Disclaimers Note:I do not own Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace or the Midnighters trilogy.
He sat alone in his bedroom. He had never felt this helpless, this powerless. Nowadays, most loud sounds scared him, and even new technology frightened him. He could remember the night that had changed him forever with remarkable clarity. That was the night that he, Rex Greene, had become a halfling.
I can't escape this hell
So many times I've tried
But I'm still caged inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
He suddenly stood, making his way across the room with incredible speed. He stalked down the hall, quickly but silently, and entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He cleared the counter with one swift motion. Glaring at the reflection in the mirror, nostrils flaring, he saw a flicker of the darkling inside of him.
So what if you can see
The darker side of me
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe
It's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
With an inhuman growl, he punched the mirror with unbelievable ferocity, and it shattered. Rex didn't notice the blood on his knuckles. He didn't care. Why did this happen to me? He leaned against the wall, tears welling up in his eyes.
I can't escape myself
So many times I've lied
But there's still rage inside
Somebody get me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
Rex slowly started to slide, and he heard the soft scrape of his back on the wall. He heard his father snoring; he'd given him a yellow pill tonight. He didn't want his father to hear him cry. He banged his head against the wall. Rex shifted his gaze to the bathroom window, where he had made a desperate attempt at escape, and the tears gushed out of him at last.
So what if you can see
The darker side of me
No one will ever change this animal I have become
Help me believe
It's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become
And we believe
It's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
Rex finally noticed his bloody knuckles, and jammed a knuckle in his mouth. Sitting there in the bathroom, sucking on his knuckle and tears streaming down his face, he felt like a pussy. He hadn't meant to cry; hadn't wanted to. Crying only made him angrier. God! Why am I sobbing like an idiot?
Somebody help me through this nightmare
I can't control myself
Somebody wake me from this nightmare
I can't escape this hell
The darkling inside of Rex was laughing hysterically. You're weak. It told him through fits of laughter. Rex sprang up from the floor with a slight grunt and whispered, "Leave me alone." The laughter grew louder, ringing in his ears. "I said," he croaked, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" He flung his fist at the wall, and an earsplitting crack! exploded from it.
So what if you can see
The darker side of me
No one will ever change This animal I have become
And we believe
It's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal I have become
And we believe
It's not the real me
Somebody help me tame this animal
This animal I have become
Rex stood, glaring into the darkness and breathing heavily. It wasn't laughing now. Not any more. As his mind cleared, he recalled that Melissa was a Mindcaster. She felt all of this. Rex became frantic; trying to cover his thoughts with anything, but, after a moment, realized there was nothing he could do. Damn! He relaxed for a while. He wandered back into his dark bedroom and sprawled out on the bed. Well, this sucks. He figured Melissa would be on her way by now, coming to see what's wrong with him. Ah what the hell. Let her come. His eyelids were getting heavy. As he drifted off slowly into sleep, he heard the tires of the old Ford screech to a halt outside.