The Legacy of The Death

Chapter 2: Changing

My first changes began to emerge at age 14 in the summer before my freshman year of high school. It all started with my appetite, it started to be incredibly difficult to control. From being the weak and slow guy to starting to have amazing strength and speed. I ended up realizing that these changes are more noticeable at night, but they are not continuous. I began to investigate what all this was about, which led me to the theory that this was something very different since this does not affect normal young people, at least not with the ferocity that happened to me. And by the time I realized it, the summer had already ended, and I was receiving the typical welcome that is given to the new students from the director Hernandez, a person who, in my opinion, is too old to be a director.

It was already the end of my first day and I found myself walking towards my father who came to pick me up. 

"Hey boy, how was your first day? Something interesting?"  asked Mr. Mendoza  

"Nothing important, the truth is that everything is the same, just a little more advanced. And how was your day?"

 "Well, it went very well, it's very likely that I will get a higher position in a very short time. Your mother is very excited about that." 

"That sounds good, congratulations father".

Approximately halfway to the house:

"By the way, the school director seems to be a bit old to be in charge of a school this big."

 "Mr. Hernandez?"

 "Yes, do you know him?"

 "Of course, boy, he was a teacher from your mother and mine a few years ago."

 "Well, that explains some things."

  "He is a very friendly and dedicated person, you will like him. You just need time to get used to it."  

"Yes, maybe I just need that."

My first semesters in high school were difficult, it was very different from my high school years, and being someone so introverted made it more difficult, since I was the target of teasing, hitting, and hiding my things from me. Is it because it is the new one? Because it is different? or just because I'm a lonely child? Although I always decided to avoid problems and always tried to go unnoticed before everything and everyone. Deep in my thoughts trying to see why so many changes in my body, I am already clear that it is not something normal in adolescence, and it leads to the possibility that it is due to something else and the fact that I have always felt very different from others. Others make it much more believable.

Come winter break, which was a huge relief since I finally didn't have to see the faces of my so-called classmates. I could be more focused on finding a reason for all my physical changes that kept happening to me. In my small town, winter was one of the coldest in its history. The abnormal thing was that it wasn't like that for me, I kept sweating and it was so hot that it didn't let me sleep to the point of sleeping with the windows of my room open. My concerned parents thought I was sick and took me to the family doctor who said everything was fine with me, even though I felt something was wrong. Winter break came to an end, and I was forced to go back to school, one of my least favorite places.

The first day I came back from the winter vacation, Principal Hernández called me into his office. When I entered, I saw that Mr. Fuente was there, our physical education teacher, who certainly did not look the best for a physical education teacher, a bald man with a big belly mostly known as the principal's gossip. 

"Excuse me, director, can I know why I was called to your office?"

"We have noticed that some students keep bothering you and hitting you."

 I subtly raise my gaze and direct it at Mr. Fuente and put a slight smile on my facial expression when I realize where he is hearing it from, I look up at the principal.

"Everything is fine, nothing that my classmates do really matters to me"

"Are you sure about that? you are always alone in the hallways, at recess and in other activities."

 With a calm look I proceed to answer 

"I am someone who feels comfortable like that, Director." 

He looks worried about it.

"I am considering whether you should participate in the end of school year activity since you will spend a weekend in the Forest camping with the first-year students and it might not be a comfortable area for you." 

I immediately respond "I repeat, sir, everything is going well, and I know I'll be fine, and if you'll excuse me, I'll retire to my next class"

Leaving a little uncomfortable by the conversation I go to Mr. Caputo's class, my English teacher.

The months passed very quickly, and the days were the same at school, some jokes and blows, my afternoons and nights were always strange, I didn't feel well, I felt like I was losing control that... that someone or something else was controlling me , from having memory of doing my homework and waking up with no recollection of how I got to another place, on some days I thought it was because of the stress of everyday life at school, but this also happened on days that had not been classes, I never told my parents what was happening or what I felt, I thought I had to find out for myself.

Finally finished my first school year I had a decently good academic year if you can say that. I was already getting ready to spend the weekend in the woods, at that moment my parents came in.

"Hey boy, are you sure you want to go on that trip? If you don't want to, you don't have to."

I look at them a little intrigued "Has the Director told you something right?"

They look at me with concern in their eyes "Yes, boy, we are worried about you, and we understand if you don't want to go."

Something bothersome I answer, "I had already told the Director that everything was fine, they don't have to worry about me, I know how to take care of myself."

I pick up my things quickly and leave my room annoyed and go to the main door and leave, closing the door tightly, I only heard as if something had fallen but I didn't care.

Arrive at our meeting place, and get on the bus without speaking to anyone, take the free seat, and start listening to music. In less than expected we were already in the parking lot where the bus was going to leave us. We still had to walk a few miles to get to the location where we were going to spend the weekend, it took us about 30 minutes to get there. The first night was calmer than I could have imagined, everyone was sleeping from the exhaustion of the trip, while I was admiring the moon that was close to being a full moon. The next day was a busy day as we began to arrange things, most of me was admiring nature, which was sometimes interrupted by my companions and their idiocies, the day passed and at nightfall they made a bonfire and most of them began to get together to tell horror stories, although at that point I preferred to retire to my booth and well, you all already know the rest, right? or Maybe Not.

(Picture from Freepik)