Christian's P.O.V.-
Last night was horrible. I couldn't sleep a wink; my head was too full… too full of disgust and self-loathing. What kind of monster am I? I didn't want to get of bed when my alarm went off. I wish I was in a cage; a cage that would keep me from ever doing something like that again. It would be so much easier…. Just to stay and rot behind bars, than ever harm another living creature. That is something I can never do again….
"Christian! Time to get up!" My neighbour and best friend, Jason, pounded on my dorm room door. Oh, fock; I forgot to lock the door last night. Within seconds, he came bursting in; he was more than a little surprised to catch me still in bed with the curtains shut. Of course he had to open them, letting horrid sunlight shine in. "Come on, man. You gotta get up. We gotta go eat breakfast before class." Eat…. No, I don't want to eat anything- never again if I can help it. "Christian? Oh, let me guess: you haven't prepared for today's history test. I told you to study yesterday, man." I totally forgot about that test, not that I care right now. I wanted to stay here in bed where I could be alone. Well, Jason was having none of that. He ripped the blankets off me and left them on the floor. "Get dressed. I'm hungry."
Jason wouldn't stop nagging me so I had to force myself to get up. Putting on my uniform was alright, but it really was a problem when I looked into my bathroom mirror. The figure I saw staring back at me wasn't myself but a demon, a killer…. a monster. He looked just like me only more sinister; the type of predator that would actually eat another animal. My heart started to beat super loudly again. Look at him- I hate him. I never wanted to be him, to look in the mirror and see…. I hate him; I hate him! He's everything I refuse to be! For a sheer minute, I let my rage get the better of me and I literally punched the glass. It shattered into a million different pieces, not that my hand was hurt. And that was just the start of a miserable day.
Jason and I went for breakfast with our small group of friends from our dorm house. The boarding school is prohibited from serving meat, so all the carnivores eat eggs and soy products for protein. We're supposed to eat all three meals in the cafeteria, where all the students gather. The cafeteria was huge, holding up to four hundred students. In the centre of the place was a massive oak tree which students could climb on. Jason and I sat at our usual spot near the tree, at a table almost underneath it. While the others were busy talking, I stared down at my food with dull eyes. Though I knew they were saying something, the world around me had become deafless.
My eyes rolled over to the white, breakfast roll on my tray. So white and fluffy…. I still remember the feeling from last night. I slowly brought up my hand to gaze at its palm; there was no blood on it now. Still, I was horrified at the sight. No, I can't touch it. I don't…. I don't want to hold anything soft. Soft like….
her.
"What did you just call me?!" Sudden yelling snapped me out of it, and everyone turned to the source of the noise. One guy, a hyena, was yelling at another guy, a lynx. It wasn't uncommon to see carnivores fight; the majority of campus fights were usually between two carnivores. Despite this, all present got quiet so as to listen to the pair shout at one another. "I call it as I see it, you dimwit! The next time you want to try and cheat off me, hide your copy of my notes a little better," the lynx countered. "Who said I was cheating off you?! You've got some nerve, you damn pussy cat!" "You seem to be getting pretty worked up there, laughing boy. Why don't you go have a nap?" The lynx added insult to injury by daring to smirk. Bad move.
Before we knew it, and even he knew it, the hyena bit the lynx in the arm. That was the turning point in the argument. The cafeteria suddenly erupted in screams and shrills. Smaller herbivores made a run for the exits while the rest of us started to congregate around the duo. That's how carnivores normally fight- with fingernails sharp as claws and teeth pointy like fangs. Anytime one animal bit another, the herbivores always freaked out, and I don't blame them. Meanwhile, the lynx began hitting the hyena on the top of his head in an attempt to make him let go.
"You bastard! Let go! Stop it! Stop biting me!" The lynx flung them both onto the floor. This only made the hyena sink his teeth into his arm harder. "Let go! Let go already!" "Shut up!" The hyena spat through his jaw. I ogled the two in complete horror; that familiar feeling of dread and disgust crept up the back of my spine. Biting… he's biting him. Eat her; tear her flesh off. I could hear my heart beating in my ears. "I'm gonna kill you!" The lynx shouted, finally yanking his arm out of the other's mouth. You are overjoyed from the bottom of your heart, to finally have the perfect prey here in your arms. This is sick- this is beyond sick. Our teeth weren't meant for this; not this. It can't be…. I unconsciously started to viciously growl. Aren't you sad, never being truly satisfied? And once again, I felt that surge of boiling blood flow through each and every one of my veins. The blood… of a real predator.
"Knock it off!" I heard myself command in the most authoritative, most domineering, powerful tone imaginable. Now this caught everyone's undivided attention. Before I knew what I'd done, all eyes were suddenly and nervously locked onto me; the room was silent. It took a few brief seconds, but eventually I put the pieces together. My body straightened up as my eyes drifted off into nowhere in particular. Was… was that me just now? Did I really order them to stop so fiercely? I actually covered my mouth, afraid it might speak without my brain's permission again. "Seriously, Christian? What's wrong with you today?" Jason whispered over to me.
I didn't have time to answer. "What's your problem? You got something you want to say to me, wolf boy?" The hyena got up, angrily glaring at me for interrupting their fight. He stepped over my way. "N-nothing," I emitted with diminishing confidence. "You think that I don't stand a chance against you because you're stronger than me, is that it?" His hands balled into furious fists. I frowned, though raised up my hands as a sign of nonaggression. "Of course not," I sounded much calmer this time. All things considered, I actually did think that. I mean not only am I physically stronger, but my bite force is more powerful than his. It's no contest really; not that I'll let him know that. And naturally, he didn't buy what I was saying either.
"Don't give me that. I'm sick of you apex predators shifting your weight around here. If you have a problem with me, then why don't you take me on, wolf?" "I'm not going to fight you. I do not fight anyone." "Oh please, don't give me that bull. You're a carnivore and all carnivores love fighting. See? Bend down and let me see your neck- I'll show you," he smirked in the ugliest way possible. I was about to utter something in revulsion when….
"What is the matter with you?! Getting in a brawl in the cafeteria; there are herbivores present, you idiot." We all spun around to see Paul marching up to us, or rather the hyena and lynx. He shot them death glares as he came over to my side. That's when the cheers, mostly female, echoed through the room; I guess bystanders were relieved to see their star quarterback come onto the scene. "Oh, what do you want, long horn?" The lynx groaned upset. "We're a little busy here, your majesty, so if you don't mind getting lost…" The hyena tacked on. I merely observed Paul with the mind not to intervene unless necessary.
"Biting other students is against school policy, especially in front of herbivores. You should be thanking me I'm not reporting you low-lives to Principal Grinds right now," Paul asserted with conviction. The two carnivores growled, then the lynx smirked- an insidious smirk. "Oh yeah? What do you care? Who do you think you are, plant-eater?" "I think I'm the guy who's going to kick your ass if you ever pull a stunt like that again. Unlike you friendless losers, I have close acquaintances with a variety of species here on campus. I won't stand by and let you frighten them with your stupid antics."
The hyena and lynx seemed to be caught off guard by this declaration; even I was staring at Paul now with admiration. He seemed so calm, cool, collected, and composed. Or he did, until… The lynx smirked again; a very, very bad move. "You think cause you're the quarterback of a mostly carnivore football team, the "herbivore" label doesn't apply to you? Ha! What an idiot. You haven't got a clue! You, who skulks around with a whore!" The room was immediately full of "oooooohs" as Paul's eyes dangerously glared at the boy. I saw his hands roll into tight fists; they began to shake in apoplectic fury.
"What did you just call her?" I'd never heard Paul's voice so menacing. It's now that the guys realized their screw up. The lynx took an instinctive step backwards while the other guy tugged on his sleeve. "Dude, don't! You'll set off his protective-instinct!" He whispered not so discreetly. Paul took his time collecting himself before firing off another threating glare their way; he was inhaling really, really deeply. "I suggest you listen to me, cause I'll only say this once. Keep that trap of yours shut! The next time you bite someone, you will get suspended; I'll make sure of that. And if you ever call her or any lady a derogatory name again, I'll show what a real fight looks like. You got that, weakling?"
"Y-yes! W-we won't do that again!" They both nodded frantically. The rest of us gawked dumbfounded. We just witnessed a taste of the famous protective instinct. I almost thought Paul was going to slug that creep in the face, most likely breaking his nose in the process. But this… this was somehow so much scarier, and from an herbivore no less. It wasn't every day you saw a plant-eater make not one but two carnivores almost shit themselves. Seeing an opportunity, soon others began hurling insults down to the duo as well. "Get lost!" "Weaklings!" "Two losers walking!" "Piss off!"
"Let's get outta here," the hyena told the lynx. I suppose they were "friends" since they left together, being booed the whole way. Paul waited until they were gone before spinning his head to face me. He looked much calmer now, though not entirely satisfied. "You ok, man?" My body impulsively flinched as I recognized that he was now directly talking to me. "U-uh, yeah… yeah, I'm alright," my eyes lowered a tad. That's right, Paul was there last night; only, he didn't know… No one knows, but me and her. "Does that make us even for last night?" "Hmmmm? Oh no, Paul; really. I didn't mind….." That's not the part I minded.
Paul grinned at me, patting my shoulder. "You know, you shouldn't have to pretend to lose to morons like them. No one will think anything less of you, Christian, if you use your real strength for once." My real strength….? He says that, but it's entirely different for us. He only uses his strength to protect others- that's its purpose. But mine…. Show me your true might by devouring this girl.
Mine is different.