was so simple yet beautiful to him, and he fell hard. Everyone thought he was crazy to fall for a nutcase like her, but he didn't care. He married her after 6 dates. The cutest couple I have ever seen.

But my father is gone now. He died in the war. I would rather not talk about it.

My deep thoughts got interrupted by a quick sharp and eerie bark at the front of the cottage. Wolves.

The wolves stood outside encircling and trapping me and my mother in our house.  Their spit foamed around their mouths as they growled, it slowly dripped down into the dry grass. I held onto my mother tightly as I didn't know what to do. I was only a young girl of 14.

One of the wolves who I assumed the strongest pawed its way towards us staring us down as a predator would do to its prey. The wolf growled showing its front yellow canines and smoothing back it's ears. It leant back for a moment, then immediately launched itself at me.

Reacting and being the protective mother Ella is she pushed me out of the way and took the hit for herself. The wolf could care less who he bit as he hit my mother right on her throat sinking into her skin with sharp teeth.

"Mama!" I screamed as I got off my back on the porch and darted towards the wolf. I jumped on its back and pushed it off the porch making it smash into a rock with its back. It whimpered as it lay there stunned. I quickly then flashed my eyes to my mother.

Her throat had blood oozing out soaking her whole shirt with a dark crimson color as she fell into my arms. The wolves grew closer to us as I held my dying mother.

"Mama no!" I cried. She had a thin stream of blood flowing out of her mouth. She tried to speak but could only get out gasps. I leant in closer to her as I held her bloody hand.

"Y-ou are- sp-special. D-d-don't let it--- co-ntrol- you." she said with her last breath. Her firm grasp let go of my hand and her head loosely fell back.

"Mama! MAMA! Wake up!" I screamed shaking her. It was then were I knew she wasn't going to wake up.

I was confused. Scared. Angry. I was consumed with all these emotions that built up inside of me as it bubbled in my body. A sudden feeling swelled up inside of me, surging through my blood.

I felt powerful, dangerous, as I stared down the pack who stepped closer to me inch after inch still growling. Then, it happened.

I felt my head burn slightly and I closed my eyes holding them in my hands. My eyes felt as though they were on fire, burning my skull. I yelped out as I fell to my knees. Pain was all I felt.

Then as though all pain had subsided, I opened my eyes. Gray clouded one while the other filled with blue-green as I gritted my teeth. My fingers started to become webs then soon fur sprouted all over them as it ran through my back. Fingernails grew into claws, and my teeth grew longer with them. Ears turned to cats' and a stubble of a tail grew. Before I knew it spots appeared, scattered across my skin that was now thick, yellowish fur. I turned.

It had all happened so fast. One wolf lunged at me and I bit its throat shaking my head violently. Two more attacked and I slashed the air vigorously. I growled fiercely at the rest who then retreated back into the woods leaving me alone.

I felt strong. Power. Surging power. My eyes could magnify and I could hear the flower petals twiddle together in the wind. I couldn't control myself, as if I were in a terrible nightmare or daze. Looking down I see paws... my paws. My mother who was dead lying lifelessly on the now bloody porch along with 3 wolves who's fur was dyed a bright red color. I was in shock.

--------- end of Flashback ---------------

"Nothing?"

"Not even a trace."

"Not a little bit? Not anything?"

"I told you already, there was nothing there."

I shook my head and then pounded my fist against the stone with fury, cracking a few bones but they would heal in a couple minutes.

"Just take your coins and go please."

Then the boy walked away swiftly leaving me in the corner of the dark alley way. I was angry. Now there was nothing that could cure me. I was stuck like this. A mystery.