The Wild Ones - 1 - The Start

22.

The four had agreed to meet back up in the local park the next day. They were all basking in the midday sun, a cloudless sky exposing a beautifully blue vista. Whether it was the nice weather or the previous night's events, the mood seemed to much more relaxed and jovial than before. Smiling and laughing, all four finally felt comfortable in each other's company.

"So, I was thinking," Lily said, sitting up from her laying position and pushing her sunglasses up onto her head. "I can turn into a hawk, Becky a wolf, Max a bear; still don't know what you are Tom."

Tom and Max instinctively looked at each and Max grinned broadly. They both knew this inevitable question would have to be answered someday, and Tom was already bracing himself for the reaction.

"It's...it's a turtle," he said, looking away from everyone, and barely speaking above a whisper.

Lily and Becky exchanged glances before both sniggering and eventually cracking up. Max couldn't help but join in.

"Yeah, alright, so hilarious," Tom sighed.

"No, but," Becky wiped away her tears. "You, of all people, being the most timid and gentle of animals."

"Turtles aren't that timid." Tom said under his breath.

"No, seriously Becky, be careful or he'll nibble you to death," Max said with a grin on his face.

"Whatever," Tom felt a little betrayed by his brother. It was funny to tease him about his shapeshifting, sure, but at some level it still hurt. Tom gritted his teeth. "At least I wasn't still wetting the bed a couple of years ago," he said, somewhat out of nowhere.

The laughing immediately died down and an icy wind brushed past them. Unfortunately for Tom, rather than turning their attention to Max, the girls scowled directly at him.

"Tom, don't," Becky warned.

"I know, right? Dad used to have to come in and talk him back to sleep. Let him sleep with, uh, what was his name again?" Tom asked rhetorically. He snapped his fingers. "Mr. Snuggles, that was it."

Tom gave a smug grin. Max closed his eyes slowly, the horrible warm feeling of shame rushing over him.

"Tom don't be an idiot, leave him alone," Lily said, looking across to a clearly embarrassed Max.

"Why, what's he gonna do?" Tom said cruelly.

Max breathed out heavily and stood up. He looked at Tom for a while before walking away. Lily and Becky watched him leave before giving ice cold stares back at Tom.

"Kid can't take a joke; not my problem," he said, shrugging.

Becky groaned before getting up and chasing after Max.

"At least it was nice to think you were a half-decent human being for a few minutes," Lily sighed, before putting her sunglasses back on and laying back down. Tom bit his lip.

Becky caught Max up at the side of the lake in the centre of the park. He was sat at the bank, skipping stones. Becky sat down next to him, but he didn't acknowledge her presence.

"Your brother's quite the arse," she said, looking out to the river.

"Yeah, you could say that," he replied.

"You need to get a little fire in you, fight back. Lily was telling me about what you did to Joe last night; totally deserved, by the way."

"I'm not really a fan of using shapeshifting to fight meaningless battles. He was just pissed off that I was making fun of him, he's never liked it."

"Yeah, but it'd certainly put him in his place. Just because he's older doesn't mean he should control you."

"Becky," Max replied, weariness in his voice.

"I don't understand, why don't you just fight back?" she asked.

Becky's eyes flashed once again. The piercing gold burnt into Max's brain and words oozed from his mouth without his knowing.

"I killed our mum, alright?" Max shouted, his voice full of ire. "That's why I don't like using my powers to fight him," he said, trailing off, realisation smacking him in the face over what he'd just said.

Becky stared at the calm water. Her mouth moved frantically, trying to form the beginning of a sentence, but her brain didn't know where to start.

"Oh," she said finally, the first time in years she hadn't known what to say.

Humans are often perceived as the most intelligent, if not flawed, animals on the planet. For those with the ability to transform into other creatures, those flaws are only more apparent.