Chapter 1-Izza

2836 Words
(Izza's POV) My name is Isabella Sawyer but everyone calls me Izza and I have never believed in mythological beings. These creatures have always been just that, a myth. Until that fateful day, I shifted into my true form. I had always believed I was a human, but then again, I never knew anything more existed. But I am getting ahead of myself now; let me start at the beginning. I was about four years old when I was found. I don’t remember much before that point. What I do remember were the flashing lights. Campers had spotted me sitting in the middle of a desolated forest, howling into the night. If finding a giggling child howling at the moon in the middle of nowhere was not strange enough, try adding a blood-drenched child to the table. With no visible wounds, everyone questioned where the gore had originated. After authorities combed through the area for countless days, no trace was ever found of my biological parents or what led me to be alone there that night. In an attempt to find someone who knew me, a mass-scale newscast was composed with my full description, but no one ever came forward. The only evidence they uncovered was the blood covering my body, which later resulted in animal blood. Unearthing more questions than answers. “What is your name?” I recall the officer's gentle voice, trying not to scare me in the process. I also remember lying but not why I lied. “Isabella,” I was only four; they had no reason to doubt me. “Isabella, how old are you?” “Umm, I don't know.” I didn't know my birthday, but I knew I was four at the time. “Do you know your last name?” “Umm, no.” I lied again. “Was anyone with you?” “I don't know.” Now years later, I don’t recall if this was true or not. I hoped for a long time that someone had been with me. There had to be someone missing me. Now twelve years have passed, the accounts of that day have long been forgotten. Although from time to time, I would find myself perched on my balcony, gazing into the mesmerizing essence of the moon. Somehow, gaining comfort in its luminosity over ending up alone in the heart of a forest. Fortunately, I was adopted by a prosperous family who provided me with a perfect life. I was popular and had many friends. I was even captain of the lacrosse, soccer, and basketball teams. Looking back now, I was always stronger and faster than everyone else. Everyone knew me or wanted to know me, but all that changed when I turned sixteen; I became ill with no apparent cause. It all manifested with a minor daze the day before the big game. “Sorry I’m late, I was held up by Mr. Brown,” the voice was accompanied by a fresh scent of bitter lime. Immediately it overtook my nostrils, the sour stench caused wrinkles over my face. It was a foreign but dreadfully familiar smell, which was beginning to become less foreign as the weeks went by. Still, I remained hopeful, mistakes happen, maybe this time I was wrong. It was not long before an accelerated heartbeat made its way to the surface. There was no mistaking it now, it was a dead giveaway for dishonesty. A gentle huff, only audible to myself, escaped my lips as the footsteps made their way onto the field. The scent of lime only became more potent as the steps continued to approach. I hated the smell of lime, often it was followed by lies. I questioned if anyone else could smell it, but after years of asking, can you smell that? It’s reasonable to assume no one else can. “Coach, it's the third time this week.” The footsteps paused as I spoke. I knew I could not continue without gazing into the voice’s eyes. “I would bench Amanda today.” Her eyes widened in shock, not believing the words that exited my mouth. “Okay,” he said without hesitation. It was probably the annoyance that led me to suggest this punishment, but I knew she was lying. “This is not fair,” she whined, trying to plead with Coach Davis. But Coach Davis was already staring at some paperwork in his hand. He no longer cared to entertain further. “Poor practice will not be rewarded,” I ignored Amanda as I addressed the rest of the team. “Now, we will start with a warm-up, then shooting drills,” as the team advanced towards the field away from the bleachers. Amanda reached for my hand; she was clearly agitated. I turned to find Coach Davis had already made his way past us. He was likely going back to his office. With the coach not around, Amanda tried to convince me of her lie, maintaining that she was in class with Professor Brown. “How can you blame me for this?” she yelled, knowing coach Davis was no longer within hearing distance. As she continued, once again a pounding was heard within her chest cavity. For some reason, Amanda insisted on lying to me. I utilized force to remove myself from her grip, showing her that I would not be bullied into her will. I looked down to find her hand shaking, maybe in anger. I lifted my gaze to find myself faced with icy blue eyes, large enough to sink The Titanic ten times over. There was no regret hidden within them. “Don't lie to me, unless you would like to remain on the bench,” her eyes shifted from anger to shock. “I was with a guy,” as she spoke a faint scent began to emerge, a soft creamy vanilla scent. The odor reminded me of cherry blossoms in the spring. But there was a different scent, it was familiar, but I could not place it. Maybe it was due to the sour lime scent still lingering. With her heart still racing, I knew she was still holding back. “Okay, just don’t let it happen again.” I decided not to push further. After all, Amanda was my best friend. I hoped she would later tell me, in due time. Just as Amanda lifted a smile, a subtle daze came over me. It was not enough to knock me down but enough to gently weaken my knees and force me to grasp onto Amanda’s arms for stability. The team took quick notice and rushed over in a panic. “Are you okay,” Amanda gasped as worry filled her voice. “I’m fine,” I said as the daze vanished. I looked towards the team, now hovering over me. I could sense their worry as their hearts all raced inside, “Okay, enough of this, let’s get back to work,” I jumped back up to my feet, leading everyone back to the center of the field. “Come on Amanda!” I hollered, with a smile on my face as I waved her over to the team. I told myself everything would be fine. Little did I know my troubles had just begun. The next day, a minor but persistent headache had arisen. It was bothersome but tolerable. Had I informed my parents at the time, maybe they would have been alarmed. You see, I never got sick. It's true; not even a sniffle had crossed me, not even once. I simply took a painkiller and moved on with my day. With so much to do that day, I didn’t have time to worry about a simple headache. My team would be playing against the Crows in the finals later that same day. Standing at only 5 feet tall, I did not propel fear into the opposing team. My physical appearance did not help either; I was the epitome of what looked to be frail and dainty. With my unique round violet eyes, people only wanted to pinch my cheeks and gaze into the surface of my beauty. Unknown to my rivals, I had the ferocity of a lioness. You wouldn't find weak and Izza uttered in the same sentence. It was not long before an agonizing pain took residence, engulfing my skull in its wrath. After several hours and three rounds of painkillers, it had not dwindled. It was cumbersome, but no matter my disposition, I was ready to win. I would be damned if I conceded to a simple headache. While pretending the headache was no longer there, I headed to the stadium with my family. A peculiar reflection burrowed into my vision as I sat quietly in the back seat. Within the tinted windows, a large night wolf raced through the dense woods. Its size was abnormally large for the average wolf, but what else could it be? It danced with the luscious greeneries when it came to an abrupt halt. Immediately taking its muzzle into the air as if it had caught the scent of prey. Unfortunately for me, it appeared that scent was me. It swiftly turned in my direction with half-raised hackles. Fiery ember eyes sizzled as they locked eyes with me. Strange, I was not afraid. Without hesitation, it lunged in my direction. Black steel talons protruded from between its enormous paws as it took off in the air. Its nostrils flared as the wind brushed through its extended bristles, generously giving more volume to its build. If things couldn't get worse, its ivory fangs emerged from under its snarled lips. Somehow, this beast had perceived me as a threat, and it was coming for me. Maybe I should have been afraid. On instinct, I jumped back, prompting the vision to dissipate. “Are you OK?” I recalled the worried tone of my father. He had been staring through the rearview mirror while my mom remained oblivious to his inquisition. I only nodded my head and returned to my silence. Proceeding to close my eyes for the remainder of the trip, only hearing their whispers from time to time. With acute hearing, making out their conversations was never difficult. This time their words were lost under my still throbbing headache. “Honey, the private investigator will find a lead,” my mom tried to comfort me about what she believed was my calamity. Several years back, a school project stirred me into knowing where I came from. I presented my parent's narrative, knowing it was not mine. Feeling empty, we hired a private investigator. She discovered a significant detail never noticed before. The articles publicized during that time reported a child had been found on the outskirts of Montana near Yellowstone. Unknown to me at the time, that was not the official report. Wyoming, that's where I was found. The campers that spotted me were headed home to Montana. With no cell reception, they took me with them. Once the media caught wind, a false narrative began. Apparently, no one noticed the misinformation published. A hollow sense of hope arose as I believed maybe my family was looking for me in the wrong place. Additional investigation slaughtered my hope. No missing children were reported in Idaho or Wyoming during that time. With no information, the trail was left cold. I soon stopped following the crumbs that led me nowhere. Still, the reminder was there every time we drove near the National Park. My parents moved to Wyoming soon after they adopted me. They wanted to try something new, away from the city life. They never seemed to have regretted the choice. Well, at least they never mentioned it to me. A part of me wished to leave, but another side wanted to stay. A single tear worked its way down my cheek as we pulled up to a set of powerful floodlights surrounding the stadium, only to invigorate the throbbing pain within my skull further. At least the sad thought has left my mind. I tried to push the door open but for a moment I was too weak to push. “Need a hand?” I stared at my dad as I wished I was of his flesh. “Nervous,” his smile was always warm and comforting. “Thanks,” I jumped out with my snowy fuchsia duffle bag. “Nervous, me, never,” I laughed. The stadium was invigorated with life, bodies rushing to get the best seats available. It was all a blur as I struggled past them, managing to lose my parents in the mob. It was fine since I was going in a different direction, anyway. There amidst the crowd stood a man with indistinguishable fiery ember eyes, as in her vision earlier. I stared at him as he remained motionless while others passed right through him. He was not real, I told myself. His perfectly toned phantom body persisted as I tried to inch closer to my team. I feared I was beginning to lose the concept of reality. A second look at his untamed fiery orbs stopped me in my tracks. It took no effort to lure me in, ambushing me with his seductive glare. I found myself longing to comb my fingers through his thick honey brown hair. It stretched to his shoulder with the most envious waves. His oval-shaped face was well complemented by his well-maintained beard, spewing a wild essence about him. I was released from my trance by a voice approaching from behind me. “Hey, babe! Knock them dead!!” I still remember feeling my eyes light up at his voice. The field was full of life, but as he spoke, I remember everything went silent. At that moment, we were the only ones there. Instantly the headache was gone. “Zander! You came!” I ran up to him, planting a wet kiss right on him. He towered over me by about afoot. All 6 feet of him had to lean down to catch my smooch. Instinctively, I ran my fingers through the gently trimmed sides of his head. I could feel his faux hawk swipe the side of my face as he overstretched his reach. Immediately, I heard my father from the bleachers. Somehow, he was able to recognize me from a distance. He had not been happy with our affection, but I didn’t care. Zander was the most desirable guy in school; fortunately, he was all mine. He always wore a dazzling smile with dimples to die for. The moment he came into sight, it forced me to overlook the strange apparition. “Of course, I came.” He had said as he too combed his hand through his shiny platinum blonde hair. “I would never miss this for the world.” His delicious, caramel eyes sent shivers down my spine. For a moment, I had forgotten about the throbbing pain that had developed throughout the day. “NUMBER 29! ISABELLA SAWYER!” The sports announcer called out. That had been my cue to head onto the field. I had planned to dominate the competition while impressing the college scouts embedded in the crowd. I was only 16, so college was still a couple of years out, but I was planning for my future. If I impressed them now, they would be watching out for me then. We had made it to the finals. While my team was nervous, I was not. I was always confident in our skills. Not even the flashing lights scared me away. I was exhilarated by Zander's surprise appearance; all I lacked was him to resurrect me from the trench I was in. I watched as parents huddled around each other, pointing out their kids. I only laughed as my parents did the same when they called my name. Then out of nowhere, the crowd erupted in chant. “Let's go Stallions! Let’s go!” I turned to find Zander chanting as he pointed towards the bleachers. He turned to head towards the stairs leading towards my parents. He turned back and yelled, “Do your thing!” That’s when my throat fell to my gut, his scent of fresh Christmas pine filled my nostrils. The scent was all too familiar. Why had I not detected it before? Amanda was my best friend. How could they? Just as I thought, things could not get any worse. My eyes widened as a faint mist formed around Zander. Before my eyes could accept the scene that persisted before me, I began to gasp for oxygen. The heat radiating from his eyes scorched through my head, paralyzing my lungs. Hidden within the mist, a pair of blurred ember eyes lingered as the lights faded into obscurity. Sadly, I never made it to the field that night. My real name is Una Constantini and this is where my nightmare began.
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