The Familiar (10 page)

Almost instantaneously, a holographic orb surrounds the machine, making me feel like I’m inside a bubble. The simulator adjusts itself and shifts my body. When I look down, I see myself as a blackbird resting on a tree branch high up in the sky. The feeling is incredibly realistic and my body seems to move and feel like that of a bird. I take several minutes to test out my movements, just bouncing up and down the branch, and fluttering my wings. When I’m somewhat at ease with the sensation, I test out flying in short bursts, from one branch to another. It’s awkward and I struggle at first, almost misjudging the distances a few times. Though I manage to land on the branches every single time, my attempts are definitely far from graceful.

I sense my body shifting again, and behind me a light breeze starts to blow. I guess the warm-up has ended and the simulation is forcing me to progress to the next level. My little bird feet push off the branch and my wings spread out, catching the tailwind behind me. It takes me a few minutes to gain back my balance, as I dip high and low. Once I feel the rhythm of the wind behind me I’m able to glide evenly, flapping my wings every so often.

I finally feel comfortable enough to study the scenery around me. It looks like the English countryside, rolling hills and pastures of green with the occasional woodland and manor house dotting the landscape. The air is cool, but not cold and the vivid blue sky is scattered with puffy white clouds.

After a while, I feel the breeze changing direction. Instead of an effortless tailwind, it swirls around me, and starts blowing from one side. The change catches me off guard, and I almost tip upside down and nosedive towards the field below. But I’m able to compensate at the last minute so that I glide back up without flipping over. It feels extremely awkward, but I’m able to pull it off.

Once I finally have the hang of it, I decide to take a break, not wanting to deplete my energy too quickly. I locate a large tree with long elegant branches and lean my body towards it. As I near, dipping lower and lower, I slow down and aim for a thick steady branch, hoping I won’t crash land and kill my virtual bird self. I’m barely able to make it, but manage to cling onto the tip of the branch at the last minute. Fortunately, it holds my weight and I quickly bounce over to the more sturdy part.

I rest for only a few minutes before the simulation asks me to continue. This time it seems to guide me to the ground below. I make the short flight from the branch down to the grassy field. Once I’m down there, hopping around on the ground, I realize that being at such a low angle will make it difficult for me to take off. Without any breeze or gravity to help me gain momentum, my attempts fail miserably. I start to get frustrated, and as I flap my wings over and over without success, my muscles cramp up, getting weaker and weaker. Though I hate to give-up, I decide to call it quits for the day since the pain becomes unbearable. I speak to the machine, “Simulation off!” and just like that, the magical orb disappears and I’m myself once again.

At least half of the others have already dropped out, so I don’t feel too bad. Alicia approaches me and helps me maneuver my limbs out of the simulator. My body is wobbly and I can barely hold it together.

“Hazel, you did okay, but your body is obviously not used to this kind of exertion. You will have to work on strengthening yourself, especially your upper body… Come on, I’ll bring you to the relaxation chamber.”

She helps me to the other room and down a small corridor. At the other side we enter the relaxation chamber through glass double doors. It looks like a high-tech spa; the room is stark, almost clinical, with white and silver pod like machines arranged around the room. Many of the shiny pods already have people in them, as soft blue lights emanate from within them. Alicia helps me over to a vacant pod and presses a button to open it. She carries me into it, placing me gingerly onto a contoured platform.

“You’ll feel much better after an hour in here, I promise,” she says smiling down at me.

I’m embarrassed to be so weak, but I feel better knowing that this magical machine will make all the pain go away. Alicia presses another button and the pod gently closes. I expect to feel claustrophobic, but the inside, it’s deceptively roomy. A few seconds later, a warmth covers my entire body and my uniform seems to melt off, leaving me completely naked. A soothing blue light appears, scanning me up and down. The light finally settles and surrounds my body with both warmth and coolness. My eyelids slowly drop until they’re completely shut, causing my entire being relax into an almost sleep like state. As I zone out, I feel pressure, as if some invisible force is massaging my sore muscles.

The hour goes by quickly, and the pod slowly opens. I sit-up, expecting there to be some residual aches and pains, but I feel nothing. As I get out, already dressed in a crisp uniform, I stretch my newly healed body and leave the relaxation chamber to find my way to the balcony, where the others are hanging out and enjoying the beautiful weather. I find Louise and Akiko chatting on a bench.

“Hey! You guys are out already?” I ask.

Akiko sighs. “Yes, once again, I failed miserably… I think my poor bird must have died almost six times.”

Louise rolls her eyes playfully. “She’s so dramatic! She wasn’t even the first one to bail.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll quit playing the victim,” says Akiko looking defeated.

I look around for Samir. “Is Samir still in there?”

Akiko nods. “Yeah, he’s a natural. His alpha is a falcon after all.”

“Lucky him. Us land losers will probably get killed trying to fly off this mountain,” Louise says sarcastically. We laugh, but in the back of my mind, I wonder if it’s at all possible, as I peer over the edge, looking at the long drop down.

After a few minutes, Samir finally emerges, smiling ear to ear. He’s the last man standing and his triumphant look is endearing, almost like a little boy after winning his first baseball game. Akiko gives him a big squeeze and exclaims, “Congrats big bro!”

Though Samir is an adopted family member, I can see that they’re just as close as biological siblings. Their affection for each another makes me emotional, feeling the void in my heart when I think about Mom and Andy.

Alicia exits the cabin behind Samir, looking pleased. “You guys did really great today, and as you can see, the birds in the group have the clear advantage. That just means the rest of you will have to work extra hard to catch up.”

As we make our descent for lunch, the excitement and chatter about the morning’s events echoes from every direction. For some reason, I’m yearning to be by myself. So, I decide to order my lunch to go, and spend the break in my room. I head over to the sandwich counter and ask for a grilled veggie and cheese panini with some homemade potato chips. With my sandwich in tow, I make my way back to my room, eager for some solitude. The campgrounds are silent, and when I arrive, I hear my phone on the bedside table beep. I tap my inbox and see a message from Mom:

Hazel, please don’t forget to update your dear old Mom once in a while! Just a gentle reminder.

I text her back immediately:

Sorry, Mom. It’s been completely overwhelming, but I’m happy, and having a good time. I’ve made some friends, too. I think you would like them a lot. Going to eat my lunch now, talk some more soon!

I press send, and devour my food in minutes. I’m even hungrier than I anticipated, and regret not having ordered an additional sandwich and some dessert. I open my laptop and check my email. I hear the
ping
sound of my video chat and click on the icon. When I see Andy’s face, I’m overwhelmed with emotion, though I do my best to keep it under wraps, not wanting him to realize how homesick I really am. He’s on his laptop, sitting outside under a shady tree. I expect him to have a dark summer tan by now, but he looks pretty much the same as when I left.

“Hey, you’re finally online!” he says cheerfully.

“Yeah sorry, it’s been a hectic couple of days. A lot of activities, as you can imagine. How’s everything at home? Same old, same old?”

He peers off screen for a split second, distracted by I don’t know what. “More or less… I haven’t been able to get to the beach much, as you can see. There’s a photography workshop I decided to take, so I’ve been kind of busy with that.”

He seems kind of fidgety, like he’s nervous about something, but maybe it’s just my imagination.

“That’s cool. I hope you do get a chance to hit the beach though. I kind of feel like I’m missing out.”

Andy chuckles. “The beach isn’t going anywhere, Hazel. It’ll be here when you get back.”

I catch sight of my pink cheeks on the screen and nervously reply, “I know… Maybe I’m just homesick. I guess I’m being ridiculous, huh?”

Andy smiles with his entire face, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and the slight dimple on his cheek deepening. “Nah, you’re not. Besides, if anyone should be accused of being sentimental, I guess it would be me… It’s only been a few days and I already miss my best friend, especially her sarcasm and wit.”

My cheeks go from a slight blush to an alarming shade of red, and for some reason I’m totally flustered.

“Um… Well, I guess it’s because you can’t live without me!” I blurt out, wishing I could take back the words the second I utter them.

Andy laughs it off, seemingly unfazed by my statement. I hear the door open and Louise sashays into the room, saving me from embarrassing myself further.

“I have to go, lunch break must be almost over,” I say to a disappointed Andy.

“Okay, but don’t be a stranger, okay?” he says as Louise rushes to the screen.

“Who’s that?” she asks, poking her face in front of mine.

“Bye, Andy, chat again soon!” I say quickly, pressing the “end” button.

Louise pouts, sulking like a little girl that’s been punished. “Humph. I just wanted to say hi!”

“Sorry, I just couldn’t risk it. Andy doesn’t know anything about what’s going on… You know, you
do
kind of have a big mouth.”

Louise looks mildly offended. “I’m just verbally inclined that’s all!”

We look at each other silently for a split second before breaking out in laughter.

“No, but seriously, how come you didn’t tell me that Andy was so hot?” she asks teasingly.

“He’s my best friend! I mean he’s practically my brother!” I say defensively.

Louise rolls her eyes dramatically. “Oh puhleez! I could see you swooning from across the room!”

“Swooning? Hardly… I’m still hungry, that’s all.”

Louise raises an eyebrow and I give her the same look back. We start laughing in hysterics once again, and for the first time in my life, I’m grateful that I have another friend to confide in besides Andy.

15

When we arrive at our Mythical Creatures class, the room is filled with excitement and anticipation, not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the teacher. As we find our seats inside the auditorium, Jared is already poised at the podium, next to some sort of metallic spherical object on the floor. We settle on one of the leather sofas near the front and anxiously wait for class to begin.

Jared still exhibits the same intimidating vibe as he did the first day, and when he coughs lightly, and clears his throat before speaking, all eyes, especially the female ones, focus on him.

“You’re here, presumably, because you’re the cream of the crop. You’re the next batch of familiars who will be assigned to fight the good fight. But I’m here to tell you that things are changing out there… Nothing is as simple as black and white anymore. It’s imperative that we evolve and progress with the changing world. We
must
become more powerful, and one of the ways we can do this is to do what is unexpected.”

He clicks a small remote towards the sphere and it hums to life, whirling so fast, that it creates a momentary blur before projecting a life size 3D hologram of a dragon. There’s an audible gasp as the creature roars viciously, plumes of purple smoke trailing out of its giant nostrils. It’s easily five times larger than an elephant, and it resembles an oversized mutant iguana, but with a much fiercer presence. Its scales are thick and iridescent, glimmering the colors of the rainbow. Its wings are leathery but opaque against the light, spanning the width of almost the entire room. The dragon’s tail, which is at least twenty-five feet long, whips dangerously close to Jared’s head, though he seems unfazed by it. He glares at the dragon’s red eyes and they glare back at him like glowing, red rubies. It shrieks loudly and shoots out an ear splitting fiery roar over our heads. Although it’s only a hologram, we duck down and scream, as the seemingly scorching hot flames pass above our heads.

Jared looks amused, sniggering at our reactions as he leans in and sticks his face right in front of the dragon’s flaming breath.

“So, as you can see, a creature like a dragon can be very useful as an intimidation tactic, or for maximum destruction with minimal effort,” he explains coolly, pointing the remote once again. This time a white unicorn appears. Its sparkling, twisty horn juts out of its head like a long icicle. It neighs, and stands on its hind legs dramatically, the silky hair on its mane and tail cascading to the floor.

“I’m sure you’re familiar with the unicorn, though seemingly harmless and endearing, the unicorn is actually a fierce and wild creature with the power to cure illnesses with its magical horn.”

He clicks the remote again. “There are also mythical creatures which are closer to the human form,” he says, as a hologram of an ethereal violet hued fairy appears, “such as fairies, giants, and even mermaids, which I know some of you are already quite intimate with,” he says, staring at me intensely as he clicks the remote in his hand. I feel like the entire room follows his gaze, but I ignore them, instead focusing on the beautiful flaxen haired mermaid floating midair. Even though I try to look blasé, my face starts to feel hot as his gaze burns into me. Jared finally diverts his attention back to the hologram and I take in a deep breath of relief.

“You will learn from our textbook, that there is almost an endless array of mythical creatures to choose from… I’ll be passing out these books shortly, and I highly suggest you get to know as many of the variants as possible. It will help you get creative later on in the process.”

A male counselor, with long red hair pulled back into a ponytail, hands out a big hardcover book. When I get my copy, I’m surprised how light it is, despite its size. The design and font of the book looks ancient, but the pages are clean, crisp, and newly printed. There is no title on the cover, just an illustration of two snowy white peacocks sitting on a tree branch. The birds are unusual because instead of regular bird heads, they have the heads of beautiful women with gilded crowns. Inside, there is a spread dedicated to every mythical creature, each with its history, description, traits, powers, and an accompanying illustration. Many look like horrible beasts, while others look more harmless and charming.

Jared clicks the remote one last time and the hologram machine shuts off.

“So, I’m sure many of you are wondering how difficult it will be to transform into a mythical creature… Truth is that most of you will probably fail. Don’t beat yourself up too badly if that happens... Very few of us have the imagination and tenacity to succeed in this…”

Jared sits on the edge of the platform, leaning his hands back so that the muscles on his arms and chest tense. “The first step in transforming is to try and find the part of your mind that separates reality from your imagination. Once that part of your mind has been uncovered, you’ll need to control it, harness that disbelief so that a transformation can occur. One method of doing this is to remember back to when you were little kids…Was there some sort of bogeyman or magical creature that you believed in? A fairy or maybe even Santa Claus?”

Several students giggle, the sounds echoing obtrusively in the auditorium. Jared scowls at them. “Finding this amusing will only hamper your ability to succeed in this class. I recommend that you try and take what I say seriously, otherwise you will find yourself dead last in rankings for the Choosing Ceremony.”

A gangly, horsey looking girl raises her hand. Jared gestures for her to speak.

“So, I’m just curious. How would we have the ability to suspend our disbelief, knowing that these things really don’t exist? I mean, sure I believed in monsters when I was a kid, but now I know better.”

Jared folds his arms across his chest and laughs with superiority. “Don’t you kids realize that for many, we would be considered monsters? For regular humans, being a shape-shifter or a witch is not only an abomination, but is against everything they believe in… So, who’s to say that mermaids, giants, trolls, and unicorns don’t exist?”

Everyone is left silent by his words. I hear whispers, of, “Maybe he’s right,” and, “I never thought of it that way before.”

Jared slumps his shoulders in disappointment and shakes his head slightly. “I think you guys have had enough lecturing for today. I want you to seriously consider what I’ve said and study your books. My advice is to try and be open-minded folks… It will pay off later on, I promise.”

As the class abruptly ends, we remain in our seats, somewhat shell-shocked as we wait for the crowd to dissipate.

“Well, that was interesting,” says Akiko.

“Interesting would be putting it kind of mildly,” I reply, looking at Jared from the corner of my eye.

Louise follows my gaze. “I still think he’s kind of creepy…”

When the room clears, we head outside so we can enjoy the rest of the day before the sun begins to set. As I’m skipping down the steps, about to make some snarky comment, I’m suddenly startled by the sound of Jared’s voice behind me.

“Hazel, may I have a word?” I turn and lock eyes with him. His expression is as serious as usual, eyes shadowy as he awaits my response.

“Uh… Okay, sure,” I say, glancing at my wide-eyed friends.

“I’ll catch up with you guys in a bit.”

Louise politely nudges Akiko and Samir. “We’ll be by the docks,” she says, eyeing Jared suspiciously over her shoulder as she stumbles away.

There is a silence between the two of us for the first few moments. I know Jared’s not really much older than me, twenty-one, twenty-two years old tops, but something about him is very grown-up and being alone with him has my nerves on edge.

“Come, there’s a nice bench over there,” he says, breaking the silence. I nod and we walk out towards the garden. We find a stone bench overlooking the lake, under the cool shade of a leafy tree. Instead of sitting on the bench, he settles on the knotty tree root, probably noticing that I’m slightly uncomfortable with his presence. His posture is stiff and upright, nearly immobile like a statue, as he leans on the tree trunk. I avoid eye contact by looking out at the scenery before us.

I feel his gaze on me linger before he speaks, “I sense you’re apprehensive of me, Hazel… But I want you to consider me a friend, someone you can trust.”

I look over at him, and for the first time, he seems more vulnerable, as if his cool exterior has thawed out. He slouches a bit and attempts at a smile, and even though it seems slightly forced, it manages to put me slightly at ease.

“And why would I need to trust you?”

“Hazel, I’m reaching out because you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age. I know what it’s like to be gifted and to be thrown into a situation that you may find hard to control. A lot of things happened to me when I was younger, and I’d like to avoid those same things happening to you.”

I wonder what he’s talking about, but I don’t feel comfortable enough to press him about his past. Instead I mumble, “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

He gives a genuine smile this time and seems satisfied with my reaction.

“So, now that we got that out of the way, I want to ask you about the incident at the lake… Brad kind of filled me in as much as he could, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

I pull up my legs, feeling somewhat self-conscious, and sit cross-legged.

“Well, I don’t really know what you want me to tell you… It just happened, I have no real explanation.”

Jared scrutinizes me intently. “And this happened before?”

“Yes, sort of. It was a partial transformation. It happened only a week before coming to camp, while I was swimming in the ocean.”

Jared gives it some thought before responding, “Was there something unusual that happened right before?”

“Well… I had been dreaming a lot about my parents. My mom cast a spell so I would see into her memories… I guess it kind of felt like I was being hit with a wall of emotion, especially since I didn’t even know anything about my father until a few weeks ago.”

Jared looks intrigued, his eyes shadowing as he gives it some thought. “So, what do you know about your father now? Your records really don’t mention him except that he was your mother’s familiar.”

I peer at him and shrug. “To be honest, not much more than that really. I know what he looked like, I have an idea of what kind of person he was, and that he was a powerful shape-shifter, but that’s pretty much it. Even my mom has no idea what happened to him after he disappeared.”

We both stare at the sun beginning to set in front of us. The vibrant crimson, pinks, and blues of the sky, reflect onto the lake creating a breathtaking display. A group of girls walk past us, giving Jared and me furtive glances, while whispering to each other as they walk away. My legs have gone numb, so I get off the bench awkwardly, trying hard not to fall on my face.

“Anyway, thanks for the moral support and all… I’m going to go look for my friends before it gets dark.”

Jared’s grinning, as he looks up at me. “Sure, I’m glad we had this talk. Come see me anytime if you need any help or advice.”

As I stroll towards the dock, I glance back. Jared is leaning on the tree, staring dreamily at the intensifying sunset. He looks thoughtful, with his arms crossed and head tilted to the side.

When I get to the lake, Louise, Akiko, and Samir are sitting at the end of the dock with their legs dangling off the edge. When they see me approaching, they wave me over, and the minute I’m at arms length, Louise grabs my hand and shrieks, “Oh my god! We’ve been dying over here! What was that all about?”

Samir rolls his eyes and flings his arms up into the air. “She means
they’ve
been dying to hear about it… I unfortunately have had to sit through their gossip mongering for the last twenty minutes. I’m
sooo
happy you’re finally here to end my misery!”

Akiko punches him on the arm playfully. “Don’t listen to him, he’s exaggerating!”

I chuckle at them and sit down.

“It wasn’t a big deal, guys… Jared just wanted to give me some moral support and offer some harmless advice, especially after what happened at the lake. He says I remind him of his teenage self and I guess he felt obligated to help me out.”

Louise looks like she’s about to burst. “Come on, ‘harmless advice’? Seriously? He’s obviously interested in you. And, you know, it’s not like he’s old… plus camp is only for a few more weeks, so he won’t even be your teacher for that long…”

I laugh at Louise’s teasing, but I hide the fact that her insinuation is starting to annoy me. “Seriously. There is nothing going on. I don’t have time to think about guys anyway. I have far too much to worry about right now, like surviving camp without killing myself, right?”

I can tell Louise and Akiko are disappointed by my lack of enthusiasm on the subject, but at least they seem to accept my explanation for now.

“Lets just change the subject… there must be something better to do than speculate on my love life…” I add matter-of-factly.

Samir smiles mischievously, saving me from further interrogation. “Yes, like going for a swim!” he says, grabbing Akiko and Louise and pulling them into the lake with him. There is a big splash as they land gracelessly in the water. Samir surfaces first, followed by Akiko then Louise. They both scowl at him and swim over, dunking him underwater with their joint efforts, splashing water up into the air and onto the dock. The scowls soon turn into laughter, as I dive in and join them.