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Twiddling her thumbs, Rose sat at their library table early Monday morning, waiting for Alton to show up. She'd been messaging him since she left his apartment late Saturday, checking on him of course. Feeling like the biggest mum friend out there. He'd reply with a simple 'fine', which undeniably means his not fine.

Looking through books and using the free Wi-Fi to see if she could self-diagnose Alton. Poppy would be the go-to girl, but she respected Alton's wish to keep this a secret. Google doctor was the next best thing! All the symptoms pointing toward mythology or folie à deux, people who share the same hallucination. Not sure which one she'd prefer.

"You look like death" Rose greeted Alton as he pulled out his chair.

"It could be the fact I keep evolving, like a fucking Pokémon on steroids!"

"Are you grumpy because you're having a bad hair day?" Gesturing towards his beanie which was covered over with his black hoodie. Looking as shady as a drug dealer at the skate bowl.

Looking into his eyes noticing they were back to his normal brown eyes. "When did your eyes go back to normal? Can you still breath fire? Did I just hallucinate our weekend?"

"They only go black when I'm hungry, I think. But I have a bigger problem now?" Standing up he grabbed her hand leading her to the back aisle of the library. Alton discreetly taking off his beanie.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you didn't have horns the other day, right?" Staring at small black horns producing out of his hair. "Please tell me you have a matching tail"

"This isn't amusing Rose." He whispered angrily.

"Says the devil reincarnated" She gesturing towards his horns, trying to control her laughter.

"That's not the only thing," he sighed as he covered his horns "I can retract claws as well" Holding out his hand in between them as black sharp long claws came out from his finger tips and retracted back in. Rose gasped at Alton's new development, they kind of reminded her of the Wolverine. Not a bad look at all. "They turned up on Sunday morning, bed sheets ripped to shreds. The horns this morning. It woke me up in the early hours with a shit-cunt migraine. I spent too much time looking in the mirror trying to make them disappear." Alton continued as they made our way back to our table, "I can't miss a day from school, Dad would start panicking. He's already on edge, I tried to ask him if his body changed when he turned sixteen. He asked if I was taking drugs. He lectured me for about 20 million years."

"Maybe it's like your hair? You get that from your mum's side" Knowing his mum was a touchy subject for him, but it was plausible. Seeing his gloomy face after she mentioned his mum made her feel like a bitch. Reaching out her hand placing it on his shoulder to console him.

Arriving back at their table, Poppy was silently waiting for them, her eyes flickering towards Roses comforting hand on Alton, Rose quickly withdrawing it.

"Hey Poppy! Alt was helping me get a book" Trying desperately to think of an excuse why they came from the back aisle. We all know the rumours of what happens in the back of libraries.

"The book of invisibility?" Poppy huffed. Crap, neither of them were holding a book, should of thought that through. "I just came to see if Alton was feeling better, but he looks fine to me" she turned to leave. Rose nudged Alton in his ribs giving him a pointed look, as to fix this awkward interaction.

"Wait Poppy, ah th- thanks for the other, uhh, day. Thankyoufordunkingmeinwater." Alton stammered, a hint of blush in his cheeks as he nervously scratched behind his ear. So much for making it less awkward, Rose rolled her eyes.

"Anytime" Poppy grinned "Maybe you could make it up to me sometime" and with a flick of her hair she was out of the library, Rose noticing how she added a sexy sway to her hips. Smooth girl, real smooth.

Alton's eyes were still glued to where Poppy's derriere had been, eye's dark black. And with a smirk Rose realised his eyes went black for another kind of hunger.

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Alton spending Monday with his head low, trying not to draw attention to himself. Not only having to worry about the horns on his head but also hiding his new physical appearance. His Bulky black sweater camouflaging him. Keeping his eyes lowered, never knowing when his eyes would turn black.

Rose on the other hand, was enjoying Alton's dilemma. Constantly sending Alton evil smirks, as she held back from some witty devil comment. She would subtly make little horns on her head using her fist with the pinkie finger pointing straight up, like bull horns.

"When's your dad off work" Rose whispered in class. The pair sat in the back row, their English teacher delving into a spiel about Shakespeare. Neither of them interested, or the rest of the class for that matter.

"Three nights. He's asked to come home early. Bet his been itching to search my room for drugs. Being overly protective, constantly texting me where I am. Keeping tabs." Alton regretting hinting to his dad about his new physic. "Mrs Pickets has been wandering the hallway more often, reckon he told her to keep an eye on me."

Rose clicking her tongue thinking "I reckon we search his room."

"What! Did you hear what I just said?"

"Alt, he never asks for time off. Ever. Especially on some whim that you're now a drug lord. And plus, he already knows we steal his rum. What's the harm with a little sticky beak around his room?" Nodding in agreement, knowing Rose would look anyway. "Trust me, I watch enough criminal shows to know he's hiding something."

Reaching into his opened pencil case, hidden a bag of Cheezels. Filling his mouth with a handful of the cheesy taste.

"Eww, gross!" Rose gesturing towards his dusty orange fingers "Do you ever stop eating?"

Alton contemplating, licking his fingers clean with a pop "Now that you mention it, I've been excessively hungry lately"

"You reckon it's to do with your Pokémon evolution?"

Leaving her question in the air contemplating the answer. Unsure of how in control of his own body he was. It was like puberty all over again.

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"You weren't kidding about old lady Pickets. I thought she was going to ask to strip search us, the way she was staring." Rose grimaced at her thought. Mrs Pickets hovering around her front door watching the teens like a hawk.

Throwing her school backpack on the lounge, Rose making a beeline straight towards Mark's bedroom. Alton stomach turned, guilty feelings of going through his fathers' private stuff. Hoping not to find anything too sketchy, afraid his mental health would suffer.

Mark's bedroom was dark. Navy blue walls, black bed sheets, and dark wooden furniture. Rose already bent down sifting through his side tables.

"Rose, if he was going to hide something from me, he wouldn't place it in an obvious spot"

"Damn! Your right. Alt, turn on the fan it's fucking hot in here!" Rose pretending to faint from overheating. Alton opening his dad's wardrobe, feeling around on the top shelf.

"Can't, his fans broken. It's been broken for years now, doesn't want the landlord snooping around to fix it."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Rose grinning back at Alton.

"I think I am B2! It's fan dismounting time"

Dismantling the fan was easier said then done. Alton piggybacking Rose, as she twisted and turned different parts of the fan until there was a click sound and the fan came tumbling down. The whole fan had come from the ceiling, white with four large blades. Overly heavy as they both carried and lifted the fan onto the bed with a heavy thump.

"Shit! That was heavier than expected." Huffed Rose. Alton humming in agreement, the fan was heavy, a little too heavy.

With eager hand he poked and prodded the fan looking for any obvious unusual signs. Pulling at one of the fans blade it came unhinge with a clunk of metal falling towards the floor.

Quiet, Rose held her breath as she watched Alton pick up a medieval like sword. The weapon dusty, glimmering with specks of holographic tints. Placing the sword on the bed, Alton inspected the other fan blades, pulling out similar type weapons. Sword blades and knives of different sizes, arrow heads even a small axe.

"Alt" Gaining his attention, Rose looking closely at the weapons "These have been used." The weapons did indeed have marks and chips in them. "What kind of metal do you think they are? They're quite stunning." Using the bedding to wipe off the dust. Onyx black reflecting holographic flecks of greens and purple. The handle's seemed to be made from type of scales of the same colour of the blades.

"Do you think my dad's some kind of serial killer? Who hides weapons in a fucking fan! Why would an innocent person go to this much effort to hide something?" Biting his fingernails pacing the room. His voice panicky.

"I admit your dads a little strange, but settle the fuck down! I'm sure he has a reasonable excuse. He'll be home in a few days, we'll question him then. They say, Innocent until proven guilty." Alton mumbled his agreement with Rose's rationality. Watching Rose sway the weapons around pretending to be in combat.

Studying the metal of the sword, Alton let out a loud gasp, halting Rose's ninja display. Holding out his hands in front of him, closing his eye's concentrating. Rose watching, wide-eyed, as his black clawed fingernails grew. The bedroom light hitting the claws as it reflect holographic colours. Holding his hands to the weapons, his claws a match to the metal.
His stomach felt queasy realising the weapons were made from claws like his.

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