Changeling

Michael longingly looked out his window at the forest; the sun shone down upon the trees, casting them in a golden glow.  He turned back to his room - a bent cot in the corner with threadbare blankets and a flat pillow, well-worn clothes and cheap, broken toys littered the floor.  The vibrations from the blaring TV downstairs traveled through his legs and into his teeth; his skull throbbed with the onset of a headache.  He knew his parents lounged on the couch right now, the rubber cord tied securely and the needle stuck in the crook of their arms.  Drool dripped from the corner of their mouths as they stared blankly at the TV.  The rank smell of week-old takeout and burnt Pop-Tarts filled the hallway and assaulted his nose.  Michael set his jaw and finally decided enough was enough. 

His Superman backpack sat in the corner (his sole undamaged possession; a reward for winning his class spelling bee).  Michael didn't own much and what he had would fit well enough.  He picked a few of his best shirts, jeans, some socks and underwear, then packed his bag of marbles on top.  Five more strained minutes and both of his parents would be dead to the world.

They didn't even stir as he shut the door; the screen always clanged no matter how quietly he tried to close it.  The outside world beckoned to him:  the wind in his hair pulled him into its embrace; the forest enticingly shimmered in the distance.  Though the sky had turned overcast, Michael could still see the forest beaconed by the last ray of dimming sunlight.  He imagined the treehouse he would build; complete with a rope ladder and a slide escape (he’d worry about where to find the slide later). His planning passed the time quickly and soon he was within the forest.  Branches thick with hunter foliage drew him further along.

A gentle peace surrounded him as the forest serenaded his ears with cricket and critter sounds.  Michael walked deeper and eventually stumbled upon a small clearing padded with soft moss.  A large, bushy branch overhead promised shade when the sun reached its tendrils through the canopy.  Small branches jutted out from the trunks creating a natural ladder, while a fallen tree nearby could be used as his slide.  Michael set his backpack next to a hollow tree stump and looked around, enjoying the natural silence the forest offered.  Yawning, he nestled down amongst the moss, letting the softness and lingering warmth of the faded sun soothe him in a way his bed never had. 

Something small and hard hit him square in the forehead, causing him to stir.  Michael frowned as he awoke, momentarily disoriented.  He rubbed his head and looked around for the source, eventually witnessing a marble slowly rolling away.  Movement drew him toward the stump from where a small creature peeked its head, holding his bag of marbles in its teeth.  It watched him with over-sized green eyes reflecting the forest.  With its tall, pointed ears, a fox-like snout, and rough, brown skin, the creature almost blended into the stump.  Michael wondered if it had been there throughout his nap.

"Hi," Michael whispered.  The creature blinked at him then whispered "Hi" back in Michael’s voice.  "My name is Michael," he said, to which the creature responded the same.  "You can't be Michael too...that's my name!" and again the creature mimicked his words.  The boy looked into the creature’s eyes, trying to slow down his frantic heart.  He had imagined fantastic creatures and wild adventures during many lonely nights. Yet here was one staring him in the face and Michael could only react with hesitation and slight fear.  The creature looked at him sadly and made a small croaking noise.  It hopped behind the stump but quickly emerged looking the spitting image of Michael!  The eyes were still different; a little too big and too wide with that forest-green tint.

"How’d you do that??" Michael asked.  The creature shrugged and stated "My name is Michael.”  It cackled and took off running.  Nervously, Michael followed and soon they were sprinting out of the forest and into Michael’s front lawn. 

Michael halted, confused about how the creature knew where he lived.  Reaching back, he tried to remember if maybe he had seen those big, green eyes peering out from the forest’s darkness.  The creature eyed Michael curiously as it snuck inside, silently shooshing him.  Michael creeped over to watch from outside the living room window.  The creature tiptoed to Michael’s parents, put its fingers in its mouth and stretched his lips wide, tongue wagging.  Soundlessly laughing, it reached into its pocket and pulled out a handful of green powder.  A sharp glint flitted across its eyes as it blew the powder into their faces.  His parents sputtered as they inhaled, their eyes popping open wide.  Seconds passed as they sat stone-still staring at nothing.  The creature sidled up to Michael’s mom and gently pushed.  She fell into his dad and they both slid to the floor, their skin turning a bluish-gray as it boiled off...  

Michael turned away, blinking rapidly to clear the horrifying vision.  He pushed the heels of his palm into his eyes to stop the tears threatening to fall.  Shivering, he removed his hands. The creature stood in front of him again, reverted back to its original form.  “You can live with me now,” it croaked.  “You are free!”  Michael stared, thoughts racing as he thought of his parents writhing on the floor.  Biting his lip, he glanced at his bedroom window where he had created so many fantasies about a better life.  It couldn’t be any harder than what he already lived through.  The creature had rescued him in its own, twisted way but he saw a genuine concern in its eyes, something his parents never expressed.  This creature could offer him the adventure and companionship he desperately desired.  Besides, he could always run away again...