Twist of Fate: Part Three

Walking through the woods became a daily habit to relieve my constant frustrations. Each time I would travel a little farther, all the while making sure I knew my way back home. I encountered wild petpets and grew more as I reached longer distances. It was in those woods when that fateful day arrived. October 5th, 2005, I'll never forget it. An extraordinarily beautiful water faerie came floating down toward me, as if she were swimming in mid-air. She tucked her long golden hair behind her ear, and her aqua colored eyes gazed straight into mine. Then she whispered,

      “What do you long for, Fratimer? I can tell you are in agony. I wish to help you.”

      For a time I was mesmerized by her wonderful eyes. And when I finally heard what she was really saying, I looked down and thought to myself.

      “All I want,” I said, “all I want is to be like everyone else. I don't want people to turn away from me like I'm a monster! Please. Can you change me?” As she hovered there in front of me, she smiled so gently, it had calmed my bones like nothing else in the world. Finally, I thought. Here is my chance to be normal.

      “Are you sure?” she asked. “Once I do this, you can't go back to what you are now.”

      “Why would I ever want to go back to this?” I replied. “I doubt anything you could do could be worse than this shell of a krawk.”

      “Alright,” she said. “But I have warned you.” Then she leaned over, and kissed me on the nose ever so slightly. A cold feeling rushed over me. I could sense the change happening throughout my being, and it was such an amazing experience. When it finally ended, I thought something was wrong. I didn’t feel any different. I felt a small tear form behind my eye and trickle down the side of my cheek.

      “Oh my,” the faerie finally said.

      “These must be tears of joy,” I quickly told her. I didn't want her to fret; she was my newfound hero. Though, for some reason, I had no sense of happiness at all. In fact it felt like all the sadness in the world was resting on my small, small shoulders.

      “I'm so sorry,” she said to me.

      “Please don’t be sorry!” I pleaded with her, “You've helped me for the better!”

      “No, Fratimer. Here,” she pulled out a mirror, “this should help make sense for everything you’re feeling right now.”

     When I put it up to my face, I immediately knew what she meant.

      Grey. It's what I literally became. It looked like I’d been crying all my life. Actually, I wasn't really surprised. My whole life being mutant was the central source of my sadness. Maybe the magic of the faerie read my heart and gave me what I truly deserved. Perhaps if I were more happy with myself I would have become something great and magnificent. Instead I let my weakness get the best of me, and karma would show me what it's really like to feel depression. I guess every Krawk needs to learn from his mistakes.

      When I finally came home, Manda looked at me and gasped. Just what I needed after hitting a new down. Not that I didn’t expect this reaction though.

      “Oh Fratimer, what's happened?” She quickly wrapped her arms around me.

      “A faerie tried to help me,” I told her.

      “The fountain faerie?” she asked me. “Must’ve been, she's the only one who has the powers to change you this way.” She looked at me up and down, and wiped the tear that fell from my eye.

     I sighed deeply.

      “I guess so.” I had no reason to be this depressed, and yet I felt like it was the only way to ever feel. Though it did help whenever Manda would hug me. It gave me a light shimmer of hope that someday, everything would be okay as long as her arms were here to hold me.

      Sitting in my lonely after Manda had left to make dinner, I had more time to think about everything that happened. Vainglory’s abuse, the cruel whispers behind my back, teachers turning a blind eye to it all. There was no coincidence why the fountain faerie’s magic turned me grey. My new experiences certainly have influenced why I am the way I am. Now I fully understood the meaning of sadness. I couldn’t help the feeling, and I knew it wouldn’t go away unless I did something about it. With such a heavy burden though, how will I ever change it? I thought.

      Shortly after my deep thoughts had ended, my sister Chichi came home in her typical black cloak and walked right past me as usual. She put her books on the table and strode towards the living room. But as she reached the doorway leading in she turned around and looked straight at me (so maybe she did notice me all along).

      “Who are you?” she asked indignantly. She spoke to me as if I were some stranger caught red-handed burglarizing her home.

      “It’s me,” I said, and I realized my new form had her confused, although she regularly visited the lab ray and changed her shape more often than not.

      “Fratimer?” she asked. “What happened to you! Did you visit the Mad Scientist?! I told you he was really...”

      “No,” I interrupted her. “The fountain faerie found me today, and changed me.”

     Chichi stood motionless for a few seconds. I could see her surprised expression through her hood.

      “Huh,” was all she said at first. “Go figure, all this changing I do, and she gets to you before me. What is up with Neopia!” And she continued to her room to do Fyora knows what. Chichi could be pretty rude at times, and is pretty wild minded. But her free spirit makes her a stronger person, and I respect her for that. If only she made it seem like she was there more, maybe we’d have a better relationship.

      Vachello finally came in from frolicking in the grass behind the house. He looked at me and cocked his head to the side, his little pink tongue hung at the side of his mouth.

      “Fratimer!” he shouted, and he walked up next to me and gave me a bear hug. I smiled a little on the inside. Vachello always brought the happiness out of me. His soft plush around me had to be the best feeling in the world.

      “Thank you Vachello, at least you remember me,” I said a little down. My voice had changed after the transformation.

      “Love!” he exclaimed, putting my face in his little plushie claws. And he nuzzled his nose against mine.

      “I love you too; now go back and play before Mom makes you come in.”

      He yelped a little and ran back out to play in the setting sun. He tended to run around aimlessly without a care in the world. He’s all stuffing for brains (no pun intended), and usually does something to prove so. If Manda didn’t give him Buttons (his plushie Dragoyle) I honestly don’t know where he would be right now. Buttons is his guardian, in a way, watching his every step. He’s one very frustrated petpet, but anyone can tell he genuinely cares.

      I had enough sitting there thinking of yesterdays, and what everything used to be. Instead, I went back to my familiar room and lay down on my bed. Looking up at the ceiling, I suddenly realized, I can go back to school. I no longer look like a freak. Life was starting to look up, and yet all I could do was to continue looking down.

      Morning finally came. Manda opened my door and peered in.

      “So,” she said. “Is school finally an option? I understand if you need time to adjust to your new look, but you never know...”

      “I want to go,” I replied, “and I’m sorry if I sound so gloomy; I can’t help it.”

      “I know,” Manda said. “I guess I’ll have to get used to it, eh?” As she left she shut the door behind her.

      I wish my sadness didn’t have to rub off on everyone in the house, but they did put up with it, and that’s all I could ask for.

      I walked with Chichi once again down that familiar road, and my heart raced like it had that second day. As we approached the gates, I seen all those familiar faces. It scared me to wonder what would happen when they’d see mine...

To be continued...