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Tracey: A Narrative Fiction

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“Darlene,” Walker whispered. He didn’t like Tracey, hadn’t from the moment he’d met her when he was fifteen, but she was Darlene’s mother. Some level of respect had to be exercised. “Darlene, come home!” Tracey squealed. “I—“ Darlene turned off her cell phone and tossed it into her bag. She batted at her cheeks, and Walker pretended that her tears were invisible. If she was upset over anything else, he would try and comfort her. When it came to the subject of Tracey’s recent heavy alcoholism, though, he backed off. It had only taken one punch from her small, accurate fists to learn the topic was off limits unless she started the conversation. Minutes later, Darlene had herself composed. She flashed a smile Walker could barely see in the dark cab. It was strained and soft. …show more content…

Walker nodded. “I believe so. I haven’t really looked at my Xbox since the last time you were over,” he said. Darlene sat back in her seat. “Good,” she muttered, and closed her eyes. Taking that as her dismissal of reality until they reached his apartment, Walker turned his attention to the nagging thought that always hovered somewhere in the back of his mind. By the end of the year his friend was no longer going to be human. Once her body completed the Change for the first time, Darlene would be a Wer: a supernatural being with two forms, one of a human and the other of a humanoid animal. He couldn’t say for sure why it bothered him. Maybe the idea of trying to relate to her once she was a Wer was mindboggling. It was already hard at times now. Maybe he was worried about Darlene discovering what exactly it was her sister did on her summer and winter breaks, and how much he’d been keeping secret from her since…well, the very beginning of their friendship. Maybe it was all that and more he couldn’t yet put into

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