Shapeshifter *ON HOLD*

Chapter Four

The fierce battle between day and night had finally ended.

They have finally come to an agreement that the sky would not be brilliant blue nor pitch black. 

It would be violet. The sun and moon would both be etched, one a chain of dim white and another an incandescent sphere of burning gas.

It was the time of twilight.

Agnes swung the door of her house open, casting a furtive glance over her shoulder. Then she crept down the stone steps, on her way to Franden Lake.

The vivid details of the land was now smothered in fug. The distant swelling hills were bruises along the purpling horizon. The trees were mere smudges of black, and the bone-chilling hoots of an owl fell from a messy nest above her head. The sky was shades of purple with tinges of scarlet red and dark blue, nary a single wispy cloud in it. Along the sidewalk she sauntered, and the lake snaked into view in her peripheral vision.

The east coat of Franden Lake was near a fallen willow tree, which had begun to rot. The leaves of the tree slept on the ground, the once vibrant green draining. The grainy sand in which the tree lay on was resting beside the lavender waters. Fiddler crabs capered in the dying light, leaving tracks in their wake.

A mellow breeze brushed Agnes's face. She could almost taste the bitter rot of the tree, the mild spiceiness of the faltering sun, and the metallic saltiness of blood as clouds of mosquitoes swarmed a nearby women.

She strolled along the beachline, until she spotted a figure seated on a rock. Midnight black hair swept down to the figure's waist, and Agnes caught a glimpse of emerald eyes as the figure swivelled her head. No doubt, it was Karmen.

Agnes approached warily, cautiously picking her way from the jutting stones.

"Um, Karmen?" she called bravely.

The figure swung her head around. "You're here. I thought you wouldn't be."

Agnes was baffled. "Why?"

"Let's just say I wouldn't expect you to trust someone you just met. But you did, which proves you were even less intelligent than I thought."

Shame prickled Agnes's face. Why had she? Was it because of the odd feeling that she had met Karmen before? Perhaps.

"Why did you want to meet with me here anyways?" Agnes asked, biting her lip. 

"I wanted to ask you some questions, and in return, you can ask me a few too."

Agnes considered for a moment. She did want to know more about this girl, but was it worth it if it meant giving up her own safety? Still, curiosity got the best of her. 

"Fine, I guess," she mumbled. She plopped down on a mottled rock next to Karmen, regarding the scene before her.

The moon was mounting on the branches of a tree, and the last trace of evening was already percolating. Stars set sail from the horizon, sparkles that winked in the sky. The waves lapped at their feet, echoing the moon and stars. The stones next to the lake were riddled with moss and algae. 

Karmen took a breath, squinting in the gathering dark. "How did you find out that you were able to Shapeshift?"

Agnes shifted uncomfortably. "I really don't know. It's just...I saw a coyote once, and I changed without explanation."

Karmen thought for a moment. "Eight years ago?"

"About, I guess," Agnes answered. How did she know? Was Karmen knowing more than she was letting on? Cold shivers rushed through her, and she tried to focus.

"Last question: have you---"

"I think it's my turn to ask you now," Agnes cut her off. She was too unnerved and confused. Questions clawed at her lips, wanting to erupt as a volcano would. 

Steeling herself, she finally gleaned the courage to utter the words she had wanted to ask since she had met Karmen. "Why is it that I feel like I've known you before?

Karmen seemed at a lost for words. The trees held their breath, leaning in to listen to the next words. The trills of creatures relented, and even the wind ceased to blow. The waves quieted, halting their gossip.

"Because you have."