The little girl smiled as she walked further into the room with her arms out.
“I’m your Auntie… You can just call me Auntie Rae…Young lady, you caused a lot of confusion in my life…”
She looked down at her pink nighty before looking at me with a pouty expression.
“This ain’t my real body or form but I woke up like this after–––”
“Mama, they told you not to bother her,” another woman said as she poked her head in. Mama? The door opened all the way as three little boys came running in and jumping on the bed that I guess…belonged to them. The woman introduced herself as my cousin Bree before hurriedly getting her…mother? The aunt, who looked like a child…the three little boys, and then left the room.
The door closed shut. I was alone once again but confused.
“Okay so that was a child, right?” I said out loud as I gripped my chin. I looked out the window where the moonlight was shining down and stared at it, feeling the chills crawl against my skin. It’s highly possible for a child Aunt but why did she talk like that and which side of the family? My dad? The sound of the door creaking open caused me to look up but before I could turn around, I heard the whispers.
“If this bitch goes crazy on us, Souxie, you have to pin her down,” Asha whispered. “If she thinks we’re Namir–––”
“She’s not gonna think we’re Namir…and he isn’t really trying to hurt her…”
“This is why I say never, ever,” Isis started but I smiled, knowing what she was going to say. Turning around, I saw the three eyeballs peeking in the crack.
“Date a werewolf,” I finished for her. The door burst open with Ayira being the first to walk in, seeing her quick blue flame burst from her hand while Asha was the first to run to me. I fell back on the floor with her heavy self-planting right on top of me crying. Isis jumped right on top of her hugging us both. Souxie picked at her nails, seeing the red tearful tint gloss over her eyes but she calmly sat on top of the pile with her leg crossed over the other.
“I…Can’t…breathe…” I strained through my own teeth.
“I don’t care!” Asha cried. “I don’t give a damn! Don’t you EVER do no dumb shit like leave us at this school by ourselves!”
“Outta my way, outta my damn way!”
I heard Quan’s grouchy voice come through with his heavy feet stomping in. He was in his full nymph frame with those vertical eyes. Glaring at the cat below that insisted on following him every step of the way.I wondered if that was the same damn cat that tried to…
“This damn stray won’t leave me alone!” Quan fussed.
“Quan!? What are you doing here?!” I laughed before squeezing my chest away from the pressure of the three girls. “Damn it! I can’t move!”
“A few seconds more,” Isis laughed.
“I told them all about how this only feels like a day or so to us,” Ayira said as she sat on the bed. Souxie got up and closed the bedroom door before coming back to sit beside Ayira. “I said I was not sure what happened when we split and was about to get into my side of the story when they said you woke up.”
“I called Souxie, and she got here just in time,” Asha said as she and Isis pulled back. I laid out on the floor for a moment, just happy to hear familiar voices before slowly sitting up to look at everyone. Souxie was upset but she was happy to see me. Asha was beaming with so much energy and pride, but she was emotional, and Isis always looked like she was ready for a party. Quan of course looked at Isis but was occupied by the weird cat that stayed by his side.
“She said you met Gaia,” Souxie said, voice calm and southern. Not at all dainty like before but she was stripped down of all the extra sweetness and quiet shyness. “Is that true?”
“It has to be,” Asha said as she leaned in to touch my hair. “Look at her. You don’t even look the same.”
“I don’t?”
They all shook their heads while Ayira grinned.
“My hair is still white and–––”
“Have a look,” Isis said, handing me a small compact mirror. I flipped it open and nervously stared at myself, still seeing my white hair and usual features. My eyes were the same dark brown and my lips didn’t look any different. Yet when I looked at them, I could tell there was an uncertain tension between us.
“Your aura has changed,” Souxie said. “I can feel it in this room alone. You aren’t the same Maggie as before.”
“I still look the same.”
“Naaaaah,” Asha let out with a shake of her head. “Naaaaah mannnn, you’re maaaaad different babe.”
“You look like…that little bit of childhood stench on you is finally gone. You look grown,” Asha added with a nod of approval. Only to snap a second later. “And who the fuck are those people in the pictures?! Why weren’t we invited?!”
