If I had to say… my defining trait is probably lying. I am deceptive. Been that way ever since I was 3, and throughout my life I had never stopped lying. Just learned to use lies sparingly, and better.
"A reaction from transmigration?"
"No, probably the effect of that voice he was talking about."
"How can you guys be so sure he's not faking it?"
I found myself waking up to a certain situation as three different voices wrestled for control. I identified them quickly, the first Leah, the second Terry, the third… Charlotte.
Why do you… hate me? Dislike me? Are you angry? Disgusted, suspicious… Afraid of me?
I didn't dare open my eyes. Instead I took in the ambience. The same familiar waves softly hissing against the sand as they receded into the ocean. The chirp of crickets in bushes. The faint clicking of crab claws. And the sweet summer scent of cinnamon and sunlight.
Finally, I cracked an eye open, careful not to make any sudden movements. Surely enough, just before me were Terry, Leah, and Charlotte. Terry and Leah faced each other, whilst the latter stared directly at me.
My heart skipped a beat as we made eye contact. Had she seen me? I quickly clamped my eyes shut. For a second Charlotte giggled. She walked over to me and peeled my eyes open.
Shit.
Her clear brown eyes locked with my jade-green ones as she leaned over to look at me. "Well look who's back."
A bead of sweat slipped down my face, and splashed against the log. Right. I'm laying on a log. Sideways.
I slowly sat up and rose from the log I was laid upon. "Hey," I said. "What a not-so nice surprise." This isn't what I wanted. Not the grand, strategic return I promised myself. This was completely and utterly stupid. Humiliating.
She smirked and gestured towards me whilst looking back at Terry. "Still think he's some normal kid? Why'd he feign sleeping then?"
Terry paused, then grunted, "It doesn't matter. He's the youngest here. Seventeen. We all have our reasons." Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Checked his wallet," Terry added.
"So what if he's a kid. We're in the fucking wilds of a new world, with abnormal creatures or whatever the hell you want to call them, and you expect me to trust that this kid is normal? Or at the very least not actively hiding something from us? I didn't take you for the insane type."
"It's most likely the side effects of a concussion," Leah interjected. She was sharpening a spear, probably for Jacob's use. She looked up at them and readjusted her glasses, "He was just thrashing around earlier in the cave, what, like an hour or two ago?"
Charlotte's smile thinned. Terry nodded slowly. "Believe what you want," she glared at me. "But there's nothing normal about him," with those words she spun around and walked off. As I watched her leave I couldn't help but think about how quiet the evening was.
My eyes carefully tracked the sun as it inched closer and closer to the ocean. It's pink and red rays reflected off the water, creating a vibrant mosaic. Despite its setting, the heat of the sun against my skin remained unchanged. It's not as if it's uncomfortable, though.
A sort of itch, scratch, prickle— whatever you'd call it overcame me. By now I'd probably been watching the sun set for ten or twenty minutes. It was hard to say, never been great at keeping track of time.
Then I changed the direction of my attention, and watched the group. Maria was fast asleep, hugging her sketchbook tight. Jacob and Terry were spear-fighting, and Leah was keeping track of the score. The fire crackled weakly, but seemed to hold on strongly. It's like you don't want to disappear.
A sudden warmth built up in my chest at the thought of it. Something's changed. Once more, the itch returned right around the base of my neck. I rubbed it for a few seconds, because Mom always said rubbing was better than scratching.
Mom… And then I recalled my Mom, which I didn't want to do. That made me pinch my neck. But the itch didn't go away, it evolved. A prickly, tingling sensation began to spread throughout the rest of my body. Something about it was familiar. Sort of like pins and needles when you go numb… but ticklish.
Finally I gave in to the feeling and relaxed my shoulders. I stopped trying to fight it. My eyes scanned the beach, searching for Charlotte. Unfortunately it wasn't that easy. She really must've gone far.
I clenched my fists, and then relaxed my fingers. Well this is upsetting. But I'm curious. I'll bite. I dragged myself over to Jacob and Terry's sparring match, and sat myself down next to Leah.
"Hey about earlier, I'm sorry," I said, my voice carrying a soft tone. Leah didn't spare me a glance. "It's fine. We're all on edge. It's basic psychology." The corner of my mouth twitched. It is you alright. I scratched at the base of my neck. "Well uh, tell Terry I'm sorry too. I'm gonna try and clear this up." This time Leah did look up. Her gaze was curious and analytical. "Do you feel responsible for it?" She asked.
"… What sorta question is that… I do." I muttered. Great. Buy it. She examined my face and then snapped her fingers, "Right then, get on with it." Then she stopped talking and went back to observing the sparring match.
I rose to my feet, and patted the sand off my pants. My eyes hovered over the shore, and in the distance I could see a faint humanoid figure. What's the worst that could happen? So I began to walk, and to keep myself entertained, counted my steps.
Soon enough I caught up to Charlotte. I found her crouched down by the shore, watching a crab and holding a shell up to her ear. With such a serene scene anyone would think she's just a normal girl, or woman, enjoying the beach. I knew better. My footsteps stopped just a few feet short of her.
"Y'know, when I was younger everybody in town tried to drive me out," she spat onto the sand. "Called me a thief." She tilted her head, and I caught a glimpse of her face. A small, fragile smile, seemed tacked onto her face. She looked beautiful. Like a lilac. "Want to know why?"
I sighed. An indication for her to continue. "It's obvious; 'cause I stole. And I hunted," her fingers began to shake a little. What's wrong? My eyes narrowed.
"Charlotte you're trembling." She ignored my words. Her shaking fingers stilled, as if they were frozen. "Paul, was it?" She stood swiftly, and faced me. Her fragile smile was replaced by a deadpan expression. "Do you know what I used to hunt?" My chest tightened. This is different. Charlotte never talked about hunting in my past life…
Her eyes drifted away, back onto the sand. "People," she said. "I used to hunt people."