Tweet
You guys asked for it. This is the Alpha of my quest's Sept at the time of his first change. I wanted to focus on the disconnect humans have from Gaia in this one.
I also hope I have all the football stats right. I know nothing about Football and had to look up some high school players.
Franklin Kirk. Eighteen years old. Starting Quarterback for the Kirkville Raiders. 5614 Passing Yards and four Hundred Completions this year alone. Future Florida State Seminole with a full ride Football Scholarship. Frank knew who he was. Where he was going. What he was going to do when he got there. But Caroline changed all that with one sentence.
“I’m Pregnant.” She told him. And Frank’s future became less certain.
Frank shifted gears in his 1964 Cherry Red Ford Mustang as he drove the endless Texas country roads. He had no clue where he was heading, both on the road and in his life. He didn’t know if Caroline was going to keep the baby. She asked him to say something, but what could he say? He felt trapped. He couldn’t talk to her right now. He had to get out. He had to drive.
Frank had wore the Red and Whites of the Kirksville Raiders for four years. Three of them as Quarterback. To be honest, he’d rather have been be a Running back. To take the ball and strive for the end zone. Those moments, when all his teammates were unavailable, and he could run the ball, those moments he’d live for. Yet Frank wasn’t a spotlight hog. He was a good team player. As quarterback, Frank relied on his team and threw the ball most of the time. He had good judgement, the coach said. The ability to scan the field and decide the best course of action made him a top ranked quarterback.
The empty road stretched out before him. The rising full moon illuminated the white reflectors beyond the Classic Mustang’s headlights. Frank received many scholarship offers. Colleges sent recruiters and flew Frank in for campus visits. Franklin Kirk may be the first Raider to actually go all the way to the NFL.
Yes, there was the annoying snag; Frank’s Kinfetch hadn’t abandoned him yet. The old raggedy raven still haunted his every step. “They televise Seminoles Games. What if he goes through his first change on national TV?” Grandpa Grief asked. Frank knew Grandpa Grief still hoped Frank would become Garou and join the Sept. The old Garou had that hope for all the kids in Kirksville.
But Frank knew his family would let him go. Football was as much of a religion in Kirksville as Gaia. To Frank, Football was more real than Gaia. Football he could see, touch, and feel. Garou, Gaia, the war for the soul of the world. This was dinner talk for adults. It had little or nothing to do with Frank’s life.
But now, with Caroline’s news, Frank’s whole future was thrown into chaos. Could he even go to FSU now? He was going to be someone’s father. And for the first time in his life, Frank was going to be responsible for something -for someone- outside of the football field.
Headlights distracted Frank from his troubling thoughts. It wasn’t until it was too late Frank realized the headlights were on his side of the road. An old pickup truck swerved into his lane. Frank flew through the windshield as his Mustang crashed into the old truck. He soared through the air.
And when he landed, Frank wasn’t quite human anymore.
A raven cawed and took flight. Frank’s claws dug into the tar of the road as he changed. He tore through the truck door, like it was paper. He ripped the drunken fool out. Blood. Flesh. Rend. There wasn’t much left of the drunk after Frank was through with him.
Unspent rage sung though Frank’s veins. He lifted his muzzle to the full moon and howled. Frank knew who he was now. Silver moonlight burned away his doubts and fears.
Frank took off, leaving the wreck of his car and his old purposeless life behind.
I also hope I have all the football stats right. I know nothing about Football and had to look up some high school players.
Franklin Kirk. Eighteen years old. Starting Quarterback for the Kirkville Raiders. 5614 Passing Yards and four Hundred Completions this year alone. Future Florida State Seminole with a full ride Football Scholarship. Frank knew who he was. Where he was going. What he was going to do when he got there. But Caroline changed all that with one sentence.
“I’m Pregnant.” She told him. And Frank’s future became less certain.
Frank shifted gears in his 1964 Cherry Red Ford Mustang as he drove the endless Texas country roads. He had no clue where he was heading, both on the road and in his life. He didn’t know if Caroline was going to keep the baby. She asked him to say something, but what could he say? He felt trapped. He couldn’t talk to her right now. He had to get out. He had to drive.
Frank had wore the Red and Whites of the Kirksville Raiders for four years. Three of them as Quarterback. To be honest, he’d rather have been be a Running back. To take the ball and strive for the end zone. Those moments, when all his teammates were unavailable, and he could run the ball, those moments he’d live for. Yet Frank wasn’t a spotlight hog. He was a good team player. As quarterback, Frank relied on his team and threw the ball most of the time. He had good judgement, the coach said. The ability to scan the field and decide the best course of action made him a top ranked quarterback.
The empty road stretched out before him. The rising full moon illuminated the white reflectors beyond the Classic Mustang’s headlights. Frank received many scholarship offers. Colleges sent recruiters and flew Frank in for campus visits. Franklin Kirk may be the first Raider to actually go all the way to the NFL.
Yes, there was the annoying snag; Frank’s Kinfetch hadn’t abandoned him yet. The old raggedy raven still haunted his every step. “They televise Seminoles Games. What if he goes through his first change on national TV?” Grandpa Grief asked. Frank knew Grandpa Grief still hoped Frank would become Garou and join the Sept. The old Garou had that hope for all the kids in Kirksville.
But Frank knew his family would let him go. Football was as much of a religion in Kirksville as Gaia. To Frank, Football was more real than Gaia. Football he could see, touch, and feel. Garou, Gaia, the war for the soul of the world. This was dinner talk for adults. It had little or nothing to do with Frank’s life.
But now, with Caroline’s news, Frank’s whole future was thrown into chaos. Could he even go to FSU now? He was going to be someone’s father. And for the first time in his life, Frank was going to be responsible for something -for someone- outside of the football field.
Headlights distracted Frank from his troubling thoughts. It wasn’t until it was too late Frank realized the headlights were on his side of the road. An old pickup truck swerved into his lane. Frank flew through the windshield as his Mustang crashed into the old truck. He soared through the air.
And when he landed, Frank wasn’t quite human anymore.
A raven cawed and took flight. Frank’s claws dug into the tar of the road as he changed. He tore through the truck door, like it was paper. He ripped the drunken fool out. Blood. Flesh. Rend. There wasn’t much left of the drunk after Frank was through with him.
Unspent rage sung though Frank’s veins. He lifted his muzzle to the full moon and howled. Frank knew who he was now. Silver moonlight burned away his doubts and fears.
Frank took off, leaving the wreck of his car and his old purposeless life behind.
Comment