Yikes. Nervous? Oh yes, very. Okay, it isn't in third person like the prologue but in first. That's just the way I wrote it. Tear it apart. My near sighted eyes miss a lot of mistakes in my writing. So this is from the point of view from one of the Divah brothers mentioned in the prologue. And I so hope I didn't dump to much information on my readers. There isn't any action and this is just a first draft. I haven't rewrote none of it and I just slapped it together. So...I hope it isn't too long. I have a tendency to do that.
Chapter One: Red’s Information
“Over three hundred years ago creatures from the hidden world of Argmar were banished to Earth for all eternity. Creatures who were banished because of they’re traitorous deeds, criminal ways and barbaric nature. They hid in the ‘underworlds’ of Earth’s large cities, calling them home. Over the years these creatures became more and more humanized, and so now Faeries appear to the human race as humans.
“Now don’t start thinking that they’re exactly like humans, because they’re not. Some may have horns, or tails, overly large ears, long life, webbed feet or hands, etc. But the chances of that happening is three out of ten. Most have magic powers or the talent for shifting. Others have nothing at all. But still, no matter what they do or how they look, they are all far from being humans. But since their banishment, the Faeries have changed their ways…somewhat. Many are the thieves and murderers in the night. Many are those cold, homeless people passed every day. But three quarters of them follow one person and that is King Lucifer, the Faerie king. Faeries are ‘pagans’ and believe in a wide variety of gods and goddesses, much like the Greeks and Romans. Most Faeries have adapted to the ways of the human race. Yet there are others who still try to find a way back to Argmar and those who stay in that creature shape---Antonio!”
I jerked and looked around. Pedro was glowering at me over his notebook. “What?”
“You were sleeping!” he accused, eyes narrowed. “You didn’t hear a word I just read!”
I yawned, covering my mouth with a hand. “Was not! I heard everything you said. I heard it, but none of it clicked in. Besides, I’ve heard it all a million times in a million different ways. It’s all the same.”
“No Ant, it isn’t. I need to write this for that stupid conference,” he muttered, scratching his forehead, pencil between fingers. “I have no idea why I was chosen to do this stupid thing.”
“Consider yourself lucky you don‘t have to read it out loud,” I told him, with another yawn. I propped my feet onto the table and sat back. “And feel honoured.”
“It’s not like you have to read it either. You aren’t even going.”
“I wasn’t invited. Don’t you remember the rules of the staff? No Faerie with animal type…pieces are allowed to attend. I have animal pieces…or did you forget?” I stared at him and watched the grin spread on his face.
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly forget about your lovely little pussy cat tail,” he teased, giving my tail a tug.
“Don’t do that!” I pulled my tail away from him and held it to my chest. “And it’s a panther tail thank-you very much. Not a little pussy cats.”
“Oh my. They’re both felines Antonio.” Pedro stood up and stretched. “I’ll finish this stupid thing later.” He tossed his notebook beside me and walked by. “And these are just so cute!” He grabbed the small horns on my head and gave me a good shake.
“Screw off you!“ I snapped, swatting his hand away. He strolled off into the kitchen laughing. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed his notebook and pencil and began to write. “The Faeries, with animal parts lead boring and bitter lives. Well at least those who live by the law and are bound by oaths. As they are different, they are not invited to boring conferences such as this and they cannot do other things us privileged Faeries are allowed to do. But is it really their fault they have that curse? Should we really hold it against them? Should we---”
“Antonio! What are you doing?” Pedro demanded, sounding quite horrified.
I chucked the notebook and pencil away saying in a calm voice, “Nothing bro. Just reading what you wrote.”
He stomped over and grabbed his notebook and read what I wrote. “Antonio!” He sighed with exasperation. “We aren’t privileged and we aren’t the talented ones. You should know that! Just because Misfits aren’t always treated nicely…” He trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.
I frowned. “Now who said such a thing?”
He hit me on the head with the book. “Listen, they’re just a bunch of stuck up idiots, okay? Don’t pay attention to what they say and please…stop brooding.”
“I’m not brooding,” I responded. “I’m just bored and I thought I’d help you write your speech thingy.”
“Here.” He took a napkin off the end table and chucked it to me. “Call Mary Jane.”
I stared at the napkin and then back up at him, doubt on my face. “You know why I won’t. It wouldn’t be fair to her if I broke up with after a week or so. And I’m tired of making up excuses.” I crumbled the napkin into a ball and chucked it across the room.
“Then just tell her you want to be friends but you don’t want to be in a serious relationship,” Pedro replied, simply.
I gave him a look of disbelief. “Chicks don’t want to hear that! They don’t want to be just friends!” I said. “What would Gabrielle say if you told her that?”
“I don’t know.” He picked up the phone and dialled a number. “Hey baby how are you? Good, good. Hey um Gabbie? I got a question to ask you.” He paused and gave me a grin. “Can we be just friends? I don’t want to be in a serious relationship.” His grin widened even more and he looked at me. “Perhaps you’re right Ant, they don’t want to be just friends.”
I rolled my eyes. “I hope you’re going to say sorry to her.”
“Yeah I was just joking Gabbie. Just seeing if what Ant said was correct and it was.”
They began talking with one another so I got up and put on my old trench coat as I slipped into my work boots. “I’m going down to the park or something,” I called to him.
“Alright. Have fun Ant!”
I shoved a cap onto my head and hid my tail in my coat. I loathed my stupid tail and horns. I couldn’t even have a human girlfriend because if she saw my little extra ’pieces’ she’d probably have to be killed in order to keep our identities undercover. That’s why I couldn’t have a girlfriend. We could only do so much together. But the whole while, sex was on our minds and that was what I had to avoid with human girls.
There really wasn’t any pretty Faerie girls that had animal parts like me…that I have met so far. I had one pretty one and a year later she dumped me for some guy with frog feet. Also, the pretty Faeries that had powers and the shifting ability didn’t want us Misfits. Ya, that’s what they called us. Misfits.
I bounded down the steps of the apartment building and walked out the front door. I jogged across the busy New York street, hands in pockets and into the park there.
There I found Red, the usual bum who lived in the park, sitting on his favourite bench reading a muddy newspaper. I plopped beside him and gave out a sigh.
“Hey Red. How’s life?” I inquired, leaning back.
He gave out a low grunt. “Been better. How ‘bout you? Brought me anything good to eat?” he inquired. I should have known. Red only thinks of his own skin and especially his stomach.
I pulled my hand out of my pocket, handing him a granola bar. “Here. Don’t know how good it will taste. Been in there awhile.”
The bar was snatched out of my hand the moment I pulled it out. He greedily ripped it open and stuffed half of it into his mouth. I blinked my eyes, but I wasn’t surprised. He was skinny and his cheeks were quite hollow looking.
I had no idea what his hair colour was. Unless it was naturally the colour of dirt. His eyes were blue and he wore rags. The filthy remains of a red blanket was laying across his neck and he had pockets filled with garbage. But above all, he stunk.
“Thanks,” he said through a mouthful of food. “I haven’t eaten in two days…well I did find a left over burger in the garbage by the fast-food joint down the street…”
I grimaced in disgust. Such was the life of a bum. “See anything suspicious lately?” I inquired. He lived on the street. Perhaps he saw something exciting happen. Anything to disperse my boredom.
He gave me a sharp look almost immediately. “Why?” he demanded.
I was taken aback. What was the deal with him? It was just a civil question. “I was merely curious. Jeez, who stole what from you? I’ve never seen you so…defensive,” I answered.
Red shrugged with one shoulder. “Nothin’. Least wise what you need to know,” he muttered, ripping the wrapper apart to get to the crumbs and icing left behind. I raised my eyebrows as I watched him lick it clean before shoving it into a pocket. “Just met some whackos the other day. Know anybody with the last name Divah?”
It was my turn to give him a sharp look. “Why?”
“Now whose getting defensive? Those two whack jobs were looking for these Divah brothers. Called them fairies, but everyone knows fairies aren’t real.”
I winced as he said Faeries weren’t real. But who the hell was looking for Pedro and I? “What did they look like?”
He gave me a suspicious look. “You know these Divah brothers, don’t you?”
I looked away from him and at the tree standing beside us. “I’ve never heard of the name Divah, I was merely interested. Is it like drug related or…gang wars?” I questioned, looking at him from the corner of my eye.
Red gave out a laugh. “I highly doubt that.” I watched him rub his throat. “They wasn’t human. The one thing changed into my shape but before they were the ugliest things I have ever seen.”
I stretched with a wide yawn. “They only mentioned that one name?”
“No. It said the jump to here from Argmar was long…What’s the matter with you?” Red demanded. My panic must have shown on my face.
Shit! Who the hell were these shifting freaks? I calmed myself down and looked at him calmly. “Interesting. Are you sure you didn’t find anything else in the garbage Red? Anything that will make you hallucinate these?” I swallowed nervously and shoved my hands into my pockets. I start rubbing my hands together when I’m nervous.
“You don’t believe me?” he growled. “I swear, I saw those things.”
I shrugged off his words to make it seem like I didn’t believe him. “Whatever you say Red.”
“Pfft…suit yourself. I know what I saw. Thanks for that bar.”
I stood up. “No prob. Stay outta trouble okay?” I walked down the street and went down an alley. As soon as I was through the back door to my apartment building, I raced up the stairs.
I practically fell through the door, out of breath. That little brat was still on the phone. I chucked the cap to the floor and hurried into the living room.
“Bro! Take your damn boots off! You’re going to track mud everywhere! Huh? Ya sorry Gabbie, that idiot brother of mine---” I snatched the phone from him and hung up. “What the hell are you doing Antonio?” He stood up to glare at me, trying to pull my hand off the phone.
“Stop Pedro! We have a slight problem,” I told him. He studied me for a few seconds. My face must have been pale.
“What’s the matter?”
I swallowed and took my hand off the phone. “There’s two morphing creatures from Argmar asking about us,” I responded.
He blanched. “What? How would things from Argmar know of us?” He plopped onto the sofa. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“I have no idea. But Red told me---”
“Red? That bum? You’ve been talking to that homeless retard? How can you believe anything he says?” Pedro asked in a sceptical way.
“Don’t interrupt me. I don’t think Red was lying about this. He said these two creatures said they were looking for two Faeries, us the Divah brothers. He said they were the ugliest creatures and one took his shape,” I explained, hurriedly. “And the jump to here from Argmar was a long one.”
Pedro ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit of his. “What do we do?”
“For one, I’m going to stop speaking with Red and we’re going to have to be very careful about who we speak to. Well at least we’ll be careful about handing out our last name. How does that sound?” I suggested.
The phone rang. Pedro reached for it but stopped, dropping his hand back onto the sofa. “What if these things find us? What do they want?” he inquired, staring at the ringing phone.
I shrugged and stood up. “I don’t know but answer that before she gets pissed off,” I responded. I went to the entrance and hung my coat up. After setting my boots in the closet I went to the kitchen to find something to eat.
After hearing that things from Argmar were looking for us, I was hungry. Also, I was trying to ignore a question that kept popping into my head. Should we tell King Lucifer?
I loved the pussy cat tail part as well, this story really made me smile at parts, Hope to read more on this soon!
