Mysteries
Chapter one.
Lilly stopped by her locker on the way in school running late, luckily there wasn't anyone there in the hall. After grabbing her Algebra 1 book she took off down the hall and up the stairs trying not to get any later than she already was. She stopped right before entering and took a deep breath to relax and center herself. She opened the door to the class-room and was shocked to see no one there. "H-hello?" She called out attentively. Suddenly she heard a screech behind her and ducked just in time to not be caught in the long claws of a hawk flying in the room. "What the-" She was cut off in mid sentence as the hawk dove again. "Lukas that's enough" A male voice said strongly, demanding but lovingly at once. The hawk screeched once more and landed on what I supposed was his master's arm "W-who are you?" I asked standing up from my spot hiding behind one of the desks. The male paced the front of the of the room muttering, I only caught little pieces, He was saying something about "..Can't be right she's just a girl.." "I know you said you could find the one who would save us but.." I cleared my thought my nerves finally relaxing a little. "I'm still here ya know." "Yeah, Yeah you are. You have to come with me this life is no longer yours" He spoke softly with a pleading look in his eyes, Oh his beautiful eyes.. Dark, mysterious and soft all at once. I shook my head my light red hair shaking furiously clearing my thoughts "Wait what? Why do you need me?? I- I'm nothing special just your average junior in high school..." I said my voice trailing softer near the end as I knew I was no longer just an "average junior in high school" as I had put it. I had noticed the changes coming over a month ago. "Your eye's show you are lying Lilly" My head snapped up as I was looking at my shoes "How do you know my name." I said strongly taking a few steps towards the man, sending ice blue daggers at him with my eyes. "I-I..." He trailed off taking a step backwards attentively. I laughed at him inside myself 'Like I'm something to truly be scared of' I was still laughing at him on the inside when he spoke again "It's time we go. I'll explain things on the way." We walked towards me and grabbed my elbow, Tight enough to make sure I wouldn't be able to get out (or so he thought) but not tight enough to hurt me. I had a strange feeling that he would never ever intentionally hurt me. "Let go of me!!" I screeched and hissed 'Crap! I'm letting go… Ugh too late…' My human instincts screamed at me from the inside but on the outside I'd lost my control to humanity. My nails got longer and sharper and I could feel my pupil's turning into un-human slits. I hissed again and twisted (also un-human like) freeing his grasp on me and landing a good three or four feet away and hissed threateningly at him "Don't EVER touch me like that again" I threatened, In a slightly feral feline position. "Lilly relax its okay." The man said, "Why should I trust you Hmmm? I don't even know your name!" I hissed out the words all the while my human instincts were screaming at me in my head and beating around trying to get out. "My names Mathew, Now will you please get out of that position? You're scaring poor Lukas to death." "I opened my eyes in shock (though my teeth were still bared and I could figure I looked slightly scary) "I-I recognize that name…" I said quietly, trying to figure out where I had heard it from before. I hadn't realized I had gotten out of my feral position until Mathew stepped toward me slowly. "Probably from your past lives." Mathew spoke softly, like he was afraid I was going to hiss at him and attack him again. "Past lives?" I asked. "Come on Lilly we have to go now. I'll explain in the car." I glared at him again, My eyes still thin slits. "Where exactly are we going?" I questioned. He slightly smiled a crooked smile at, nearly taking my breath away, and only responded, "The woods". I barely had a chance to react before he flung Lukas into the air grabbed my hand slinging me on his back (Like a piggy back ride heehee!) and took off at un-human speed down the stairs and out the door. After what felt like just mere seconds we were five streets away from the school, after he set me back on my feet again my knees almost buckled except for the fact that he was holding me strongly from the elbow. After my breathing was back under control (which I may add the running at god knows how fast hadn't altered him in the least bit) we started walking towards a sleek black Harley. "No way in hell am I getting on that." I said stopping at an abrupt halt a foot away from the beautiful thing. "It's our only ride… Unless you'd prefer another ride on my back?" He said teasingly. "Fine whatever. Do I get on first or what?" I asked. He didn't respond just walked towards the Harley sliding his hand from my elbow to my hand, and sat on the motorcycle. I walked closer to the Harley, my hand still in his. I swung my leg over the back of the seat just like a normal bike and waited. He started up the engine and slide the hand he was holding around his waist and I did the same with my other arm. We were offily close on the bike and he didn't seem to mind, and truthfully I didn't either. He took off on the bike and I squeezed my arms around him a little tighter and watched the town go by, my eyes (which were still slights, sigh) narrowed slightly more from the bright sun light. "W-where's this woods we're going to?" I said, emphasizing the word woods. "Not too far" Was his only response. I just settled for it and leaned my cheek against his back watching the town, then the little farms around our town go by. "You know, even with the wind blowing away from you" I tensed slightly when he said that. "You shouldn't cover your marks you know" He sighed softly and I thought I could hear him mumbling 'what a shame' I straightened up a bit lifting my head from his back and replied "I didn't think it would be right. You know… The human's knowing…" "Ah." Was his response. Eventually I closed my eyes and leaned my cheek back against his back, and fell asleep.
"Lilly? Lilly come on! Wake up!" I sat up almost falling off the… Wait what was I sitting on? Where am I?? I opened my eyes and looked around and saw I was on a motorcycle… a motorcycle?!?! I stood up hardly noticing someone was still sitting on the bike and realized what was going on and without realizing it said "Oh." After Mathew stepped of the bike and set it up he raised an eyebrow and repeated me only as a question. "Oh?" I fidgeted a little and mumbled "Yeah I didn't remember what was going on till I saw you…" I responded looking at my feet. He didn't respond so I looked up and realized he wasn't listening but was looking at my face. "Uh… something wrong?" I asked getting slightly offended since this was the first time he'd actually truly looked at me. He snapped out of it and mumbled "Sorry it's just… You look the same as always" He said giving me an impish smile. "As always…? I've only known you since you're hawk attacked me" He looked at me confused then realization hit his face. "You haven't received memory of your past lives yet have you." He said it as a statement not a question. I messed with my hair and responded" Uh… I guess not… Is that a bad thing?" I asked, worried I was some default. "No it's not wrong, Just means you haven't noticed your abilities till not too long ago" "Oh" was my only response. "I-I didn't get the… Instincts till about a month ago and the marking's appeared Fri-" "Wait, markings?" He asked interrupting me and adding emphases on the last part of markings. "Yeah, Is something wrong?" He didn't respond but stepped closer to me and whipped the makeup off my face. "H-hey! What are you doing??" I asked while he was still wiping the makeup off my face, which I noticed he was doing softly but in a rush at the same time. After he finally got the makeup off he gasped softly and traced what I knew would be the black non-colored in spots on my face. I closed my eyes waiting for the tracing to stop which after what felt like hours he did. I opened my eyes again and noticed I saw clearer, Which would mean my eyes where the cat like slits, Again. He looked straight into my eyes and muttered "Your you're first ever shift which means…" He stopped suddenly and I saw a hint of hurt in his eyes. "Which means…?" I prompted. I watched him mentally shake himself "It means that you have more shift's than one…" My eyes widened while he said that measly little sentence and I fell to the ground my knees buckling under me. "W-What? I have more than one shift…? I haven't even figured this one out yet…" I mumbled mostly to myself. Next thing I knew he was sitting next to me and pulling me into his lap wrapping his arms around my shoulders cradling me, I don't know how, or why, but it just felt right to be in his lap and him holding me. I hadn't realized I was crying till he had started wiping his thumb across my cheek and murmuring "shh, shh it'll be ok" and sweet murmurs to me. I leaned against him and we just sat like that a while. After a little while it got deathly quiet out and I heard a rustling somewhere near me and Mathew, "What was that?" I whispered, "What was what?" He whispered back just as soft. I stood up silently and tried to listen better and mumbled to Mathew" Don't freak out ok?" "Ok" He whispered softly back. That was all I needed and I focused my energy on hearing better and I could feel it happening. I heard Mathew gasp softly and I knew what he was seeing, large black ears seeming just growing from the top of my head and my human ones disappearing. I opened my eyes and turned around toward him and his wide opened in shock eyes and half smiled at him. I turned back toward where I heard the noise and closed my eyes listening hard. Little did I know, Or feel, that my entire body was changing. When I opened my eyes I noticed that I was 2 feet closer to the earth, thinking I had just fallen to my knees I look down and I was on… paws?!?! I stepped back and nearly ran into Mathew if I had not felt him with my tail first (My tail?!?! Ohmygoodness I had a tail…) I swung my head around and stared back at him with fear filled eyes and his were wide open with shock. I let out a little cat like whimper and he loosened up and reached toward me and pet my back softly, I padded closer to him and leaned the top of my head against his shoulder. That's when I heard it again, I tensed up and backed away from him and turned around. "Lilly wha-" I flicked my tail at him telling him to be quiet and he dropped silent. I twitched my ears forward and stared into the black forest in front of me. I heard a loud screech and my ears went back, I had just enough time to glance and make sure that the large creature flying towards me wasn't Lukas or another shifter and leaped up swiping my paw and the large creature. The creature screeched and I landed on top of it with my paw on its neck. The creature thing squirmed for a couple minutes and while it was squirming I was examining it, it didn't look like any bird I had ever seen. It had solid blue eyes, a long thick neck, its feathers were molten and a icky brown color, and its beak was long, fat, and crooked. By the time I was done studying it, it had stopped squirming and I could feel its heart beat had stopped. I stepped away from the thing slowly, backing away towards Mathew hoping he could clear some of this up. I got next to him and sat down, and looked at him. His eyes were a mirrored shocked version of mine. I closed my eyes and focused my energy on going back to human. "Uh… Lilly… I probably should have mentioned that clothes don't shift along with you since you don't remember your past lives…" My eyes flashed open and I looked over to see that he had his eyes averted like a true gentleman and sighed. Then I looked down at my body. "What the crap!" I said out loud. "What??" He asked without looking but I could see he tensed up. "Uh… I-I have tattoos everywhere now… But none are the same…" He tensed up more then slowly asked "Do you mind if I look…?" I sighed softly then nodded, realizing he couldn't see me I cleared my throat and said "Y-Yeah," He turned his head toward me and I was looking down at my body, I stretched my arms out and turning them over and back to normal, "Feathers…" I mumbled to myself. Then stretched my legs out, and saw stripes. I looked at my stomach and saw what looked like fur markings up my sides "Fur…?" I mumbled again. That's when I felt his fingers going through my hairs, And realized my hair was resting on the ground around me, And it was dark brown, No longer my soft red. "M-My hair!" I stuttered lifting a hand full of it over my shoulder and slid my fingers through it. "Mathew… What happened?" He cleared his throat, "Well, Lilly… Remember how I said in your first past life you had more shift's than most?" I nodded my head in response "Well it seems that it's your time again… Which means that something is going to happen. And sadly it's never a good thing when you return in full power…" I sighed, Then realizing I was still naked and he was looking and my arms went across my chest and I folded my legs up suddenly embarrassed and blushed and looked up at him "Uh… I'm gonna go get my clothes now…" He nodded and looked away. I stood up and made my way over to my pile of clothes walking slowly, interested in the way my now longer hair tickled my lower back. I slipped my clothes back on and went back over to Mathew. "So… This-" I motioned to my arms and legs "Means that there's probably some big evil coming?" He sighed and nodded his head. I sighed and sat down next to him and leaned back against the tree behind us. "Do I ever defeat this… Evil?" I asked. He didn't answer so I looked over to him and he looked like he was near tears "Mathew? What's wrong?" I asked kneeling on my knees next to him. He didn't answer but wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, I was surprised but I didn't refuse. "Mathew what's wr-" I bent forward slightly and rubbed my head, a sharp pain like someone had stabbed a knife through it had stopped me. It went away so I tried again, "Mathew what's wr- Gah!" I cried out and my hands went to my head as a pain like my head was being ripped in two sliced through it. Suddenly the pain was gone, and so was Mathew and it felt like I was just floating in black-ness. Then what looked like a three d slide show appeared. There was one girl in every single slide. She looked like… Me?? Yep, definitely looked like me. There were a few changes but one always looked the same. My face, the hair and tattoos changed but the face was always the same. There was someone always there with me to… a male? Mathew! My mind screamed at me. He was always there with me in all of the slide show, in the blackness one word seemed to keep echoing at me in the darkness, soul mate, he's my soul mate? Hmm. That's when I saw it and the slide show changed, and the blackness somehow seemed to get blacker. Then I saw one video like thing in the slide show. There was an evil, a big evil but it was blurred. The evil went down and so did I. This happened three or four more times, then the slide show of past lives disappeared and I was back in my body, doubled over with my hands still in my hair and a killer headache. I gasped and sat up and Mathew wrapped his arms around me pulling me against him. I started shaking and tears ran down my cheeks as realization hit me on what I'd just seen. "T-the evil's g-gonna kill me like all my p-past lives isn't it" I said, more of a statement than a question. He sighed and cradled me closer to him "It has in your past lives but there's always a chance that it won't this once." He responded softly. I sighed and I had stopped shaking by now but tears still slid down my cheeks freely, "T-there was another thing… The darkness, when there were images of me and you… the darkness kept echoing soul mates?" I asked and looked up at him. "That's because we are" He responded and looked down at me "Really? Soul mates do exist?" "Yup." We just sat there silently for a while looking into each other's eyes while the tears I'd seen in his eyes ran down his cheeks only now they were a mix of happy and sad tears. I wiped my thumb across his cheek wiping his tears away and noticed he had cover up on too. I wiped the rest of the cover up off his face and saw he had a light feather tattoo on his face. I traced the feather tattoo with my fingers and noticed that they looked a lot like the ones on my arms. I held my arm out and slid my shirt up to my elbow and traced the feathers on my arms then looked at the ones on his face again. "What shift are you?" I asked wondering if we had a same shift. "Hawk, those feathers on your arms look an offal lot like mine." I nodded in response. "Hmm…" I said out loud then closed my eyes. I focused all my energy on the feather tattoo and I could feel the shift this time. I heard Mathew gasp and I opened my eyes and saw a long pointy beak in front of me and turned my head up towards Mathew and saw his eyes were wide open in shock. I let out a soft screech and fluttered my wings, looking up in the sky I took off. I screeched in joy and twisted in the air then did a little dive towards the ground and swooped up letting out another joyful screech. I dove down towards Mathew like a feathery bullet and opened my wings wide to slow myself down and landed next to him. I let out another soft screech and he smiled at me. I grabbed my clothes from next to him in my beak and hopped off behind the tree he was sitting against and closed my eyes focusing on my human form. After I got dressed I walked back around the tree with a big grin on my face "That. Was. Awesome!!" I said excitedly. Mathew laughed and stood up "Like your first flight much?" He said teasingly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I giggled and nodded. He looked up at the sky "We better start going it's going to get dark soon." "Where we going?" I asked, still giddy from the flight. "To my place." He said simply while I looked at him wide eyed "T-to your place?" I stuttered slightly. "Yep. You're coming home with me." Not giving me a chance to respond he took my hand and swung me onto his back and took off into the woods. The blur of the trees giving me a head ache I closed my eyes and relaxed against his back and fell asleep.
"Lilly wake up Hun" Mathew said. "Huh?" I said sleepily and looked around and saw a cute little cottage like house in front of us. Realizing I was still on Mathew's back I slid off and landed silently on my feet and walked towards the little cottage, "This is your home?" I asked quietly, still tired. "Yeah it is." He said walking over to me and slid his hand in mine, probably noticing I was ready to fall over and go back to sleep. "Let's go back inside you look ready to fall back to sleep just standing here." He said tugging on my hand slightly to get me to start walking towards the little cottage. While walking over to it my eyes changed to the cat like slits to see better in the dark and I saw the little details of the cute little home. The whole thing was painted a light tan color with brown trimmings and had a little garden up front "It's cute" I said out loud and he looked at me seeing my eyes were the cat like slits. "How often do you do that? You know with the eyes" "Oh. Uh. Usually at night when there's no one around so I can see better" I said blushing slightly. He cupped my cheek softly with the hand he wasn't holding my hand with "It's nothing to be ashamed of Lilly." I smiled impishly "I know your just the first one to ever see my eyes like this." "Really?" He asked. "Yep." I responded. He nodded his head slowly like he was thinking and started walking toward the cottage again and I followed. He opened the door to the little cottage and my eyes opened in shock. The home was nice and cozy, and warm. Suddenly I felt sleepy again and my eyelids drooped and my hand went a little limp in Mathew's hand. He tightened his grip a little and led me to his bedroom "Uh. Well there's only one bedroom here… if you want ill go sleep on the couch?" He asked "No, No stay here with me, please?" I asked suddenly scared to be alone. "Ok," he responded. I crawled into the bed and under the sheets and yawned. He laid down next to me and I cuddled against him and fell asleep quickly.