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:Chapter One:
My name is Rachel. Sometimes I hear people whisper "She's different!!". I hear this so often
that it dosnt get to me anymore. Truthfully, I dont see why people cant accept me for who I am. I have brown hair, that, in the light, shines red and blonde. I cant imagine whats wrong with that My eyes, are a deep brown. My eyes, sometimes I think are my best aspect. I have heard that some people can recognize people they havent seen in years, just by their eyes. But what is so different about me, you ask? Well, im exactually the same as you on the inside.... but why people classify me as "different" must be the fact that I.... I have jet black wings, tail, and cat-like ears. But why apperences matter? I have the same feelings as you! I can feel pain, I can feel love as well! What makes me different? I have heard some people say that it was a punishment for God to put me on Earth... but in my heart I feel im here as a gift. I feel I was put here for a purpose... what that is im not sure of yet. But sometimes strange things happen around me, thing that cant be explained. I wish I could explain these things!! My hopes are, that one day, physical apperences, races, or religion wont matter to people! Then we will truely, all be equal.
:Chapter Two:
Rachel opened her eyes, the sun glinting through the trees, it's light playing all over her hair and face, her eyes shinning with tears unshed. She sits on a rock, quietly thinking of the days events. She swishes her tail once or twice, then out of the corner of her eye, she spots a man across the stream a way from her. How strange she thought, someone knows about this place other than me! She quietly observes him for a few minutes. He appeared deep in thought about something. Every so often he looks down at something in his hand. She carefully stands up, streches, and crosses the stream quietly. She walks over to the man and sees what he is looking at is a ring. She steps on a stick, which cracks. The man looked up, startled, closing his hand around the ring quickly. "Who.... What?" he stammered. Rachel blinked, temporally speechless, then clearly says "Well... uh... I was on the other side of the stream... over there" as she pointed toward the rock "and I couldnt help but notice that you were also here by the stream... so... hi?" The man blinked silently for a moment then said "So erm... whats your name?". "Rachel" she said "What's yours?". The man thought about this for a moment. Should I tell this strange person my name? Then he said "It's Tai.". Rachel nodded then indicated the rock Tai was sitting on "Can I sit?". Tai barely nodded his head as Rachel took a seat on a section of the rock. Tai looked at his hand again. Rachel tilted her head slightly "Not trying to be nosy or anything, but whats bothering you?". Tai looked at her, and she looked over at her, and she looked away, embarassed "Im sorry, you dont have to say if you'd rather not.". Tai continued to look at her, then said quietly "I just got divorced. This is the ring." he said, holding the ring up momentarily. Rachel started stammering "Im so sorry!! I should have never asked!". "No, thats okay, dont worry about it." Tai said. Rachel stood up, and sat closer to Tai saying quietly "Im sorry" as she hugged him. He blinked for a minute, then noticed her hand looked kinda scarred. "Your burned!!" he said as he pulled her hand over to look at it. "No, no im okay!" Rachel protested. Rachel winced as Tai gingerly poked the burned area. "This is serious." Tai stated, as he stood up. "Where is your house?" he asked. Rachel stood up "It's through the woods... but im okay, really....". But Tai had already begun waling. Rachel trotted to catch up to him. Tai glanced over at her "Are you going to show me where your house is or not?" he said cooly. Rachel sighed and said "Follow me." as she walked ahead. Tai smiled and walked after her. The woods thinned and through the trees Tai could see a one-story white house, overlooking a valley with a river at the bottom. Rachel walked up the steps of the front porch, fished a key out of her pocket, and unlocked the front door. She walked in the door, then turned around so she could see Tai "You coming?". Tai jogged up the steps, and walked through the door. Rachel closed it behind him. The first thing Tai noticed
was a beautiful painting above a white leather couch. It was of a girl... with jet black wings, tail, and cat ears. Her features were kinda blurred. She was sitting on a rock in the woods by a stream. The whole picture seemed to sparkle. He looked away from the painting. The carpet was white... there was a window with blue curtins on it. He looked up... skylights. "Your house is beautiful." Tai said, in awe. "Thanks." Rachel said, as she walked down a short hall into her kitchen, which had a bar that overlooked the living room. She turned the faucet on, and washed her hands. Tai continued to look around. Everything in the kitchen was clean. Rachel stepped out of the kitchen and continued walking down the hall. Tai took one more look around, then followed after her. She quietly opened a door in the hall, and switched on the light in the room. She stepped inside. Tai peeked in. It was Rachel's room. Almost directly across from the door on the oppisite wall, was a desk, with a radio, and several sketch books on it. He stepped in, and something meowed. Startled, he looked to his left, and on Rachel's bed, all made up in blue sheets and coverlet, was a distinquished looking gray-brown tabby. The tabby was curled up, his head resting on his front paws, his deep green eyes set directly on Tai. Rachel smiled and said in a sweet voice "Hey Gambit...". The cat pricked his ears and meowed again. Rachel smiled again, and sat on her bed, then stroked the cat, who purred contentidly. Tai looked around. In this room was another window. There was a nightstand table with a lamp on it, and several small trinkets. The walls had framed photos on them. He began to look at them. The first, he guessed was of her family. Her mom, her dad, and who he guessed was her brother. She, much younger in this picture, had a big smile on her face. The next one he looked at was the cat.... Gambit, she had called him. He looked at her, still stroking Gambit. "You do relize I have to take care of that burn" he said. Rachel sighed "Alright...". She stood up and led the way out of the room, she switched the light off, and passed by a door on the oppisite side of the hall as her room. At the end of the hall she stepped into the bathroom, and switched on the light. She opened up the medicine cabinet, then looked at Tai. Tai looked in the medicine cabinet, and pulled out some salve and bandages. He looked at Rachel's hand "This may hurt a bit" he said as he rubbed the salve on her hand. Rachel winced, but didnt say anything. Then Tai tightly wrapped the bandages around Rachel's hand. Rachel blinked, and said quietly "Thanks for all your help". Tai just nodded. Rachel headed out of the room and back into her bedroom. Tai started to put the stuff back into the cabinet when he say a picture of two people, Rachel's parents, at their wedding, gazing lovenly at each other. Tai's knees grew weak, and he sunk to the floor, and tears ran freely down his cheeks. A few minutes later, Rachel returned to the bathroom to find Tai, with tear stains all down his cheeks, asleep on her bathroom floor. Rachel looked at him thinking, poor guy's cried himself to sleep. Rachel walked to her room, and back to the bathroom with something in her arms. With a gentle smile, she covered Tai with a blanket.
:Chapter Three:
Tai and his two daughters, Hallie and Anne, walked in the park near his house. The fireflies lit the sky up, as if the stars had decended from the heavens to Earth. They strolled through the park, the crickets chirping merrily in the backround as they walked. Anne and Hallie were celebrating their birthday today, and as a special treat, they were allowed to stay up a bit later than usual. Typically, Tai's late night walks were nothing special. The same route, the same scenery, the same everything. Tonight, however, there was something else there. In the air, a heavenly melody drifted. As the trio walked, the sound grew louder and a bit more beautiful. In search of the sound, Anne and Hallie darted around trees and looke around. Tai stayed on the path, but kept a keen and watchful eye on his two girls. As he passed beneath a willow tree, the song stopped. He heard a rustle above him, and he looked up. The moon cast a gentle glow, and bathed a figure in light. It was a cat-girl of some sort, with crystal blue eyes. She was peering at him curiously, her tail wrapped around a branch for security. "Sing again." Tai urged her. The girl shook her head and went to hop away. Tai followed. "Hey! Wait! Come back here!". The figure stopped, and looked at him. "I want to hear you sing some more...". "You were listening?". Tai nodded "I was. It was beautiful.". The girl was silent. "But no one ever listens to me sing. Why do you think my songs are so solemn?". "I've never heard you before. I wish I could hear you more often.". "I noticed.". The girl moved closer, her cat tail bristling and waving behind her. It was a silvery, misty gray, just like her ears. "What's your name?". "Tai. Whats yours?". "Im Rai." she said quietly, her eyes sparkling, despite the lack of light. "Come to this tree tommarow morning. My girls will have their party tommarow, and I want you to sing for them.". Rai stared at him for a moment, her expression soft yet curious. "Alright." she said quietly, before hoping away. Tai simply stared after her as she vanished into the brush, and couldnt help but think of one thing.... 'Our names rhyme.'.
:Chapter Four:
