Animalistic

Thirteenth Year

>DG<
Wayne Manor, Gotham City
March 21, 2010

For the first time in my life, I'm very scared. Today is my thirteenth birthday, the last day of my freedom. The last day I'll get to see Brenna Wayne, my guardian since my parents died from falling off a high platform. The last day I'll get to see Jayson Todd, my adopted nine-year-old sister. The last day I'll get to have tea with Alfreda Pennyworth, the maid of the Wayne family. The last day of my time as a human...

Where are my manners? Hello, my name is Richelle Grayson, but everyone calls me Dixie or Dix. Like I said earlier, I'm thirteen years old as of today. In just five minutes, a white van will pull up in our driveway. It will be here for me, to take me to a place called the Animalistic Center, where I'll go through a transformation which will turn me into an animal-human hybrid. I have no idea what animal I'll change into, but I know the transformation will be painful and tortuous.

I hear a knock on my door. "Come in," I say. My voice cracks, but I'm too worried to care. Alfreda comes in, silver tray in hand. A cerulean bowl rests on the tray. Next to it is a spoon of the same color. She sets the tray down in front of me, and I peer into the bowl. Curry. My favorite Romani food.

I pick up the spoon with trembling fingers, scoop some curry from the bowl, lean over, blow the steam away, and slurp it up. "Miss Brenna and young Miss Jayson await your presence in the sitting room," Alfreda says as I continue to eat. I pause in my rating to glance at my clock. 11:55 am. Still five minutes left. I will use those five minutes to bid my family farewell.

I handed the tray back to Alfreda, who took it with one hand and used her free hand to help me up out of bed. We walked to the sitting room in silence. I glanced at the front door. A shiver goes down my spine, but the air is not even cold.

Brenna and Jayson are sitting on the couch. I glance at Brenna's pointed ears and bat wings. The Animalistic Center agents used to come to houses and inject you with a different colored serum, depending on what your personality showed your transformation to be. They would leave straight after. Brenna's personality was that of a bat's, and she was injected with a black serum. We don't know what Jayson will become, but I'm sure it'll be something fierce.

I look at the clock again. Somehow, it's still 11:55 am. I sit down on the coffee table and stare at the clock. I wonder what I will turn into. I think about the talk I had with Brenna yesterday.

I walked into the sitting room. Brenna was there, sitting on the couch. I sat down next to her. A moment of silence passed between us before I finally asked the question I had been dying to ask: "Brenna, what animal do you think I will turn into?"

She turned to me with a thoughtful look on her face. "I think you will be some kind of bird," she had said.

"Which bird?" I had asked.

"A robin redbreast."

"And why is that?"

"Because you act like one. With your soaring attitude and your hatred for being lonely and caged."

"Dixie?" A voice broke me from my thoughts. I looked up at the clock. It read 11:56 am. I turned to Brenna. "Yes?" I asked. "Are you nervous?" she asked. "Yes." I nodded. "Don't be," she said. "I'm sure you'll meet new people, new friends." I smiled at her.

A hard knock at the door wiped the smile from my face. The Animalistic Center agent was here to take me away. I looked at my sister, Jayson. She looked about ready to burst into tears, a rare thing. It breaks my heart that I'll have to say goodbye to her first. Alfreda went to the door.

11:57.

I grabbed Jayson and hugged her tightly, and she did the same. Tears were streaming down her face when we pulled apart. Seeing them made tears spill from my own eyes. I wiped hers away with my sleeve. "Shh," I said. "Don't cry, little sister. You'll see me again, in four years. I'll be alright.

"Don't cry," I said again. "I'll miss you," Jayson said. "I'll miss you, too," I replied. She hugged me again.

11:58.

I went to Brenna, who hugged me. I hugged back. "Be safe," she said. "Don't let anyone hurt you or your new friends. Okay?"

I nodded. "Take care of Jayson. I'll miss you so much, Brenna," I said. "I'll miss you, too, Dixie," she said.

11:59.

I went to the door. Alfreda was there. "I'll take care of Miss Brenna and Miss Jayson, Miss Dixie," she said before I could say a word. I nodded. "I'll miss you, Alfreda," I said, hugging her. "I'll miss you as well, madam," Alfreda said.

I walked out the door. "Dixie, wait!" I turned around to see Jayson standing there. She was holding my stuffed elephant, Zitka. "Brenna told me to give this to you," she said, handing it to me. "Bye, Dix." She hugged me a third time and ran back into the house.

12:00.

A man in a white suit stood in front of a white van. His nametag read "Simon" and he was very pale. His forehead was creased. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward. "My name is Simon," he said. "I'll be taking you to the Animalistic Center. Are you ready to go?"

I gave him a look and said, "No one is ready for the transformation." Simon chuckled before opening the door for me to get in. I stepped in and closed the door. Once he was in the driver's seat, we were off.

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So, this is my new book. I hope you guys enjoy it.