The Purebreds

Skye's Note

I have a condition. No, I'm not terminally ill or anything, and before you ask, ew, no, I'd never suck blood even if my life depended on it. That's just plain nasty.

So, anyways, back to my condition. This is how it works. Every night when the sun goes down we, that is those of us with my condition, change, morph, shape-shift, whatever floats your boat really, into an animal. What animal we change into depends on the person. We change back into ourselves at sunrise. Fun? Yeah, if your idea of fun includes snapping every bone in your body. But I'll get back to that.

Mum changed into a mare. A palomino mare, to be exact. So, you can imagine what the veterinarian was like when a mare literally gave birth to a kitten. Could've been worse though. Apparently a few years back someone changed into a bat. Ironic? Maybe. She was sleep deprived her whole life. Never married.

But moving on from my temperamental aunt and her love life... I live on a farm. Well, an ex-farm. On the edge of the forest. It makes everything so much easier. We're not exactly wild animals when we change, but our instincts do become more prominent, so the forest is more or less 'leg-room'.

I guess you could say my condition has its advantages. We mature faster, for one. We have better senses and reflexes... Yeah, that's pretty much it. Oh! And the tattoos, if you're into that kinda thing. Though, I guess they're more birth marks than anything. Mine are three thick cat-like scratches on my upper arm. Permanent armlets, if you will.

But I digress.

Now, I don't have a hell of a lot of time. So we're gonna have to make this quick.

Heck, I don't even know why I'm writing this. Actually, yes I do. I'm writing this so that, hopefully, whoever reads this will have enough common sense not to let this happen again. Though I guess common sense is a moot point at this stage. I mean, really, what is common sense? No, really. Besides knowing not to stick your hand in an oven and coming up for air when your swimming, what is it really? And can't those things be put under instinct? We are, after all, animals at heart. Glorified animals, but still animals. Which brings me back to my story.

It's been two years since all of this happened... or began, rather. I was only sixteen at the time, though looking back, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Sure, I might be more mature and experienced now, one would hope so at least, but if it hadn't happened the way it did I wouldn't be here today, would I? And you wouldn't be reading this.

So, without further ado, this is my story. The story of the time I got roped into a war I was born into. One I had managed to avoid by living off of borrowed time for sixteen years. Now, if I could change anything, that would be it. Too many of us died while I was living a carefree normal life, and I wish my parents hadn't felt the need to protect me. Granted, I know that if the tables were turned, I'd do the exact same thing for my child... but still.

I'm sorry, I keep going off on tangents. Okay, well if I haven't bored you to death already, let's go back to the beginning.

Because that's where all stories start.