I Am Not A Beast

The moment the hour hand struck twelve, her transformation began. Her black straight hair turned white, her eyes green. An echo of pain can be heard around the mansion. She held her chest trying to squeeze the pain out as blackish tears crawled down her pale face.

"Dad! Dad!! Dad!!! I'm in pain" She said inaudibly visibly drowning in an ocean of pain

Mr. Keith closed his eyes and swallowed in pity for his daughter. He felt like barging into the room and stopping all the pains from getting to her. No! If he really loves her, he should stay back and hope she comes out unscathed. He can't bear to lose her now. Not again!

"Michelle dear, just be patient and hold on. Everything will be fine soon" He said to himself.

Michelle just clocked fifteen and the curse started its activation on her. For centuries now, a curse which was placed on the family by a witch, activates once they clock fifteen. They will have strange magical powers that will hurt anyone who makes them angry. Once they clock 17, they would kill their family members, friends and loved ones. They would bring havoc into the world unless stopped or killed.

Michelle cried out in pain as a sharp pain passed through her heart.

"Ah! Dad!" she cried softly. Her tears which turned silvery and bright, fell softly on her pale white skin

She fell unconscious minutes later

***

"You just passed it Michelle, you' re fine now dear" Mr. Keith told her, excitement beaming on his worried face.

"Really? did I?" Chelle said sipping a glass of water. Her eye colour returned back to normal

"Yes and you're not going to experience it again, so be happy"

"I'm not going to experience it again?"

Mr. Keith gave her a reassuring smile

"Yes dear"

"But Dad,the curse reactivates on my birthday. I will pass through it on all my birthdays till I'm eventually killed by someone"

"No dear .Who told you that?"

"Don't lie to me , okay? I know that one day, someone will definitely kill me since I can't die on my own. I know I'm going to kill you no matter how hard I try not to"

"Chelle ... I..."

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. You're the best"

"Okay. Now close your eyes and sleep. you really lost a lot of energy" Keith said as he put off the light.

"Wait!!!" She called, sitting up and preparing a place beside her for her father to sit.

"I want to ask a question"

"That will be tomorrow. Now go to bed"

"How can I break this curse?"

She said and Keith halted in his steps. His eyes widened in shock. He turned to face her alarmed.

"Don't you ever try it Chelle. Do you want to kill yourself? Huh?. It's too dangerous and I won't let you embark on it"

"Then who's going to break this so called curse? If I don't do it then who would uh?" She retorted in fury pressing her lips into a thin line.

"That's a question for another day. Goodnight" He stormed out of the room. How can his little fragile daughter think of breaking an unknown curse? He has to do something to stop her before he loses her again.

When Keith left her room, she tiptoed and locked her door. Michelle rested her back to the door, rubbed her forehead and walked two steps before stopping and looking to the side.

"You can come out now" She said as a shadowy figure appeared from behind her shelves.

"Yes. How can I help you?"

"Tell me how to break my curse" She ordered with her chin up.

"What? What do you mean?" It asked back with creased brows.

"I mean it. Tell me now. I want to break this damned curse so tell me now"

"Don't order me. I'm not your slave" It shouted angrily.

"Well you're alive because of me and you must do any things I ask of you if you don't want to die now"

"Well I think I'm happier and better dead than now and you have to appease me if you don't want to die with a lot of questions and pain" It said with the same authoritative tone as Chelle's.

Chelle sighed and sat back on her bed. She didn't know anything about it till she was ten and her father told her about it. He said the curse runs in the family blood. It was always transferred from generation to generation and now it was her time to suffer the curse.

"What are you thinking of now?" It asked while chanting a spell

"What spell is that?" She asked absentmindedly

"I'm trying to renew myself" It said and resumed chanting. It closed its eyes as a red glow surrounded him. It then moved his fingers in rhythm to the movement of his lips.

"Don't lie to me. If you think that spell will help you get freed from me, then you're wrong. I'm the source of your living, the moment I'm cut off from you that's the moment you die. Period"

"What did you do to me?" It asked furiously and opened it's eyes wide. Anger was filled in them. Chelle closed her eyes and inhaled silently

"Don't tell me you ... you tied me to you forever"

Chelle smirked and opened her eyes "I knew a day like this will come. The day you decide to break free from me and live your life normally again, so I decided to use the strongest spell ever"

It's lips parted in disbelief "What do you want me to do before you free me?"

"Help me break the curse and I promise to free you forever"

"For goodness sake, this curse can't be broke. Not even in a million years to come"

"Why? I thought with magic everything is possible"

"Yes. I'm very well aware of that fact but breaking a curse that doesn't exist is utterly impossible"

"What do you mean by a curse that doesn't exist?"

"This so called curse of yours doesn't exist"

"It seems you don't want to be freed anytime soon but I won't push on more. When you decide to do it I will grant you your freedom but as for now, go to rest with this" She pulled out a ring from under her pillow and stretched it towards it.

"No. Don't do that again" It pleaded as the green light from the ring shown on it's face. It's features became more visible. It was a man of about thirty years. His skin black and scaled due to burning from the ring's rays.

"Have a good night" Chelle said as he fell down flat and faded away leaving a remnant of black smoke

A knock on the door brought her back to reality. She wore a sleepy face as she waited for the knock to come again. It did come

"Hmm. Who is it?" She said sleepily.

"It's me. Open up" Keith's voice came from behind the door

"Oh" Chelle opened the door still looking sleepy "It's you Dad. What's the matter?" She asked innocently

"Stop all these pretence. I know you haven't been sleeping. What are you doing with him?"

"Who Dad?"

"Zailus of course. I know you are keeping him captive. What do you want from him?" Keith asked

"My freedom from this curse Dad. Please I need to break this curse. Just let me do this, will you?"

"Okay, make sure you release him after this"

"Sure you're the best"

Michelle hopped down from the car with her dark glasses to hide her eyes which turned emerald green after punishing Zailus and a cap to shield her all green hair. Looking around the school environs she really felt odd and out of place. All the students were moving up and down. It was indeed a bustling scene. She sighed and walked to the school building. Looking at the wide and tall building, she adjusted her glasses and cap before taking a step into the building, absentmindedly.

"Why were you just standing there like a statue?" A voice said behind her. She looked over her shoulders -to find the source of the voice -but didn't reply. She saw a tall young boy with blue eyes

"You really feel odd amidst them right" He pestered and she ignored it again

"You can call me Ev for now. I mean no harm just here to help you" He walked away. Chelle stared at his back for long lingering on what he had said. Does he know about her? How could he