Emery Elise Jacobs (WMC) Ch 1

“Hi my name is Emery Elise Jacobs and I am a shape changer.”

Isn’t that the opening line to an AA meeting?  Don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with AA people, but I just feel like that has nothing to do with my current situation.  Oh and if you aren’t surprised by all of this, then let me tell you one thing, I sure as shit am.
          The morning of my 25^th birthday is one that I’ll never forget.  I woke up to the sounds of pots and pans banging in my kitchen. There was only one explanation for the excessive noise beating against my eardrums. My mother. I see she’s figured out a way to steal my house key again. I change the locks on this place at least once a month.
The locksmith knows me by name and number. He doesn’t answer anymore, he just shows up at the house with a new lock. I still haven’t figured out how she continues to pop up with a key. I bet she was a fox in another life.
          I got out of bed and slipped my feet into my fuzzy slippers. It felt like my feet were on a mini vacation. As I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I notice that my pajamas now looked like capri’.  “You’ve got to be shitting me. How the hell did I grow over night? I don’t need this right now,” I mumbled under my breath. I’ve had these for years, and today they decided to shrink. I’m not going to worry about it, I’ll just have to figure out where to buy some more, another thing to add to my ever growing to-do list.
          “Ma, what are you doing here?” I say as I walk into the kitchen in search for my cheerios and a bowl.  I wasn’t in the mood to eat whatever experiment she’s trying to fix this morning. I could see the smoke rising from the pan as soon as I walked by the stove. The one thing I realized growing up was that my mother could not cook. I have no idea who my father is, but given my overnight growth spurt I figure that he’s pretty tall.
          “Holy crap Emery, what’s going on with your hair? You do remember me calling you last night and telling you I was coming over. Luckily I have a key and didn’t have to wake you up to let me in. Now go and…”
          “Get dressed, nope, mom that’s not going to happen. I plan on spending my 25^th birthday in bed watching Beauty and the Beast, like I do every year. And if you don’t like that, you can you use the key that you stole from me and leave.”

I stop mid walk to the fridge, did I just cut my mother off? I’ve never done that before. I was raised to not talk back or get my mouth popped. This day is already starting to blow.  Not only did I grow randomly over night, I also grew a pair of balls and decided to tell my mom where to stick it.

          “Oh, no you don’t young lady. You will not talk to your mother that way. You will not disrespect me at all. I don’t care if it is your birthday or not. Now get your ass in your room and GO GET DRESSED!!!”

          Wow, ma must have grown a pair also, because I suddenly had the urge to go get dressed. Everything in me was screaming ‘hurry, hurry, hurry’.  I might not like it but the next thing I knew I was standing at my closet.

          Twenty minutes later I walk back into the kitchen to find my favorite breakfast on the counter, with no scorch marks, along with an envelope with my name on it. I sat down and started eating when I noticed that my mom was nowhere around. I had to admit that this was weird. Great food and a mysterious envelope, what else could happen today? Hell I might as well open this and figure out what she had to say.
          “Dear Emery,
          I know you are wondering what’s going on with your body right now and are wondering why you are getting upset with your mother all of a sudden. Don’t worry this is all normal for this time period in your life. I am sorry that you weren’t able to grow up around me, but I love you nonetheless.  If you have any question about who I am, give me a call. All you have to do is ask your mother for the number. It is time for us to meet.
                                                                             Love, Dad”

Holy shit Batman!  I cannot believe that I just received a letter from my dad. I have a real father, and this time I just thought he was a just sperm donor.  I can’t wait to tell my bestie Jessica. She is going to be so stoked…. Wait did this thing just say that my mother knew. This whole FREAKING time she knew about my father and didn’t tell me. All those nights that I cried myself to sleep wishing I had a father to play ball with and she didn’t say anything. Wait until I get my hands on that damn woman I’m going to wring her fucking neck.
        I was getting so pissed. I could feel the anger boiling in my veins. My mind was telling me to calm down and hear what she had to say, but my heart was breaking in a million pieces. It was time to call the egg donor, so she could answer for herself.
        “’Lucy you got some ‘plaining to do.’” I said when she answered her phone. “So, I just opened this letter that was lying next to the breakfast you cooked for me. Do you have anything you want to tell me?” I tried my best to not let my anger show in my voice but I wasn’t succeeding.
        “Dear, what are you talking about?”
        “Mom, please don’t act like you don’t know. I know you put this letter here when you left. And by the way thanks for leaving while I was in the shower anyhow. But that’s not the point.”
        “Emery darling what are you talking about? What letter?”
        I know I was being an ass, but if she continues to act like one; well I can’t be blamed for my actions. “Mom, the letter that was by my breakfast this morning that was apparently from my father, the same dad that you knew about all this time and didn’t tell me about. The man’s sperm that you said was only good for was to make me; the man that I cried over when I was 7 years old because I couldn’t be a princess without a king as a father, that dad!!” I was becoming hysterical; I wanted to bash my head on the counter.
        “Oh shit not now, this can’t be happening.”
       

“What do you mean, ‘this can’t be happening’?”
        “Emery where are you? Are you still at the house? Don’t eat the food. I promise to tell you everything when I get back. I just… ok I’m on my way.” With that she hung up the phone, leaving looking at my hand and an empty plate.

What was in the food, it tasted great. It was the best breakfast she’s ever cooked and there were no egg shells or other things that weren’t supposed to be in there. Things my mother has a habit of leaving in my food, because she wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing as usual. What the hell is going on? I tell you, this day was starting to become one for the books.

          I reread the letter from my “Dad”. It didn’t give my any clue as to what was going on with me today. None of this was making any sense. All I know is that woman called my mother better hurry up and get her ass here.

I heard the front door open and was in the living room before I knew it. I’ve never moved so fast in my life. One second I was in the kitchen and the next I knew, I just scared the shit out of my mom.

“Well I see that things are developing fast. Please don’t tell me that you ate that food. I didn’t make it for you dear. I was on my way to the store when you called. I can’t believe this is happening all ready. They told me not until you were 25…”

“MA! What are you talking about? Quit rambling, shut up and go sit down.”

“…not until I had the… What did you just say to me? I know you are confused and things are happening that you do not understand but if you do not stop talking to me like I am your child I am going to leave without an explanation. Do you understand me young woman?”

What else could I say to her besides, “Yes ma’am?” I walked into the living room with my mom hot on my tail. I couldn’t believe how I have been acting towards her.

“Ok, so let me start from the beginning. Please do not interrupt me for anything. If I don’t get this all out in time, I might not be able to tell you everything. If you have to pee, hold it. If the phone rings, do not answer. And if there is a knock on the front door, by God do not get off that couch. Do you understand?”

If she was expecting an answer to that rhetorical question, she wasn’t getting one. What could I say? ‘No?’ Ha that wasn’t going to happen. I really would like to figure out what is going on with me right now and she was the only one with the answers.

I watched her take a seat and start rubbing her hands on her knees. A nervous tick she only did when there was something she had to do that she might not like. For the first time in twenty-five years I actually looked at my mother. I mean really looked. She looked like the world was placed on her shoulders and wasn’t trying to orbit anytime soon.

My mother wasn’t beautiful by today’s standards. What I mean by that is, she wasn’t a size 2 or 3; she was a size 9. Her height maxed out at 5’3”, to which I constantly teased her about. Elizabeth Jacobs was a MILF. She was sexy, at only 45, she had curves you wouldn’t ordinarily see on a white woman. Which to me I didn’t think she was fully Caucasian, but she never talked about her ancestry. But looking at her now, reminded me of stereotypical trailer park trash. She just looked busted.

“Emery, I want to start by saying I love you and I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. I’m sorry that this has to come out this way, but it is the only way to tell you. I wish I could have told you sooner but I was under a spell and if I told you before today I would lose the one thing I loved the most, you. So hear me out before you ask any question, kay?”

Another rhetorical question, but ok whatever, I thought to myself. And what is this talk about spells and dying?

“Ok so hear it goes. Emery you are a shape changer. Wait, before you say anything. Please just listen.  You heard me correct. You can change shapes. I’m not talking about squares and rectangles here, I talking about animals and such. When I met your father, he was Second in his clan. I knew there was something different about him I just never knew what. We were in college when we met. He was graduating that year and I was just starting my sophomore year. As you could expect I was a nineteen year old girl that was excited an older guy was interested in her. I mean he was gorgeous. He had a smile that would make me want to climb him like a rope, grab him by the ears and ride him like…”

“Mom!!!” I had to interrupt that walk down memory lane. That was close; one thing I did not want to know about was my mother sex life.

“I’m sorry dear, I digress. Anyway, what your father and I had was real; even if it was brief. I found out I was pregnant the day after homecoming. I was excited. I mean I wasn’t trying to trap him, but I really thought we were going to be together. I can still see the look on your father face when I told him. He was so excited. The next I knew he just disappeared. I mean he just vanished right before my eyes. I haven’t seen him in years.

The day you were born, I woke up to find someone trying to take you out of my arms. I went to press the call button but found that I couldn’t move. I tried to scream, but there was no sound. All I could do is plead in my head that I would do anything, give anything to keep you in my life. At that moment the woman asked me my name, when I told her what my name was she told me I was unworthy to have a baby that was a changer. She said that half witches are beneath the Clan and that I could not keep my baby. I begged her to let me keep you. I told her that I would not say anything to damage their Clan. But just don’t take my baby away from me.

Once she saw that I would come after you, when I got out the hospital, she made me swear a blood oath that I would not say anything to anyone about what you were. If I did so I would die.  After that happened I woke up in my apartment with a beautiful little girl, a headache, and a letter explaining to me the details of my oath. I promise I wanted to tell you everything. I even tried on your 16th birthday, but I got sick and that’s why we had to cancel your party. I am so sorry that I wasn’t able to tell you earlier. Forgive me?”

It took me a minute to process what she just told me. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. A witch and a shape changer made me. So what was I? Half shape changer, ¼ witch, and ¼ whatever race I was? I had a million and one questions running through my head. I wish I had a pen to write them down. But I didn’t so fuck it, let start with the simplest one first.

“So, what about the letter and the food?”

“I have no idea about where the food came from or who made that for you. I know that the letter is from your father. I haven’t seen him since the night I told him I was pregnant. I don’t have his number like he says I do. Matter of fact I never called him back then all I did was… wait that can’t be that simple.”

“What are you talking about ma?”

“When we were in college, all I did was think about him. A few minutes later he would appear all the way across campus. I bet if I think about what he looked like we can figure out how to get in contact with him. That is, if you want.”

I sat there for a few minutes trying to process whether or not if I wanted to meet the man that had been absent from my life. When I was about to answer, I heard a sound coming from the kitchen. Freaky. Two days ago, I wouldn’t have heard the water running in the kitchen, now I could hear the leaky faucet in my bathroom. I got up to go check out what the sound was coming from the kitchen. My mom started to get out of her chair, as I walked by I pushed her back into her seat.  

“Shh, don’t get up. I’m going to go check on something in the kitchen.”

The closer I got to the kitchen the more I could feel the hairs on my neck stand at attention, like dog bristling for an attack. My gut was screaming a warning that I should run and not look back.  That there is danger around the corner and that it’s not worth looking into. Rounding the corner, I peeked my head inside before my body could follow. I don’t see anything.

“It’s clear mom, I guess I’m just spooked,” I yell back towards the living room. I went to turn back into the living room, I ran right into the wall. Well what I thought was a wall. Most walls don’t have a heartbeat. I stumble back into my kitchen table as I try to run from whatever I just bumped into.

“Do not worry child. It is ok.” Mr. Mysterious says to me.

I know that I should be worried but this calm feeling comes over me and I realize I have nothing to fear. Um, red flag numero Uno. Taking a chance, I straighten myself up so I can at least be presentable to whoever was in front of me. It was my house and I wasn’t about to let someone see me with my tail tucked between my legs. When I looked up it was like looking in the mirror. The same green eyes were looking back at me.

“Holy shit, mom…you need to get in here, and I mean like Right now,” I yelled. I didn’t know what else to do. I know that it’s childish to yell for your parents but who am I to blame, when a kid needs their mom. I mean geesh cut me some slack here.

“What is it Em, I thought you said everything was fine. I am not cooking you…. Well now isn’t this a surprise. Emery I see you have met your father. It’s good to see you William.”

“Hello, Elizabeth.”

“William, I see you remember my name. Emery, this is your father. William, Emery your daughter.”

Well I guess that takes care of everything. The man I never knew, name was William and he’s standing in my damn kitchen. What the hell was that about? I haven’t heard any doors open. Matter of fact I couldn’t hear anything pass all the blood rushing to my head. Oh shit I think I am going to faint.

“Emery, are you ok darling?”

“Am I ok? Am I ok?” I exploded from around the table, “Do I look like I am ok? Honestly mom, you walk in here and see him and all you can say is hello. You aren’t going to yell at him for leaving you? You aren’t mad? Hell, he like left you, and pregnant at that.”

“Of course I’m upset, but there is no use to yelling is there? What good is that going to do us if we all start yelling? Why don’t you two have a seat and I’ll put on some tea.”

“I don’t have tea and I don’t have a tea pot mom, so don’t worry about it, just sit down so we can get through why he’s here.”

“Nonsense darling, I wouldn’t be half a witch if I couldn’t make tea out of nowhere.”

“Whatever ma.” I’ve had enough of these so called witches and shape changer lies. I don’t know what to believe any more. So now they want to tell me that the things in my fairytales were real. All I wanted to do is curl up in my bed and watch my favorite movie.

“Please do not talk to your mother like that. I know that it’s hard for you to understand, but if you let me explain then we can get this show on the road.”

I just sat there and looked at him. I mean like really looked at him. I guess this was dissect your parents day, and I was the lucky winner. We had the same green eyes; his nose was a little narrow and pointy for him to be black, or at least what I think is black. We had the same caramel skin complexion and we were built the same with long arms and legs and larger than average hands. I could not believe that this is my father. I was finally meeting him and I didn’t have anything to say. Wait a minute, hell yes I have something to say!

“What do you mean don’t talk to my mother like that. I’ll talk to the woman who raised me any way I want! You do not have a right to come in my house, and tell me what to do. I am twenty-five years old and you do not get the chance to be my father after all this time. You need to leave. Matter of fact why don’t both of you leave and let me get back to my birthday by MYSELF!”  I was so upset. I felt like my head was about to explode! I couldn’t get them out of my house fast enough.

“Emery that’s enough, I have come here to make you understand what’s going on with you. If you will not give me the time of day you will suffer. So do you want to keep acting like a spoiled brat or the adult I’ve seen you grow to become?”

“Sure William. Go ahead and explain to me what’s going to happen now. Are you going to tell me that I’m going to turn furry during a full moon? Will I have fangs like a vampire, what William? Just tell me whatever will make you go away.  I don’t need… Wait, did you just say you watched me grow up?  You cannot be serious right now. All those time I wanted you near and you just watched. What kind of father are you? Who does that to a kid? You know what, I’m done.” I started to get up from the table. It looked like they were going to let me leave. With no one saying anything I left.

I know I left there sounding like a whinny little kid, but it was too much to handle. For twenty-five years my life has been the same. Now I had two people telling me it was nothing I could ever imagine. I didn’t even know I was crying until I looked into my bedroom mirror. How could they keep this away from me? It’s like I didn’t know who I was any more.

You know who you are, just believe.

Huh? I just meet this man, now his voice is in my head. Something is going seriously wrong today. This is the worst birthday ever!

It’s only a bad day if you make it to be, now come on out of your room so we can talk face to face.

I didn’t know what to do. One minute I can’t stand being in there with my parents the next, I want to know why he’s in my fucking head! I guess I know what I’m going to have to do. Get my grown ass in the kitchen and take it like a man, er woman I mean.

As I walk into the kitchen I head for the fridge. There are only two things I need in my life right now: ice cream and vodka. Given the present situation, Vodka it was. I pour myself a glass, straight, without a mixer, times like these hard is best. I didn’t bother with asking anyone if they wanted some. At this point, I really didn’t care what they wanted; I just wanted to feel absolutely nothing.

I approached the table with my drink, to sit down to the trouble at hand, and that trouble was my father. “Ok, so go ahead and explain whatever it is that you think that would get me to like you; because at this point I don’t like what I’ve seen so far. I mean really, seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY, speaking in my head. What kind of person does that?”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to you Emery. If you would just shut up for a moment and listen; then we can be on our way. Your grandmother has been waiting to meet you for years.”

“Wait my grandmother. I have one of those? I… I’m sorry didn’t mean to interrupt. Go ahead.” I gave him the same hand gesture to proceed that rude people give you when you are wasting their time.

“As I was saying, Emery, I am you father.—“

I started laughing at the movie reference. At least he wasn’t dressed in all black with a mask on, suffering from asthma problems.

“Emery Elise, show some respect!” my mother yelled at me.

“Sorry, continue please.”

“Before you interrupted, my name is William Blackhawk and I am the leader of The Clan. I know that sounds funny but it is what it is. No we aren’t strictly Indian, we aren’t a tribe, and we do not kill people. We are just a group of people who banded together when humans where trying to kill us. I know that you are going to have a million questions but let me get to the reason why I am here.

First, I want to say that I am sorry that I wasn’t there for you while you were growing up. It has never been heard of that Changer and a Witch would have a baby together, two different classes of families. Most of a Changer’s powers do not come on line until they have reached full maturity, usually around the age of 25. That is why I am here today. I would like to take you back so I can show you how to be this extraordinary person you will become. ---“

I had to cut him off, “---What do you mean take me back? Take me back where? I’m sorry to inform you of this William, but I am not about to leave my home so you can take me any damn where. So either get to the point or leave my DAMN house!” This was getting to get on my nerves and my cup was half empty, guess it’s time for a refill. I’m not sure what I believe anymore. It seemed like the world had just tilted on its axis and I'm sure nothing was ever going to be the same.

"I know that things are going to be difficult to understand at first, but believe me dear I promise to help make your transition that much better. So here's a little history about the clan. We originated in Spain sometime 800 b.c. no one remembers what happened to make us the way we are, there is no explanation that we know of to this date. The very first Changer was Antonia del Rey. You’ll hear people refer to her as Mother of All. The first Clan of shapechangers came to North America right after the Spanish Inquisition. It was a difficult time for them during that transition. But that's a history lesson for another time.

What I'm trying to get to here Emery, is that in our history has not allowed us a chance to adjust to modern times. When your mother and I met it wasn't suitable to let different magical races to intermingle. That’s why I wasn't able to be around you while you were growing up. With me being the Second at that time I would have been kicked out of the Clan or killed if I chose to stay with your mother.

 One of the elders in the clan decided to take it upon herself to try to take you when you were born. That’s why your mother was under a blood oath. There was nothing else I could do. In order to protect you I had to leave you behind. I am so sorry that you had to grow up without me, but I promise to make it up to you. That’s why I want you to come back with me, so you can understand the other half your culture.

Here’s my number, give me call with what you decide, but please do not take all three days to so."

"What do you mean only three days? What will happen in three days?"

"Trust me darling you do not want to find out. So give me a call dear I'll be around," with that he just disappeared.

I was in shock when I looked up and he was gone. I mean how did he just do that?   There were just somethings I needed to figure out and figure them out fast; especially if I only had three days to do them in according to William.

"So mom do you have anything to you want to say?" I asked as I turned to look at my mother.