When you look at me, you are already being lied to. On the outside, I look like the sweet yet quirky type: someone who would hold doors for old ladies and enjoy petting various fluffy animals. And I am! There is so much rage and hatred pent up inside of me that people will never see though. It’s from various sources and outlets. And I, Rey Quilt, have a rather unique way of expelling it from me. 

It’s terrifying to be honest, but what scares me the most is people knowing that I have a monstrous side. I have been judged a ton already; however, piling onto it just feels like an extremely hare-brained idea. I stay close to people I trust, never straying. Running from the analyzing gaze of my peers is probably one of the pastimes I have. So, I keep my emotions under lock and key.  

This was the case until an hour ago.

An hour ago, I was attending one of the many “ra-ra” school spirit pep rallies in the gym. My outfit, a snazzy pair of Vans and a plain black hoodie, wasn’t exactly spirit wear material. But I only care about the dress up days that I can actually do. Walking past all of the tiny, screaming freshmen was mass torture for my ears. How are they still so high-pitched this late in their lives? I scanned the bleachers for my friends, but apparently those slackers flaked out on me. They really should have told me. Fortunately, or unfortunately for me, there was a seat conveniently available next to Beck Sage. A Renaissance enby, they have their fingers in a baker’s dozen of pies. Compassion and charity seem to be some of their middle names: naturally, they attract a bunch of attention from a lot of different people.

Including mine. We are friendly, and we have various interests in common. Their dads apparently met at an Offspring concert, so they are well-educated in the punk world. But I just couldn’t ask them out. Again, my troubled mind is a blockade. 

Anyway, we made small talk for a tad until our principal started to praise our great school. He is all about that spirit y’all. It was the same speech he made every year, but we were used to it. 

What we did not expect was two gigantic armored trucks bursting through the walls. It took a minute to register that vehicles were now on the laminated gym floor. It took an additional minute to realize that men were now streaming out of them, armed to the literal teeth, as proved by the fangs on that one hulking guy. People were panicking, fearful for their lives, unable to run.

I know the type of people they were: those who would break others just for the thrill of it. I was well aware of the type because I was raised by a demon just like them. My biological father is on a grand registry, and I am not talking about a wedding one. My rage comes from him, but it manifests itself differently.

People like that should be shattered. And I was the only one who could do it. But by doing this, would I prove to be a greater monster than they were? Would my metaphorical claws and jaws cause more blood to be drawn? I had no idea what people would think of me after I did this. 

This dilemma would be solved later: people could get hurt. So, before the men could reach the bleachers, I bounded down and stood in front of them. 

I summoned faux courage and said, “Hey. I will say this once and only once. Get out of here. Please.” I added that last part for good measure; they could be susceptible to a cute face such as yours truly. 

The guy with the fang, who must have been their leader, scoffed at the barely 6 foot tall teenager that I was. 

“Oh, aren’t you intimidating? Well then, show me your monster, kid.” he said in a terrible Australian accent. He must have thought I was just plain crazy, but wanted to humor me.

All according to plan.

I smiled and spat out, “I will. Just know that.. you kinda asked for this.” Then I froze time, keeping a bubble over the floor so me and the gangsters could go toe to toe, as the lights flickered, shutting off. And I felt that power, that rage seep into me. I fell into a kneeling position.

When the lights came back on, I could only imagine what the men had seen when they gazed upon me. The pain turned me into something new, something twisted. 

Suddenly, I looked up to an uproar of shock from the men. My eyes, now orange, had a constant stream of blood pouring out of them. My skin was pale white, and my hoodie turned into a black tunic with shimmering diamonds. My jaws, my claws. That invisible part of me is now reality. And finally my wings. Wings that sprouted out of my back, formed of silver daggers, sleek and cutting. Those wings then surged forward, skewing the leader. Blades descended from the sky, eager to do my bidding. 

 I snarled as I tore him apart, “You wanted a monster… you got a god!” 

I then turned to the rest of them and smiled, showing my bladed teeth

The next few minutes were a blur. I was the horror I feared I was. Was it fair what I did to them? Should I have let the police deal the lesser punishment on them? 

I slashed them to bits. Then devoured them. With my jaws, my blades, my claws. It was a swift end, maybe too swift for the likes of them. The worst part?

It felt so cathartic. That side yearned for more.

Anyhow, I cleaned up the mess and kinda did a mass mind wipe. It wasn’t exactly ethical, yet I had crossed many fine lines in such a short span, so one more probably would not hurt. And turned back into the lie I was, back in my seat. My principal continued his speech, now on our glorious football team. All seemed to be well.

But out of the blue, Beck leaned over with a concerned look. 

“Are you doing ok, Rey?” they whispered.

“Um, yeah. Just peachy. Why do you ask?” 

“Rey. I saw all of that.” they said sheepishly.

The blood rushed to my head. I then said the only thing that came to mind.

“Oh.”