The Freak (mxm)

Chapter 8: The Sad Clown

NOUR'S POV

There was something wrong with him. He needed to tell his older brother about it. amine

 would know what to do. Or maybe he could tell his mum. Yes, that would be a better idea. She had more experience, plus she kept telling him that he could always confide in her, as she wasn't one to judge. 

But how could he explain to her what was happening to him, when he didn't have a clue? He knew that teenagers were supposedly stronger than children and that your body changed once you hit puberty. He was twelve already, so it wasn't such a big surprise than he had been feeling different lately. However, there was no valid explanation for his quickly increasing strenght and physical skills. He was now able to catch rabbits without even trying, and he could see perfectly without his glasses. He was also pretty sure that he could defeat most grown-ups in a hand-to-hand combat. 

- Mum, he said, I think there's something wrong with me.

She finished folding the napkins then gave a warm smile to her youngest son. 

- There's nothing wrong with you sweetheart. 

- There is, he insisted. I am different from the other children and I'm afraid they will notice at some point. 

Her expression turned serious as she sat down on a chair and took his hand in her's . 

- Tell me what you think is wrong. 

- Promise you won't tell dad. 

- I promise.

__

He was now on a beach, one year later. A huge tsunami was coming their way but his parents were bickering and his feet wouldn't move. His mother and father were once again talking about him. His dad thought he should be kept on a leash at night, until he learned how to control his shifting. 

"We're lucky that his animal mostly lives during the night, his father said with an angry tone. If he had been a dog or a horse, our lives would have been even more complicated. Even though my son is a beast, at least he is a noctural one. Yay, lucky us! And don't look at me like that, honey, I'm only trying to protect him. Nour is different from his brother, it's time you accept it ."

"My son isn't a beast" her mum shrieked. "And I won't keep him in a cage like a goddamn hamster. What's the next step? Do you want to buy him a muzzle?"

"It's for his own good! Can't you see? If someone finds out, we could all be killed!"

"Mum", Nour said weakly. "We need to run. The wave is coming"

She turned and tried to tell him something but suddenly the wave was above them, in suspension in the air. He saw a woman with red hair and green eyebrows sitting on top of the wave. She looked at him with a bored expression and he saw her sharp teeth when she  hissed : "I know what I said. Did you really think I would keep my promise? You're so stupid, Nour, to believe in promises at your age. You're not in a fairy tale anymore. Welcome in adulthood, and good luck finding your brother." She started laughing and Nour suddenly realised with horror that her teeth were all red. He screamed. Amine.

Oh, God. What was that dream? It felt weird to see her again. When she died, I was happy to see her in my dreams, even though I always woke up crying. Now, I'm not so sure about it. Sometimes, I spend a whole day without thinking about my mother and I would prefer to keep it this way. It doesn't make me happy anymore to dream about her, just sad. I wish I could go back to the time when she was alive and I could just barge in Amine's bedroom and talk to him about anything for ages. The time without closed doors and resentments.