The Transformation


I began my day the same as any other. I felt no different as the day before. I was still Elizabeth and I was still fifteen, and I was still human. In just one day, though, I would be a year older. Tomorrow I would be sixteen and I will no longer be human.
Once you become sixteen, you “transform”. You become who you are really meant to be. The bodies we occupy now transform into who we were chosen to become, mortal or immortal. Good or evil.

The majority of the population will become mortal and be the do-gooders of the society. However, there have been rare cases of immortality. Those who are destined to become immortal want nothing more in life than pure evilness. They are forbidden to stay with the mortals and are thrown out into the streets.

Mortals gain powers, but they are much more simplistic, nothing more than simple mind tricks that they can cast on only those who aren’t mortal or immortal. Although, mortals are too good to do that, therefore, their powers are pretty much useless. Immortals, on the other hand, gain much more complicated powers, allowing them to bring evil upon almost anything or anyone. Up until you turn sixteen, there is no way of knowing who you will become. When you finally turn sixteen, however, I’ve heard that the change is painless and only takes a few seconds.

Considering my whole family is mortal, it would make sense for me to become one as well. Of course, I want to become mortal, but there is no way to change your fate. Although, my family continues to assure me I will become mortal, it seems as though they are only saying it only to assure themselves. It is an embarrassment to our society.. The more they continue to hammer me with the thought, the more I feel as though I am likely to become immortal.

I cannot afford to become immortal. Those who turn are disowned from their families, friends, everyone, therefore, I must leave. Nobody will want a destruction-hungry immortal, only capable of evil, living among them. If I turn, I must learn to fend for myself. I do not know where I would go, I only know that I must go.

My cousin, Alice, found me alone in my room. In these past few months, she’s been the only one who truly understands me. It may be due to the fact that she will soon transform as well, but she’s the only one who doesn’t seem to be assuring me of something that’s undecided.

“I know that you are worried,” she said. “But you can’t let this ruin you, whatever happens is for a reason.”

I just shrugged. I knew whatever happened must be for a reason, she was right about that, but will it be for the right reasons?

“I just don’t want to go,” is all I could manage to get out.

“If you do go, you will finally get to venture out. Haven’t you always wanted to explore what the rest of the world is like?”

She was right again. No mortal dares to leave this town with the powers they have. They could never risk exposing themselves to anyone unlike themselves, it would be too dangerous. Mortals live in their own community, undisturbed by the humans. They are able to live freely in this community most likely due to the fact that there aren’t many of them.

No mortal could handle being in a whole town full of them, that’s why they throw the immortals with them. The mortals already look at them as burdens, so let them get caught by a human and suffer their own consequences rather than cause destruction amongst the mortals.

“I’ll leave you alone to get your thoughts together, but i’m always here if you need me.” And with that, she made her way to the door.

I couldn’t think. There was nothing to think about. I had no say in my future and that was that. I began wishing I had kept Alice longer, seeming that she is the only person who can calm me down. I didn’t feel like calling her to come back, though, I had to figure out what I was going to do if I turned immortal tomorrow.
“There must be a way to bring yourself back,” I thought. “Take out the evil before it consumes you.”
But there wasn’t. If there were a way, somebody would have already done it.
“Maybe I could hide the fact that I had turned,” I thought to myself. Again, I knew the answer was “no”.

I grew tired of thinking of loopholes, so I continued with my day as if nothing was wrong. I knew it was better to spend the last hours until my birthday with my family rather than thinking of the impossible.

Before I knew it, the night was upon me. The sky was black and everyone had gone to sleep. I, however, couldn’t keep my eyes shut for more than a minute. I stayed focused on my clock. The time was 4:51, exactly one hour until I know what my future holds for me.

I awoke suddenly, realizing I had drifted. It was 5:48, just three minutes until I turn sixteen. My heart pounded against my chest. I could not move. The clock ticked at a steady beat. 5:50. I just sat there, awaiting what was soon to come.

Suddenly, a surge went through me. I felt as though lightning was coursing through my body, though I did not feel any pain. I was transforming.

It was over within seconds. I had never had this feeling before, the feeling of pure evilness. I had become immortal. I couldn’t hide what I had become, so I accepted it. I knew I was no longer welcome in this town, so I quickly packed what I knew I would need and fled my house.

My mind made me want to stay, cause trouble, but I resisted the urge. My body, however, was it’s own person. Fire sparked in my hands and I threw the ball of flames at a telephone pole. I knew I had no control,. Evil overtook my body.

I ran away before I could cause any more damage, but I felt strangely satisfied inside. I ran for miles until I came upon another town. I spent the night in a hotel, doing nothing more than thinking of ways for more destruction in my mind.

The next morning, I decided to go for a walk to think things through. As I walked, I spotted two woman who seemed to be talking about me. My mind sent a falling tree in their direction, a warning sign.

I couldn’t help what I’ve become. I thought of Alice and what she had said. I missed her dearly, but I knew I couldn’t go back.

Everywhere I went, I caused trouble. I was bound to get caught sometime, and I couldn’t imagine what would happen to me if I did. I hated what I had become and didn’t want to be this person any longer. There had to be a way out.

Each day, I tried to resist more and more. I missed my family and the only way I’d get them back was to prove I wasn’t who I had become. The more the evil soared through my body, the harder my mind worked to resist.

I could see myself improving. Before, nearly everything would provoke me. Things so simple, not getting what I wanted would cause me to destruct. I wasn’t letting my mind take control anymore. I was able to relax myself before any harm could come.

It took months before I felt as though I could fully resist. I learned how to be good. My goodness had overcame my evilness. I could control myself. That’s when I knew it was time to try to go back. I took the trip back to my home, my heart pounded out of my body.

“What if they don’t believe you?” “What if they don’t accept you?” Those are the thoughts that countlessly flowed through my mind.

I toyed with my mind during the ride home, making sure I had no immortal power left in me. I forced my mind to spark power, but nothing came.

“Fire,” I thought to myself. Nothing came.
I was forcing these powers on me, yet I got no response. I knew I still had powers, but they were mortal powers. No matter who you become, mortal powers were definite, but I no longer had any dangerous immortal powers. I was safe from the possibility of losing control and harming my family.

I looked out of the cab window and saw the familiar sights I had seen nearly everyday of my life. I tried to calm myself as I slowly opened the car door. I stepped out and made my way to the door.

Before I could knock, Alice was at the door. Her eyes were teary.
“I missed you so much. I hoped everyday that you would come back.”

I began to cry. I grabbed her close and hugged her. I looked up to find my mother at the doorstep. She had an unusual expression on her face, just suppressing a smile.

“I knew you could do it,” She said. “You broke the curse.”

“Curse?” I asked.

“Every fifty years, one immortal from each family will turn immortal, regardless of their true fate. It’s been like that as long as our history can be traced back to,” She said

“Why wouldn’t you just tell me?”

“Because we knew you were strong enough to fight it, telling you would have only made you overthink it,” Alice interrupted.

With that, I knew that I had managed to do the impossible. I was not meant to be immortal, I knew that from the beginning. I was meant to be with my family, living my life as a mortal. I have managed to do what no other mortal has ever done before.