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“I’m extremely sorry to inform you…but you can’t have a child. You are sterile Mrs. Lake. I’m sorry.” – those words broke her.
“A-are you sure…? I-I mean…” – she stuttered.
“Yes, we ran several tests and all showed this. If I may suggest several other options…” – the doctor continued but she turned him out.
Soon after their visit her relationship with Jim got worse and worse. He began drinking, coming home late at night and they argued often. The day Barbara caught him cheating with some blonde woman, she got mad and chased him away. A month later they were divorced and he never came back.
Barbara was a lone and working woman. She had become a doctor and worked in the local hospital. Despite Arcadia being the place where her life went downhill, she still loved the place and stayed in her house, now feeling emptier than ever. Yes, her parents visiting from time to time helped, but it was still lonely. Her friends wanted her to go out with them and try dating again but even after 6 months, her divorce with Jim was a sore topic for her.The slightly chilly spring air blew inside her car from the open window. She was coming home from a late shift. She looked at her watch, it said 1:25 in the night. She groaned a bit and focused back on the road, she didn’t want to crash after all. Soon she reached her home and parked the car. As she was exiting the vehicle, she heard the familiar clanking of a trashcan.“Damn raccoons…” – she murmured and locked her car door.Barbara silently crept towards the side of the house, from where the noise came. As she suspected, the can was toppled, trash spilled around. She had to clean this up BEFORE getting her much needed sleep. She took her phone out and lit the place with the flashlight.“Yup, with light it looks even worse…”She scanned the area and suddenly she noticed the lid, it was bent and parts of it were missing, as if something had clawed and BIT its way in. It was a bit scary considering it was made from metal. She heard rustling from plastic wrappers from inside the toppled can, whatever had done this, might as well still be in. She took the first thing she could, a broom she used to swipe outside her home, and quietly approaching the trashcan. When the light shined at the open part, whatever had been it was startled, the metal was hit and several wrappers and plastic bottles were pushed out as the thing scrambled deeper in the trashcan and tried to hide from the light.“Hisss!” – it hissed but it was strange, not a cat, in fact it didn’t sound like anything she had heard.“I don’t think this is a raccoon.”She braced herself and turned off the flashlight, only leaving moonlight and street lamps to dimly illuminate the yard. She pocketed her phone and noticed the slight rattling and trembling from the trashcan disappear. She stepped closer and circled so she could have a clear view of the inside. She waited and waited…. slight rustling made her tense as whatever was in started to move out. Her breath stopped and she was paralyzed.‘Those eyes…’She first saw a pair of big, round blue eyes, just so, so similar to her own. Those eyes couldn’t possibly belong to some wild animal, they were too human.‘Can it actually be…?!’“Come here little guy, girl?” she questions herself rather than what she thought was a child “C’mere, I won’t hurt ya.” – she caught herself before she started making the same noise she does with stray cats.Soon a child comes out but it’s not what she expected. Yes, it was a child, but it DIDN’T look human. She couldn’t tell the colors too well because of poor light, but the child was young. Probably no older than year- year and a half by the size. Its hair looked like a mane, had patches of fur over its body, dark skin and she swore there were razor sharp teeth in its mouth and pointy ears.She didn’t know what happened exactly after seeing the strange child. Was it her doctor’s training, her motherly instinct or even some other force, but she had reached for the child. It sniffed her and allowed her to hold it. It snuggled in her arms as she brought it inside the house.She left him on the couch and quickly left her things in the hallway. The child sure was stranger when she turned on the lights. At first he struggled, as if it would hurt him but calmed down soon. She looked him over but he wasn’t hurt anywhere. She got spooked when he started eating a fountain pen, so she decided to make him some food.‘I should probably wait for his parents? to come… but he needs to eat. He probably went to the trash to look for food.’“Wait here little guy. I’m gonna make you something.”She went to make some puree from the fruit she had but was stopped when she heard the sound of clanking kitchenware. Barbara quickly turned around and just in time to see the boy take a bite from a big spoon.“What are you doing?!”He jumped up from the loud noise, quickly swallowed and tried to crawl away but she grabbed him before he could fall off the counter. She carefully examined his mouth.“There’s no bleeding… I know I shouldn’t be doing this but…”She placed him back on his spot and offered him a whole egg and the spoon handle. The boy shoved the egg and spoon in his mouth, chewed them up, some of the egg leaking from his mouth, and swallowed. He then licked his lips and yawned a bit.She tried feeding him whole fruit, seeing that he could bite through metal and probably other things, but he didn’t eat anything else, even a spork she offered him.“I guess you are full…” – she glanced at him as she bit into an apple.“Ahah gah!” – he said while making the ‘I want up’ gesture.“OK, Ok. I got it.” She took him in her arms and slightly cringed at the smell “You may need a bath, but I need sleep, so I guess it’ll have to wait.”She went to bed but not before opening a window in case the small guy wanted out and wiped hum with a wet towel just to be safe. Then, she fell asleep like a log on her bed, not waking up even when the small boy nestled next to her.…………………………………………………Barbara woke up as the sun shone in her eyes. As she came to her senses, she felt something next to her. It was relatively small, heavy and a bit cool to the touch. Cracking open an eye, she saw the child.“I guess it wasn’t a dream.”She stretched her arm and took her phone from the nightstand. She messaged the hospital that she wouldn’t be able to come due to an emergency.‘I’ve never taken a single day off these past months, so they can’t say anything. Moreover, this IS an emergency!’The boy stirred and opened his eyes to look at her. Those blue eyes made her heart melt and breath stop.“What am I going to do with you?” – she asked herself.…………………………………………………..Breakfast was hectic. The kitchen was a mess. She managed to feed him 2 boiled eggs (with shells) a burned toast and some uncooked bacon. He also tried cereal and liked it, by him shoving his face in her bowl. She had to bathe him after that and feed him again. Apparently babies can sometimes barf if they eat too much.The whole day she stayed home and waited for someone, possibly the boy’s mother to come for him. There was no way a toddler, much less some beast make a cloth diaper. She waited but no one came. The boy fell asleep again as the time drew closer to noon. She noticed how he avoided the sun and concluded that he’s either nocturnal, afraid of the sun or both. She covered him with a blanket and a few pillows as he slept on the sofa.“Phew! Now this is intense.” – she looked at him and smiled.Without meaning to, she got attached to the boy, she even doubted that she would be willing to give him back if his parents came.“What are you?” she whispered quietly “A small angel, that’s what.” – she answered her own question and stroke the boy’s silky yet a bit coarse hair.She was tired but also refreshed in a way. She couldn’t deny that she was having fun. The most fun she’s had ever since she learned she was sterile.‘Who would have guessed that having to take care of a child could be so much fun?!’ she looked at the clock, it said 10:40 ‘Hmm… I probably should go and get some diapers, just in case I need them. And maybe restock on plastic plates and eggs….’So, she went on a quick trip to the local supermarket. The cashier looked at her a bit strangely but didn’t say anything. When she got back and entered her house, she heard quiet whining and sobbing. The little guy had woken up at some point and was apparently looking for her.“Oh! Little guy, did I worry you?” she asked gently and left her shopping bag on the floor “I’m here, ya see. Don’t cry, please.”He moved to her in his odd way of moving on all fours, he looked a bit like a monkey to her and it made her smile. Then, he promptly latched onto her and buried his face in her polo. She hugged him with one arm, her other grabbing the shopping bag. Something strange tickled her neck and she saw him sniffing her.‘Really, what am I going to do with you? If you continue to be so cute, how am I supposed to give you back?’She chuckled a bit at his antics, sniffing and rubbing in her like a big cat.…………………………………………………………………A day passed, then another one and another one.
For 4 days, well almost 4, he stayed with her. No one came to look for him, no notice of missing child on TV, radio or internet, she would have given him to someone but she was afraid of what they may do to him. She also couldn’t wait much longer. At most until the end of this week, meaning 2 more days, she could stay at home. She would have to go to work soon and have to leave him home, probably alone.“What should I do?” – she asked herself as she looked at the blue-skinned boy.He was currently rolling on the carpet, struggling with a sock in his mouth. He was pulling it with his hands while chewing it and trying to do probably eat it. During these few days she learned a few things about the child:He was afraid of light and wouldn’t go near any place where the sun shined directly. He could eat human food but also needed to eat things like metal, plastic and socks for some reason, also many other non-edible things. She learned that by him eating one of the drawler handles when she tried to feed him only human food. He liked her a lot and would follow her everywhere, as if afraid to be left behind, which didn’t paint a good picture in her head.‘How cute! He really is adorable but maybe I should start disciplining him a bit. He looks too human to act completely like an animal… I wonder if he’ll be able to talk? Does whatever species? he is even talk to begin with? Maybe get him used to a new schedule if he stays with me longer?’ – she mused as she looked at him.The clock struck 19:00 and she began preparing dinner. It was a simple meal for her and some boiled eggs, tin cans and a plastic fork for the boy.‘I may as well try to teach him to eat with utensils.’It wasn’t as successful as she thought it would be. Unlike normal kids, he bit right through the fork and her plan failed. The good thing was that he didn’t gobble the fork as soon as she gave it to him.“Yes! A partial success! You are a little genius, aren’t you?” she stroked his head and he smiled to her “Let’s get to bed. I’ll figure what to do tomorrow.”She brought him up to her room, opened the window just in case, and laid him down. He impatiently waited for her to come out of the bathroom. When she came out with her nightgown on, he was happily bouncing on the bed. She laid down and he nestled in her armpit, falling asleep rather quickly. Barbara, however, stayed awake to think. She realized long ago that she wants to keep the small boy, no matter what other species he might be, but she was worried. Yes, he was starting to accustom to sleeping during the night, staying alone for short periods of time and not trying to eat from the trashcan but there were other problems.‘What am I to do when he grows up? Who do I leave him with? There’s no one that I can trust currently with his care…’She looked at the sleeping child next to her. He was curled up under the blanket, only the top half of his head showing.“You know… I can’t always call you ‘you’ , ‘blue boy’ and such things. And since you’ll be staying with me, I suppose I can give you a name…”He spun to the other side and made a quiet purr, sleeping pleasantly.”………………………
“When the baby comes, how are we gonna name it?” – James asked her.
“Come on James! We don’t even get close to one month since we tried! Wait to at least confirm that I am pregnant.”
“Yeah, I know, but still! I was thinking of James Jr. How does that sound?”
“Actually good! And what if it’s a girl?”
“Then...” he kissed her cheek “It’ll be Barbara Jr! It’ll be perfect!”
They both laughed and danced in the living room.
……………………
“Hmm…then, how about James?...... Jim Lake Jr. It has a nice sound to it…” – she then closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep while stroking him.That night Barbara fully accepted her new life. She accepted the boy, now named Jim, into her life and swore to protect him and never let him be alone. No matter what that would cost her.
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===6 months later===The changes were small enough that Barbara didn’t notice them at first but now, 6 months later, they were noticeable enough. Little Jim had slowly but surely gotten used to her schedule and didn’t have too much trouble sleeping during her work hours and during most of the night. She thanked the gods that small children slept a LOT and dreaded when he’d enter the hyperactive stage. He got used to eating human food and the occasional utensil, soda can, plastic bottle or plate. She also taught him how to use utensils without eating them.‘And he manages to get more than half the food in his mouth! What a smart boy I have!’ – she thought proudly as she watched him play and roll on the carpet.“Phew! This past week was hard but as long as nothing bad happens, I’ll be able to get a few days off work. We’ll be able to spend them together then! Maybe go on a stroll with the new stroller? Should I buy a bike…NO! I’m getting too far ahead of myself. He can’t speak yet and I plan to get him a tricycle, too early!” – she talked to herself and looked at Jim.Unlike the first day he started living with her, he had changed a lot. He apparently grew like the average boy and thankfully was a lot calmer. He was also no longer blue!At some point his skin had started to loose it’s pigment and became more like human-colored skin. She freaked out because sudden depigmentation can mean serious trouble but after observing him like a hawk for a few days and nothing happening, she accepted the fact. His ears no longer were elfish and his bottom canines and jaw set to be more human.‘Maybe if his skin becomes a bit more human hue, I can leave him with Nana when I’m at work. The lady really has been lonely these days… but better be safe and make sure Jim won’t try and eat her cats before sending him there. I don’t want a repeat of that.’ – she sighed to herself and went to make herself a cup of coffee=Flashback=A nice morning, a few clouds dotting the sky as the sun rose. Barbara was in the backyard, drinking her much needed cup of coffee after the late shift she had the previous night. She had left Jim to sleep a bit more because it was too early. She instead had woken up cleaned the kitchen and opened the windows to let some fresh air inside the house. She relaxed in her chair and breathed in the clean morning air. It smelled of flowers and water, her coffee adding a nice smell to the mix.“Now this is life…” – she took a slow sip from her mug…MRYEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW! HISS!“PFFFFF!” – and spat it all out due to the sudden noise.There was yowling, the dogs started to bark and it woke most of the neighbors up. She bolted up and rushed towards the noise. She reached the kitchen and saw Jim had bitten the tail of a cat, that had probably entered through an open window, and the cat was desperately trying to claw away from the boy.“NO! Let go! Jim, let go!”“Gah!” – he exclaimed in surprise and the cat ran off into the distance, a lot of hair missing from its tail.Jim on the other hand chewed up the hair he had in his mouth and swallowed it before Barbara could take his food from him.“Sigh… Don’t do that. Do you know how much you scared me? But I guess it was my fault not making breakfast.”She went to make some food and he followed her. He was toddling on his legs and switching to ape-walk from time to time. The sight was so cute that Barbara had at least 30 videos on her PC. He had also started climbing all over the furniture and it was worrying her every day as he got bolder.‘I just hope nothing serious happens.’=end=“Jim! Come here, it’s time to eat!”“Waaah!” – he almost ran at her.She set him on the chair next to her and they began eating.‘Yes, life is good.’She patted him on the head when he ate his whole breakfast without eating the spoon with it, he smiled at her brightly and laughed. His pearly white, if a bit sharp, teeth shone in the light. In a way, the sight made Barbara’s heart melt.“Awww! Who’s the cutest boy? You are! Yes, you are.” – she pinched him on the cheeks and ruffled his hair a bit.He fussed and tried to pat his hair into a shape he liked but only made it messier. At this point she couldn’t take it anymore and snapped a few pictures of him. Right now he looked like a normal boy, a bit of blue hue was present on his skin but unless someone was looking for them, no differences could be found.‘Yup, he’s the cutest boy I could have wished for!’=Time skip=Another week had passed and Barbara decided it was time to take Jim out on a stroll. Also, now that he looked human, she wanted to officially adopt him in case someone gets suspicious and reports her to the police. She had managed to take the week off after all.(Don’t misunderstand, she loved him even as a blue half-troll, not that she knew what exactly he was. It would have been absurd to take a blue toddler that can munch on soda cans as if they are crackers and say “I found him in eating my trashcan, I want to adopt him!” to the people. Wouldn’t it?)She dressed Jim in long-sleeved blue shirt, green and white pants, a cap and a pair of small shoes. It was a challenge to put them on but after struggling for good 10 minutes, she put the shoes on. He tried to take them off but wasn’t dexterous enough to do so, yet. She had filled up all the needed documents at home and put them in her bag, she just needed to give them and wait for confirmation. A quick task that, hopefully, would be done by the end of the week.“Jimmy! Come here sweetie, we’re going on a trip!” – she called him.He perked up and walked to her as fast as his two legs could carry him. She scooped him up and put him in the stroller. The two of them exited the house and headed towards the center of Arcadia. Jim was practically bouncing during the whole trip. She had never really taken him this far from the house out of fear but now she had decided it was finally time. He was so excited and mesmerized by the new sights and lights that he didn’t even fuss when she re-applied his sunscreen.Jim, despite his initial troubles with sunlight, had in fact built up an immunity towards it. Yes, he burned really easy and needed sunscreen all throughout the day but was fine otherwise. Barbara hoped that he would eventually not be affected by the sun and be able to go to the beach with her and maybe some of her friends’ kids.=Flashback=The first time it happened, she was doing the laundry. A painful shriek made her almost jump out of her skin. She rushed to the living room, where she had left Jim to play. She saw him huddled in a corner, cradling his arm.She managed to calm him enough to look at his hand. It had turned gray and looked to cause him pain. She went into panic mode but saw faint clue glow at the edges of gray skin. Slowly but surely it was healing. She sighed in relief. After calming her nerves, she took a more careful look at the hand. It was ‘burned’ in a strange but familiar pattern.“Where had I seen…? The window!”She looked at the spot of sun from the window, and indeed the pattern matched its shadow. She had decided to try and put some decorations on the window but didn’t like them and was going to take them off soon. The shadow those very same decorations made matched with the unharmed skin on Jim’s arm.“So, that’s why you were so afraid of the light? Shh…it’s OK. Mommy will make it better.” – she picked him up and carried him to the coach.=end=(I don’t know how here things happen, so excuse me beforehand.)Long story short, Barbara brought Jim with her, gave the documents to the secretary, who looked at her strangely, and went out. She now had to wait to make things official. She also helped take a picture of him for the documents.Instead of heading back, she decided to take Jim to the mall, the fact it had a place for kids was a bonus for her. She decided it would be good to introduce him to bigger crowds and other kids early on instead of waiting more.“We’re going to the mall Jimmy!” she said cheerfully and he squealed in joy “Mama’s going to have a nice cup of tea and you are going to see other kids and have fun! Isn’t it exciting?” – he made some other noise and she smiled.Sometimes she wondered just how much he could understand her. He hadn’t even talked or tried to until now and she was getting worried. Barbara shook her head and dispelled the bad thoughts. This was a fun day for her and Jim and she wasn’t going to ruin it.The cool air inside the mall was welcoming in the hot summer day. The shade also calmed Jim down, it provided him protection from the sun and being indoors made him feel safer.Jim couldn’t decide where to look and all ladies and young girls wanted to look and coo at him. He was shying away from them but was doing much better than what Barbara expected. It soon was time for lunch and she pushed the strolled towards the food court. She made a beeline towards Italia café – a coffee shop that offered light snacks and had an area designed for kids to play while their parent drank coffee. She sat on a table from which she could be easily seen from the playground and ordered tea and a slice of cake for her. She took Jim’s food from the bottom of the stroller. He happily drank juice from his sippy cup and ate his (human) lunch, Barbara also secretly slipped him a few bottle caps while no one was looking.The moment of truth came. She carefully led Jim by the hand, towards the playground and encouraged him to go forward. He hesitated for a bit but took shy steps towards the building blocks 2-3 meters away. She smiled and stood up, waiting. After nothing happened and Jim settled on the soft carpet, she went to her seat.Jim had been one of the youngest kids there. Most were bigger, somewhere around 1st grade and were on the slide and swings. There were only 2 other kids his age but they were at the sandbox and didn’t pay attention to him. Jim seemed to like the building blocks’ color but didn’t know what to do with them. In the end he settled at looking at them and hitting them together to make sound.Briiingbriiing!Barbara’s phone rang. She looked and it turned out to be her boss.‘What now?!’ – she mentally groaned.She looked at Jim calmly playing and decided that she’d have a quick talk and be back soon.--- with Jim ---He pulled up a huge and long block. He stared at it and put it in his mouth. He chewed at it absent-mindedly until he chewed harder and it made a cracking noise. He had bitten off a piece of the block. He got spooked and started to look for Barbara but when he didn’t see her anywhere, he started tearing up. He stood up and started looking for her around the place. He couldn’t find her again, so he sat by the stroller. He sniffled for a while, then the dam broke and he started bawling. And he was very loud, it spooked many of the customers and the children. The two in the sandbox started crying too and the place became chaotic.---with Barbara---She went to the bathroom, where it was quieter and answered the call.“Hello?”[Dr. Lake! Sorry to interrupt your break but some things happened and Dr. Smith can’t come to work. I was wondering if you can take his place until the end of the week?] – a deep voice told her on the phone.She got angry. They always called her. Just because she was single and didn’t have children, yet, they thought she is the call to in case of emergency.“I’m sorry but I can’t…”[Why? You are free and will be paid for the work.]“Dr. Blake! If you would PLEASE not interrupt me! I can’t because I’m very busy and I need the time! You can call someone else, I bet there are others that are free right now.”[ Yes, but…]WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! (is this how baby cry is written as?)She was startled by the loud noise coming from the front.[What the hell was that?]“Excuse me, but I have to go and see how my SON is! Good day.”She ended the conversation and rushed out. She exited the café and saw a bunch of annoyed customers and shoppers had stopped to look. Jim was there, by the stroller. He was clutching at one of the wheels, crying his eyes out as employees tried to calm him down.“Jim!” – she shouted and pushed her way towards him.He stopped wailing and looked at hew with teary and red eyes. The customers parted to make it easier for her to pass, crumbling as she passed by them. Jim was on his legs and ran at her. She kneeled and embraced him in a loving hug.“Oh, baby. I’m sorry I left you. Mama is here now, OK? Mama is here…”He sobbed on her shoulder and she rocked him, not caring about the tears and snot.“mama…” – a weak voice said.‘HUH?!’ – Barbara’s mind reeled back.Had she imagined it? She listened more carefully. Her gaze focused on the sobbing Jim.“Mama…mama…” – he was saying as he clung onto her.Her hear fluttered and she also started crying.‘He called me his mama.’.’
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Barbara was panicking. She zipped left and right through the house, Jim on the other hand was sitting on the couch, watching her and munching on his daily soda can. Why was she in panic mode? A neighbor of hers, Nana Domzalski was leaving town for two days and she asked her to watch Toby. On reflex, Barbara agreed but then remembered about Jim. It was too late to refuse and now she was making sure everything would be good and well for Toby’s stay.‘It may also be a nice chance to introduce Jim to another kid his age. Better get him used to other children and prepare him for kindergarten.’ – she thought.===Day 1===Toby had arrived. Nana had dropped him off around half an hour ago, just before her taxi arrived. He was now sitting in the living room, all quiet and only looking around. Barbara had noticed how Toby had become less cheerful after what happened to his parents but hoped what she had planned would cheer him up. If things went well, Jim would have a friend when he goes to kindergarten and Toby would have someone to play with and cheer him up.Small steps from the upper floor told her Jim was awake. He had stayed up late, chasing a giant moth that had come inside the house, and Barbara chased him, doing everything she could to not allow Jim hurt himself.“Jiiim! Come down dear, we have a guest!”Toby seemed to perk up a bit and soon Jim stumbled downstairs.“Mama! I’m ungry!” – he said sleepily, rubbing his eyes.Jim looked like every other child his age right now. His canines were still a bit too sharp, especially the bottom ones but his skin no longer had the blue tint and his ears were no longer elfish.He looked at her and noticed Toby sitting behind her, it looked like he noticed Jim too. The two boys stared at each other and Barbara decided to step away and give them space. She went to the kitchen to make food, listening for noise coming from the living room.She was almost done with the breakfast, burnt wafers with syrup and a small bowl of small pieces of charcoal and plastic. She found out that despite Jim looking so human now, he still needed to eat whatever he needed to eat. Without his special breakfast, he got grumpy and started eating other stuff – like her ex-new heels. She’d only put them on 3 times and they were gone already.“Waah!” – Toby squeaked.She turned off the stove and ran into the living room. Toby was on his back, Jim pinning him down. The chubbier boy squealed as Jim started to sniff his neck and examine him.“No! Go way!” – Toby tried to push him away but Jim was much stronger.After a few more moments of futile struggling, Toby gave up. With a satisfied look, Jim lifted Toby’s arms, sniffed again and let him go.“E’s safe!” – Jim exclaimed, patting Toby’s belly.He hopped off the couch and ran towards the kitchen with a shout of ‘food’. Toby was left there, panting and looking a bit spooked.Barbara knew that look too well. Although Jim looked like every other kid, she knew very well he wasn’t, but she couldn’t tell anyone that he was not human or not entirely human. She still wasn’t sure about that… He acted pretty normal most of the time but sometimes he’d do something like that. He’d sniff new kids he met, chew on metal from time to time, he even licked others and chased cats (to eat them, not that anyone else knew) but she had slowly taught him not to. Still… that didn’t stop him from eating that pigeon a few months ago…“Come with me Toby. We’re having breakfast.” – she gave him her hand.“He’s scary.” – he clung to her as they entered the kitchen.The sound of loud munching assaulted their ears and Toby flinched, not used to it like Barbara. Jim had climbed on the counter and was now munching on charcoal wrapped inside a soggy wafer. Barbara helped Toby up and gave him a plate with 3 wafers. She also sat down, Jim was still on the counter, observing them.“Yuck! Taste nasty.” – Toby said after a bite.“Really?” she took a bite and grimaced “I see… I guess I’m not as good as I thought. Haha.” – she laughed it off, she really hadn’t noticed it, with Jim eating everything she made eagerly. Even the burned spatula she forgot in the oven.‘Now that I think about it, Jim isn’t the best food advisor.’“Wha d’ ya mean? Moma cooksh good!” – Jim said through a mouthful of charcoal.“Jim! Don’t talk with a full mouth!”“Sowwy!”“But it doesn’t taste like Nana’s! It tastes icky.” – Toby retorted.“No! Mom’s cooking is nice! I like it lots!” – he said after swallowing.“No, it doesn’t! What are you eating?”“Coal n’ wafers!” – Jim said, shoving a piece in his mouth, chewing it with a smile on his face.“That’s no food!” (Toby)“It is!” (Jim)“No, it isn’t!” (Toby)“It IS!” (Jim)Clap! – Barbara clapped her hands, stopping the quarrel.“Now, now. Let’s all finish breakfast and get ready. After all, I plan to bring you boys to the new park they made. Isn’t that great?”“Yea! Let’s go!!” – Jim finished everything in under a minute and ran upstairs to dress up.Toby was just confused and shocked, not used to Jim’s energy.………………………………As expected, the new park and it’s playground was full of children big and small.The moment she let go of the two boys’ hands, Jim rushed towards a set of sturdy swings that were held by chains, Toby quietly went to the sandbox.‘Well… that was a bumpy start…’ – she thought.Barbara’s initial plan was ruined but she knew not to force things, it never worked with kids. She just sat on an empty spot on a bench and watched. Toby was quietly sitting and playing in the sand and Jim… wait! Where was Jim? She started to frantically look around, until she spotted him, [perched on a tree’s branches, watching the playground. She smiled at his antics and calmed down, he’d sometimes display such protective behavior around her and the house, keeping unwanted guests away.He even fought a raccoon that had been going through their trash one night. It was both scary and funny. Jim hissing as the scared animal ran away, a few patches of fur mussing from its tail. Jim had them put a big empty can of beans in his mouth and proudly went inside. He would even look at her from the second floor while she was gardening.The fact he watched the playground and not only her could mean only one thing – Jim actually liked Toby enough to put him under his protection. Things stayed peaceful for a few more minutes, Jim got bored and skillfully climbed down the trunk, then went to the monkey bars to climb, play and swing.…………………………………..Jim was a bit bored, he liked the new place and the many things he could do here made him want to come again. Doing these things alone wasn’t so fun to be honest. He’d guard his home and mom and even places like his favorite spot in the riverside park, his tree – a big oak he liked to climb and now this playground. He had a sense of ‘ownership’ he still couldn’t comprehend, it was just an instinct to protect what was ‘his’, but like every kid, he got bored being alone with his mother.When she brought the new boy, he was confused and wary, a stranger appearing while he was sleeping unnerved him, but after a quick examination, he accepted the new boy. Their ‘dispute’ was a tense moment but he got over it, mostly…‘What’s wrong with eating coal? It’s tasty, not as much as spoons and forks but…’Jim spun on the monkey bar and hung using only one arm, scratching his chin with the other. A movement caught his attention and he looked in its direction. A few bigger kids were approaching his new,,, friend thingy? … he still wasn’t sure if Toby was what they called a friend. His hair rose a bit at the nasty feeling he got, so he let go and landed with a soft thump on the ground under. Jim stalked towards the sandbox and as he got closer, he could see the situation even more clearly. They were pushing Toby around and calling him names.“What are you gonna do fatty?” – one asked and pushed Toby so hard he fell.Jim wanted to growl and snarl but his mother scolded him, so he held the urge back. Instead he stood in front of Toby, putting his body between the downed boy and the bullies, no fear in his eyes.“Oh, look boys, another runt comes to save fatty.” – the obvious leader laughed.A small not-exactly-voice in the back of his head whispered to Jim.‘The leader falls, they fall. Prove they are weaker.’Fist clenching, eyes focusing at the target – a soft spot under the ribs, teeth clenched.“Yah!” – Jim sent a punch with all the strength he could muster into the boy’s gut.“Guah!” – he exclaimed from surprise and pain he didn’t expect from Jim’s smaller body.Everyone stopped and watched the event. The 6-year-old boy on the ground in pain and Jim towering over him. His friends looked scared, so Jim took the chance and stepped closer, showing just a bit of his teeth while glaring at them. He put one foot on his downed ‘opponent’.“Don’t bully Toby!” – he shouted, clearly angry.The boys ran, leaving their companion crying in pain. Jim would have chased them if his mother’s hand hadn’t stopped him.“I think that’s enough, Jim dear. Now! What about bringing you both to the mall? While I shop, you stay with me and I’ll buy you ice cream. What do you think?”“Ice cream! Let’s go!” – Jim shouted, no longer thinking about chasing the boys.“O-OK. Can I get a cone one?” – Toby shyly asked.As she led them away from the murmuring crowd, Toby looked at Jim, Jim stared back.“Thanks.” – this one word muttered by Toby changed everything.Jim smiled brightly at him, his pointy teeth not buttering Toby at all.===Day 2===“Come To-be! Let’s go!” – sim skipped a few steps in front of his new friend.“It’s Toby, not To-be!” – he says back to Jim.“OK! Tobes! Come Tobes!”“Where are we goin’?” – he says, it was better than To-be at least.“To my secret place!”Jim leads Toby into the trees behind his house. After getting past some bushes, Toby saw a clutter of planks, crates, boxes and different pieces of metal – mostly cans and occasional pipe. As he looked more, he saw they were actually put in a certain shape. It looked a bit like a playground.“Nice, right? Mama helped do this! Come!”Toby took a wary step forward and followed Jim. With practiced ease Jim climbed over the clutter of items and sat on top of a truck tire that was on the ground, waiting for Toby. The other boy followed but slowly, afraid not to fall somewhere.………………………………The fun began. When Toby finally relaxed and no longer felt like he’d fall, he followed Jim without fear. They played by jumping from crate to crate, used cardboard as swords and even rolled down the small hill inside the tires. But the fun ended abruptly, with a cry of pain.………………………………Jim was scared, they were playing and Jim just pushed Toby, it wasn’t that much at least to him but the chubby boy tumbled backwards and cut himself. Toby was bleeding and crying. Jim panicked and was shocked by what he did, so he picked Toby up and carried him to his house, just in time to see Barbara run out of the house. She quickly took the crying boy and went to fetch her first aid kit. She carefully disinfected the cut and bandaged it. It wasn’t deep cut but it was long and a bit jagged, so it hurt more.“Mommy. Is Tobes gonna be fine? Is he?”“Yes, he’s fine.”“I’m sorry! I pushed him and he fell and then and then…” – Jim was on the verge of tears.Barbara knew he didn’t mean to hurt Toby but she also knew that Jim had a lot of strenght packed in his small body. It was probably due to him not exactly being human and that was why he was much stronger than the average kid his age. She had noticed it early on and she knew that she’d have to have this conversation sooner or later. As he grew up his strength would also grow, based on what she knew.“Jim, dear, listen to me.”He looked up at her with teary eyes and sniffled.“You are a very special boy and I love you but you have to be careful.” She hugged him and patted his head “You are stronger than most children, so you may hurt them accidentally if you are not careful.”She looked him in the eyes.“Promise me, Jim. Promise me that you’d be careful from now on and keep being Toby’s friend. OK?”He nodded and mumbled an okay.“That’s my little man.”===Day 3===Nana was back and she came to take Toby home.“Thanks for everything Barb.”“No problem Nana. It was a pleasure.”“Come now Toby-pie. Let’s go home.”She took Toby’s hand and led him towards their house.“Bye Tobes!” – Jim shouted and waved.“Bye Jimbo! See ya tomorrow!”“Yeah!”This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and Barbara had no doubt it would last for life.Later that day she sat in front of her computer.‘Now, time for the dreadful application forms. I hope Jim and Toby would be fine together in the kindergarten this autumn.’ – she thought as he opened a website.
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“Come on Jim! You’re going to go to kindergarten! Remember? Toby is also going.” – Barbara grunted as she tried to pry him off the car door.“NO! Don’t wanna!!! Meanie!” – he screeched as he clung to the door with all his strength, which was quite a bit.People were stopping to look and stare as Barbara struggled with her son. He had latched to the car seat the moment he saw where they stopped. Barbara had managed to pry him off of it but before she could get him away from the car, he had grabbed the open door.“Jimbo!” – someone suddenly shouted.They both looked and saw Toby excitedly running towards them, waving his hand.“Tobes!” – Jim said excitedly and his grip loosened a bit.Barbara took the chance and pulled him away from the car. By the time he noticed what had happened, Jim was dangling in the air like a shocked cat. He tried to wriggle out of the hold but Barbara held firm.“Stop squirming! If you don’t, I will make you eat only peas for 3 days!” – she finally scolded Jim.He froze for a second and then went limp.“okay…” – he said very quietly.Barbara nodded, satisfied with herself and let Jim on the ground.“Now, you two go inside and good luck! Make some good memories!” – Barbara said and waved at the two boys.Jim was on the verge of tears; she could see it. He looked at her with a face that would have made most people feel heartbroken. Barbara held firm and didn’t change her decision, even though Jim looked like he’s going to die. When the doors closed, she breathed a sigh of relief and went towards her car. Nana had left earlier, going to the convenience store to buy some discounted fruit. Barbara then drove to work.……………………………“Hello class! I am Ms. Brown, but you can also call me Angie. Nice to meet you!”“” Nice to meet you.”” – the group of 15 kids parroted back.Jim stood behind Toby, trying to distance himself from the others. Toby on the other hand was bouncing in hopes of meeting some new friends.“Come on Jimbo! Why are you so shy right now? Let’s show em how cool you are!”Jim just stepped back and looked at the place warily. He didn’t mind people, really. He would talk with others, shake hands with others, allow girls take pictures with him and even let old ladies pinch his cheeks, but that was because he was with his mother. Back at home, he felt safe and knew that he had to protect his mom and his places from ‘baddies’, he knew what he had to do and found security in that. But here, where his mother wasn’t with him, the only familiar person being Toby and this woman now apparently being in charge confused him a lot, it even scared him. His instinct was screaming at him, he might not understand it, but it made him want to crawl somewhere and wait for his mother to come.===Time skip===Toby had finally managed to make Jim go out instead of hiding in a corner or behind him the whole time. The chubby boy was determined to show the others just how amazing his first ever friend was. Jim was super strong after all! Toby saw him lift the couch a bit, so he could get a toy from under it, Jim even ate a soda can once they were playing in the park, so in Toby’s mind, Jim was someone very cool (like Super-man or something similar). He even expected to be told that Jim had come from space and see what other secret powers he had. Although he also didn’t want Dr. Lake to scold him and Jim again. He liked her but she was scary when angry.He led Jim by the hand towards the playground. He beamed at the other kids and bounced at the thought that they’d have more friends to play with.“C’mon Jimbo! Hurry up!”………………………………………….Jim still didn’t like this place. It had gotten better during the few days he spent in kindergarten but it still rubbed him the wrong way. It was very different than his home, in more than physical way. The place was kind of ‘chaotic’ and ‘unorderly?’ to him. The only certain thing was Toby being his buddy. He also didn’t want to listen to the people that were apparently in charge, but after his first attempt of escape, his mother ordered him to not try and leave. He was now looking at the new ground with many children playing. It didn’t look to be anyone’s, so he followed Toby. He didn’t want to be out of his spot but his desire to keep an eye on his buddy was stronger.He and toby settled near the sandbox. Toby looked unsure and shy about approaching the other children and Jim hovered behind Toby, his hairs standing up every time he was too far away. After a while the two found a small ball and began tossing it to each other.………………………………..Steve was a jerk. He would push the other kids and do whatever he wanted on the playground only because he was bigger. He had been lazing around but then got bored, so he went to the playground.First, he chased some kids from the monkey bars but got bored after a few minutes and left. Then he kicked the sand figures some other kids had made and the two girls cried. A ball flew in the air and Steve saw a chubby boy catch and throw it at his friend, a black-haired boy. Steve decided that he wanted the ball, so he went towards the chubby one and ripped it out of his arms as soon as the ball landed in them.“Hey! I was playing with this!” – Toby shouted at Steve.“Well, no longer! I’m playing with it.”“Give it back!” – Toby tried to get it back but Steve was taller and the ball was out of reach.Jim saw what happened and went to help his friend. He had also started to like the small yellow ball and planned to keep it, so that blonde boy taking it was a no-no.“Go away!” – Steve got annoyed and pushed Toby.Toby fell backwards but was caught by Jim.“Leave Toby! The ball is ours!” – Jim said, confidently standing in front of the taller boy.“What are ya going to do about it?!” – Steve taunted.Jim grabbed the ball and started to pull. Steve also pulled but was dragged by Jim’s strength. No matter how much he tried, Jim’s body was naturally tougher and stronger than any human’s.Steve tried to kick but that almost made him fall. In the end he let go of the ball and went to punch Jim.“Jimbo!” – Toby shouted in panic.Jim saw the attack coming and dodged to the side. He quickly got closer to Steve, ball in both his hands. Steve tried to step away but Jim was faster and head-butted Steve in the nose, because he couldn’t reach higher. Like that Steve was knocked out, blood leaking from his nose.“Kyaaa! Teacheeeer!” – someone screamed.A plump man came out because of the noise along with Ms. Brown.“Oh my GOD! I’ll go call the nurse!”“Wow, the thin guy sure packs a punch!” – the man exclaimed.“Frank!” – she scolded him.“OK! I’ll make sure nothing else happens, you go call the nurse!” – he told her.Ms. Brown huffed and ran inside the kindergarten.===A hour later===Jim sat in Ms. Brown’s room and was being scolded by her as his mother apologized and tried to diffuse the situation.“And make sure it doesn’t happen again!” – Ms. Brown finished.“Yes, Ms. Brown, I’ll have a good talk with him when we get back home.” – Barbara took his hand and led him out.Toby, who had been trying to listen through the door, almost fell on his fave when Barbara opened it.“H-hi, Dr. Lake.”“Come with us. I called your grandmother and told her I’d drive you home.”“O-OK.” – he took his backpack and followed Jim and Barbara.……………………………………….Toby was home and Jim was now sitting on the couch. He was too nervous to look his mother in the eyes.“Jim. You can’t do such things! Fighting is no good and I don’t want you to be known as a violent kid.”“But he was picking on Tobes and tried to hit me!” – he whined.“It doesn’t mean you can head-butt him in the nose!”He flinched at her tone and looked away.“Jim, look at me.” He looked at her, she was kneeling in front of him “I’m just worried about you. So, please try to not fight. If something like this happens again, please go and call a teacher or someone else. OK?”“OK, mom.”“Good! Now, let’s eat! I managed to make a slightly burned beef today! I even got some wool socks.” – she said in a light tone.“Yay!” – he cheered and followed her in the kitchen.
So! I’m asking you this: Do you want option 1 (Ch.5 – The first beach day; Ch.6 –First sparks of love) or option 2 (Ch.5 –First sparks of love)?
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“Jim, did you pack everything?” – Barbara asked.“Yeah!” – he said as he came down the stairs.He had become 7 and Barbara decided to take him to a fun day at the beach. A memorable experience just after his 1st year of school. The plan was to leave this morning, have fun on the beach, camp there and leave in the afternoon the next day. She had prepared everything – tent, food, snacks for Jim and a lot of sunscreen. There was no avoiding it, without it, they both would be as red as crabs by the evening and no one wanted to deal with such a nasty sunburn.She almost went to pinch Jim’s cheeks when she saw him. He had decided to pack his own bag without any help and was now struggling to drag a sack bursting with many items. She could even see some wool socks peeking from one of the zippers.“Jim, we’re going for 2 days at most, you don’t need to bring so much.” – she sighed.“I know but… huff” he stopped and tugged at the sack again to make it move “… I wanna bring all my things.”Barbara just knew that it’ll be a struggle to get the sack on the car. Jim was always stronger due to him not being human, or entirely human, and by the looks of it, the sack was a bit too heavy even for him. The kid that could lift a lawnmower without a problem was struggling, meaning she would also have a problem lifting it.“Hmm… how about this – we’ll quickly sort out what you’d need for the beach day and I’ll buy you some screws when we pass Louie’s garage on the way to the beach.“The large ones?” – Jim asked hopefully.“The large ones.”“Yay!” – he really liked them, they were kinda like lollipops.After taking out the unnecessary things out and reducing the weight by half, they finally were on their way to the beach. As promised, Barbara had bought him the screws and he has happily nibbling on one. She drove on the highway and listened to music and Jim, whenever he stopped doodling in his book and wanted to tell her something amazing he saw by the road or did with Toby.……………………..Barbara – in her orange and white one-piece swimsuit, sandals, straw hat, sunglasses and Jim with his blue-black swimsuit and flip-flops took their things and left the campsite.The beach was amazing and Jim really liked it. He was a bit grumpy in the beginning when they had to leave their car and most of their things at the campsite but immediately brightened up when he saw the ocean. He jumped in the water at once and didn’t even wait for Barbara.“Jim! Come here and help me. You can go swimming after we set out umbrella and towels.”“Yes, mom!” – he scrambled back to her, water dripping down his legs.Soon, they had secured a spot for themselves. It was not too near, nor too far from the ocean. Under their umbrella, Barbara made Jim sit as she covered him from head to toe with sunscreen.“Come on moooom! I wanna go!” – he whined and tried to get up.“No!” she pulled him back down “You know how easy you can get a sunburn. I don’t want a repeat of the swimming pool back home! Now stand still, I’m almost done.” – she ordered him.He grumbled but listened.The previous summer he and Toby were playing in the backyard, a small swimming pool and a lot of toys. He hadn’t but sunscreen and the result was a very nasty sunburn that made him look like a boiled crab and made it very uncomfortable for a whole week. The first day was painful to wear clothes other than shorts and he had to stay home, then the whole itching and peeling made it even worse.“All set! Now, go!” – she pointed to the ocean and Jim bolted faster than humanly possible.SPLAASH!He jumped in the water and started splashing around the shallows. She chuckled and put some sunscreen on herself. Barbara stood up, took a floaty and also headed for the water, she also took Jim’s swimming goggles.“I’m coming Jim! Wait for me!” – she also entered the water, the wet sand feeling nice on her bare feet.What followed was a fun day at the beach. She and Jim swam, holding on the floaty and played with the sand. Apparently Jim had a knack for making sandcastles and imaginary items from sand… then tasting his creations. She almost had a heart attack when he bit part of the sandcastle and ate it. She scolded him but after seeing another kid stuffing a fistful of sand in it’s mouth, she allowed him to experiment, just more discreetly, so no one would make a fuss about it. A while later…“What’s up Jim?” – she asked him as he approached her.“Apparently the shape doesn’t change the taste, the water does. Sand is not bad though…” – her son said seriously while licking his lips clean from the last bits of sand.“Glad to hear that. Up for a corndog? I saw a stand there.” – she pointed to the left.“Nah, I’m full. Maybe later?”“OK. I’m going to get something for myself, stay here, I’ll be right back!”He sat under the umbrella’s shade and waited. He got fidgety, like he did almost every time his mom went to get food or something similar. It was even worse in the past, now he was better at waiting for her without freaking out internally. Jim didn’t understand why he got so nervous but he didn’t like the feeling at all!“I’m back!” – Barbara said a few minutes later.She saw her son’s shoulders relax as he let out a small sigh. He did very well, so she sat next to him and patted his head. She opened the small box of donuts and offered him some.“Thanks mom.” – he took one.The two ate together in silence. Jim soon got bored and went to play in the water again. Barbara decided to watch him from the shade and read a bit of a new book she got from the bookstore. Occasionally he would come for water, show off a cool rock or seashell he found.“Mom.”“What is it dear?”“I heard some people talking how there are underwater caves with some sea monsters in them. Do you think that is true? Huh? Some older kid said it’s fake.”She looked at him with a peculiar look. She knew that Jim wasn’t exactly ‘human’ and that if Jim was like that, then there must be others like him. She thought about what to say for quite a while then finally decided to say her own opinion.“I don’t know if there really are sea monsters in these caves or not but there are SO many undiscovered things out there. Who know, maybe giants and mermaids exist out there in the world.”“Even fairies?” – he asked hopefully.“Yes, maybe even fairies.”……………………………It was night and she was tired. After the whole drive, day at the beach and the struggle of putting up the tent, it was understandable. Her son on the other had was impatiently waiting for her to take out the marshmallows, biscuits and chocolate, so he could make some s’mores. The fire crackled and Barbara watched him roast the marshmallows. Even at age 7 he was better than her at roasting them. Last time she tried, they became a burnt mess on the grass.‘How fast time goes by…’ she thought ‘… as if it was yesterday when he was still toddling around the house, blue skin and all, struggling to say names.’ - To-be, Babula and Barura being her favorite.“They’re ready!” – he proclaimed proudly and lifted a whole plate od s’mores.“Good job, Jim! That’s my boy.”………………..They had gone to bed in the tent. Jim had snuggled next to Barbara, sleeping soundly.Rustle~ Clack!Jim’s eyes shot open at the sound. He looked around in the pitch black darkness and blinked a couple of times. Soon he was able to see what was around him, albeit in only grayish colors. Unknown to him was the fact that his eyes glowed slightly in the darkness.He wiggled out of his spot and cautiously approached the exit. He slowly unzipped it, making next to no noise.Clatter! Thump.Something was in the campsite! And it wasn’t a person, he could just sense it wasn’t human.“Mora-mora!” – he heard to his right.There were some bushes obscuring the source but he knew that there were two big trashcans there. He snuck around and slowly looked from behind the bushes. In front of the can was some sort of a green monkey-frog thingy and from inside it, he could hear rustling. He leaned forward but the thing turned towards him. Their eyes locked for a few moments.“Grr!” – it growled at him.Another one popped its head out of the trash and joined the other. They crouched down, ready to attack. The gesture annoyed him a bit and made him stand up to the challenge. He stared them right in the eyes, not blinking at all.“Waka chaka!” – one of them said.===Meanwhile with Barbara===She slowly woke up but suddenly bolted up when she realized Jim was not with her. She looked around and noticed some light seeping through the unzipped entrance of their tent. Her heart dropped and she rushed out as quickly as possible, grapping a stick with her. Outside the tent was eerily quiet, the occasional cricket breaking the silence.“Chakala!” – someone/something shouted from behind the bushes.She gulped and tightened her grip on the stick. There was rustling of leaves, even an empty can of tune rolled out. She went there to see something she hadn’t expected. She quietly gasped as she saw her son fighting two green things with his bare hands.“Yah!” – Jim head-butted one of the things.It flew away and fell somewhere in the shrubs. Jim was crouched on the ground and before he can turn around, the other one jumped on him.“Waka chaka! Waka chaka!” – it repeated and Jim snarled at it.Barbara finally snapped when it was about to bite Jim.“Get away from my baby, you green monkey!” – she swung the branch and hit it square in the head. It was propelled in the air, then it hit the lid of the trash can and slid down into it.“Jim! Are you OK?” – she kneeled next to him.“Grr…” Jim growled at the trash can but also snuggled closer to her “… I’m fine mom.” – he finally said.“Good. We’re leaving this place, right now!” – she stood up and led him by the hand.With his help she got everything packed and in the car. She would throw a glance at Jim here and there. He was wary and was constantly looking around. She also didn’t miss the slight glow to his eyes and how his hairs were raised.“Get in. We’re leaving.”Jim listened and hopped in the backseat. She buckled him and also got in.Rustle~The sound made her tense but she started the car and quickly drove off.…………………………The drive home had been quiet; Jim had dosed off as soon as they went back home. Barbara decided to leave him rest until he woke up.“Good morning Jim.” – it was around 9 in the morning when he finally woke up.Barbara was on her 3rd cup of black coffee. She had spent the whole night watching over her son, in case those creatures had been sick or had hurt Jim in some other way. She had also searched on the internet, in a desperate attempt to just UNDERSTAND what had been all that, but just like with Jim, her search was pointless.“Mornin’ mom.”“Here’s breakfast.” He sat on the table and prepared to dig in “Now, can you please tell me what exactly happened last night?”He narrated what had happened up until she showed up.“So, you were fighting the Green monkeys before I came?” he nodded “And why were you fighting them.”“…now.” – he mumbled something.“What did you say?”“Don’t know… I just had to! I also don’t understand why, but I had to fight them. They were sneaking ‘round our camp, they were stealing food. It our place! Grr… They even tried to scare me away. It made me feel… I don’t know, umm…”“You felt challenged?!” – she asked as realization dawned on her face.She clearly remembered all the stray animals and raccoons he had chased in the beginning, even the ones he almost ate.“I-I don’t know?!” – he was on the verge of tears.He quickly stood up and hugged his shaking form.“Shh… calm down Jim. Calm down…” he listened to her and calmed down “Don’t worry. We’re safe and at home. There’s nothing to worry about. How about this- you help me unpack our stuff and after that, we’ll go and say HI to Toby, OK?”“Yyeah.”“Good boy. Now, eat your breakfast.”……………………………..Nana and Barbara were talking while watching Toby and Jim play in the small pool in the backyard. Jim had been a bit sad about their trip ending so early, so they filled the kiddie pool with water and let the two boys play and splash each other to their hearts’ content.“So, Jimbo, what happened? I thought you and your mom were supposed to come home this evening.” – Toby asks as he lays on his pack in the poot, taking a break from all the games.Jim sat next to him, chewing on a plastic fork.“Yeah, but after I fought the two Green monkeys, we left in a hurry.”“Wait! Green monkeys? Are you serious?”“Yes, they were green, had long arms and legs, sharp teeth, oh! Their eyes glowed in the dark.”“Wow! Cool.”“Yeah, and I was like ‘I’ll get you!’ then mom came with a stick and WHAM! Hit one so hard it landed in the trash!”“Wow! Your mom just got like a 100 times cooler!”“I know. She’s the best.”“Jimbo! Do you think there are other things like those monkeys? AH! They may have not been monkeys but monsters. What do you think?”“Don’t know Tobes. It’s possible. Mom said there might be.”Toby had a thoughtful look on his face.“Hmm… Your mom said there may be monsters…” Jim nodded “… and then you fought monsters…” a nod again “Then it must mean that your mom is secretly a monster-slayer!”Jim gasped and stood up in the pool.“Tobes! You are a genius. I never thought about it! Do you think she really is one?!”“I don’t know. Let’s go ask her!”The two boys ran back to Barbara and Nana. Nana was drinking tea with her when the two wet and excited boys stopped in front of her.“What’s up boys?” – she asked the 2 seven-year-olds and took a sip of tea.“”Are you secretly a monster hunter?”” – they asked together.Pfft! – she was so shocked she spat out her tea and began coughing.
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The years sure flew by. Barbara still can’t believe her baby boy is turning sixteen in a few months. She still remembered the small blue baby he’d been when he first came to her home. Now, he was a teen and a wonderful young man. Life was going great! She even overheard Jim and Toby talking about girls a few days ago and was ecstatic to know that he liked a girl. She even met someone she liked, Walt – Jim’s teacher. He had made a nice impression when they met and have been going out together, from time to time. She felt as if she had finally started opening up for a new relationship after all these years. The only thing she didn’t quite like was her own cowardice. She had promised herself to someday tell Jim where he came from. He knew that he was adopted but she just hadn’t told him anything beyond “I found you as a toddler and adopted you.”. Barbara had planned to tell him when he was 7 but after the Gremlin thingy at the camp, she decided to leave it for when he was 10. After that it became 11, then 12 and so on… She didn’t find an opportunity to tell him about his blue form, she still kept all pictures in her room, after all.Right now she was postponing it again, just like each year. Truth be told, she was afraid. Afraid that her boy would feel betrayed, that he would hate her and leave her.‘No! I have to stop that train of thought! Everything will be fine. Jim isn’t like that!’ – she told herself.………………………Arcadia Oaks high was the same as ever. The school building stood in front of them as Toby and Jim entered for yet another year of studying.“Wow! Jimbo, look how much taller you are than before. I bet you’ll reach Steve soon! Then, you’d be able to stand UP to him and there’d be no more bullying.”“Come on Tobes! You know I promised mom not to cause trouble. I bet that my size would at most make it impossible for him to push me around and try stuff me in my locker.” – Jim laughed the idea off.Indeed, just like Toby said, Jim had an almost ridiculous growth spurt this summer and was now taller than his friend. Not to mention the slight ache in his joints, according to his mom, meant that he could still be growing. It freaked him out a bit but it was fine. At least that was the least abnormal thing about him.“Whoa! Jim, look.” – Toby pointed and he looked in the direction.Just there stood Clare and she was talking to her friends. Jim sighed and looked at her with dreamy eyes.“Clare…”“Yeah, I know. Wanna go and talk to your girlfriend?” – Toby reased him.“What?! No! I-I mean, she’s not…” – Jim got flustered.“Just kidding you Jimbo!”“Don’t do it again! Besides, she probably doesn’t know I exist. Not that she’d want to go out with someone like me.”Both boys stayed silent for a while. Toby, because he felt sorry for Jim and Jim felt bad about bringing it up.“Look, Tobes… I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought this up.” – Jim looked down at his shoes.“Don’t worry Jimbo! I’m not upset or anything.” – Toby put a hand on Jim’s shoulder and smiled at him.“Move aside, nerds!!” – suddenly the moment was interrupted by Steve shoving them.Both boys glared at the blonde and scowled. He always ruined these moments. Ever since their scuffle in kindergarten, it was as if Steve wanted to show he was stronger and better than Jim at every opportunity.“If only you were allowed to fight… I bet you could make him fly into the sun.” – Toby looked at his friend.“No way Tobes, that’s impossible.”They both continued to class.“Yeah, but I totally saw you lift that couch at home!” – Toby whispered into Jim’s ear.………………………Jim had indeed grown alongside Toby. They are more like brothers rather than neighbors. They shared everything, well… almost everything. Jim’s diet was something Toby could still find bizarre even today. Ever since he could remember, his best friend could eat things no other person did. Coal, lightbulbs, metal, plastic, sand… It was as if his bestie was a walking recycling bin. He can’t remember all the times Jim had picked a random piece of trash from the sidewalk and eaten it.However, as they grew older, they noticed just how abnormal that was. Jim’s amazing muscle power and diet were less of a childish wonder and more something that shouldn’t be shared to everyone. He didn’t want his best friend to be taken away, experimented on, or God forbid, dissected.Jim had once decided to stop eating empty cans, plastic and etc. He looked fine for a day or so but soon he became ill and had to stay in home for a few days. His mother force-fed him several times a day and wouldn’t let him out of her sight. That day the two boys learned that Jim’s health DEPENDED on his diet.Toby had a theory about Jim’s mom. She definitely knew something more than what she was telling them. Several times they’d tried to get the truth out of her but she’d always clam up. Who were Jim’s parents even? Did they come from space, just how Toby speculated? The only one that knew the answers was one Barbara Lake and she wouldn’t talk.……………………………………….It was lunch break and Jim felt bad. He and Toby had barely found a place to sit when his friend took out a small bag with a few old bottle caps“No thanks Tobes.” – he politely declined the snack.“But you have to eat! We don’t want a re-… and you are not listening to me.”Jim had indeed stopped listening a few moments ago. The reason was that Clare had entered the cafeteria. He got that weird tingly feeling when he looked at her. He’d usually try to ignore it and not pay any attention to it – like the many times before.When Steve was bugging him. When Eli or someone else was in trouble. When his stuff was taken without a permission. When a particularly tasty-smelling was put in a recycling bin and a potentially tasty snack was lost. – he could easily ignore the tingling with no problem but there were times he couldn’t and didn’t want to ignore it. When his mother, family and friends were in danger – he’d jump to help immediately but recently Clare was also added to the mix. He just couldn’t ignore her presence. Every time some other boy tried hitting on her or did something bad, a quiet, annoyed rumble would come from his chest. At times he barely managed to reign in his desire to stand between her and whatever was bugging her, to show off his strength or smash his head into one of those persistent boys. She refused them but they kept bugging her and it annoyed him beyond belief. And good thing he managed to reign in his instincts, the last he hit with his head (garage door) had a sizeable dent from an accidental fall and he didn’t even have a scratch.“…im. JIM!”“Huh?!”Toby had been calling him for a while now.“Finish up! We’re having History in like 10 minutes.”“Yeah, right…” – Jim said a bit distastefully.He liked Strickler, really, despite his strange smell. He was a great teacher and Jim would sometimes ask him for advice, but liked him ONLY as a teacher.“…And this concludes our lesson. Please write an essay on Athens’ and Sparta’s differences in form of leadership. It should be at least 2 pages long. I want it next Thursday.” – Strickler finished his lesson.Jim and Toby packed their books and followed everyone else out of the classroom.“Goodbye, Mr. Strickler.” – they said as they passed him.“Goodbye, young Tobias.” He then looked at Jim and stood up “Goodbye, young Atlas. And please keep your eyes on the board. Next time you may not be so lucky in class.” – he said as he approached Jim.“Yyeah… I will Mr. Strickler. You don’t need to worry about me.”“Good to hear.” Strickler was only a step away from Jim “You better go- “Suddenly a smell reached Jim’s nose. It was something different from Strickler’s usual smell. This one stuck to only certain places on his body, the arms and front of the chest mostly, meaning it belonged to someone else. It was strong, tangy and smelled metallic, plus something else. He didn’t know what but he didn’t like it. It made the hairs on his body stand up.Jim’s first instinct was to hiss at the scent and GET AWAY from it. It didn’t mean good. It was something bad, invasive, aggressive, not of HIS. It was a threat!Jim bit his lip, almost breaking the skin. With a quick nod in Strickler’s direction, he was out of the room as fast as he could. Strickler looked at Jim’s back as Toby tried to desperately catch up. Jim’s reaction seemed quite unusual but he dismissed it as a teenager thing.===Earlier that day – around 1:40 in the morning===“We’ve got all the pieces from England and those from Madagascar are about to come soon.” – Strickler read as Bular sharpened one of his blades.“Grr… It’s still too slow! We barely have half the pieces after all those years!”“Calm down. These kind of things take time. You should-GUH!”Bular slammed him in the wall. One of Bular’s massive arms was pressing his chest and arms together as his other one held a blade to his neck.“Don’t tell me what I should do, Impure! You make sure to get the pieces here as fast as possible. Tomorrow, I’m going to the amulet, no matter what you may think I should do!”He let Strickler go and stalked out of the room. Strickler coughed and rubbed his throat a bit.===end===School would soon end and he’d at least have a free night, without having to deal with Bular or someone else.………………………………….Jim woke up with a gasp. He hadn’t had as good sleep as he hoped. Ever since he smelled that scent, he’d been a bit restless and nervous. Proven by the fact that he not only checked around his but also Toby’s house for suspicious and possibly dangerous things. Toby also helped him, despite not fully understanding his friend’s reason. His nervousness had apparently transferred to his dreams. He had strange dreams where he’s chased by something and there were also screams.Jim shook the drowsiness from his head and stood up. He stretched, hearing and feeling the pop of his joints. He was ready for the day. A quick breakfast was made for his mom. He waited for the meatloaf as he ate some of his daily dose of metal and other items. Soon the meatloaf was ready and 3 sandwiches were packed. He brought breakfast for his mom, set her glasses aside and after making sure her munch was ready, he took his and Toby’s. Jim put on a helmet and pushed his bike towards the street. Toby was also coming. Jim groaned at the sight of spilled trash.“Stupid raccoons.” – he started to clean up.‘Huh? How did I miss that?’ – he looked at a tuna can.Jim made sure no one else was watching and quickly ate the can.“Snacking early on, eh Jimbo?” – his friend asked jokingly.“Haha. Very funny Tobes. Here, I made you lunch.”Jim gave the paper bag to Toby. The chubby boy started looking at the contents in it and taking in the delicious smell.“It’s a bold choice! Unfortunately, I can’t eat it. I’m on a diet.” – he tried to give the lunch back to Jim.“Come on! You’ve been on a diet for the past 14 years! Also, we’d be late if we don’t hurry.” – Jim boarded his bike and started pedaling.“Wait for me!” – Toby shouted as he followed him.Both boys rode their bikes down the streets as they hurried to school.“Let’s take a shortcut! Through the canal. We’d save some time.” – Jim went right without waiting for his friend’s response.“Oh God! Not the canal! I hate it.” – Toby shouted but followed.Jim was confident that he’d make the landing, he’d done it many times before. This time… something was different.
Jim… Jim Lake…
Someone called his name. He had just reached the canal when a gust of wind blew in his direction. The very same scent from the other day, along with a new one he’d never encountered before, reached his nose. His hair bristled and he felt like every inch of his skin was covered in goosebumps. His pupils constricted and breathing quickened. He lost it for a second but that time was enough to make him slip up and land on his face, the hard concrete meeting his forehead like an old friend. Toby, being right behind him, saw and heard everything. He winced and got off his bike. Toby slid down with his bike and pushed it towards his downed friend.Normal people would have gone to a hospital or would at least be knocked out by such an impact to the head, but Jim was soon up and running, literally. He had heard his name being called, again, both by Toby and the mysterious voice. That, coupled with getting a face-first whiff of that threatening smell, made Jim jump up. He was really curious what was calling him and felt a bit compelled to find out, on the other hand was his instinct, literally SCREAMING to get away. Jim wiped his face and clothes as fast as he could and hurried to get away.“Are you OK Jim?! You aren’t hurt anywhere, right?” – his friend asked, worry in his voice.“W-we have to get out of here! Come on!” – he lifted his bike from the concrete, ignoring the slight scape on his forehead and small cracks left where he’d landed.“OK… but why? Why are you in such a hurry? Is it because of yesterday?!”“Yes! Just hurry up and let’s get out of here!” – Jim was almost hysterical but refused to leave HIS friend there.Just before they got out of the canal, Jim spied a blue glow in a pile of rubble, that made him feel bad for some reason. The two boys headed for school, unaware of the 6 eyes looking at the same pile of stone.Blinky was worriedly looking at the remains of Kanjigar. The amulet was still there, to the relief of the historian but it was also out of reach at the moment. The oh so dreadful sun shining its deadly rays over the place. He hoped nothing bad happens to the amulet while it is still out of reach. In the end he decided to stay hidden and watch over the amulet until the shadow stretches far enough for him to get the amulet without dying or losing a limb, permanently.…………………………..School seemed to pass slower than ever. Jim’s mind always wondered to the canal and the mysterious pile of stone calling him. There was just no other place the voice could have come from. He wanted to go but also didn’t want to be anywhere close to that scent.His internal struggle continued to 3rd period. During their break, Jim sneaked out of school and went back to the canal. The sun shone brightly and something was shining under the rubble.
Jim Lake…
The voice called again and Jim shuddered. He really didn’t want to go there, despite the place not smelling like danger as much as it did before. In the end he carefully looked around and sniffed. It looked like the source of the scent was nowhere near. He carefully went down and crept closer to the pile of rubble. He was slightly crouched and was ready to bolt away at the slightest sign of danger. Jim slowly and carefully moved the rubble off whatever was shining there.“Jim!” – Toby shouted.Jim was so startled that he jumped at least 6 feet in the air and the mysterious item rolled down on the concrete.“Toby! Don’t startle me like that! I almost got a heart attack.”“Well, it’s your fault! I saw you sneaking out and followed you just in case. What’s this?” – he pointed at the item.“I don’t know. I was about to find out.” – Jim said, now a bit calmer.He lifted the mysterious item and turned it around. It looked like a glowing clock with some strange symbols on it. It had this vaguely familiar look to it but nothing else.“Wow! So cool. How did you know it was there?”“I d-don’t know. It called my name. Didn’t you hear?”“Nope! It looks like an amulet or something like that.”“Yeah. It does. What do you think it’s doing here?”Just then the bell rang, announcing the end of the break.“Oh nuts! Let’s hurry back before the coach gets us!” – Toby scampered up the side of the canal.Jim pocketed the amulet and quickly walked up, helping his friend with a pull by the hand.Bliky had been watching the whole time. He couldn’t comprehend the situation for quite a while. Finally, he closed his gaping mouth and spoke.“It chose…a HUMAN?!”