Shadows of summer

Chapter 7

After another long night hanging out with Shadow I laid on my bed thinking about what a huge turn around this summer had made. Since I started hanging out with Shadow this place seemed to be the best place on earth to me now. Me and Shadow have been hanging out for over three weeks today. Even though we’ve only known each other for a couple weeks we seemed like we knew each other for years. In those nights we spent swimming and talking I learned what an amazing person she is and how harsh a childhood she had. Shadow told me that her parents brought her and Brain to that old cabin when they were ten and started showing signs of being part-fish. Her parents went to doctors and scientist all over the world asking if it was physically possible for someone to be part-fish. Each time they got the same answer…no. Though her parents never told anyone about their children’s condition, there was no way to hide it, Shadow and Brian were forced into exile.

  They were never allowed outside and couldn’t even look out a window if they wanted to. Their mom home schooled them and their dad worked day and night trying to provide for them. Shadow told me after a couple months of this, everything got too hard for her parents to handle and they had a decision to make. Keeping struggle with their disfigured children or make their children disappear and start over in life again. So their parents brought them to the cabin. At first they made weekly visits to check up on Shadow and Brian, but soon weekly visits turned into monthly visits, then into year visits. Shadow told me that the last time she saw her parents her mom was pregnant again. Shadow got a letter a year later from her parents saying that they had a new normal family and that Shadow and Brian were no longer their children. It also said that their parents erased any evidence of Shadow and Brian being their children or any record of them being born. So abandoned, Shadow and Brian were left on their own forced to fend for themselves. Since they didn’t have anyone else to teach them either they had to learn everything for books they stole, which is sad because I really think Shadow is smarter than me.

  Shadow also taught me some cool things during our visits. She taught me how to be a better swimmer and how to catch a bass with my bare hands. She also taught me how to make a fire and we cooked one of the bass I caught. Every night we spent together we learned a little more about each other and every day I waited impatiently to see her again. Each time I saw her face my heart raced and my palms got sweaty. Shadow always complained about how ugly she looked because of her scales; she said her scales were like a terrible form of leprosy, and I always disagreed with her. What she called an illness, I saw as something absolutely beautiful. They made her look like a goddess not some ugly creature from the abyss. Everything about her was beautiful to me. Her smile, her laugh and most of all her eyes. Those sapphire-emerald mixed colored eyes seemed more stunning then actual gems. Even the slightest glimpse from them made my heart do triple back flips. I had this strange feeling that this was turning into more than just a friendship for me.  I realized I was crushing on this one in a million, amazing girl. Then I realized that we could never be a couple. I would be going back home soon and I was doubtful that she liked me any way at all. As I closed my eyes my head was clouded by her face. I was a little scared about seeing Shadow again but I knew I would still go see her. But now I would have to hide my feelings from her because after all…who would like an ugly, stupid guy like me.

Shadow:

  I walked back home thrilled about spending another night hanging out with Justin. After spending years in this place living with my over protective brother it was nice to have someone else to talk to. He’s probably the first real friend I’ve ever had in my life. We both had a couple things in common so we hit it off instantly. I was a little nervous about telling him what my parents did to me and Brian when we were kids but he was very sympathetic, and understanding. Then he told me about how his childhood wasn’t so great either. When his parents divorced Justin was seven years old, Justin’s mom got custody of him and his sister. At first he said everything was fine but after a couple months it was too much for his mom to handle. Soon they were homeless and once they had to sleep in their mom’s car. After a week they moved in with their grandmother and Justin’s mom started going downhill from there. She started doing drugs and became a prostitute.

  He also told me about the day they arrested his mom and Justin and his sister were sent to live with their dad. Justin said that he was sick with a terrible case of the flu and he needed medicine urgently. His mom didn’t have a job so she couldn’t afford the medicine. Justin said even though his mom couldn’t financially take care of him and his sister, she still loved them with all her heart. So his mom took the ultimate sacrifice, and went out and stole the medicine from a pharmacy and brought it back to her sick child. As she was giving Justin his much needed medicine, Justin told me that he heard the chilling sound of sirens approaching. Then cops broke down the door and dragged his mother off in cuffs. Justin ran after his mother despite his sickly state, only to race outside to see his mother being pushed into a cop car. The only thing he said that kept him from chasing after that cop car was his old wrinkly grandmothers arms wrapped around him. Justin said that he remembered kicking and screaming with all the strength he had. No matter what explaining his grandmother did, it didn’t stop Justin from crying and yelling for his mommy. The next day a heartbroken Justin and his sister were taken to their dad.  

  For months Justin couldn’t get over the fact that his mom was going to be in jail for forty years for stealing, drug possession, and illegal prostitution. His dad tried desperately to get him to move on and start life on a new foot but nothing could make Justin happy. The only thing that he wanted was his mother back. His dad told him that his mother was a bad influence but, Justin didn’t care.  After a year of his father’s attempts to try and make his son happy, Justin finally came to turns with the fact he would never see his mother again. He told me he’s lost all respect for her, but he still loves her and misses her dearly. He said that after all the chaos had died down, that life seemed absolutely perfect. Just him, his dad and his sister and they were the happiest family in the world that is…until his step-mom came into the picture. Justin had a bad feeling with her from the very start even though she was really nice to him and his sister. After dating for two years Justin’s dad and step-mom tied the knot and the next year his baby half-brother was born. Justin’s sister and step-mom acted like they were actually mother and daughter, but after his parents got married his step-mom started treating him like crap. Bossing him around, making him do all the chores and yard work while she and Justin’s sister went off shopping. Justin’s dad didn’t defend him at all, in fact he actually agreed with the stuff she was making him do. Justin did say he would protest about it but each time he got grounded for a month and eventually he realized it was hopeless. His dad didn’t care for him like a father should. His step-mom sees him as a stupid ignorant boy that needs to learn how to behave properly and start respecting her. His sister sees him as an annoying brother that’s a total embarrassment  at school and his brother is just a little kid. Justin keeps saying how awful it fills to be exiled in your own family and I completely understand.

  Luckily those are only memories we’ve shared with each other. Besides that everything has been totally amazing. Truth is, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. He actually taught me how to climb trees and I turned him into an amazing swimmer. The only thing I really had to worry about when I was around him was trying not to say anything stupid. When we were together I kind of forgot that I had scales and fins. Justin told me that they actually made me beautiful and that I should accept how stunning they make me look. The hint of a southern accent in his soothing voice sent goose bumps down my legs. His brownish-green eyes sent my head spinning. His brownish-blonde hair highlighted his farmers tan. He has told me a couple times that he’s not good looking and I almost wanted to scream in his ear how handsome and sexy he actually is. In the back of my mind I couldn’t help but feel that maybe we could be more than friends…that maybe I could actually be falling for this one in a million guy but then I would remember that I’m part fish and that no one could like someone with fins.