The Pearl Family

Henry

Gym class started for me; I stayed behind. Everything today was strange. Dad cooked breakfast, I tried to decline, but he made me eat with him and everyone else.
"You're strangely thin; you need to eat something." He told me as he put food on my plate. He seemed more confident today. It probably has something to do with the phone call he got last night.
The phone rang in the middle of the night and woke everyone up.
Dad answered it; the rest of us almost fell asleep instantly.
When I asked him, he changed the subject.

I found myself dozing off. I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep lately, 'These' thoughts kept me up. I tried to force them out. But I can't.

Then Coach Bruce's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, I can't play," I muttered. "I'm exhausted."

"That was your excuse for the last two weeks," He said. "Have you just not been getting sleep?"

"I'm sorry, it's just, my mind keeps filling my head, and I can't sleep," I said.
Coach Bruce dropped the basketball and sat down next to me.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"I'm....having..unholy thoughts," I told him.
Oh, did I just tell him?
"About...Boys?"
I just nodded.
"Henry, you believe in Sayan and Nikolaus, right?" He asked me.
"Uh, yes, why?" I questioned him.
"And, Sayan accepts boys who feel that way." He said.
"No, she doesn't," I said.
"She accepts Nikolaus?" he explained. "She made hybrids with him, and she loved his creations as much as her own"
..he is right. She didn't do anything to them.
He then leads me out of the locker room.

"You don't understand," I muttered.
"Henry, I have the same thoughts."
"What?!" I almost yelled. And everyone stared at me.
"Get back to work!" Coach Bruce yelled.
Everyone ignored me.
"So, please, just do what I did," He said. "Get married, adopt a kid, have a sexless marriage, and have your desires filled in the blue light zone."
He winked.
"You mean it?"
"Of course, now, start playing, or I'll fail you," he said.
Okay, he's not joking. I spend the rest of the class period playing basketball.....badly. I fell onto my butt and almost bruised my tail.
When a hybrid hits its tail or wings, it hurts like hell.

After gym class, I had....Uh, it's Music. I've been having trouble remembering my schedule lately.

I enjoy the sounds the room makes. I have to play an instrument, good thing the school gives us some. I didn't have time to get one, so I didn't get a violin and only had a flute.

I changed into my school uniform; it took me a while because.....all of the boys....the boys....so hot, especially Aaron, his body, his face-
Stop! Please!
I took a few deep breaths, and I had to change in a bathroom stall.

Today in music, we didn't have to do anything. We had to listen to a lecture.
I felt my eyelids become heavy; I laid my head back in my chair.
I closed my eyes; I felt sudden warmth. When I opened them, I was alone in the music room.
It was as if a bomb had gone off, killing everyone but sparred the furniture.
Then suddenly I heard birds. Everywhere.
The music room started to disappear, and it was being replaced with a forest.

The forest was enormous, bright, and rich. Its canopy was contested by cypress, beech, and holly, which allowed adequate light to pass down for scattered herbs to take advantage of the thick layer of leaves below.
Swooping creepers suspended from most trees, and a range of flowers, which were seen occasionally, were a welcome change in the otherwise dark green forest grounds.
A medley of wild noises, most of which were birds and vermin, reverberated through the air and almost wholly muffled the sound of the wind blowing gently through the forest.
My eyes scanned everything. Then I heard footsteps behind me.
"My love, you forgot your crown." I heard a familiar voice say.
I turned around.
It was Charlie, in his school uniform.
He was wearing a blue flower crown.
He had a similar one in his hands. He placed it around my forehead. Then I noticed something strange....is he bigger?
"Uh, Charlie, are you taller than normal?" I asked
He kneeled down to meet my eyes.

"Um, okay?" I said. "Where are we?"
"You're a silly puppy, Henry; we're home; Sayan gave it to us."
Sayan? She...she gave this place to us?
It's.... it's like the garden like she gave the first few hybrids.
"Want me to carry you home?" he asked me.
I nodded, and he grabbed me under my arms like a toddler.

Then a loud noise woke me up.
I fell onto the ground of the music room.
I must have fallen asleep.

After school was over, I walked home with my brothers; I have no idea where Justine is.
We went home to find dad watching tv.
"Hey Henry," He said. "I got a call from the Deshirlias earlier."
Oh no.
"That's a horrible last name; how do you spell that?" Joey said.
I ignore him.
"What did they say?" I asked.
"They said Charlie enjoyed your company and wants to see you again," he said, smiling.
What?
My brothers started talking to each other as I walked upstairs and put my bag on the ground.
I sigh. Maybe....seeing him will help me with my....issue.

As soon as dad wasn't in the living room, I snuck out of the house, still in uniform.

I made it to Charlie's house. I knocked on the door. And Charlie answered.
"Oh, Henry, nice to see you again," he said.
He hugged me....again.
I didn't hug back...were not that close yet.
"Hey, Charlie," I said, "You look exhausted."
"Oh, I'm fine," He said "i was actually about to watch some tv, if you wanted to join me"

I sighed and went into the house.
Me and him say down on the living room coach, a tv was on playing an episode of the twilight zone.
He sat to my right.
About ten minutes into 'The hitch Hiker'

I heard small feet running around; it was in the next room over.
"Did you hear that?" I asked him
He nodded.
"Yes, what was that?"
"I don't know; you go check it out."
He stood up and walked to the room. I sighed and went in as well.

Then I saw the strangest thing, Charlie was walking towards me, and I looked at the floor and saw a....small person with mouse ears and a tail running away from him, crying.
Then he saw me, and he suddenly sped up.

What the fuck is this thing?