Page 51 of Dryad, Try Again
“Oh, sorry.” I heard about a basilisk on campus, but our circles have never crossed.
“It’sss cool. Don’t uh…don’t look down.”
My eyes dart up. “Uh, why?”
“I’m a basilisk…and I…”
“Oh, right.” I’m so self-absorbed; I forgot I’m not the only one having trouble shifting tonight.
“I’ll, uh…”
“I’d leave but I’m afraid of…you know…petrifying you.”
“Why are you out here?”
“Didn’t think anyone would ssspot me by a tree. I just…”
“I get it. Here.” I influence my favorite tree to lift its roots up. Now a tiny arc of wood lies at the base of the tree, like a small alcove. “Do you want to…put your head inside?”
I spy the top of a massive snake head looking forward. I gaze back up at the sky and hear him slither below. After a moment I ask, “Can I…look down?”
“Sssure,” he replies.
A moment later, I take a seat by the base of the tree. Reyson’s massive snake body—tail? —is jutting out of the roots. I relax, catch my breath, and soak in the sweet carbon dioxide of campus.
“SSsooo…” Reyson says after a minute. “Why aren’t you at the dance?”
“Same reason as you.” I smirk and bump my wooden head against the trunk of the tree. “No one wants to be seen with me.”
“That can’t be true. A handsssome tree monster like you?”
I snicker. “The person I really wanted to go with. He’s…well, he’s out of the picture. We can’t be together for…reasons.”
“I’m sssorry to hear that.”
“Thanks, Reyson.” I smile and glance at his tail wiggling slightly. “For what it’s worth, I’m sure you could find a date if you wanted.”
“Finding a boy to date isss not really the problem…”
“Oh?” I quirk an eyebrow in interest. I sense a story there. Why do I get the feeling he’s strung up over a human boy, too.
“But shifting isss complicated,” he mutters.
“I hear that. Knock on wood.” I bump my head against the tree and we both share a laugh. After a beat, I gaze at the blood moon. As a child I used to pray to live in a world where monsters were considered the norm. Here at Creelin, I found just that, and now look at me: successful, yet heartbroken.
My thoughts are interrupted by the sounds of squishing flipper-like feet striding through the grass. “Kovi!”
“Blake?”
“You have to come quick!” he says. He’s in full shift, and his voice is deeper in his lagoon monster form, and he raises his webbed hands in a gesture of desperation.
I stand up. “What, why?”
“What’sss going on?” Reyson mutters from within the tree.
“Oh, what’s up Reyson?” Blake smiles through his fishy-lips, then looks up at me. “Kove, you need to come with me.”
“What?”
