Chapter 1

ABBY

“Abby! Wake up!” Ashley, my twin sister yelled in my ear. This was her third attempt at trying to wake me up for school.

“Can't you take a hint?” I used my pillow to cover my ears from the noise. I wasn't in the mood to go to school. I peeped open one eye to glance at my sister. She was already dressed up for school. Her long curly brown hair was packed in a ponytail and she wore a bright yellow dress that complemented her skin tone. She looked like a ray of sunshine, but it was more like a cloudy day.

She stood at the end of my bed with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Come on, Abby, you can't skip school again. You've been doing it all week," she said, raising her voice.

"I know, I know," I muttered, burying my face deeper into my pillow. "But I just can't handle it today. I'm exhausted and I don't feel like facing the world."

“You need to start taking responsibility for your actions. Skipping school will only make things worse for you in the long run." She said frustration evident in her tone.

I sighed, knowing she was right. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to force myself out of bed.

"Fine, I'll go. But only because you're making me," I grumbled.

"Good," she said, her voice softening. "I'll make you breakfast. You'll feel better after you eat something."

“Yeah, whatever” I groggily got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom to have a shower. It was a quick one, I didn't want to have to delay Ash any longer. Sighing, I went to my closet to pick out an outfit for the day. I didn't really care what I wore, as long as it was clean and presentable. I settled on a simple dress and some sneakers, figuring it was best to be comfortable for a long day of classes.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, taking in every detail of my appearance. My face stared right back at me. I wasn't identical to Ashley, only a few resemblances here and there. We were fraternal twins and you could easily tell us apart. We had the same long curly brown hair and light green eyes though, which was a constant reminder of the bond we shared.

We were inseparable, Ashley and I, growing up together, sharing everything from clothes to secrets.

As I continued to stare at myself, I couldn't help but think about all the things that had happened in my life. Growing up, I always felt like the black sheep of the family, like I was never good enough. Ashley was always the perfect one, the one who got all the attention, the one who was loved by everyone.

I shook my head, trying to shake off the negative thoughts. I had to remind myself that I was my person and that I didn't have to compare myself to anyone, especially Ashley.

I made my way downstairs to the dining room. And true to her words, Ash had made me breakfast.

I stumbled down the staircase, my senses slowly waking up to the delicious aroma that filled the house. I followed my nose, a smile spreading across my face as I approached the dining room.

Ash was already there, a plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon waiting for me on the table. She smiled as she saw me enter, motioning for me to sit down and dig in.

I sat down and started to eat, feeling my energy slowly returning. As I ate, I noticed something strange happening. My senses seemed to be heightened, the smells and tastes of the food more intense than ever before. I could even hear the sizzling of the bacon louder than usual.

I shrugged it off as just my imagination, thinking that maybe I was just more awake than usual. I heard a knock on the door. Ashley got up to answer it, and a few moments later, she came back into the dining room with a big smile on her face.

“Guess who's here, Abby?" she said, her eyes sparkling.

I looked up, curious. "Who?"

“Jasmine!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the doorway. "She came to walk to school with us."

I turned to see my friend Jasmine, who was standing in the doorway with her backpack slung over her shoulder. Jasmine was tall and had a lanky figure, with auburn hair and big brown eyes. She was always smiling, and her infectious laughter could make anyone's day brighter.

“Hey, Abby, hey, Ashley," Jasmine said cheerfully, taking a seat at the table next to me. "Are you guys ready for another day of school?"

I let out a small groan in response, and Ashley chuckled.

"I don't think Abby's ever ready for school," Ashley said, shooting a playful grin in my direction.

Jasmine laughed. "Well, at least you have each other to suffer through it with. I don't know what I'd do without my girls."

After breakfast, we grabbed our bags and headed out the door, ready to face the day. As we walked to school, I started to notice more and more strange things happening around me. I could smell the dew on the grass, hear the birds chirping in the trees, and see every detail of the leaves on the trees.

I looked over at Ashley, hoping she wasn't noticing the same things I was. We were twins after all, it was only normal that we experienced the same thing.

"Ash, do you notice anything weird?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

She looked at me, “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Never mind, just my mind playing tricks on me” I waved my hand dismissively.

As we walked through the school doors, I could feel something inside me stirring. It was like an energy building up inside me, ready to burst out at any moment.

I tried to ignore the feeling, telling myself that it was just my imagination. But as the day went on, the signs became more and more apparent.

I racked my brain, trying to see if I had used any medication recently. Probably this was just a side effect of the drug. But I’ve been perfectly okay and didn’t use any medication.

So why was I feeling unusual?

I spent half of the day doodling in class and paid no attention to what was being taught. My mind was all juggled up. I found myself growling at a classmate who accidentally bumped into me in the hallway, my eyes flashing a strange golden color. And when a rabbit ran across the school field during lunchtime, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to chase after it.

As the day went on, I started to piece together the strange signs and sensations.

I couldn't believe it, but it seemed like I was turning into a strange creature.