Ansel
It was a miracle. Something too good to be true that I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. Sitting at my desk inside my English class, I stared at our old substitute in disbelief. No matter the number of times I pinched myself, the substitute remained. It was too good to be true, even if it was in my favor. This whole week, I had done nothing but research the answer to the riddle. Nothing, not even a clue to the answer. I had stepped into the classroom prepared to accept defeat until the substitute arrived. I edged the entire class, glancing at the door as if Ms. Robinson would walk in at any moment. When the school bell rang, I let out a breath of relief. Today, Peter would be coming over to eat, so I could ask him about the riddle this time. I had been reluctant to ask him when because of all the work I had to catch up on. Alicia had tried to help, but with her exams coming up, she could do little. Well, no matter, Peter could solve it or at least have some clue. After grabbing my things, I hurried out of the school, remembering I had to catch the first bus home. But before running towards the bus stop, I turned to look at my school. A sense of urgency to return inside began to creep into me.
'Stay'
The voice in my head said for the first time since last month.
At home things were pleasantly busy. I placed the three plates of food on the dining room table. Hearing the knocks, Mom went to open the door. The living room, where the front door was located, and the dining room were connected. So I could see when Peter awkwardly handed my mom a small gift bag. Mom looked outside, expecting someone else to show up, but she closed the door when she couldn't make anyone out. Mom gently touched Peter's shoulder, motioning him to sit and eat.
"We better eat from that glutinous son of mine eats our steak," she said with a teasing smile.
Peter nodded enthusiastically before sitting down and gripping his plate of food protectively. I rolled my eyes, pointing out my tongue at my mom and Peter. Just as we were about to eat, there was a knock on the door. My mom glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, but I only shook my head. I didn't invite anyone else, but it could just be a neighbor coming to ask for a package. I didn't mind it until my mom opened the door, and a familiar voice spoke.
"Good Evening. My name is Ms.Robinson. I'm an Ansel teacher. I was hoping to speak to you and Ansel."
At the sight of Ms.Robinson walking through the living room, my body tensed, the color from my face draining as if being washed away. Noticing my sudden change, Peter frowned and looked at Ms. Robinson. He squinted to look at her despite her getting closer. He frowned as he tilted his head. From the corner of my eye, I watched as Peter slowly moved his hand into his pocket, a habit I knew when he was nervous. Ms.Robinson sat in the seat in front of me. She glanced at me but then turned her attention to Peter. There was a dangerous glim in her eye when she looked at Peter. My mom sat at the head of the table between Ms.Robinson and me. Mom looked between us, clearly confused by a teacher's sudden appearance.
"I'm sorry for intruding at such a late night, but you see, Ansel had a task to complete, but due to my absence today at school, he didn't get to turn it in. To show my sincere apologies, I decided to come here personally and get the assignment," Ms.Robinson said, looking at the mother.
Some confusion seemed to have disappeared from my mom's face at Ms. Robinson's words.
"That's not fair," I butted in, "you weren't there at class, and besides, it's after school hours."
"Ansel," my mom scowled before turning to Ms.Robinson with an apologetic smile. What assignment did he need to turn in?"
Ms.Robinson smiled before answering, "The answer is to a riddle of mine."
Besides me, Peter dropped his fork and stared intently at Ms.Robinson. At the sound of the metal fork hitting the plate, Ms.Robinson and my mom turned to look at him.
"What kind of riddle?" Peter asked in a low tone.
Ms. Robinson's smile grew wider at Peter's words.
"I was born to two worlds. But rejected by both. Accepted by death as its heir but not by desire. The embrace of darkness is my only companion. Who am I?"
Ms.Robinson looked at Peter expectantly. Any hope I had that Peter could help me was thrown out the window by his frown. He seemed just as confused as I did. Ms.Robinson shook her head and then turned towards my mother, and when she did, an amused expression appeared on her face. She raised an eyebrow at Mom, and then, with just her next words, all chaos broke loose.
"It seems as though you know the answer, Ms.Nephus. I wonder if his father would know the answer as well."
My eyes went wide as I jumped out of my seat. I looked at my mom, noticing her trembling figure. She looked at Ms.Robinson with panic and fear, but I spoke before she could say anything.
"How do you know my father," I yelled.
Mom flinched again, trying to reach out to me.
"Don't worry, I'll take you to him."
Ms.Robinson quickly stood, bringing down her arm. Expect it wasn't an arm. It was more like a…paw?
A yellow fur paw suddenly replaced Ms. Robinson's arm; where her fingers should be were five long, sharp nails. In a blur, Peter pushed me towards my mother and, using some kind of stick, smacked Ms.Robinson across the face. The blow was so powerful that she was sent flying into a wall. I stared at the spot where Ms.Robinson had sat, and then slowly, my eyes traveled to the stick Peter had used. Only looking at it now, it wasn't just some stick…it was a spear. I wanted to ask him, but the words couldn't form. My brain was running on caffeine to make sense of anything. Then, an animalistic growl from where Ms.Robinson landed caused me to freeze. The sound cut through my thoughts like a sharp blade. Any idea of making sense of everything was immediately sliced away. From the rubble of the wall, Ms.Robinson exploded forward, aiming for me. This time, it wasn't just her arm; her legs had changed into dog legs. No, they were much more muscular than an average dog's leg, but I couldn't tell what was expected. Before Ms.Robinson could get closer, Mom pulled me out of the way and ran. The three of us ran out the door before Ms.Robinson could land. I was pulled more than actually running on my own. Peter ran behind us, constantly throwing glances at the house. Mom didn't stop until we arrived at our old car. Mom practically pushed me into the car while Peter and she sat in front. From the front of our house, Ms.Robinson jumped through our glass windows, causing the shattered glass to rain down on her. But the weirdest thing was that the shattered glass seemed to have bounced right off her.
"Go!"
Peter shouted through the noise of the engine starting. Mom didn't need to be told twice as she stepped on the gas hard. Before I could get enough courage to look back, we were already racing down Kedzie. Mom didn't stop for any red lights or speed cameras. She zoomed by, going almost 100. I looked between my mom and Peter, who looked tense and constantly glanced at the mirrors. I wanted to ask many questions but couldn't figure out which one was the most important, so I asked them all.
"What's going on? Who is Ms.Robinson? Or what is she? How does she know my dad? Is she…his lover? And you"- I pointed an accusing finger at Peter-"who are you? Where did that spear come from? Why do you have a spear? And why is my English teacher trying to kill me!"
They stay silent, looking at each other. But before anyone could answer, something hit the roof of the car. Then like melting ice, the vehicle roof began to melt until nothing existed. I stared at the mouth gap, and something heavy landed on my legs. Looking down, I realized Peter had thrown me his spear. I would ask him about it but stopped when he pulled a bow and arrow from his short pockets. Feeling my gaze on him, he gave me an apologetic smile before standing from his seat.
"Where do you keep these weapons? Are you an assassin?" I yelled over the sound of traffic.
"I'll do you one better. What are you?" Peter asked as he pulled string with the arrow intact.
I blinked, and then, feeling all my confusion stop and turn into anger, I yelled.
"What the fuck!"
But the sound of the arrow flying past me muffed my words. Peter continued to fire arrow after arrow. I stared at the bow and then the spear in my lap. With startled confusion turning to anger, I felt my mind ease. Then, a simple question came from that ease.
"If you have weapons, why don't you have a gun or maybe a bomb. Heck, a sniper would have been nice."
Surprisingly, my mother answered, "They won't work; they'll just bounce off her skin."
Of course, that made perfect sense…no nothing made sense. Nothing about what was going on made sense. I pinched my eyes, trying to simply accept everything rather than fight it. It's not like I have a choice, I thought. I reviewed everything as if I were studying for a test. My English teacher is some kind of half-monster, half-human. She wants to kill me. And she knows my father. This means that either she is my father's lover and found out about his affair, or she wants to kill me because she hates my father. But where does that put Peter? The sound of my mother pulled me from my thoughts.
"Sweetheart, there's too much to explain right now. I know you're confused, but we're almost to your school. You and Peter need to "
She never finished. As we approached the school, the car swirled out of control. Mom did her best to regain control but couldn't. At the speed we were going, there was no gain control. All I could see was the tree in front of the school as we collided.
When I opened my eyes, I felt fine. Despite not having worn a seat belt, I felt fine. I didn't understand how, but I didn't question it. I jumped out of the car, but the scent of gas grew stronger the moment I did. It's going to explode, I realize. I hurried over to my mom's side. She was still in the car but not awake, to my horror and relief. The blood slowly making its way down my mom's face caused my stomach to drop.
"Peter," I called out frantically.
From where he had stood, Peter quickly got up and jumped over to my side. He didn't ask anything when his eyes landed on my mother. We struggled to pull her free, but before we could get her out, she jolted away in fright. She turned to us, but she got angry instead of having a face of relief.
"What are you doing! Go, Peter, take him," she yelled.
Peter looked between us, unsure what to do, but I didn't have it.
"Don't be a stubborn old lady, Mom! I'm getting you out and protecting you. Peter, help me now."
The last part was more like an order than a plea, but Peter didn't seem to mind. Together, we made our way to the top stairs, where the entrance to the school was located. And just in time because I was right when I thought the car would explode. The moment we stepped on the top step, the vehicle exploded. Being the one ahead of us, Mom had somehow opened the school door. Holding it open for us, Peter and I stepped in. When I turned around to make sure Mom had gotten in, my heart dropped to the ground. No, No, No, I thought repeatedly as I raced for the door, but I was too late. Using the pieces of metal that landed near the entrance, Mom barricades the doors together.
Standing before the glass door, I pound frantically against it, hoping to break it.
My mom stood on the other side, watching me; her eyes swelled as tears began to fall.
Anger and pain swelled inside of me.
"Mom, come inside now," I yelled.
My anger grew as I watched my mom shake her head. I pleaded over and over until not even my anger could be held back. I just wanted my mom.
"Please… don't do this, Mom. I don't want lose you," I pleaded, tears staining my vision.
When I wiped the tears from my eyes, Mom had placed her head on the window. I mirrored her action.
"Ans, you're going to go with Peter, okay? Please don't make this harder than it already is, sweetie. There's so much I have to explain to you but promise me that once you go through that door, you'll remember your time with meâ€"you'll remember what it felt like to be mortal."
"Mortal? Mom, what?"
but Mom didn't stop, nor did the tears from them.
"I should have sent you away since you were 7. Your father told me I should, but I…"
a sob escaped her, but as the brave mentor and mother she was, she kept going.
"I just wanted you to be with me a little longer; after all, you were all I had in this world. Mi nino precios. You have no idea how exceptional you are, but even so, sweetie, you need to make me one more promise. Live Ansel. Live, Laugh, and Dream," Mom said with a brave smile.
"Mom what…No, come on, stop being crazy. Open the door. Please don't leave me too," I said, my heart racing and tears pouring out.
Before Mom could reply, a loud ROAR could be heard getting closer.
"Ansel, promise me those two things, okay? Hurry to promise me."
"I. I promise, Mom," I said, wiping the tears from his eyes.
I knew my mother would never change her mind, even if I begged. I frowned bitterly, remembering that I had thought of my mom as a perfect balance of mother and mentor. Even now, she was doing it, showing me her perfect balance as both a mentor and mother.
Mom then turned to Peter, who seemed to have been beside me the whole time.
"Promise me, too, Peter, that you'll live, that you'll fight until you can't. Promise me."
Surprised by my mom's words, Peter took a moment to wipe his tears.
"I promise. I'm so sorry, Ms.Nephus. I should have acted sooner. I should have-"
Peter had his own tears, but he stopped at the sight of Mom's beautiful smile.
"Don't be silly. You bear no responsibility for this. I was selfish keeping him here," she said with gentle eyes.
She didn't blame Peter; I could tell. Instead, she was blaming herself.
"Thank you so much for taking care of me and treating me well," Peter shouted, his grey eyes bloodshot from crying.
"Hey, you're being silly. You're like a son to me. You are acting like I will die; don't sell me short. I promise I'll live," Mom said, giving them a final smile. She turned and ran.
Olivia Nephus
I had just one thought, keep her distracted. I had to keep her away from Ansel and- no, from my boys. The first time Ansel invited Peter, I knew who he was and which world he belonged to. I had thought Peter was here to take Ansel away, but that wasn't the case. Peter didn't know who Ansel was. I had gotten close to Peter to the point where I saw him as my son. I was glad Ansel had found a friend from both worlds. Ansel. My thoughts drifted to my baby boy. My own companion in this world. I shook my head, driving any unnecessary thoughts away.
I need to focus. That monster seemed half beast, but her mouth and eyes were still human. I pretended to yell instructions out like Ansel and Peter were ahead of me. I told myself a second makes a difference as I turned to the corner. When I turned, I caught a glimpse of Ms.Robinson following me. I was running under a tunnel that connected the second and first building of Ansel's high school. When I made it past the tunnel, I stopped. Ms. Robinson was waiting for me, except this time, she looked different. She looked more beastly than human. If you could call her human anymore, Her face was still human, but her body had transformed into a lion's. Sprouting from her back were eagle wings. A snake-like tail curled around her lion body protectively. She looked different from the myths, but there was no denying it. In front of me stood the legendary monster, The Sphinx. Only this one was the size of a bear. I knew why and couldn't be happier for it.
She looked around, waiting for Ansel and Peter. When she figured it out, she let out a gut-wrenching growl, causing me to fall down. My body lay flat on the ground, unable to get upâ€"not because of something the Sphinx had done but because I was tired. The crash, the blood still running down my face, and the running had pushed my body well beyond what a mortal body could do. But as if an incantation I repeated in my head, a second made the difference.
"The mighty Sphinx outsmarted by a mortal. Hmm, I think I could die happily," I said, looking up at her.
"You worthless puny mortal. You dare define me! I have killed more mortals than you could imagine, but you'll be an exception. Yes, I won't kill you; instead, I'll kill your precious son you tried so hard to protect. I'll kill him right before you," the Sphinx said with a sneer and eyes of pure rage.
As she looked down at me, probably hoping to see pain, anger, regret, or fear on my face like all previous victims, she was met with the opposite. I stared straight at its eyes and smiled with pride.
"My son won't ever die by your hands. He'll slay you the next time you two meet. He'll survive and keep living. He'll be a king among them all. After all, he is his son," I said.
I could feel my eyes getting heavy as I felt my mind go unconscious, but before it did, I watched as the Sphinx suddenly looked towards the school and rushed over. I knew why she had left; I could still feel it even as a mortal. Peter had opened the door