CH 5

Once the person on the other end hung up, I had time to think and calm down. First of all, how did that person get my number? Second of all, why does that voice sound a little familiar? Like I heard it in a dream or distant memory. I couldn't find out where I heard it from, so I decided to drop it. Besides, I promised Aidan an Adair that I'd text them. I kinda think of them more as brothers than friends to be honest, I've known them for years. I’ll text them regarding this entire situation. They may know what to do, but I trust them to not call a mental hospital on my family. This stuff is getting way too freaky and I have no idea what to think of it all.

I decided to group text them.

Me: Hey Aidan.

Aidan: Dude Kallan! My bro! How've ya been bro?

Me: Better than I am now

Aidan: Spill it. If something’s bothering you, you can contact either Adair or me. Ya know that right?

Me: Yup. I know. Is Adair around?

Aidan: The dude fell asleep. He's always been like this ya know. Want me to wake him up

Adair: What happened?

Me: Good morning sleeping beauty.

Adair: Kallan. Seriously. That is so childish.

Aidan: Pffff says the guy who took a two hour nap and FINALLY woke up!

Adair: >:( not cool!

Aidan: Haha sorry.

Me: Uh are you guys going to let me speak or not?

Adair: Yes, speak Kallan. Any concerns?

Me: Well to be honest. Yeah. I have a few.

Aidan: Do tell bro.

I began to explain about Hametsu and his outlook on life and his insanity. I didn’t mention the fight he got into. I don’t ever want to bring that up for as long as I live.

Aidan: This Hametsu dude sounds messed up. Sorry to hear it Kal.

Me: Yeah. Then a caterpillar started to talk to me.

Adair: No. That's logically impossible. Caterpillars can't talk. It's not in their biological setup. That is not how nature designed it.

Aidan: Bro.

Adair: Yes?

Aidan: Shut it. You’re not helping one iota.

Me: No he's right. Caterpillars can't talk. I'm going crazy. LOOK OUT GUYS!! KALLAN’S GOING INSANE!! WHEEEE!!

Adair: Kallan. No. You're not going crazy. I assure you.

Me: Oh really?

Adair: Yes. Really.

Aidan: You sure Adair?

Me: Lol. What are you talking about? I am crazy.

Adair: Kal stop ok? It's getting a bit creepy.

Me: Ok fine. Sorry dude.

We were texting for two solid hours before my mom called me down for dinner. I wasn't really hungry and I was sort of anxious about the whole fairy thing. I hardly touched my fried rice, even though it’s my favorite food.

“I'm not hungry,” I said as I was getting up.

“Na ah! Don't leave. You don't have to eat but you need to stay at the table,” Mom said. I sighed and complied.

“Kallan is everything alright?” Dad asked.

I shrugged.

“I guess. I don't know,” I replied.

“Are you sure? You look anxious,” Mom said.

I sighed. I was NOT okay. I was full of anxiety and nervous as hell. Hametsu is scaring me. I’m not even going to deny it anymore. He crushed Alec's hand and broke his arm.

I felt my eyes tearing up, but I wiped them away.

I'm so overwhelmed with everything that has happened. I saw Hametsu go crazy and fight. A caterpillar started talking to me. THEN I was told that I'm a frickin FAIRY PRINCE!! After that I got a call that said the person on the other line wants to kill me and rule the world and this made up realm called “Fae” or whatever. This is just too much to handle.

I started crying. I don't do well with anxiety.

I went over to my parents and told them about Hametsu and how crazy he is. I even told them about the fight he got into. I told them about the talking caterpillar and how I think I'm going crazy.

“Kallan honey. I assure you. You're not going crazy. I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. It's okay. Everything will be okay. Don't worry,” Mom assured me. Dad came over to me and comforted me too. I felt safe in their arms. My anxiety went away. I felt calm. I wiped away my tears and calmed down.

“You have no idea how much your birth parents love you. It hurt them when they had to send you away to the Human Realm. They did it to protect you from the Death King.” Mom said.

“Just... who is the Death King?” I asked.

“The Death King is the ruler of the Death Fairies. He passes his heritage from father to son. No one knows who the new one is, but 700 years ago, the previous one released the Black Death on the Human Realm in an attempt to conquer it. Your father defeated him and ended the Black Death.” Dad explained. “His son recently took over about a hundred years ago. He was hidden in another world until he was old enough to rule the Death Fairies.”

“He sounds like a cruel person,” I stated. It made me scared that I supposedly have to battle and defeat him.

“He's very cruel. Every territory he conquers gets drained of life. The people are enslaved. They suffer unimaginable torture for his amusement.”

I was shocked. This Death King is beyond insane. He's outright deranged. A person who loves to watch people suffer and be in pain doesn't deserve to call themselves a king. They deserve to be at the bottom of society and homeless just to get a taste at how hard the poor have to struggle just to get something to eat or stay warm.

But I can't help but feel bad for those people. No one should be that low in society. People that low get scorned and ridiculed and I HATE it whenever someone gets scorned and ridiculed. It's not right, even if they deserve it.

“The Death King doesn't deserve to call himself king,” I said. “He shouldn't treat people like that.”

My parents nodded.

“The Death Fairies regard him as their chosen one. The Death King treats his people kindly. But he despises all others and regards them as trash,” Dad said.

“Why though? What did they do to him?” I asked.

Mom and Dad shrugged.

So this “Death King” hates everything and everyone except his own people. In other words, he's completely biased towards himself and his people.

“I don't exactly know what to think about this whole thing,” I admitted.

“I know it's shocking Kallan. But everyone is here to support you. When you were born, everyone loved the very first breath you took and the loud cry you made. There was a huge festival held in honor of your birth,” Mom told me.

“But how did everyone know that I was their savior or whatever?” I asked.

“There was a prophecy written long ago. I don’t know the details very well. All I know is that the Prince of Life will be born in a dark time,” Mom informed.

“The prophecy is well known around fae. The full details are fuzzy. The full prophecy is hidden in the royal archives. Not a lot of people have access to it,” Dad explained. “We don’t have access to it.”

I was relatively speechless. I still didn't know what to think of everything. I was excused from dinner and I went to my room to text Roxy about what I saw with Hametsu.

Roxy: Oh my god your serious?! He did that?!

Me: Yup. He did. The bastard’s crazy.

Roxy: Language.

Me: Sorry. I'm just FURIOUS about it.

Roxy: Even if he did act like that, that’s not a reason to be scared of him. He did say that he can’t control himself when he eats sunflower seeds.

Me: I don't even know what to think about him.

Roxy: Well, continue to be friends with him. He really needs the support.

Me: You’re right. I just have a lot of anxiety right now and can’t think straight.

Roxy: I can tell.

Me: Yeah. Hey have your parents told you anything weird?

Roxy: Well, they did tell me I was a fairy nobility and was betrothed to you.

Me: So did mine!! Apparently I'm supposed to be a fairy savior called the “Prince of Life” or something.

Roxy: I sprouted wings.

Me: W H A T ? ! ? !

She sent a picture of her wings. They're light blue like the sky over the ocean.

I was speechless. It took me a good thirty seconds to get my mind together and reply to her. I just kept staring at them. They’re beautiful and they complement her so well. It brings her eyes out even more.

Eventually I recovered my bearings and replied to her.

Me: What the heck?!

Roxy: Yeah. This is weird.

Me: I was talking to a caterpillar and it told me the same thing my parents told me before they got home.

Roxy: Was it the same caterpillar that was at the school?

Me: Exact same one.

We began having a very serious conversation about the whole thing. We even admitted that we both have crushes on each other. I mean, we’ve known each other for so long it was bound to happen.

We texted for a really long time, about four hours. My parents were still up.

The burning sensation in my back came back. Then I felt something rip out of my back. That was the most excruciating pain I’ve ever felt in my entire life. It felt like my entire back was being ripped apart by a meat cutter. I thought growing wings was going to be gradual and painless.

I screamed in pain. It hurt like absolute hell. How my neighbors didn’t hear my scream will forever be a mystery. My parents bolted up to my room in a panic. I was crying from the intense pain.

“KALLAN!!!” Mom shouted, worried sick and about ready to call an ambulance. She ran into my room and her eyes grew wide.

Dad came up a few seconds later. He just stood there, his eyes growing wide with what looked like wonder and shock.

“Your…” he started. He couldn’t even finish his sentence because he was so awestruck.

I felt something move on my back, like an extra appendage. I looked behind me.

Wings. Beautiful, shimmering, wings. Golden like the sun itself, they radiated a royal aura. I actually grew wings. I was in complete and total shock.

The pain subsided after a few moments. My parents and I just stood there in awe of my new wings.