Seriously long chapter. And this chapter, by the rules of FanFiction, is rated M, for two swear words.

CHAPTER 11

But the poor duckling, who had crept out of his shell last of all, and looked so ugly, was bitten and pushed and made fun of, not only by the ducks, but by all the poultry, so that the poor little thing did not know where to go, and was quite miserable because he was so ugly and laughed at by the whole farmyard.

So it went on from day to day till it got worse and worse. The poor duckling was driven about by everyone; even his brothers and sisters were unkind to him, and would say, "Ah, you ugly creature, I wish the cat would get you," and his mother said she wished he had never been born. The ducks pecked him, the chickens beat him, and the girl who fed the poultry kicked him with her feet.

The Ugly Duckling

He crouched back when the door opened again. He saw the man, and instinctively moved away from where he knew the opening to his cage was.

But this time it was different. The man came to the back, where he had been crouching. He scrambled away, hissing quietly, afraid. The man sometimes hit him for showing any hostility, but also sometimes ignored him. This time he went for the latter.

With a sudden jolt the cage he had lived in all his life was moving. He shrieked, jumping, trying to escape, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere for him to run.

Terror leaped in his chest as the cage was pushed outside, into blinding light. He screamed in pain. He had lived in darkness all his life and now, exposed to light, he was unable to see.

He heard the man yelling, heard a great noise. It was a crowd, although he did not know this. He couldn't distinguish any separate voices - it was one maw of sound, pressing on him. His screams doubled in volume.

He felt the man drag him forward, chain him to the center. He still couldn't see, couldn't hear...

But he did feel something wet splatter against him.

The man yelled for control as the people started to hurl their food. He, on the other hand, tried futilely to move, to run...

The next object to hit him was hard, sharp; it cut into him. He yelped, scrambled back and felt his collar cut into the back of his neck. He didn't even know which way to go...it seemed they were all around him. The man was trying to restore order but was failing horribly. Finally, the man threw a cover over the cage and shoved it back, still shouting at the crowd, and leaving the Bat Boy to lick at his wounds...

That first day turned into two days…then three…then a week. Edgar stayed inside, feeling trapped.

Occasionally the phone would ring, or someone would knock on the door. He ignored it. More rarely, he would see a car pass by; it would slow as they neared, then quickly speed up. He thought he could feel the driver's glances through the window, trying to discern him through the heavy curtains.

Quickly he ran out of programs to watch and books to read. He wandered up and down the house, exploring the small rooms. Often he sat aimlessly by the window, waiting for Shelley to come walking home. Then he would scramble off his bed and run to the front door to await her arrival. Only when she had come in and greeted him with her warm smile would he feel the boredom lift.

But the next morning she would invariably be gone, leaving him alone once more.

After a week and a half it became too much. He had to get out of the house. He at first contemplated hiking through the woods, but it was society he wanted to see, buildings and people and machines and all the things Shelley and Meredith talked about.

He wanted to see Shelley, at her school.

But could he? It wasn't the potential mob he feared – they were an abstract threat that he had never met, and did not truly frighten him. What he feared was Meredith and Shelley's anger should they find him out of doors. Meredith, especially, had become like a mother to him, and there is nothing a child fears more than the wrath of a parent when they have done wrong.

He hung about the door indecisively, trying to weigh his boredom against his fear. He stood in the hallway, hand on the doorknob, trying to think through all the potential consequences. But it was the sudden ring of the phone into the quiet air that sent him out. He jumped at the loud noise, startled; without thinking he flung open the door and ran outside, panting.

For a moment he did not realize what he had done. But then he realized: He was outside. He had done it. It brought a shivery excitement, half elation, half thrill of fear. He took a step further, into the front yard and the bright sunlight. When no mob descended upon him (as he had been led to believe would happen) he took another, and another, until he was at the sidewalk's edge.

He did not go without caution, though. After reaching the edge of the sidewalk and smiling out into the light, he trotted back inside the house. He put on a dark sweatshirt, the hood pulled around his head to conceal his head. He skirted through light, took routes that seemed abandoned or unused, taking refuge in the shadows, jumping when he saw an approaching car or person.

He knew he had reached the school only because it happened to be lunch. Hope Falls' 200 or so students were milling aimlessly about the wide, unfenced yard. The town itself was so small (Population: 500) that every grade had been crammed into the low, squat building sitting squarely in the center of the block.

Edgar had never seen so many people, so many children, all of them running with the hyper energy acquired after eating a sugary lunch. Utterly confused, getting flashbacks of crowds who had surrounded his cage, he hid in the shadows of the trees and searched for Shelley, the only familiar face.

Presently, he spied her at the far end of the yard, standing alongside a group of girls; together they were one of the oldest people on the campus, hanging about with the bored air of teenagers preparing to leave their childhood. Edgar slid down and sat on the sidewalk, watching happily as she chatted with her friends.

"That math test was so hard."

"I blew it. I know I did. My dad's gonna kill me."

"Mrs. Farley is such a bitch."

They tittered amongst themselves. Edgar settled back against the tree contentedly.

"Hey Shelley," one of the girls giggled. "There's a guy watching you over there."

"Who?" Shelley looked about. "I don't see anyone."

"Maybe it's Rick Taylor," another suggested coyly.

"You're so lucky to have him, Shel," the first sighed. "If he was my boyfriend…" She smiled dreamily.

"I don't think it's Rick," a third added. "Rick's in the hospital, isn't he?"

"Maybe he left to come see Shelley."

"Rick Taylor wouldn't hide in the dark!"

"Maybe he would, if he just wanted to see Shelley!"

"It's not Rick," Shelley said loudly, ending the argument. She shaded her eyes from the sunlight, trying to get a better look. "It doesn't look like anybody from this school." She shrugged. "Anyway, I don't think he's looking at me."

She turned around. At the end of lunch when she looked back, he was gone.

She had forgotten about it by the end of the day, and so did not mention it to her family. The next day at school, though, her friends started whispering again.

"Shelley, you have a stalker!"

Yes, the dark shape was back under the tree.

"Go talk to him, Shelley!" cried her friends, shoving her forward. "See what he wants!"

"No thanks," Shelley snorted.

"Go! Come on Shelley, see what he wants!"

They pushed and shoved until she was practically there already.

"If he kills me, it's your fault!" Shelley yelled as she walked over. Edgar had perked up.

They laughed at her remark, gathering closer in their spot, still giggling incessantly.

Shelley sighed and walked under the tree, seeing the person stand quickly.

"Okay, Mr. Hides-Under-Tree, come out -" She stopped and simply gaped when she saw who it was. "Edgar! What are you doing here?" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of sight. "Mom told you not to come out here! What do you think you're doing?"

Edgar hung his head. "I wanted to see you."

"See me? You can see me at home! And – you did this yesterday, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry."

"Ugh…don't be." She looked back at her tittering friends, then at Edgar. In a hood and baggy sweater, he didn't look at all like himself. She took his hand and led him out of the dark. "Well...look, you really wanted to see me?"

He nodded.

Mom's going to kill me. She said, "Then come on. Let's go meet my friends."

He stared at her in wonder. "Really?"

"Yep. Come on."

She pulled him over to the group of girls, who were having little fits of excitement.

"Will they like me?" he whispered nervously.

"Of course!" she said, sounding a little too sure. She looked him over and pulled on the hood. "You look good."

They had reached the girls. Edgar stood back, shying closer to Shelley when they drew near.

"He is a stalker!"

"But he only came to see her!"

"That's so…"

"Sweet!"

"No! It's weird!"

"Idiots," Shelley muttered. But she smiled as they drew near, and said, "This is Edgar. He's kind of a friend." Looking at him, standing speechless beside her, she added, "He's kind of shy."

"He's cute," one girl observed. The others nodded.

"Very."

"Adorable!"

Shelley smiled at Edgar, who was brightening up under all the attention.

"Why does he wear the hood?"

"Take it off!"

Shelley, seeing a tense situation coming and wanting to defuse it, said nervously, "Uh, he'd rather not…"

"Take it off for him, Shelley!"

"Hey, back off!" Shelley snarled. "He doesn't want to!"

"What is he hiding?"

Shelley pushed Edgar behind her, realizing just how bad an idea this was. "Leave him alone!"

"What's your problem, Shelley?"

"We just want to see him!"

"You brought him over!"

"Edgar, go home!" Shelley commanded. He tugged at her hand, but she let go. "No! Just you Edgar!" He backed away into a group of girls who pulled off the hood.

A deadly silence fell over the playground. It seemed all eyes had gone to them.

Then someone screamed, "IT'S THE BAT BOY!"

All hell broke loose. Everyone within a ten foot radius scrambled back; others shrieked, backing into the buildings; still more ran and told others in an ever growing circle of wild rumors, causing pandemonium amongst students and teachers – within moments a mass of people had formed, all running for the safety of the school.

Within ten minutes the entire playground was empty, though many were crowded at the windows, gazing upon them.

"Well…" Shelley said, gazing around. "I guess this was a bad idea." She sighed. "I'm so dead." She looked at Edgar, still watching her nervously. "Go home Edgar. Just forget about this."

"Shelley…Is this why you don't let me go out?" he asked quietly.

She couldn't meet his eyes and spoke to the ground. "I'm sorry Edgar."

He didn't say anything, just stared at the avidly staring students. He gave her one last glance, then walked off the grounds and back to the darkness of the trees.

Shelley, however, still had class, and was forced to endure the whispers of her fellow students all the way through.

"The Bat Boy…"

"Of course…she lives with him…"

"The nerve of her, bringing him here…"

"And he's a murderer…"

She gritted her teeth, hugged her books to her chest, and went inside her classroom. Instantly chattering broke out around her.

"I knew she was hiding something..."

"Did you see it?"

"Yeah! Ugliest thing I ever saw..."

The teacher cleared her throat, silencing the mutterings, but cast Shelley a look she didn't quite know how to interpret – a cautious one, as if Shelley were the dangerous one. She slammed her books across her table and bent her head over her work.

A tap on the edge of her desk forced her to look up. A girl was looking across at her. In a whisper, the girl asked,

"So, what's it like fucking a bat?"

Shelley took two deep breaths. She closed her books, binder, and pencil case, and zipped them carefully inside her backpack. She stood up, looked serenely down at the girl, and slammed her fist into the girl's face.

"I do not understand this, Miss Parker! We have a zero-tolerance policy of violence at this school! You have been one of finest students; what would possess you to hit a classmate?"

Shelley stared at a spot over the principal's shoulder and remained silent.

"If you will not talk about this, then we will have no choice but to suspend you!"

Desperation, she thought. Hope Falls had never suspended a student. Ever.

"…But since you have been a stellar student…"

Hadn't heard that one before...

"…we will overlook this once." The principal gazed at her sternly. "We will be calling your mother."

Shelley finally broke her silence. Swinging her backpack over her shoulder, she muttered, "Whatever."

"Hitting a girl at school! Almost getting suspended! Shelley, why would you do such a thing?"

She was really becoming a troubled teenager, wasn't she? Odd, she always thought Rick would be the first –

"Shelley, look at me when I'm talking to you!"

She snapped her gaze to her mother's angry face.

"Now I want to sit down and tell me exactly what happened!"

"Nothing happened," Shelley muttered.

"That is a lie and you know it! Nobody simply lashes out for no reason, and especially not you Shelley!"

"Too bad Mom, because there was no reason!"

"Shelley, get back here this instant!"

"OH SHUT UP MOM!"

Then she was running up the stairs and into her room.

Edgar quietly entered the darkened room. He heard, and saw, Shelley roll over.

"Hey Edgar," she said tiredly.

He sat down. "I'm sorry."

She groaned. "You have to stop saying that. Not everything is your fault."

"This feels like it is."

"It's not." She hesitated, then asked, "Want to lie down?"

He lay next to her and took her hand in his.

"They hate me," he said eventually, "don't they?"

She could not answer him.

Rick thrashed in his bed.

"I'll kill you… I'LL KILL YOU, FREAK!"

Ruthie shook her brother. "Ricky, stop it! The Bat Boy ain't here!"

Ron twisted his brother's Bowie knife in his small hands. "He's right, Ruthie. The bat freak oughta pay for doin' this to our big brother."

Rick moaned, saliva foaming. "Die, freak, die…"

Mrs. Taylor sobbed by her son's bedside, completely unaware of the murderous turn of the conversation. "My sweet little boy… he never hurt a thing in his life!" she cried. "Oh Ricky, please get better!"

"Look at Mom, Ruthie," Ron whispered to his younger sister. "We oughta help her. We oughta kill the Bat Boy!"

"Kill the Bat Boy?" Ruthie echoed, half in horror, half in barely concealed excitement.

"Yeah! It's at the Parkers, ain't it? We'll stab it!" He demonstrated with the Bowie knife. "And we'll rip its guts out! And we'll tear out his arms and legs! And then we'll burn the pieces!"

"Yeah! Burn it!"

"And we'll keep the head!" Ron continued. "Just like Mr. Ellis said! And we'll give it to Mom to put on the trophy case!"

Ruthie squealed. "We're gonna kill the Bat Boy! We're gonna kill the Bat Boy!"

"WE'RE GONNA KILL THE BAT BOY!" the two shrieked, hopping around the room wildly.

Mrs. Taylor had never been so proud of her children.

Halfway through her second grounding, Shelley came running into Edgar's room with a new plan.

"Okay, here's the thing," she said without preamble. "The Reverend's not coming here, so there won't be any big revival. But the town has a meeting like, once every three months or so. So the next one will be coming up in a week or so. I'm thinking – we can sneak off there and show you to them!"

He gave her a quizzical look. "They'll attack me."

"No! The sheriff and the mayor will be there, and so will Mom, too! They'll keep the crowd back for us, and you can talk to them! Convince them that you're normal!"

"Convince them?"

"Yeah! You'll have to give a little speech and stuff and -" She snapped her fingers. "Clothes! You need to dress nicely – show you're just as human as they are!"

He sat up as she started to rummage through his closet. "Shelley," he said slowly, "they think I'm a monster."

"But you're not," she said, head still inside the closet. "And that's what the speech is about. You're going to go out there and prove that you would never hurt anybody!" She gasped, finding exactly the right suit, and crashed her head on the top. "Ouch! Found it! Then they will accept you!"

Accepted…How nice it had felt to be amongst Shelley's friends, to feel them looking at him and talking about him in a normal way – as if he were a part of them. And oh, how fleeting that feeling had been.

He wanted to be a part of this world. He wanted to be able to go outside, to talk to casual acquaintances – no, to make casual acquaintances – and not just that, but friends… to go to school as Shelley did, to work as Meredith did, to contribute and be one with the world.

And it had been done so easily with Shelley's friends – a mere clothing change, and they had drawn him into their fold. Why couldn't he do the same here?

"Put this one on…" Shelley handed him a shirt. "And this…and tie this…and don't forget the suit…And the shoes…" She waited, then giggled and turned around, covering her eyes. "Go on! I promise I won't peek!"

He changed quickly, then tapped her shoulder.

She turned around and smiled, then dragged him to the mirror. "See…you look awesome!" she cried.

"Really?"

She stepped back and appraised him. "Yep," she said, nodding to herself. "Look at yourself." She forced him to face the mirror. "You're all dressed up nicely...and you talk so well...and you don't look so skinny and pale anymore." She rolled up his sleeve and pinched a bit of muscle around his arm.

He stared down at himself, particularly at a ring of raised skin. Shelley, suddenly uncomfortable, pushed his sleeve back down.

"You'll be the talk of the town." She sat on the bed, trying to break the tension. "They'll come around – and before you know it, they'll all be wanting to know you."

"And then?"

"And then…" She thought for a moment. "And then you can go wherever you want. You can come to school with me and get your diploma. You might even get to graduate with me! And then you can go to college."

"College?"

"Yep. Mom went to college and she wants me to go too."

"What do you do in college?"

"It's like school, only you get to live there and get away from your parents! And you learn more, and it costs a lot of money, but you're way more likely to get a better job and not end off as…" She made a disparaging gesture. "…farmers or coal miners."

"Okay."

"And then you can get whatever job you like," she finished softly. "What do you want to do Edgar?"

He didn't know. In his most secret dreams, hidden away in the very depths of his mind and one he had only indulged in dreams, he hoped to be with Shelley, though his mind couldn't conceive of marriage or love – he merely wanted to be by her side.

Shelley, seeing him struggle for an answer, asked, "Well, what do you like to do?"

He liked being with her.

"I like to…learn," he said instead.

She raised an eyebrow. "What? Like…study?" She said it as if it were a bad thing, and he felt himself shrink back. Quickly she changed her tone. "No, that's a good thing! A lot of people don't like learning or anything…you could be a researcher! Or a professor! Or just somebody who likes to discover new things, like – an explorer!"

"An explorer…" It felt right.

"You can go out and find out about your own family," Shelley said wistfully. "Maybe find your own Bat Girl?"

"A Bat Girl?"

"Yes…you know, a girl who looks like you." Instantly an image of Shelley with bat ears and fangs popped into his head. Shelley continued, "And I suppose you can marry and have little bat children…" Now both had an image of Edgar, surrounded by little bat children.

Edgar said (after wiping out the images), "Shelley…if I find a…a 'Bat Girl'…I don't think I would like her…very much."

Shelley looked at him, expression unreadable. "So you go for people like me? I don't think we – I mean, you and this other girl – are of the same species."

"I think I am half human, at least. It…can be overcome."

"I guess." She took the plunge without thinking. "Edgar…have you found this…other, human girl?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Is it one of my friends?"

He suddenly started looking everywhere but at her. "I…have. And it's not one of your friends." Her friends? Their existence had barely registered in his mind.

"Could you…tell me…who?"

Edgar was shaking slightly in her arms. She couldn't possibly – she might just be – he didn't want to know but at the same time he had to –

He said slowly, "The girl -"

"SHELLEY! EDGAR! DINNER!"

The two snapped apart at Meredith's voice, blushing profusely.

"I guess we need to -"

"Probably should go -"

The moment was gone. They hurried down, not looking at each other. Both were still quite red.