All Chapters of Mated To A Human: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The summer before eighth grade, Abby and I had been playing pretend fairies outside for the past week, fluttering and skipping in the humidity of the woods. I liked the idea of fantastical things — fairies, dragons, wizards, vampires, and the rest of them — but Abby seemed to believe it. She came to me with love spells, and we performed them with our whole hearts. She smeared us with red clay so we would live forever, and when she told me not to go into the woods alone because of preying beasts, she didn't stammer or flinch.Our schoolmates made fun of us for playing like little kids when we were officially teenagers, but as long as we had each other, we didn't mind their teasing.Moody Pond was our favorite spot to play pretend. Something about it was magical; the way the water ripples under skater bugs, the maple seedlings that twirl on the breeze, and the reeds that curve like bridges for real fairies. Abby's house was next door, and her mother let us wander out without a mere peek

Perry rode his bike into the garage door, and the wheel scuffed the bottom of it, leaving a streak of black. The other night, I heard Mom scolding him about it across the hall while I was on my computer in my bedroom; it was background noise, but I see it now — the scuff — along with so many little things. The number of smudges and marks on my windshield. The spiderweb tucked in the white gable of the garage roof. I see the speckles of dust and crumbs in my cupholders, the fifty-five cents and hair tie in another small compartment, and the slight droop of the mirror cover on my sun visor.Every time I close my eyes, I see those bright, animal-like ones in the black of the woods, beaming at me.Time doesn't seem to pass as I sit in my car, but the sun rises, making me rouse. My phone died while I was at work — I never called home to tell anyone I'm stuck in the driveway.My eyes are dry from my sleeplessness, and my body moves sluggishly. I pop open my door and shiver when fresh air bl

I drive home from the café after work and stare for a minute at the tree line from the driveway. At seven o'clock, everyone is home. I enter the house and find Perry watching a baseball game on TV with Mom while Dad sautés at the stove behind them. Mom doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the game; her attention is fixated on her pink-covered tablet.She looks as I appear in the archway and then reverts. "Mia. Hi, Love. How was work?""Fine. We were pretty busy.""Well, that's Friday for you."I place my bag on a counter island stool and sit on the seat beside it. "What's for dinner?""Got a cottage pie in the oven and green beans on the stove," Dad says. "Should be ready in about five minutes.""Speaking of dinner." Mom announces, "It turns out Cathy can't do the Society dinner at her house next week, so I told everyone we would do it here tomorrow."I swivel the stool, first facing Dad and then Mom. He asks, "Are we expecting the whole Society?""Not Louanne, but Marianne, Ca

The sun reaches into the sky over the lower lake, shimmering in the water and chasing the morning fog away. Harvey and I walk down the main street sidewalk in the direction of the laboratory. My mom sent us on a task to retrieve three cases of water bottles, but luckily, the laboratory is only two blocks away.I know my mom has been shoving Harvey and me together whenever she can — maybe she's worried I'll end up a spinster — but when she assigned this particular favor, it didn't seem to be about my love life. I think she knew I wouldn't be able to carry all three cases by myself. Her head is scrambled by the Festival, and these waters are for working volunteers, so I'm happy to help. Besides, Harvey being here isn't a bad thing either. The awkwardness I felt at the Society dinner is clearing the more we talk.Thankfully, Harvey is easy to talk to."Did you go to Black Lake High, then?""No, the charter school."Where Abby went. "My mom looked into it for my younger siblings, but she

The Black Lake Laboratory is nearly empty in the afternoon except for Marianne, my mom, and me. Marianne and I work in the basement — her, on museum stuff, and me, on storing random festival bits. She's far into the shadows and shelves, and I only know she's still there by the sounds of cardboard boxes and rolling Duck Tape.It isn't only dark in the basement, however. The whole town is cast over with thick rain clouds, and I can still hear the weather even though I'm underground. The lightbulb above makes testy noises and flickers with the wind, and I continuously look up at it, hoping it doesn't go out.Marianne emerges from the basement's far corner saying, "I'll be back," as she passes me on her way to the stairs. I watch her ascend and then her and my mother's voices go back and forth in muffled mutters.I resume packing a box on the junk table consisting of small prizes to be used again next year: rubber ducks in varying costumes, headbands with bats on small springs, stuffed pu