Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 30 - Terra

Forty-five days before....

I arrived home just in time as the rage pumping through my veins made me feel as though I could strangle someone with my bare hands.

I yanked the confidential Project X files and notes out of my bag and threw them across the room before I screamed in rage.

I hate him. He embarrassed me in front of all of those doctors, and made a complete fool of me in front of so many people who saw what happened Monday night. He was driving me fucking insane.

I collapsed to the ground and hugged my knees to my chest. I knew that I was underqualified, but he continued to bring it up every damn day. My grades were down the shithole because I was too distracted to study. I could barely eat anymore because I was too stressed out. He made me so angry all the time....

"Abigail?" a soft voice called from my door after a few knocks. "Is everything alright in there, dear?"

Stop fucking calling me Abigail.

"Everything is great," I growled as tears threatened to fall down my face.

"Abigail, honey, let me in," she said quietly, my doorknob jiggling slightly, but not giving way because it was locked.

"No, it's fine," I protested.

"It isn't fine, whatever it is. I can tell. Talk to me, sweetie," she continued.

The tears spilled down my cheeks and hit my pants, the pants that I bought just for the internship. I was shutting out even my own grandmother at this point. Who was I becoming?

"Grandma, I'm sorry," I apologized, scrambling to my feet and unlocking the door as I wiped the tears away quickly.

The light from my room hit her worried, withered face. "Oh, dear," she cooed as she pulled me in for a hug. She was shorter than me, and her face hit my chest, but I was in such need of a hug that I didn't care about how awkward the hug was.

"I want to talk to you about it but I can't," I cried, my body wracked with sobs. I drank in her energy, warmth, and love. I needed strength and guidance so badly but I couldn't have any, and the only person I could find that with was someone I couldn't talk to anymore. I fucked things up with Damian, so I suppose I deserved what I got.

"Yes you can, Abigail. You can talk to me about anything," she cooed, rubbing my back.

The statement was so pure and typical that I had to laugh bitterly and wipe my tears as I pulled away. "No, I can't."

"Is it that secret that you can't even tell your grandmother?" she asked, her green eyes filled with concern.

A new species higher on the food chain than humans that eat people. One knows who I am, and I cannot tell anyone. I cannot speak of it or something horrible might happen to the people I love.

I nodded. "Yes. It is."

That night, my grandmother made me hot soup and rubbed my back as we watched an episode of Golden Girls. It reminded me of my childhood, when everything was good and pure and I didn't know swear words and mythological creatures only existed in books and my mind.

We didn't talk much about the internship or why I was so upset. She understood that whatever I was doing had to be secret, but she still wanted to be there. It was almost exactly what I had been needing for a long time. I finally got some food and good laughs in me before she condemned me to my room to sleep.

"Goodnight, my sweet Abigail. I love you so," she whispered like she used to when I was younger.

I cracked a smile and snuggled up closer to my blankets. I was home and safe, and, more importantly, didn't have to deal with Project X or Xander or doctors or Agent Byligan or Dr. Balcom for two more days.

When I woke up the next morning, I vowed to change things around. I found a pretty sweater to wear and watched a tutorial online that taught me how to braid my hair in a new ornate way. Breakfast actually happened, too, which was a first in a while.

In class, I paid attention and took notes, even occasionally asking a question. I ignored my phone and other people all day.

In history, Damian looked back at me a few times and it took all of the strength in my body to ignore him each time. I wished I could just talk to him, and that would have been the right thing to do after he put himself out there like that, but I was much too embarrassed and he would be better off without being with my anyway.

As soon as the bell signalling the end of the class went off, I gathered my things quickly and shot straight for the door. As I grabbed my final few books to hold in the crook of my arm, I saw Damian gather his things quickly too as he made eye contact with me and started to head right towards me.

Oh, crap.

I started to rush out of the door, and almost made it to the hallway before I felt someone grab my arm firmly but gently at the same time.

"Terra, I need to talk to you," Damian urged, leaning close to talk to me as our peers filing out of the door were making noise, his eyes stressed.

I didn't know what to say, and I just wanted to talk to him, but I couldn't. I needed to find a way out....

And that's when I felt my phone buzzing in my bag. I yanked it out and saw that the caller I.D. was an unknown number.

Balcom.

"I'm so sorry. I've gotta take this," I apologized right before pulling out of his grasp and hastily making my way out of the building.

"Hello?" I answered as if I didn't already know who it was.

"Terra! How are you?" Dr. Balcom greeted, his voice cheery.

"I'm good. How are you?" I responded like you're supposed to.

"I'm fantastic! Now, I'm sorry to call you during class but I needed to get ahold of you before tomorrow."

I looked around. How did he know I was in class now? Is that because he knew that Damian was in class? Did Damian mention to him that we were in the same history class? My stomach felt like a washing machine. Oh, did I ever mess up.

"Alright," I said so he could go on.

"I know that you're supposed to wear your lab coat and formal attire when you're here, but I'm going to lift that rule for you. Everyday you're on the psychology rotation, you don't have to wear either. Other days are no exception to this rule. Is that alright?"

I stood confused in the middle of the parking lot.

"Amazing! See you tomorrow, Terra! Have a great night," he added before the line went dead.

I hung up and put my phone back in my bag.

What does that even mean?

Was this some sort of test? Was it a change to the dress code altogether, or did he mean "lift that rule for you" as in it was only lifted for me? And why?

That man was so strange, and I couldn't even begin to think of how his mind worked. To be honest, I didn't really want to know either. It scared me to think of how he ticked.

I got in my car and sped home to finish the work that I had been putting off for days, wondering what that call was about or why the topic of my attire came around. It could be some kind of experiment or test. Dr. Balcom must have been some kind of psychologist, as he knew just what to say to get his way. Maybe that's how he rose to the top, but that was none of my business.

I was wondering of whatever was going to happen the next day.