"May I come in Stacy?" Mrs Gordon knocked on her door.
The dinosaur boy looked at his mother. He was looking out the window. "Um... I broke my bed," he said a bit sadly.
Mrs Gordon looked at the bed. The base was made of wood and it was unable to take her son's new mass. "Sorry dear... We'll get you a new one."
"Mom? Can I ask you something?" He asked a bit unsure.
"Sure dear." she had a feeling Stacy has been wanting to talk to her. Hearing that her friend called her earlier... this was probably very difficult for her new son.
Stacy looked to her a bit.. worried. "I um... that is..." he looked very hesitant.
Mr's Gordon looked patiently.
Finally Stacy sighed as she just let it out. "People.. act strangely to me. Is it because I'm male.. or cause I'm a... monster." he asked a bit sadly.
"You're not a monster sweetie," she said. "And... I'm afraid people will treat you differently as a male."
"I don't like how they treat me," He said a bit annoyed. "They act like I'm about to hurt them all the time. They treat me with.. with..."
"Suspicion?" asked her mother.
"... yes," Stacy said sadly.
Mrs Gordon patted her son's arm. "Stacy... I'm sorry. I can tell you many different answers to this.. but the truth is, I don't know. A lot of people will have their own reasons for reacting to you like that."
"If I was a female dinosaur... would they be nicer?" Asked Stacy with no hint of bitterness. It was just a question.
"As I said... different reasons, for different things. If its one thing that drives us humans to the way we act, it is in gauging another person's strength. I can tell you that socially it is known, Men are generally stronger physically."
"Mom!" Stacy almost winced. That seemed so sexist. To hear it from his mother..
"A fact of life honey. It is not a bad thing. However, strength is treated with suspicion- for men, this is probably a more awkward side to them socially." She had to smile a little at that. "Your own strength is even greater then most boys your age. You will suffer suspicion for that strength, by both men and woman alike."
"I... I'm not like that though. I'm still..." How could he explain it? He wasn't a monster. He was still gentle.
Mrs Gordon Hugged her son. "Do you remember when I had to teach you to be on guard against people that might hurt you? Those lessons were for a precocious girl's survival." She tried to explain this matter of factly. "Now... you need to teach your sister those lessons. Because nobody on earth, would dare try to hurt you, but they could hurt her."
"I'll never let that happen! I said.. I would protect her."
"You must help her help herself dear, just like I did with you."
Stacy looked as if his eyes lit up. Was that what he was doing wrong in all this? "Thanks.. mom," he said.
"No matter what dear... whatever you become, I'll always love you."
Tiffany slid to the back of her room, a little corner between her dresser and bed. The creature before her, wasn't human... The betrayal of her father in summoning this thing was met with revolt and anger. Her father dared... The shadows of her room responded to the dark emotions, wrapping themselves around her form like a coiled serpent. They twisted and turned in ways not possible by the light from the door way. Tiffany's window was closed, and no other light was present.
She lived here in darkness... it was comfortable. Right now, all she could see was this intruder upon her domain. There was only one desire right now, that burned into the core of her being.
Make the intruder leave... by any means.
The elder woman stood there, her hands at her side, as the shadow's licked around her form. She then... just took one single step forward.
All the shadows died, and Tiffany was momentarily blinded.
Tiffany in shock scrambled back. "Get away from me!" She shouted. Though afraid, she would now show it even in her voice.
"Submit... Tiffany," She said gently. "For your own sake..."
The teenager felt exposed by this creature. All she wanted was for her to go away. She wasn't just there in the physical sense. She was inside her head. Her aura clashing- no Invading her own.
She... was loosing.
Tiffany Saunders never Losses! If this bitch wanted to see her fight, then she'll scratch her eyes out! It was her fault she threw the music box!
The teenager vaulted from the corner, like a deranged animal attacking its pray. She stared at the being before her, as if she could will the thing out of existence. She was staring at those crystal clear blue eyes, her long finger nails already going for them.
Tiffany felt herself struck in mid air, and was suddenly flung backwards, her body pressed against the wall, suspended so that her head was touching the ceiling. She struggled for breath as the pressure increased its force.
The teacher took another step forward. "You are... making this very difficult Tiffany Saunders. Stop resisting..."
Tiffany gave a slightly mad giggle. "What... no please?" she spat back.
She was trying to buy some more time to stop whatever she was intending to do to her. What her and... her father planned. She allowed her father to live his existence with minimal fuss... to let him live out his extremely mundane concerns... why did they have to butt in onto her own affairs?
She had seen a lot of different transformed students. None of them held a candle to what became of herself in the sunlight. In a way it was just as she always had been before. The difference between the other and herself... Tiffany was more herself then she had ever been before. While others struggled with a crisis of identity, her own was assured. Everyone else was acting as if this was a bad thing!
People knew never to cross Tiffany... With her position in school, she could make you have no friends at all... just as she did to one girl, who had the audacity to bad mouth her. She planted the rumours that made people call her a slut... she had no friends any more. Indeed... her transformation as a devil almost validated those rumours now.
But now she had a new enemy... a teacher no less. They were the authority in a school.. or at least, they claimed to be. But what were they? Nothing. They were not worth any more respect then anyone else. Even those that transformed under the sun generally had abilities that wouldn't look out of place in a freak show. Unlike herself.
This was different. The being before her was radiating a power that seemed to counter her own. she had no idea of what scale it was. But everyone had a limit... This creature wanted her to submit?
No!
This thing would submit to her! A teacher... submiting to a student... this is where the line shall now be drawn. If anyone could do such a thing it would be her.
"I... Wont... Give.... UP!" Tiffany screamed. The intensity of that emotion seemed to negate partially the force on her. It was enough to at least stop her choking. "Who... Do you think... you... are! There... is Nothing... WRONG! WITH. ME!"
The darkness around Tiffany reached outward. A shadowy moss of tendrils surrounding the teenager. "You all want to fix me... to suppress me... I am ME! You will know it.. My father will know it... the entire world will! When I'm done with you, I will make my father regret this!"
The teacher took one more step forward.
Tiffany felt something inside her... being squeezed. It was as if a hand had grabbed hold of her heart, or something just as precious. She could feel her life slowly ebbing away. Her eyes grew still, as she stared in half shock and half wonderment mixed with a dose of fear. The shock was obvious but the wonderment and fear were due to the crushing realisation of mortality. It was rare for anyone her age had to confront this aspect of life, that maybe she had reached too far...
... Tifanny Saunders... could die?
"Shh..." the teacher whispered very sadly, as she approached the girl. She gently placed her forehead to hers.
Tifanny let out a wimpier as she stared, her body no longer responding to her thoughts. It couldn't end like this! There had to be... something.. there had to be... She felt herself lose all sensation. Her soul and memory being tugged on and undone like a shoelace. They were killing her...
"Daddy... Why.." It was all she could do, as she lost even the ability to speak. Her incoherent thoughts became a single plea for mercy.
"Enter Mr Saunders," The woman said evenly.
He heard his daughter's last words with gut wrenching guilt. "Is she..."
"She resists... I am trying my best not to hurt her. She fight's at every turn..." She didn't expect to have to use quite this much force. The teacher was quietly impressed by Tiffany's will power... how much of it was her own though? She was going deeper and deeper, to the core of her mind. There were twists, and turns, and indignities felt from such an intrusion of mind all trying to push the teacher away. Tiffany Even attempted to subvert her into a maze of winding thoughts, though none of this presented an issue. Instead of tearing down the walls as she could, she walked through each twist and turn, knowing it was only a matter of time..
"She.. she was always like that," Mr Saunders explained tearfully. He always thought it was a good trait. Yes her daughter could be difficult, but she was strong willed. He always believed that would make her a good adult one day. Someone who could take charge. Why was even her redeemable traits being twisted by this... this... whatever it was.
His daughter was not a bad person! It pained him so much to see her like this, as a result of his own actions. He looked at the music box, noting it was moved... He could hear its song...
... but it wasn't from the box. Tiffany was humming it, very weakly.
