Reveal (Cryptid Tales) (14 page)

I laugh. “Yeah maybe he could,” I say as I finish eating.

After breakfast I walk out to the hallway and dial my home number, Chad answers the phone.

“
Hi, Tafford residence.” He sounds so formal, I’m impressed.

“
Chad, it’s me, Shay, how are you?”

“
Dude! You jumped ship, Mom was so pissed! What the hell were you thinking?”

“
Honestly, I wasn’t, but listen I’m learning a lot. Chad these people knew Dad. Like when he was young and stuff. Has Mom calmed down at all? Can I talk to her?”

“
She’s at her office, doesn’t have off this week like us remember?”

“
Damn, no.” Disappointed that I can’t fix the situation with Mom I decide talking to Chad will do. “Well what are you doing with your time off?”

His attitude changes. “I’m practically on lock down thanks to you. Dave’s here though, we’re playing…”

“
Madden,” I say as I finish his sentence. “Sorry about Mom, I’ll make it up to ya, I promise.”

“
Yeah whatever, just be safe OK?”

“
Yeah, thanks Chad, see ya.”

“
Bye,” he says and then I hear the phone click.

I spend the rest of the morning playing with Mosi in my room, after I made sure she relieved herself. In Hugh’s room of course,
oops
. She’s so sweet and she likes to play with the tassels on my boots. Chenoa says she’s about three months old and she still naps a lot. As she’s napping I sneak back into Hugh’s room to grab a book. He has loads of stuff on cryptids, but nothing on our race in particular. I guess that’s because technically we don’t exist. My father was the first one outside of this compound to figure it out and that was only with Jeremy’s help. No other tribe would think to approach another tribe and ask them if they were part cat due to a genetic experiment gone wrong hundreds of years ago.

I pull one off the shelf about cryptids that scientists thought weren’t real but turned out they were. The Okapi was thought to be a mythical creature for centuries. Even though the Egyptians depicted the okapi, a half zebra, half giraffe animal, in their writings it wasn’t officially discovered until 1901 and until then was a cryptid. I think about this, how long until we’re discovered, how long will we be cryptids for? If we are discovered, what would they call us then? Did my dad want to publish his research and that’s why he’s missing? Did someone not want the world to know about us? I was hoping this book would give me answers, instead I just have more questions.

I eat some leftover stew from yesterday for lunch. Chenoa has left me to my own resources for the most part, just checking on me to make sure I have everything I need. When Alo and Hugh arrive home I’m reading another cryptid book in my room.

“
Looks like you have your dad’s love of research,” Hugh says as he walks into my room with a litter box and cat food in hand.

I just look at him, still refusing to discuss any of this with him. It’s not fair he expects this much of me.

Hugh shrugs, “Where do you want me to put this stuff?” He holds up the items in his hand, I notice there’s also a pink collar, cute touch.

“
Anywhere, just not on my bed please.” I look back to my book pretending not to care he’s here, pretending to feel like I don’t want him to be close to me, hold me and to apologize for all the hurt he’s caused.

He sets the box down on a chair in the front corner of the room. He walks over to the door and looks like he’s about to leave but thinks better of it. He closes the door instead and grabs the collar off the chair. He approaches me and sits on the floor across from where I’m reading and Mosi is sleeping.

He lays the pink collar on the floor, “It has a bell, so you always know where she is,” he says.

I pick it up and turn it over in my hands. “Thanks, Hugh.” I smile in spite of myself.

He puts his hand over mine and leans in. I want to say no, that I’m angry with him, but I can’t. The truth is I am head over heels for him. I want him to kiss me, to touch me, to make feel whole.

He sits back and says “I’m sorry Shay. I know this is a lot to take in and it’s my fault. I should have given you more time, more space. But you had a right to know.”

I sit back staring at him, not knowing what to say.

He takes my momentary brain lapse to make his move. He leans in and lightly presses his lips against my own. It’s a delicate kiss, almost forbidden.

Then he sits back smiling. I just stay leaned in, dumfounded by what just happened. I was hoping it would be more, I don’t know, movie like? He didn’t run his hands through my hair, I mean hell, he didn’t even touch my face!

I sit here on the floor thinking about all the romantic comedies I’ve watched hoping my life would be like them when Hugh takes my chin and lifts it up so that I can look at him.

“
Shay, say something.”

And that’s when it happens,
the
moment. The kiss is slow at first then it becomes more passionate. Suddenly I’m grabbing the back of his head and pulling him closer. I want more of him. I want
all
of him. All the emotions that have been running through me the past few days suddenly seem like they’re coming to the surface and I’m about to burst. Our lips are mashing together in the best of ways. I lay back on the floor and he’s lying on top of me, fitting together like puzzle pieces.

Minutes go by and we finally separate to get some air. I’m breathing heavily and I don’t want this amazing feeling to end. He looks at me and moves his hands to my hips. “Shay, I’ve wanted to be with you since the minute we met. I’m sorry I went about it in such the wrong way. It’s just, our situation is unique and I didn’t want to scare you away. I obviously suck because you’re still worried. I get that, but please give me a chance. I really want to make this work.”

As much as he makes me crazy, he’s right. We’re meant for each other. Instead of giving him a verbal response I just smile and move his hands so they’re wrapped around me. I look into his eyes and reach up my face to lay one on him. It makes him melt. I can feel it in his body, he just totally relaxes letting me know he understands I agree. We’re connected he and I, and we’re in this whole mess together.

We spend the next couple days working on my shifting. Emina says something’s changed, I’m more relaxed and focused but I still can’t seem to get the hang of it. At one point I think I’m close, “I can feel it, Emina, it’s like I’m flying. Is my hair growing? I can feel it moving.”

She laughs, “Sorry Shay, it’s just breezy today, you’re not changing. And why do you have your arms out like that, this isn’t a remake of
Jesus Christ Superstar
.”

I open my eyes just a crack to see her standing there in human form eyeing my arms up. I put them down at my sides and shake my head.

“
I am never going to be able to do this.” I sigh.

“
You might not, it might not be part of your genetics, but it’s your last day here so I thought we’d give it one more try. I can’t see ghosts but I can feel a presence when they’re near me. So you might not be able to fully shift, but you have definitely retained some of the skills of a cat.”

She was talking about my agility again, this was the second time today she’d mentioned it, finally impressed by something I could do. Yesterday she and Hugh took turns throwing tennis balls at me. Luckily I love my own face enough that I sprang into action, surprising myself at how fast I could move. I realized that even though I may not be able to fight I can run like hell. They helped me learn about balance and by that I mean they pushed me out of a second story window at the Community Building. I got onto the roof below the window and they told me walk on the roof. I, of course, rolled directly off the shingles, due to my absolute clumsiness. Turned out this Mosi really does land on her feet.

I take a deep breath and try one more time. I focus on my hands becoming paws, my hair lengthening covering my whole body. My feline figure is emerging in my mind, but still nothing.

Emina stands leaning against a tree with her hands in her pockets. “Let’s go, you’ve had enough and I’m sure you’re ready to get back home by now. Enough adventure for one week.”

She starts walking back towards the house. We’re only about three hundred feet from the house, in what is kind of their backyard. Mostly small dry trees and dirt surround the trailers and homes here, so their yards all kind of meld into one large area. It’s almost like living in a park.

Right before we land on the back porch Emina reaches back into her pocket.

“
I have something for you,” she says.

“
For me?” I’m shocked, why would she have something for me?

“
We all have one, and since you’re one of us now, I figured you should have one too.” She pulls a small yellow power bracelet out of her jeans. “I know they’re not popular anymore, but that wasn’t ever really the point of them. The gems they’re made out of are called cat eyes.”

She places the small yellow stone bracelet in my hand. On each of the golden stones there’s a dark band that reflects in the sunlight.

“
The gems ward against evil spirits, that’s why many of us keep them around. It keeps The Darkness and his followers at bay. It brings strength and bravery and it will help you to defeat your enemies. Go ahead, put it on, it will make you feel better.”

I slip it on my left wrist. Immediately I feel stronger and my vision seems almost clearer, objects appear brighter. I rub my eyes feeling like something is off.

“
I see it affects you as it should. It directs energy at your Mosi genes, it will make them stronger. Wear it always, don’t ever take it off.”

I smile, “Thanks Emina, this means a lot to me.”

“
No problem, like I said we all have them.” She tries to appear cool but I can tell she really does care about me. “Shay?”
“Yeah?”

“
Kick his ass OK? He deserves whatever you can dish out.”

I smile, “Consider it done.”

She gives me a high five and turns and walks away. I wave even though she doesn’t look back. Walking back into the house to get my things I have to think I have at least one new friend out of this situation.

After I shove the clothes Hugh packed for me into the black bag we brought with us, I go into the living room where Hugh is sitting with his parents.

“
Ready to head back I see.” Alo says while he drinks a mug of tea. I can smell the strong herbs.

“
Well I think I have the answers I came for.”

Alo sighs, “Except the biggest. I’m sorry that I don’t know if your father is alive. I’d like to think he is Shay, but I just can’t be sure. I’m sorry.”

I look away. I’ve decided to retain my hope; it’s the only thing I have left of him.

I take a bead from the bracelet and rub it between my pointer finger and thumb. Touching it seems to refocus me and bring me back to reality. Back to the living room of my possibly future in-laws, who are looking at me rather suspiciously.

“
I guess that’s true, but I think for once in my life I’m OK with that. I’d rather have hope that I’ll see him again rather than you telling me he’s gone forever. For what little time I had with him, I loved my father and that love is what continues my search for him. You gave me no information that would cause me to lose my faith.”

Alo nods, “You are wiser than you think Shay Tafford. I’m proud to know you.”

I grin, I appreciate this new part of my family. I am delighted to have met their approval.

Chenoa looks slightly weepy. “You’ll come back and visit, right Shay? And Hugh, you know you’ll be in big trouble if you’re not back in time for the Green Corn Dance Festival.”

He rolls his eyes as he goes to hug her. “You know I’ll be here. Love you Mom.”

Alo stands to hug Hugh as well while Chenoa comes to me.

“
Take care of him will you? He’s picked a good one, I can tell.” She winks at me as she holds my hands in hers.

“
Promise.” I agree with a smile.

Alo walks with Hugh to the door talking in hushed whispers. He pats him on the back as they walk through the open screen door.