Alex's POV
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The car ride back home was silent, as Adrian and I decided not to say a word. The only things keeping the ride from absolute silence were the hum of the engine and the tires rolling on the tar road.
I looked out the window, staring at nothing in particular, just daydreaming. However, Adrian must have felt awkward in the silence, so he decided to turn on the radio, and the song that came on made me want to roll my eyes.
I swear, the timing of the radio station can be the weirdest thing sometimes. I mentally cringed at Adrian once he sang the first line as he couldn't sing for crap.
"I thought I've been hurt before….
But no one's ever left me quite this sore."
He tapped his finger to the claps of the song as the drums came in. Adrian nods his head to the beat as he occasionally hums along to the lyrics he didn't know.
"I swear being the only boy in the family influences your taste in music," I said, causing him to grin, turn the volume up a bit more, and sing the chorus of the song just as loud.
"You watch me bleed until I can't breathe
shaking
falling onto my knees
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches
Tripping over myself
aching
na nana na naaaa
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches."
Once the next verse came in, he just hummed along as he didn't know the lyrics. I caught myself tapping my foot to the song. The urge to sing along was getting stronger the closer it got to the next chorus.
I touched Adrian's right shoulder with my left hand as the chorus was coming in. We briefly locked eyes as he was currently driving, and we both sang at the top of our lungs.
"You watch me bleed until I can't breathe
Shaking
Falling onto my knees
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches
Tripping over myself
Aching
Begging you to come help
And now that I'm without your kisses
I'll be needing stitches."
We sang along to the song until it ended. The next song that came on was one we didn't know, so he lowered the volume just enough to create an ambiance.
"I'm sorry," Adrian apologized letting out a sigh, "I was an ass for thinking that you weren't affected by the whole ordeal since you're like…you know, a girl now."
I shrugged and accepted his apology: "It's all good. I just have to live with a curse for who knows how long while thinking the next stranger I see is a possible vampire or werewolf. No worries, am I right?"
"Oh, I'm going to worry," Adrian said, forcing out a laugh. "How did your parents take it?" He asked to change the topic, not on the supernatural, but on the curse.
"They were surprisingly accepting of it. It took my father a minute, but Mom is actually excited, believe it or not."
"Excited? That you're a girl."
"Yeah, man, she said she had always wanted a daughter and is taking the role seriously. Like she literally took me to the mall to buy clothes, and even calls me Alexis."
"Are you going to tell them about Isis?"
"You think they'll accept some lie like I was dared to make a wish at 11:11 to be a girl," I answered sarcastically.
"Dickhead," Adrian responded to my sarcastic answer. "Oh better yet, Pussy. Ha, see what I did there."
I scuffed "that's fucked up, Adrian." I said, but laughed anyway, as I knew he was just kidding and making light of the situation in a way.
Not long after, Adrian pulled up to my gated house, which was practically a mansion. Adrian punched the code on the keypad to open the gate and let us through.
As he drove up the driveway, parked around the front of the house were about three moving trucks filled with furniture and boxes. A tinge of sadness erupted from within me as I tried to come to terms that I'd be leaving tomorrow.
"I can't believe you're really moving," Adrian said as he stared at the movers emptying out the house while leaning on the steering wheel with his chin on his crossed arms. "What time are you leaving tomorrow?"
"Early, probably around 9 AM," I answered as I initiated our bro handshake before I opened the car door and got out.
"Alright, I'll come to see you off. See you later, Alexisss." Adrian says before purposely calling me by the name, I told him my mother calls me.
As he drives off, I shoot him the bird. I smile and shake my head as I see the driver's side window roll down, and he does the same back to me. I walk up to the front door and walk through it, as it was already left open for the movers.
"Mom? Dad?" I called out, causing an echo through the emptying mansion.
"Up here!" I hear Mom answer upstairs, so I follow up the stairs to find her in my room, packing boxes. A couple were already closed and labeled, 'Alexis's shoes', 'Alexis's undergarments', 'Alexis's makeup', 'Alexis's pants', 'Alexis's shirts', etc.
"What the hell, Mom? Did you buy out the whole mall?"
"Oh my gooosssh, Alexis, I didn't buy out the whole store. Your father just asked that question earlier. You're really your father's daughter, I swear! " She answered while adding, underneath her breath, " Maybe only half the store."
"Son! My father's son!" I yell out, correcting her, throwing my hands up in the air. How is she so accepting of this already?
"No, no, somehow you're my daughter now. So your mother is right." Dad said as he walked up behind me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me a bit.
"So, did you find out anything while meeting with Adrian? Was he shocked to find you now as a girl?" Mom said curiously
"Yes and yes," I began walking into my old room and taking a seat on the floor next to Mom, who was finishing up another box filled with clothes. "He was shocked, but he somehow believed it was me, surprisingly quickly, and for what caused me to wake up like…this" I motioned to my body for emphasis
"Turns out a witch cursed me," I said loud enough for them to hear as I looked away, closing one eye. I expected a bigger reaction when I told the truth, but their response was pretty anticlimactic.
"Hmm, I suspected as much," Dad answered as he leaned off the doorframe and walked up beside me, still standing.
"Wait, what?" I said, confused, as I looked between my parents. "What do you mean by suspected? You guys already know of the existence of witches? If you knew why did you pretend like I wasn't me this morning?"
"Well, of course," Mom said as she looked into my light brown eyes. One, we're not exactly a normal family ourselves, Alex, and two, we thought you brought a random girl home…again…like you tend to do."
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion between my parents. "Huh? Forget the second point: what do you mean, not a normal family?" I asked.
Mom lets out a breath and grabs my hands. She glances at Dad, who nods his head, giving her the go-ahead to tell me something.
"What is going on? You guys are scaring me."
"Alex," Mom begins. "You're…" She lets out a breath, squeezing my hands tight. " You're not human, sweetie."
The right corner of my lips twitched twice as she said that sentence. It sounded so ridiculous that I wanted to laugh, but held it back.
What in the world did she mean that I'm not human?
Oh, she probably means because of my sudden change to a girl.
Wait?!
Does being cursed by having your gender changed make you not human?
"'Cause of the witch's curse?" I asked, but Mom shook her head no.
"You're the son of a demon and a fallen angel. We are beings called the ShadowKin." Dad said
"Pfft…hahahaaa," I couldn't hold back my laughter this time. You guys are joking, right? You're definitely joking."
Yet, they didn't confirm that they were joking, causing the laughs between the words I spoke to die down.
"I don't think this is the time to be joking, guys. A witch has literally cursed me. Saying that now does not help the situation. A demon and a fallen angel? Yeah, right."
That's when Dad squatted down next to me, and once I looked up at him in his eyes, I froze.
Blood-red eyes stared back at me, shining like two rubies kissed by the sun's rays, surrounded by sclera as black as obsidian. Devil horns grew out of his forehead, his finger nails were now black sharp claws, and his once tanned skin was now a bit darker, like bronze, with black tribal tattoo-like designs on his arms.
My breath got caught in my throat after gasping at the demonic being that was once my father. I turned slightly to look at Mom to see if she was seeing what I was seeing.
Unfortunately, as I caught sight of my mother, all voluntary body functions shut down.
'What…the fu—.'
Was the person I was even looking at still my mother?
Her eyes were glowing…glowing like golden amber. Her irises swirled like golden ink in oil, giving off a hypnosis feeling. The dirty blonde hair that I inherited from her turned black as night, as if corrupted by a potent venom, transitioning to a dark blue gradient at the ends, while her hair occasionally moved and bounced as if there was wind blowing in the room.
The urge to scream wanted to escape my lips, but no sound could escape. My body felt as if rigor mortis had set in. My heart beat slammed against my chest, and I felt and heard each beat echo in my head.
BADUMP…BADUMP…BADUMP
My eyes switch rapidly between the beings before me, claiming to be my parents. Their faces contorted to one of worry and concern. Their lips move, but I can't register a thing they are saying.
'What the literal hell is happening? Move God damn it! Move! Why won't you move!!!' I thought to myself, trying to get my frozen body to move, but to no avail.
The demonic being of my father tried to reach his arm out to touch me, but I wanted to shake my head no. I wanted to voice out not to touch me, but all my body did was tremble the closer his hand got.
Luckily, his hand froze midair once my trembling began. He retracted his hand and undid his demonic form and turned back into his human form.
My mother grabbed my face, causing me to look into her strange amber eyes. Once my eyes locked with hers, she yelled a word, almost as a command.
"Breathe, Alex!" she said, the first words that registered in my ears almost like clockwork…
Yaaahhhh
I inhaled instantly like a gasp
Weeeehhh
I exhaled
Unknowingly pronouncing the name of God as he once again brought life back into my lungs, and that's when…
"KYAAHHHHH!!!"
I screamed…
Like a girl seeing a flying cockroach flying towards them, kind of scream.
Yup, that's me.
A guy, now suddenly a girl, literally bitch screaming. Sue me. My whole life has been a lie!
I scrambled away from these beings before me on my hands and feet like a crab until my back hit the wall.
"St-sta-st-st-stay back!" I stuttered out, pointing at the individuals. "Who….no…what the hell are…what are you?"
"Alex, I know it's shocking to find out this way, but you must calm down." The demon, claiming to be my father, said.
"Ca-calm? How? There's Demon in house!" I wondered and yelled out, my sentence formation was all out of whack. I couldn't even talk or think properly. I pointed a finger at the one claiming to be my mother. "And she? Angel Fallen?"
I was going crazy at this revelation.
"Alex," my mother began, her fallen Angel form returning to her human form. "Sweetie, it's us; we're still your parents."
"No! You're lying!" I yelled out at them.
"This wouldn't have been knOWN IF YOU HAND'NT BEEN SO FUCKING CARELESS." My so-called father yelled, causing me to flinch as his human voice transitioned to two voices speaking. One speaking at a lower octave than the first, while his black irises flashed blood red.
My mother stepped in front of my father, placing her left hand on his chest to calm him down. She locked eyes with him.
"Calm down, Alan. Let me talk to Alex." She said, while my father practically growled in annoyance and turned around, crossing his arms across his chest and turning away from my view.
My mother walked in my direction until she was in front of me and kneeled down so that we were at eye level. She saw that I was trying to move away, so she touched my hand, releasing a corrupted gold energy with a tint of black that relaxed me immediately.
My mother sighed before speaking,
"We wanted you to live a normal life, Alex," she said in a sad tone. We wanted you to have nothing to do with the Shadowkin's life. It's too dangerous, believe us."
"So everything is true, I'm not human?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together, my voice barely a whisper. I don't want to believe anything being said at this very moment.
My mother nodded, "Yes, sweetheart… things changed after getting your heart broken by that girl. You didn't know, but we Shadowkin thrive on the sins for our power source. We did everything not to allow you to thrive in sin and awaken. But we didn't know that getting your heart broken would result in this.
You've indulged yourself in Lust so much that the sinful energy has filled up your body and is concentrated in your naval area. If any more sinful energy is gathered. Then you will awaken, and the one bit of humanity you have left will be gone."
"But…why never tell me anything? Why…why wait now?"
"Ignorance is bliss, Alex. It's easier not to know than to keep a secret." My mother answered me, and the response caused me to get upset.
"What?! Are you being serious? So, If I weren't cursed at all by a witch you would've still kept this hidden? Is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yes," Marie, my mother, answered while she looked me in the eyes.
I was surprised at how quickly she answered. Is she seriously saying she would have kept me in the dark despite that? If she had told me, I would've stopped sleeping around. Now she's saying that I have a demonic side that can awaken. If that's the truth, then I would be dangerous to be around, wouldn't I?
Then a thought hit me that I voiced aloud,
"Wait…you guys never told me anything about why and where we were moving. Was it due to these sudden changes in me?"
"Looks like someone is finally catching on," Alan, my father, said as he turned back around to face me with his arms crossed. "Yes, that's exactly the reason."
"You can't be serious," I began looking between my parents, "can you at least tell me where we're going?"
The moment I asked that question, they looked hesitant to tell me. That hesitation should've worried me, but I started feeling angry. Are they seriously not going to tell me anything again?
I turned my attention back to Mom
"Mom, where are we going?" I asked, but I didn't get the answer that I wanted, as she did not answer me directly.
"Somewhere far away, Alex. I can't say."
"Oh, for the love of…," The anger within me was rising as my parents were really getting me angry,
"Then answer me this. Will I be able to come back here? To Florida? To my friends? Will I be able to come back at all? That much you can answer right."
Mom shook her head side to side. "You won't be able to, " she answered, and I grabbed her shoulders.
"Why?" I asked, but she didn't answer as she hesitated to speak. "Mom, why?" I asked again, shaking her shoulders to get her to respond.
I couldn't take any more of this. I don't know if it must have been because of my different gender, being cursed by a witch, or just being told I wasn't human. But I didn't enjoy sudden changes or being kept in the dark. It made me angry. My breathing was getting heavier as I waited for an answer that had yet to come.
"ANSWER ME, DAMN IT!" I screamed out as a black, smoky aura started releasing from my hands as I shook my mother heavily, who remained silent with tears falling down her face.
"You will not speak to your mother that way!" Dad yelled at me as he suddenly appeared behind Mom as if he had teleported.
"THEN ANSWER MEEE!!!" I screamed out, locking eyes with my father as I felt my eyes burn.
They transitioned from light brown to a central heterochromia eye color of blood red around the pupil and sunset orange at the edges of my irises. Demonic claws grew from my fingernails, making me groan in pain.
"Ah!" A sudden pain in my back caused me to hunch forward as my head ended up on my mother's lap. The pain increased as something started moving around my shoulder blade area.
Two lumps, growing in size, threatened to break through muscles, skin, and fabric.
"AAAAARRGHHH!!!" I yelled out as the pain increased to unbearable amounts. "IT HURTS! ARRGGH!"
'Fuckfuckfuckfuckfucccckkk.' I thought in my head as I unknowingly bit into my mom's thigh to muffle my screams with my elongated fangs. My left hand claws dug into her right side as my right hand claws dug into the flesh of her thigh that I bit into.
I barely heard her take a surprise gasp of pain as she whimpered in surprise. The sound of my shirt, flesh, and bone ripping apart overpowered her sounds of pain as well.
Crack…CRACk…skeiSHH…splat…crlipsg…SWOOOSH!
And then finally, after what felt like an eternity, they sprouted from my back.
Black angelic wings covered in fresh blood. Each wing is nearly as tall as I am, if not bigger.
FLAP…Splat!
One quick flap of my wings caused a brief gust of wind in my room, pushing back a couple of boxes. The blood splattered all around the walls, floor, and some boxes.
'What is it with painful shit sprouting from my body.' I thought as I try sit up with the two additional appendages on my back. I looked at them in amazement with hazy eyes.
Before the Goddess of Darkness could embrace me, due to the stinging pain in my back, I was able to voice out a sentence,
"I…have wings. I have fucking wi—."
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📝[1]
[1] Holy crap, I'm amazed that my second book has more collections than my first lol. Thank you for adding it and taking an interest in the story. That means a lot.
Here is another chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and that it will keep you along for the ride in future chapters!
Sincerely,
ClownxOfxZeus