feathers and scales | j.j.k

III

Lyn sat up in her bed, panting and shivering in the cold. Her window was open and the cold winds blew into her room.

Lyn groaned and put her head in her hands. She reached for the scissors, angrily cutting her hair for the ninth time in a row.

"God damnit," she whispered.

She slipped off her bed and closed the window, resting her head on the chilly windowpane. 

Lyn tried to head back to her bed and sleep, but she felt restless and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get any rest. 

Finally, she just sat up and slipped on some sneakers and a jacket. She opened the windows and leaped onto the rooftop, running and falling off the first story, landing with the softest thump. 

"What am I doing?" she muttered. Lyn walked into the forest, no bag, no Baem.

She wandered mindlessly, listening to the crickets chirping and the forest sigh. She listened to the birds, their wings fluttering every few seconds, and the garter snakes, slithering on the ground hunting for food. (Lyn never got lost in the forest, no matter how far she wandered, she and the forest always seemed to have an understanding.)

Lyn heard the rustling of water. She paused. "Huh. I didn't know there was a lake here."

She head towards the sound. When she got there, she was greeted by a lake of pure, clear water. It glinted under the moonlight, shimmering like jewels. Lyn was breath-taken by the sight. She sat on the small sandy beach, the waves gently lapping at her feet.

She sighed and lay down, closing her eyes. 

[...]

"Lyn! Lyn! Where are you?" screamed her mother as she searched the forest. She was wringing her hands on a small tearstained handkerchief. Around her were a search party and her husband.

"Ms. Bae! Ms. Bae!" yelled all the servants and the butlers.

Lyn's father looked around frantically, his eyes scanning the trees and bushes. "Lyn, where are you?" he whispered.

Lyn was laying on the beach when she heard her family calling her. 

"Oh, shit. MOM? DAD? I'M OVER HERE!"

Her parents came running out of the forest, their arms outstretched towards Lyn. 

"Oh, my baby. Are you okay?" said her mother as she patted Lyn down, checking for injuries. Lyn's father was just cradling Lyn, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead.

"What happened Lyn? Were you kidnapped? Did someone molest you? Tell me and I'll send men out to kill them."

Lyn winced. "Uh, Dad?"

"I'll contact the hospital and book a room for you. Honey, can you ask your friend, the one that's the wife of the Secretary of Defense, to send someone to protect Lyn?"

"Yes, I've already got her on the line. Hi Mizoku. Yes, yes, I'm fine."

"STOP!"

Her parents stared at Lyn. "What's wrong darling? Are you hurt?"

Lyn took a breath. "No, mom, dad. Quite the contrary in fact. I'm 100% fine."

"But darling, you might have internal injuries or something. You know, the other day I read about how some girl had a tum-"

"Mom. I snuck out myself. I just... fell asleep on the beach. And forgot to bring my phone."

Her parents sighed with relief. Then Lyn's mother slapped her on the head. "How can you just sneak out and not tell anyone? Do you know how worried your father and I were?"

Lyn hung her head. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't fall asleep last night and.. well..."

Lyn's mother huffed. "Well, young lady, you are officially grounded. For the rest of the year."

"WHAT? MOM! THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"It is fair, considering the amount of worry you've caused today. And the number of wrinkles I've gotten in just a few hours. Hurry along. You have a field trip today and the bus will leave in about 15 minutes."

Lyn stomped into the forest and ran back to the mansion. She jumped up the first story, pulling herself into her room. She pulled off her dirty clothes and slipped on the clean clothes her maid had laid out for her on the bed.

As she pulled on the ankle-length brown booties, the makeup and hairstylist came in. 

"Oh hell no," she said. Lyn tugged on the pants, bleached, light blue ripped jeans and she grabbed the big red flannel shirt, shoving her stuff into her bag and sliding out the window, somehow avoiding the grabby claws of her mother's stylists. Baem had already wrapped himself around her wrist in the midst of the chaos.n

Lyn got onto the bus, flopping herself down in one of the seats near the back of the bus. Luckily Chris was on the other bus. Not so luckily his group of fangirls was sitting behind Lyn.

Lyn pulled on her big flannel shirt, buttoning it up and using the sleeve to slightly cover Baem as the dean walked down the aisles. "Ms. Bae, are you sitting alone?"

Lyn looked up. "Yes ma'am."

The lady narrowed her eyes. "Hmm."

As soon as the dean left, the girls behind her started to kick the seat. Lyn got on her knees and looked over the top of the bus seat. "Hey, can you guys stop?"

The girls giggled obnoxiously and nodded. Lyn rolled inwardly but she just smiled and sat back in her seat. Lyn got out her book and phone, plugging in her earphones.

Soon enough, the girls started kicking again. This time, they were talking loudly about how 'Chris was such a hottie' and how 'that rabid girl bit him.'

Lyn spun clenched her teeth and peeked over the side. "Could you guys be a little quieter and stop kicking the seat? I'm sitting there."

The girls, once again, just nodded and giggled. Obnoxiously.

After a few more minutes, there wasn't anymore kicking or talking. Lyn smiled and leaned back in her seat, listening to soft piano music. She flipped the pages of her book, reading about different legends.

It is believed that snakes and humans were once one. If it is just a legend, then why does every culture have a story having to do with snakes? In China, the Legend of the White Snake, in Korea, Eobshin, the goddess of wealth, in Greece, Hermes' staff had two snakes and in Egypt, snakes, namely cobras, are closely associated with gods. Is it possible that in ancient times, snakes were magical and had the power to transform into huma-

Lyn saw the shadow of the water on her book. Without even reacting, her body smoothly moved to the left, into the aisle as a big splash of water poured onto her seat. She looked up to see one of the fangirls with an empty water bottle, the look of triumph slowly sliding off her face. Lyn stared at the girl, holding Baem to her chest.

The girl turned red and smiled. "Oops," she giggled.

Lyn felt an uncontrollable surge of rage crash through her. A tantalizing voice hissed in her ear.

Yes, my queen. Vipera. Give in to your true desire. Kill those girls for their insolence. Make them pay.

"Lyn. Take control of your anger. Don't let it consume you. Breathe."

Lyn took a deep breath, smothering her anger beneath her. She imagined her anger to be a rat with the face of the girl who had poured the water and she smashed it with her foot.

"Good. You are doing well."

Lyn spun around to face Professor Lin. For a split second, the memory of the white-haired man laying bloody on the grass flashed through her mind.

"Could it be...?"

A/N: Hello and thank you for reading the third chapter of Feathers and Scales! I'm so so so so super excited because yes, Junglebook is coming in the next chapter. I promise! Anyways, have a nice day!