Page 1 of Misfit Monsters
1
Periwinkle
Today will be a good day! Today, I won’t kill anyone.
I chant my mantra to myself as I slink through the shadows, invisible to the mortal beings on the city street around me. With every iteration, I squeeze my conviction a little tighter.
It has to be true. I’m going to make it true, and there’s no arguing with that.
All I have to do is take it easy-peasy. No situations that could turn traumatic or overwhelm me. I’ve totally got this.
Hunger prickles through my filmy body like the jabs of a hundred really annoying needles. But that’s okay too. The ache gave me an excuse to come here.
There’s nowhere I’d rather be than the mortal realm… even if somehow things always go wrong.
Nope, not thinking about that. Stuff those memories in a trash bag and throw them away. This is a brand-new start!
And it’s a beautiful day for my most recent brand-new start. Beyond the patches of shadow I flit through, the sun beams down over the strolling humans. Its warmth stirs enough contentment in them for the emotion to touch me too.
Childish laughter carries from the next street over. I taste the edge of their joy, bright and shimmery like fizzy lemonade.
Mmm, delicious.
The needles of hunger jab deeper, and I pause. Yep, totally in control. I won’t rush or leap before I look this time.
I reach the edge of a small park. A patch of trees stands on one side, a playground on the other.
A couple of kids are flinging themselves as high as possible on the swings, as if they’re preparing to take off into the sky. I’ve never seen humans actually fly, but those two seem to believe it’s possible. Their exhilaration trickles into me, tart and sweet as chilled apple cider.
Nearby, a toddler giggles nervously as he careens down the slide to his waiting mother. Two girls sway upside down on the monkey bars.
Playgrounds are perfect for my needs: a good, simple meal.
But I feed much better when I’m in physical form.
In the shelter of a cluster of trees, I solidify wearing a daisy print sundress and my favorite track jacket: rainbow stripes across the chest to represent all the light and color I want to bring with me.
I heard on a TV show once that you are what you wear.
The jacket’s hood materializes already pulled up over my long, vibrantly turquoise hair, which I can’t change and tends to draw attention I’d rather not have. Especially if it starts glowing.
That’ssomething no human would do.
The fresh spring air floods my newly formed lungs, filled with the perfume of the flowers blooming on a tree by the playground. Magnolia blossoms. Wonderful!
But what I really want to savor is the delight of the romping children. The ravenous prickles inside me are already starting to soften.
I amble closer to the playground and stop near the magnolia tree.
With each whoosh of the swings and clamber up the climbing equipment, I absorb more emotion in little spurts. This boy’s daring eagerness tastes like a sip of spiced hot cocoa. That girl’s dizzy hilarity could be a mouthful of pulled taffy.
The little wisps don’t soothe the deeper burn of hunger very quickly. Once I know I’ve got my balance, I can come more often. I won’t wait until I’m on the verge of starving.
It’ll be fantastic.
A little girl wanders over and gazes up at the magnolia’s luminous flowers. She stretches her hand, but the nearest one is far above her head.
A glimmer of hope flutters in my chest. I canmakeher happy.
