Shepherd: An Autobiography (Ongoing)

Monkeying Around

          Gabriel and I hang out for a few more hours, not as long as we would've done over the summer. Curfew is something my parents are strict about around school time. So 8:30 is when we have to part ways. We usually just go to his house before then, but today his parents wanted him to come back home sooner. Part of me misses his radiant energy and the other half is feeling the weight of social interaction lift off of her shoulders.
          But still...I hate his guts. For various reasons. We've just grown more combative and distant since he's been trying to get with this girl. She's cool and all, don't get me wrong, but he is so immature when it comes to females it's not even funny. Gabriel has consistently tried to get with this girl for the past two months. I told him a while ago that they don't have a vibe, that it's not going to go anywhere. Him being the Capricorn that he is, he's persistent.
          Naively, annoyingly, persistent. He never listens to me nowadays.
         
         
         
           At seven, all of the family is back inside and Jacqueline just exploded. To put it simply, she told everyone what had happened a few hours earlier while we were eating dinner. Who brings up your daughter's murderous possessed dagger that almost killed her during dinner? The one and only Jacqueline.
          I choke on my pasta as she does so, having a whole asphyxiation session in the background. Once she finishes (with an obnoxiously large grin), Aldo comes to the table, "You suicidal, Nio?" He says this with a smile on his face, jokingly. And as I try to protest, he raises his voice saying, "OOOOOHHH, she suicidal!" Then he stops and I take my chance.
          "Look, I don't know why it did what it did, all I know is that Jacqueline couldn't figure out what was going on and I almost died. So I did nothing wrong as far as I'm concerned." Mom and Dad look at me in a state of amused confusion.
          For some odd reason, Michael jumps into the conversation, "Wow, Nio can't even control her powers."
          "Michael, shut your face, you can't even use your telekinesis yet. If ever."
          "Oh my gosh, you're such a doodiehead Nio."
          "Well you shouldn't have tried me, idiot."

          "That's enough both of you; neither of you are perfect at being Divine." Mom says; she doesn't like it when I bring up Michael's delay.
          He's been a little behind his whole life since the nurses and doctors at the hospital fucked up the pregnancy. If I'm being honest, I don't think he'll ever be a full Divine. Oh, and he's definitely gay, I mean flamboyantly gay. Or at least bisexual. All I know is that as he goes into puberty, we'll see. Never too early, to be honest. Especially when your family is Christian and Republican (*intense sarcasm*). They'll still love him but I'll be the only one who can understand him, given that the age I'm growing up in is very used to that kind of stuff.
          Dad pauses the news they were watching and looks over at Jacqueline, "Are you sure you couldn't see anything? Nothing at all?"
          Jac nods, "It was just dark and absent. I think Nio is a sociopath, honestly."
          I roll my eyes, "We have already been over this, I'm not a sociopath, I'm a highly functioning psycopath. Maybe you just couldn't understand what you were seeing."
         "Nah, I know what I saw, darkness and void. But, I was deep in your subconscious. Whatever is down there, shouldn't have affected your Manifests."
          "How about we just get off of why it happened? As of right now, we don't know and won't know anytime soon. But to check if it's an actual issue, I can Manifest right now."
          There is a moment of silence, save for Michael and Joseph's antics, then Dad nods, "Great idea, Nio, do it now."
          I get up and step away from the table. Aldo and Jac back away from me as I do so. Breathing in deeply, I concentrate on the desire to create something, anything. As long as it doesn't threaten my life. Joseph and Michael watch in awe like they always do, trying to copy me and giggling.
Ribbons of shattered light circle around my hands, causing tiny rainbows to be scattered across the living room and kitchen. After a few moments, the light dissipates and I open my eyes to my family's laughter. Looking down, I see a cute little monkey.
          A freaking monkey. I mean, I can't Manifest life so it's just a figurine, but still, why? Just why?
          "How do you go from a knife, to a monkey, Niombe?" My sister is cackling like a witch with the rest of my family and I can't help but join in. A monkey is way better than a dagger; this is the kind of relief I need right now.

           Once the night died down and everyone went their separate ways, I did too, taking my new friend with me. Locked up in the various bedrooms around the house, my family was asleep in no time. I, on the otherhand, have insomnia. So what is sleep, really? For me, it's about a five hour long "nap", if I'm lucky. School is tomorrow and I have to get up at 5:30. But if I'm being honest with myself, I never wake up that early; hence my chronic tardiness. It's quite embarrassing really, my house is right beside the bus stop and yet, I still miss it at least three times every month.
          Tonight will be different though, I have nothing that can keep me up...except for that monkey. Glancing over to my nightstand, I can see it gleaming in the lamplight. Its eyes subtly mocking me; just a cute little reminder that I am mentally screwed up. Too cozy in my sheets to get up, I levitate it towards me. It's cool to the touch and reflects tiny rainbows over my face and the mint green walls of my room. I turn it over in my hands. It's like holding crystallized cellophane. Hmm, first impressions: I must be all over the place in the back of my mind, as wild as a monkey. Right? Ugh, I don't know how to do this interpretation thing.
          Letting out a long groan, I turn off my lamp and turn on my alram clock. My TV has been playing one of my favorite gamers gameplays in the background; I'm still too distracted to focus on it. That damn chimp. I let the Manifest hover in the air for a little bit then put it on the shelf with the others. Plopping my head back onto my pillow, I let the voices from the TV lull me to sleep.