My Truth

     I can remember my first day at Neoschool, it was a disaster and even the pets from the pound mocked me, they called me teacher's pet, and mummy's little Usul. I was an outcast from day one, then of course my owner got a fountain faerie quest, she completed it but left me before painting me. It was then that I went to the Fountain Faerie and begged her to paint me, especially as my owner had left but completed the quest. She agreed to paint me shadow even though it isn't a usual colour for Usuls, but somehow I had convinced her I needed to keep hidden, away from prying eyes, hiding in the shadows.

     The following day I went back to school where they taunted me for being abandoned on the streets, instead of the pound. The names hurt at first and one is especially painful. A young golden Gelert shouted down the corridor,

     "Hey look guys, it's the Shadow Usul, look she's even weird in colour!" The others laughed at me along with him. Silent tears had rolled down my dark cheeks, my yellow eyes glaring back, they were frightened at my glare but I was crying and ran from the school, never to return.

     I sat in the bushes for weeks, knowing I was slowly going to starve to death, I never thought of stealing anything but slowly hunger did the thinking, and I did less. It happened in the early morning, a young Neopian was running through the rain past the bush where I sat, wet and feeling generally sorry for myself. He dropped his wallet in the mud and as I thought about shouting to him a little voice said in the back of my mind.

     "Go on, keep it, you need it more than him," I bit my lip and picked the muddy wallet from the puddle and staring at it, not sure of what to do. Eventually I laughed menacingly and pushed the wallet into a dark crevice in the earth.

     I soon learnt it was easier to dig and live underground, cover by undergrowth my hiding is well hidden where I keep stashes of treasure and belongings. Now don't get me wrong I didn't steal from everybody, the first time was an incident, I didn't mean it to happen, but after that I only stole from those who deserved it, starting with the young golden Gelert…

     It was a dark windy night and I hovered around his home, watching and waiting, I saw him leave the home and darted quickly in front of his path, and before he knew what was happening I had his wallet and was back into the bushes.

     "SHADOW USUL!" he screamed, I hadn't thought he would react like this, he recognised me obviously but that name still hurt and I cowered in the bushes for hours afterwards. I didn't know what to do; my name, well not my name but what they called me was soon a whisper of the streets of Neopia. Many people were offering rewards to get me behind bars and off the streets. I hid mostly during the day, and I soon found myself hungry once more, except this time I couldn't go to shops. I took to stealing food, and later expensive items, anything that could help me I took. I didn't mean to get out of control, I really didn't.

     It was years since my owner had left me, but her face haunted my dreams and her voice echoed through my mind, screaming in dreams. I found it hard to sleep. It was then I knew it was her, a girl with a Lupe, she was scowling and still held the same expressions she used to use at me, I cowered back into my burrow, knowing that I had a sibling, knowing that she wouldn't recognise the perfect pet, because I had turned into a monster.

     I tried to stop but slowly starved once more, I realised that to survive I must carry on and steal from innocent passers-by. More people were out at night, searching the bushes with flaming torches and shouting long into the night, it was only a matter of time before they found me. I ran through the open fields, running from the shouts, the screams and I saw the torches gather around the bush where my burrow was situated. The gasps as they drew paintbrushes from my stash and wallets, they were just as bad, they kept the treasure for themselves, taking as much as their grubby, greedy hands could carry.

     "Ha-ha!" I turned and sat like a Snowbunny in torchlight as the flickering flames shined close to my body, I was shaking, scared out of my wits. A man stood holding his blazing torch dangerously close; I was rooted to the spot as he shouted to his companions who were running across the field with a net. I managed to free my frozen body and glared at the man before swiftly darting across the grass.

     I panted for breath at the edge of the dirt track, glancing back at the groups of blazing torches searching, the lupes howling into the night as I stood, weary and alone…

     I wanted to cry, I felt like I had done all those years ago, when I was taunted and sad, and still alone. I wanted to run, run for eternity, run as far as I could. I fell to the floor crying and I heard the barks echoing through the silence, shouts and screams and blazing torches ran through my mind as I picked myself up and ran tearful through the forest.

     I came upon a small cottage and a woman gave me a second chance, adopting me and caring for me, I would have stayed there forever, I was improving day by day. Though one chilly night a knock was heard upon the door and the mob had found me at last, I stumbled through the window and promised to return but I didn't, I couldn't, never again. That's where I am today, not long since left my final home, darting and running from fear itself, the Shadow Usul that's all I am, and all I'll ever be. It's too late to hope for my recovery now, I hope the children that taunted me are happy, are happy they have created a monster. A thief, a shadow lurking thief.

The End