Hawk

Chapter 2

I scanned the dazzling city below, searching for the one house that could be mine. Where is it? I asked myself. When I realized I was getting quite adept in maneuvering around as a hawk, I stopped searching and began doing flips in the air. After a few somersaults, I decided it was pretty late and I should get home soon. My house flashed by as I sped over the city, and I turned back to go home. I screeched to let my family know I was home, before realizing they probably thought I was a wolf.

Gliding over to the nearest window, I tapped on it and shrieked, hoping someone would hear me. My little sister, a young girl of 8, went over to the window before screaming for our mother. “Mom!” I heard her call, “There’s a huge hawk right outside my window!” I glared at her and perched myself on the window, awaiting for our mother’s arrival.

“Yes, sweetie?” I heard her melodic voice find its way into my brain, “What’s wrong?”

My sister freaked out, and, pointing to the window, she screamed, “Hawk!” My mother looked over at the window in surprise, before despair filled her eyes.

“Oh, my son… Why did it have to be you?”

“Mom? It's a hawk, we’re wolves, remember?”

She nodded her head at my sister’s useless rambling, as she unlatched the window and opened it, “Come here, son.”

I perched on her arm, trying not to let my razor-sharp claws dig into her skin, Why? I asked her, Why am I a hawk, not a wolf?

She looked over at me, “Son, I think your father and I need to explain some things to you. Shift back, please.”

I nodded and glided down to the ground, shifting back into my human form. “Why am I a hawk, mother?” I inquired.

She shook her head, mouthing Not now. She flicked her head slightly towards my sister, and I nodded in understanding.

“Lets talk about it outside then, mother. I think Annabelle needs to sleep.”

My sister, Annabelle, looked at me in surprise, “Brother. You called me Annabelle not Anny. What’s wrong?”

I noticed my mistake, and looked over at her, “Umm… Nothing’s wrong! Just go to sleep, Anny.”

She nodded and crawled into bed, looking over at me expectantly.

I smiled and went over to tuck her in, “’Night Anny,” I kissed her forehead.

She beamed, “Nighty night, Spencer!”

My mother looked over at us, “Spencer…” She said.

“Oh… Coming mother.” I smiled at Annabelle again before flicking off the light switch and softly walking out of the room.

My mother beckoned over to me to follow her before she walked across the hall. When I entered the hall, I found my father seated on the couch, waiting for my mother and I. “Lets get down to business.” He stated.

I shrugged as my mother sat down with her coffee. “Son, we, your father and I, noticed that you’ve been doing a lot of research on hawks.”

“Yes…” My father agreed, “And we began to suspect you weren’t going to be a wolf. Do you know why this is?”

I shrugged again, “How should I?”

My mother stared blankly at me, “Have you ever been listening during story time when you were a kid?”

I smirked, “Not when I was anxiously awaiting my 18th birthday.”

My father shook his head, “Son, you want to know why you’re a hawk, don't you?”

I looked over at him, “I guess.”

My mother rolled her eyes, “Here it is. My mother was a hawk, my father was a wolf. I took my father’s genes. I’m a wolf, you're a hawk. It skipped me.”

I looked blankly at her, “Then… Aren’t I… Half-hawk, half-wolf?”

My father grinned, “Now you’re getting it!”

I looked down, “So I’ll never be a true shape shifter?”

“My boy, you’ll be the greatest of them all!” My father stated proudly.

“How so?”

“There’s one little fact. You can change into two animals.”

I looked up at him in surprise, “I can change into a wolf?”

My parents nodded simultaneously.

“Wow…” I said, “How?”

My mother shrugged and said, “I never mastered it. I might not have gotten my mother’s genes at all.”

“Wait… And Anny? What about her?”

“We...” My mother began, “We’re not sure.”

“Oh god…” I said, “I don't want her to go through this!” I truly cared about my little sister, and I knew she wanted to be big in life.

“Son, you need to worry about yourself right now.” My father said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you have two animals fighting for control. Now it’s you against two animals, not just one.” He elaborated.

“Oh, right.” I grinned sheepishly.

“Spencer,” My mother began, “I think it’ll be for the best if you sleep on it for now. It is lots of information in one timespan. Anyways, it’s the first day of your shift, might as well get some much-needed rest. The animal problems start tomorrow.”

I dispelled my bad feelings about tomorrow, and trudged upstairs into my bed, falling asleep immediately.