Good, Evil, and the Gray Area (FIRST DRAFT)

Chapter 32

"Zahir, I need to talk to you," I said nervously. I wanted him to come with us. Ava didn't, but she was willing to let him for me.

"Okay, talk to me," he said with a smile.

"Privately," I said. He nodded, and we headed into the woods. Once we had gone a little ways, probably a quarter of a mile, we found a secluded little clearing.

"What is it, Lee?" He asked me. His voice sounded concerned. I sat down on a convienent rock and motioned for him to sit too.

"Ava and I need to leave," I started, taking a deep breath. Zahir stared at me.

"Why? Are you guys not comfortable here? I can arrange to have-" I cut him off.

"No, Zahir. What I mean is, we have to go to get back home," I said quickly.

"You don't have a home," he replied quickly.

"No, not in the literal sense. However, the United States is my home. There's a war of sorts going on, and we need to make sure no humans are being harmed." I said sadly.

"Wait, humans? 'Cuz you guys aren't humans?" He asked, looking at me quizzically.

"Oh." I said, realizing that I hadn't told Zahir anything. There hadn't been time.

"Lee, I think you have some explaining to do." Zahir said, irritated.

I swatted some bugs away from my face. The air was humid, and I was sweating from the combination of the stress of telling Zahir everything, and the fact that it was hot.

"I'm sorry, Zahir. Until I learned that you could teleport, I didn't think you would understand. And after that, there just wasn't time. I'm sorry." I said, my throat closing up and my eyes filling with tears. I had lied to him. I had hurt him.

"Well, now you have time. Explain it all." He said, his voice cold. "Why didn't you think I could understand? I would've, even if I couldn't do... something unusual... too. You should've realized that. I thought we were friends."

I started to cry freely, the tears that had been waiting behind my eyes now tracing down my cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry Lee. I know you've been through a lot. Well, I don't, but I assume. Anyway." He rambled on, pulling me into a hug and rubbing my back. I cried into his shoulder.

Finally, I had pulled myself together enough to talk again.

"No, I'm sorry. Please don't hate me, though, Zahir." I said, pleading with my eyes.

"Of course." he said, chuckling. "I would never hate you."

I laughed in relief. "Okay, so, do you want to come with us?" I asked.

"Oh, Lee. I couldn't do that to Ava. Not only that, but I'm being trained by a medicine man to be a medicine man. It's something I owe to my tribe. Something I have to do. I'm sorry. I'll visit if you'll let me.'' He said.

"Of- of course. I understand." But I didn't. Not really.

"Alright then. Now, the explaining." He said.

"Well, I can create fire and morph into any type of cat, and some birds. Ava is a werewolf." I began. I snapped my fingers, and a flame popped up on my little finger. Then, I leaped into the air, and morphed. It felt so good. I really did need to get back to America so I could exercise my powers freely. My skin rippled into a striped pelt, my limbs lengthening and evening out, my nose growing into a snout. I landed as a tiger.

Zahir gazed at me in amazement. I stood up and went back to my human form with a half smile on my face.

"Alright. Now, tell me your story." Zahir said, slightly shaky, from standing next to a huge tiger most likely.

"That I can do. I can't tell you Ava's, though. That's her's to tell." With that I began to tell Zahir everything.