Everpure

by Michelle Areaux

  “We are,” I agreed.

  “What about Maddox?” Melanie asked, as she turned so I could try on the dress.

  “What about him?” I asked, as I shimmied the dress over my head.

  “Well, I mean… you don’t ever think you and Maddox would ever become a couple?” she asked.

  I sighed as I turned to face them. We had been over this a million times. “Maddox and I are best friends. He dates more girls than I can even keep track of, and I am in love with Asher,” I said, as I spun around in the full-length mirror in front of me.

  Both girls stopped talking and smiled at my reflection in the mirror. “Elle, that is perfect,” Melanie stated, with a gasp.

  “Yes, Asher did a good job,” Laura agreed.

  I stared at the girl in front of me and I almost didn’t recognize her. Sure, my long, brown hair was the same, but in the dress, I looked poised… Elegant… Classic-- All of the things that I wish I truly were, but the things Asher sees in me and the qualities I wish I truly possessed.

  Neither girl brought up the silly topic of me and Maddox again and I was thankful. Once we paid for our gowns, we stopped at the coffee shop to get hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. As we sat there talking, I could feel eyes on me from a distance.

  “Elle, what are you looking at?” Melanie asked, as she noticed me staring at the park across the street.

  “Nothing,” I said, as I shook my head and took another sip of my hot chocolate

  The Huntress, who had just been sitting on one of the snow-covered benches, had been watching me with an evil scowl on her bitter face. I had smiled and watched rage fill her until she jumped up and ran off. I knew better than to think I could go anywhere without her being somewhere nearby.

  Since the Huntress had returned, or I guess, confronted me again since she never really left, I had been keeping my eyes and ears open at all times. I had relied on my animal senses to track her like my prey. The Huntress had convinced the pack that she had left Shady Oaks, hoping we would let our guard down so she could attack. I had been keeping my eyes and ears open at all times and was not surprised when she confronted me twice recently. She was going to attack. That was certain. When and where I was unsure. But, I wouldn’t have to worry much longer. My plan would outsmart her, or it would kill me in the end.

  Chapter 18

  The next two weeks flew by with school, work, and hanging out with my friends. Even though we had been out of school due to the massive snow storm that took over our town, school was out for a few more days so we could all celebrate Christmas or other important holidays. Instead of having a large gathering, my family opted to hold a small family Christmas. We exchanged gifts under the magic of our lighted Christmas tree, drank hot chocolate as we listened to old Christmas songs on the radio, and ate our weight in sugar cookies. I knew once Christmas was over, everyone would be back on high-alert. I tried to enjoy the short-lived holiday and the joy it brought me. But, I couldn’t let my heart or mind forget my ultimate plan.

  The day after Christmas, my dad had called a special meeting to take place the following Thursday evening. It couldn’t have been better timing since the dance was the next day on Friday.

  Maddox and Asher would be there, so that brought me some comfort but still, the days leading up to the meeting seemed to pass by at a snail's pace. It seems as though the clocks were all set to move slower than usual. When the day finally arrived, my parents were even more anxious than they had been all week.

  Cars could be heard down the street as they approached our house. My dad hadn’t told me the need for the meeting, only that my presence would be required.

  I didn’t need to hear what the meeting would be about. If Asher’s words were true, which I had no doubt they were, this was a meeting about my gift.

  As members of the pack began to congregate around our living room, I felt all eyes on me. My eyes found their way to my dad's and the look of worry etched on his face had my anxiety rising.

  “Thank you all for coming tonight. We have been discussing different tactics on how to handle the Huntress and her army if by chance they decide to return and whether Elle’s new gift is a power source for our pack,” he finished, with a slight grunt.

  At the mention of my name, I felt my stomach drop. I should have been crying and pleading with my family to forgive me as I divulge the secret that I had been hiding, but I still couldn’t do that-- yet.

  Turning, Greg addressed me. “Elle, have you been able to shift into any other forms?” he asked, as though he were asking me a simple math equation.

  I shook my head no, as words seemed to escape me in that moment.

  “Asher. Maddox. Have either of you seen her shift into other forms?” Greg asked both boys.

  “No, only the Huntress the night we showed you,” Asher said, as he stepped up from the back of the room. He moved to my side and took my hand in his.

  “Elle would tell you if she had. What is going on here? We are a pack. A family. Why does this feel like something else is going on?” Maddox sneered, as he talked to Greg.

  I wanted to shake him and remind him that he was talking to an elder of our pact, but it was of no use. Maddox was stubborn and did what he wanted. Much like myself.

  “Maddox, you do not speak to an elder that way,” Maddox’s dad bellowed from across the room.

  “No, he’s right,” I stated, as I finally found my voice. “Why are we here?”

  There was a sudden quiet that took over the room. It was eerie and presented a bigger dilemma than I had expected. Someone was lying to us.

  Finally, my dad began to speak again. “Elle, your gift is more like magic than a power. It has been hundreds of years since a shifter of your kind has lived. We need to know what all you can shift into so that we can see how powerful you are. Most of us here can shift into various forms of animals. Me, I shift into wolves, crows, snakes, and even bears. But another human? That hasn’t been seen in a very, very long time. If needed, we would need to know how far your shifting moves to other forms. It could be the way to save yourself and future Shifters,” he finished.

  My mind was reeling. This wasn’t at all what I thought they had brought me here for. I thought for a moment I was in trouble. That maybe, someone had seen the Huntress and knew I had too. Instead, they were trying to help me use my new gift or power to save myself and future Shifters.

  “No, I have not shifted into her. Truthfully, I only think I did because I was so angry, and I had just looked at her. Her image was etched into my memory. I’m not sure if I can do it again,” I said honestly.

  “Elle, we need you to try to shift again. It can be any object or animal, but we need to see what else you can do,” my dad stated.

  “Why? If I can shift into a wolf, that makes me more deadly and powerful than a human. What does it matter if I can shift into other forms?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer to my own question.

  “Elle, if you can manipulate the mind of humans, you can be a more powerful asset to the shifts and more otherworldly creatures. If you can use your mind to shift into objects that could disguise yourself, you could hide from enemies,” Greg spoke up, as he nodded to my dad for approval.

  “Or, she could use that manipulation to kill her enemies,” Maddox spoke as he eyed me suspiciously.

  I didn’t like the way he was looking at me. He was trying to read into my mind and soul, to figure out if I had a plan I wasn’t telling him about. I had to put on my best poker face and learn from the pack.

  “Yes, that is true, Maddox. However, that is not our goal here,” my dad began as he, too, looked at Maddox. “Our goal is to keep Elle and the rest of us safe from Hunters.”

  “How do you suggest we figure out if I can do this or not?” I asked, realizing we were just spinning in circles with our talking.

  “We go test her powers,” my dad stated as he raised his hands and motioned for everyone to follow us outside.

  We all followe
d suit as my dad led us outside and into the sacred woods beside my house. Once we were inside the vast forest, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Not from the cold air, but from my own trepidation of what I was about to discover about myself. Being a shifter meant I never truly knew myself. I was constantly evolving and learning new things about me that I never knew. That notion was both exciting and terrifying.

  Once we were all settled into the woods, my dad turned to me. “Elle, I want you to focus all of your energy on something inside these woods. It is in these woods where we gain our most valuable sources and it is these woods that we are most safe and free,” he said with power ringing from his words.

  Everyone nodded in agreement as they watched me carefully. I felt like I was on display and that made me nervous.

  “I don’t like everyone staring at me,” I mumbled, as I tried to find something to focus on.

  “Just ignore the rest of us. Everyone be silent,” my dad commanded.

  I tried to push away all sounds around me as I evened my breathing and tried to focus on one object, but it was difficult. After a few minutes, I felt frustrated.

  “This isn’t going to work,” I stated flatly.

  “You just have to focus,” my mom prompted soothingly.

  “I am focused, but this isn’t how it happened last time,” I sighed.

  “She can’t do it again. I think it was just a fluke. She isn’t strong enough,” Maddox said, as he rolled his eyes.

  Anger began to grow deep inside of me as his words took over my mind. How dare him say I wasn’t strong enough? “Shut up, Maddox,” I seethed.

  “It’s fine, Elle. So, you shifted into the Huntress once. Big deal. We need another plan,” he groaned, as he began walking away from me.

  I felt the wind begin to pick up around me as trees began to dance in their breeze. I felt like I was going to erupt like a volcano as I watched Maddox give up on me. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I was strong. I was powerful. Just like these woods. I was more than he was giving me credit for and I felt like I needed to erupt to avenge my own honor. Closing my eyes, I fought back tears of hurt and anger as I tried to see the woods around me. This was my safe place to be free from the outside world. This was where I belonged. This is what I was.

  Suddenly, I began to hear gasps around me as the wind died down. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see shock and bewilderment staring back at me on the faces of the pack and Asher’s family.

  “Why are you all looking at me like that?” I asked.

  “Elle…” my dad began but he couldn’t speak. A large smile spread across his face as he stared at me.

  Glancing down, I realized why they were staring at me. I wasn’t human anymore, nor was I a beast. I had shifted into a large oak tree. My body was made from a beautiful brown bark and strong limbs stuck out of me and stretched up to the sky.

  “Elle, this is amazing,” Asher said, as his eyes were as big as saucers.

  “I knew you could do it,” Maddox smirked from behind his family.

  It was then that I realized Maddox had never given up on me; instead he knew what to do to help me shift. I had been angered when I had shifted into the Huntress before. Her image had been locked in my mind and with my growing tension, I had used that to shift. Maddox had caused me to draw in my own anger plus the comfort of the woods; that was how I shifted. I had to become that object in order to shift into it.

  “Elle, you are very powerful. You have a gift that can save yourself and the pack,” Greg chimed in as he began to clap.

  Everyone around me erupted in cheers and applause as they stared at me with a happy disbelief.

  If it were true, that I held a power to save myself and the ones I loved most-- then that was exactly what I planned to do.

  Chapter 19

  My parents spent the evening gushing over me and my new gift. I too, had been stunned at what I was capable of doing, but I knew that this was a gift to be used only when necessary. Their words stuck with me all night and gave me the additional strength and motivation I needed to take on the next day. Even now, as I prepare for a monumental day in my life, their words are still ingrained in my mind.

  “Elle, we want you to know that we are very proud of you,” my dad had said, as he and my mom walked into my bedroom. Sitting down on my chair by my desk, he sighed, as a smile formed on his face.

  “Thanks dad,” I had said. “But, I didn’t really do anything to be proud of,” I finished.

  Walking over to my bed, my mom sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Elle, what you did tonight was amazing. It took a lot of courage and strength that many Shifters, including your father and I, do not possess.”

  “It’s all still so confusing,” I admitted, as I looked at both my parents.

  “Good news is, you have many years to learn more about your gift,” my dad said.

  I thought about those words- many years. If Asher and I ever decided to change me… my power to shift could transform the way people viewed Hybrids as well as Shifters and Vampires.

  The next day, I awoke to the bright sunlight filtering in through my bedroom window. It was Friday and the Winter Formal Dance would be held this evening. With my dress hanging in my closet and my mom prepared to fix my hair and makeup, I knew that tonight would be a magical night in more ways than one.

  Rushing down the stairs, I was excited to get to school and get the day over with. I wasn’t typically the girl who enjoyed getting ready for dances or parties, but I was ready for this one.

  “Elle, you are up early for school,” my mom noted, as she walked out of her bedroom as I made it to the bottom of the stairs. Tying the robe around her waist, she smiled at me.

  “Today is going to be crazy and I am just so excited to get to school,” I said, as I stood at the bottom step and talked as she walked down toward me.

  “Elle is there anything else that might have you excited about today?” she asked, hinting about the dance tonight.

  “Yes, mom. I am excited about the dance, too,” I added.

  “Great. Let’s get you fed and then off to school,” she beamed, as she rushed past me and into the kitchen.

  I followed behind her, as I heard my dad coming out of their bedroom upstairs. I turned on the small television in the kitchen and began watching the morning news. We were expecting one more small snow storm starting tonight.

  I ate my breakfast as my parents continued to gush over my new powers. Truth be told, I was pretty impressed with myself, too; however, this new power scared me. I wasn’t sure when I should try to use it-- especially since it required me to become livid in order to work. Shifting into a wolf was easy; it was like an animal instinct that was born with me, but this new idea of shifting into objects just felt strange.

  The rest of the day went on as usual. At school, no one was focused on academics as all of our minds were on the evening dance and party. Sure, most students would go to the dance, but the big excitement was over the after parties that everyone was sure to be found at. I, on the other hand, had my own after party planned.

  When it was finally time to get ready, my mom began preparing me for my night out. Fixing my hair in soft curls, she added just a touch of make-up that allowed me to keep my natural look. Asher was picking me up, and I wanted to make sure everyone liked my dress. So once my mom helped me get it on, I made her go downstairs and wait with my dad.

  Hearing Asher’s car pull up in our driveway had my heart fluttering a million miles an hour. I was so nervous for so many reasons that I could barely count them all.

  “Elle, Asher is here,” my mom called up to me, with excitement dripping from her voice.

  I took in a deep breath as I looked at myself one last time in the mirror before opening my bedroom door and making my way to the stairs.

  As I rounded the corner, I heard the gasps of my dad and Asher and a smile stretched along my face. Standing at the bottom of the stairs with my parents was the most breathtaki
ngly beautiful human...Vampire I had ever laid my eyes on.

  Asher was dressed in a gray suit with a red tie that matched the color of my dress. His hair was spiked at the top and gave him a classic, yet modern look. He looked exactly as though I pictured he would-- only more handsome.

  With each step I took down the stairs, I felt like I was moving in slow motion. Part of me wanted to race down those steps and leap into his arms while another part of me wanted to continue moving slow so I could savor this moment and how Asher looked… forever.

  When I finally made it to the bottom, my mom was busy taking pictures while my dad tried to fight back the tears I saw forming in his eyes.

  “You kids look great,” he said, proudly.

  “Thanks, dad,” I beamed at him, while my mom continued to play photographer.

  “Just a few more pictures and then you can go,” she demanded.

  Asher and I smiled to one another before turning and allowing my mom to continue taking our photos. Leaning in close, my heart skipped a beat as he was so near me. “You are the most magnificent thing I have ever seen in my lifetime,” he said, for only my ears to hear.

  I smiled and just stared at him with love and admiration.

  Everything that would transpire tonight would be for him and everyone else I loved.

  ***

  “Are you alright?” Asher asked, as he took my hand in his and led me toward the school.

  Loud music could be heard blaring from outside the building. The parking lot was full, save for a few students who were showing up late to the party like us.

  Squeezing Asher’s hand, I forced a smile. “Yes, I am perfect. I am just hoping Maddox found a date,” I teased.

  Knowing Maddox had probably found several dates, both Asher and I laughed at my joke as we walked into the school. We followed the sounds of voices and music to the gym where we were greeted with a winter wonderland. Stepping through the threshold to the gym, we walked through silver streamers and past large puffs of what looked like fake snow. The entire room was covered in fake snow as twinkling lights were hanging from above. Tables were nestled in the corners of the room with white and silver flowers scattered about the tops. Students were already dancing to the music playing from the DJ, and I took in the scene before me with awe. The school had done a great job of poking fun of the storm that had kept the dance away from us, but still used the magic of the winter landscape to make the room feel enchanted.