Chapter 1: The windigo

Cold.. I felt so cold. I roll over to wrap my blanket more around me... Still so cold. With a groan and a huff, I sat up. It's cold so that tells me Autumn was ending soon. I stretch, the bone in my body popping to release tension. I glance out the window of my door and noticed light. Well if she's up, it still could be night..

I sat for a moment to gather strength before getting out of my straw and feather stuffed mattress and hide blankets. I head to the bathroom first before I made my way to the kitchen. As I walk in I'm met with a tall creature with dull grey-brown, skin that clung to her bones as if she had no muscles, skinny, very skinny. The creature turned to me, an elk skull resting on her face like a mask, red iris peering through at me. I could see a toothy grin under the mask. "Well Good early morning, my dear Kenny," She says with a chipper tone and a slight rasp, she was definitely hunting all night. "Morning," I croaked, still a bit tired. "How'd ya sleep?" she asked and resumed to what appeared to be a Chicken Corpse on the counter. I stretch again to pop my back. "It was a cold night," I say. The Hoofed female turn to me and reached a bloody finger to my face and bopped my nose. "You're nose is red, I collected some more herbs so you can have your tea now," She says and turns again. "Thanks, mom," I say. Yes, Mom, my mother was and is a windigo. Of course, not always, I was found by her when I was little, I didn't know where I came from, I couldn't remember... but I would have dreams of a warmth and arms around me that smelled of perfume. I didn't know if it was a dream or a lost memory. But it's something I think a lot.

I start to make tea, using the crushed and dried herd my mother collect prior these two months.

"Oh, another thing," My mother, chirped, "the merchant, Alda, is coming around again, maybe I can get more blankets, since we got winter nearing, he's bound to have blankets!"

I smile softly, he never had blankets, and when he did, they were sold out before he could reach us.

Now, Alda was a Rakshasa. He chose the form if a tiger like most. He use to freak me out when I was younger because he was too forward but now I enjoy it, he was kind and thoughtful. If not a bit corny with his jokes and puns. But to my mother and I he wasn't just a good merchant but a good friend.

"Will I be coming with you this time?" I ask. "Mmm, afraid not, the forest creature has been spotted more lately and has become more aggressive," my mother says in an almost grim tone, " I don't want to put you at risk." That's the excuse again. There's apparently a creature of some sort lurking in the forest I lived in, I don't know what it is but my mother seems quite jumpy about it. She only wants me here away from it because I'm human. In fact that's the only reason I can't go anywhere, because humans aren't on the top of the food chain here, I'm more of a main course to most of the monsters in the realm. Yet, I have never seen another human here.. even when I was allowed out I never saw one.

I sigh. "That's fine, mother," I say. I could see a slight frown under her mask. I turn around to head back to my room. "Ah, wait, Kenny, I have some good news," my mother says quickly. I stop and reluctantly turn. "I've had a talk with a principal at a near by school and he and I believe you going to the school would do some good for both you and the realm," my mother says. "S....School?" I asked. There was a school near by but as far as I'm aware there only for monster. "Yes, so starting next week you will attend to the Goatbridge high school," my mother cheers with a smile. I... was going to a school chalk full of monsters... and I am not a monster.... is this really gonna be safe for me?