Part-Time Griffin

Night

My landing is horribly bad. I touch the ground with my back lion feet, bounce twice, cut a flip, slide across the ground, and then finally open my tightly shut eyes. When I open them again, I see two black hooves standing inches from my beak. A sudden urge to snap at them takes over, but I hold back my way of unleashing my embarrassment.
"Last night you flew into a traffic light. If you keep landing like this, you'll kill yourself." Diesel snorts jokingly.
I stand and shake the dirt from my rusty feathers and tan fur. Then I survey the area.
Diesel told me last night that it would be better to meet here, the sawmill, because it was safer. The mill smelled like fresh cut wood, chainsaw oil, and rubber tires. The small office building that lay near the main working building has a light on inside it.
"How is this safer than the park, Diesel? Almost every time I come here there's a light on inside that office place." I say confused while looking at the small structure.
His velvety wings rustle as he replies, "We always keep that light on so burglars will think that someone is here."
"Huh? We? I always knew you had some connection with this place, but what exactly is that connection?" My question voices itself out loud.
He paws the ground, "My dad owns this mill."
"Oh. Well, that explains the smell." I mumble.
He looks back towards me, "Smell?"
I shrug my shoulders, "You always smell like wood. It's sort of how I figured out who you were- Okay, I need to shut up now."
Somehow I have perked up his curiosity, "Really? It still surprises me that you know who I am as a human, but you haven't told me who you are yet. Surely, I would recognize you if you were to shift."
Now he's trying to find out who I am. It was only a few days ago when I attempted to do the same thing with him.
Ignoring his statement I tell him, "We're wasting time."
I turn on my heels and jump off the ground. Catching air with my wings, I struggle to rise higher. The higher I go the easier it becomes to fly.
A few seconds later I look to my left to see Diesel flying effortlessly. His midnight wings are spread out like an eagle's. The huge feathers ruffle and dance on the wind. The black mane along the back of his neck blows in the wind.
Straight below us is the lake. Its wide flat surface is spread out like a dark carpet. Lights from various houses around the lake glimmer in the darkness. I know exactly which one is mine and which one is Roxanne's.
That reminds me...
"Hey, Diesel?"
"Yeah."
"I won't be able to meet you on Friday night. I'm sorry. We've been working so hard to stop these criminals. Would it bother you if I skipped Friday night?" I ask warily.
I don't know why I should be asking him if it's okay. But ever since I made that mistake thinking he was one of the criminals, I have been careful about what I say.
Looking at me, Diesel replies, "It's no problem. I... was actually going to ask you the same question, but instead of Friday night I was going to say Thursday night, which is tomorrow."
"Oh... okay. We won't get to see each other till Saturday." I mumble this out loud without thinking.
Seeming surprised, Diesel prods, "You said that as if you would miss me."
Once he speaks those words, I finally admit the obvious to myself. Yes, I have feelings toward
Explaining this concept to you is too awkward. Why is my life so weird?
I once liked Diesel, the human. Then I met a pegacorn/alicorn. I started liking Walker more than the guy I had had a crush on for over a year. One night, I assumed that Walker was one of the men attempting to burn down Town Hall. Then I find out that the two people who I liked were actually the same person.
So now that I have felt these 'feelings' once more. One question stands in my mind. Do I like Diesel because of the human side of him or the mythical side?
Talking about feelings makes this sound like I'm writing a romance novel. Let's move on to better things...
I don't reply Diesel's words for a while. I finally let them drop when I continue on a different topic.
"So why do you have to skip tomorrow?" I randomly ask.
He snorts, "My parents are saying that I need more sleep. They think I'm staying up late on my phone too long."
I guess that means he hasn't told his parents about his huge secret yet.
"What's your reason for skipping out on Friday?" Diesel continues on.
Stuttering, I lower my head, "I invited some friends over. If I didn't come up with some normal activity, my parents would have suspected that something was up, because I do something with them about every week or two. I almost wasn't aloud to come out tonight. They think those crooks are getting too dangerous."
He sighs, "At least your parents know. They understand. You've been a griffin for so long. My parents would freak out if they knew about... this."
The town is beneath us by now. Not a single sound can be heard. No traffic or movement can be spotted.
Diesel starts once again, "Before I met you, I felt so odd and well..."
"Alone?" My heartbeat quickens.
"Yeah, but now I know that I'm not the only one. Thea, what if we aren't the only half human, half mythical creatures?"
"Could be true. I do wonder about that sometimes." I say nodding as I think back to all those times I had day dreamed about such possibilities.
Diesel being an alicorn proves that I am not the only half human creature. There could be countless possibilities; dragons, hippocampus, phoenixes, kelpies, mermaids, basilisks, kitsunes, and more.
My mind is diverted from its thoughts as I scan the town for any suspicious activity. Diesel and I separate to look over different sections of town. After twenty minutes we meet back up. Our results are the same; all is quiet, nothing bad happening.
"They don't seem to strike every night. I guess so that no one will guess when their next move will be. There were more police patrolling the roads tonight though." Diesel points out as we land near a secluded shore by the lake.
My landing is still rough, but at least it's not as bad as earlier. The ground on this side of the lake is soft and full of green life. Moss covers the soil from the trees all the way down to where the lake touches the land. Long weeds lazily float in the water. An earthy smell mixes with that of damp lake water. Not a single house or street light can be seen from our location. Faint streams of moonlight filter in through dense cloud cover. Crickets and other insects are singing in the woods behind us. We're currently facing the lake that is spread out in front of us.
Any lingering thoughts of our slow, unimpressive investigation leaves my mind.
Moments all alone like this is what I always long for. Night with its peaceful serenity and dark demeanor. No rush, no worry, no burden.
Everything is different out here in the woods at night. Nocturnal animals are the rulers, not humans. There's no hum of machinery or growl of car engines. Only the whispering breeze in the pines, the gentle lap of lake waves, the singing of insects and nighttime birds, and a restful state that hangs in the atmosphere.
I can tell that Diesel doesn't want to break the perfect silence. Neither do I.
The night is beautiful, but it can also be just as scary. Predators prowl through the underground and soar silently in the sky. Disturbing noises, yelps, screeches, howls, and creaking can be heard when least expected. Shadows can create your imagination's worst fear. Cold feelings overtake your senses uncontrollably. Uneasiness is a hard foe to fight against.
Yes, the night is both beautiful and scary.
After what feels like hours, but actually just ten minutes, I turn to look at Diesel who is staring out across the lake surface. His fangs are poking out beneath his lip. The two huge black wings on his shoulders are slightly spread open. Every single aspect about him easily keeps him camouflaged during the night.
Diesel notices me looking his way, and I immediately swivel my head in the opposite direction. My face would be blushing right now if I was in human form.
"It's getting late." I say before Diesel can start speaking.
He snorts as if he wants to object, but replies, "Yeah, I ought to get back so I can catch some sleep."
I turn away to prepare myself for take-off, and pause instead. There is something I want to say to Diesel. Should I just tell him or let it go? An internal argument starts and I eventually make a decision.
Going back to the pegacorn who has noticed my flight delay, I slowly start out, "Diesel... I never thanked you."
He tilts his head confused. The three foot spiraled horn moves with the gesture.
"Thank me for what, Thea?"
"For helping me overcome my dislike toward flying. I won't ever forget that."
"Oh, it was nothing." Diesel nonchalantly shrugs his wings, but I can tell that it means a lot to him.
He acts like the comment is nothing, but I see that unmistakable sparkle in his eyes. The way Diesel holds his posture says it all.
I smile and ask, "See you Saturday night?"
Nodding, Diesel answers with a smile as well, "I'll see you then, Thea."