New Prompt (for November 16, 2022):
"A person drops by the grave of a long-gone famous author to read the notes people for them and sees that some of them have been given grades." {credit to ratbas on r/WritingPrompts}
Old Prompt (from October 19, 2022):
"You can taste lies. One day you're comforting your best friend after a tough breakup and almost vomit at the foul taste the words bring—'after all, you're only human'." {credit to writing.prompt.s on Instagram}
My Story: Bringing Back the Creature with Nine Tails
I remember the first time someone told me a lie. Mom told me all the Halloween candy was gone when I was two years old. I remember this gross taste in my mouth as if I hadn't had my teeth brushed in a few days. I asked my mom why, but she didn't have an answer. A couple of days later, I asked about the Halloween candy, and nothing happened. I just assumed it was a coincidence...until someone lied to me again.
All my life, I wondered why this happened to me. No one else in my life seemed to understand what I was going through either. As soon as I figured out that it was triggered by lies, I told my parents. They had never had anything like that happen before in their lives. They asked their parents who also had never heard about it. Grandma Lucy, dad's mom, says all the females in her family have some sort of special power. I wish mine didn't make me want to puke from time to time.
I had learned the severity of the lie made the taste much worse. It also tasted worse the longer the lie went on. I let my mom continue to lie to me about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny until I couldn't bear it anymore.
My "best friend" in ninth grade lied about not going to someone's party one weekend. When I approached her about lying, she asked why she would lie. She was my best friend. After nearly four years of me believing that, I nearly vomited on her shoes. That was the last time I talked to Jamie Wilson.
Luckily, I met Cassie the next week after she transferred to our school. We grew so close, we graduated high school together and decided to apply to the same colleges, too. We became roommates and had an incredible first year of school. The second year wasn't going as well as the first.
"I can't believe John broke up with me," Cassie cried as I rubbed her shoulder. "I thought he was the one. How could he just do to me after taking three years of my life? Did I mean that little to him?"
"I'm so sorry," I whispered as tears of my own spilled from my eyes.
Cassie sniffled. "It's not your fault. After all, you're only human."
The most putrid taste entered my mouth. I had to bite back the bile as I visibly gagged.
Cassie leaned away from me and checked me out. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just feeling a little under the weather suddenly." I jumped up and ran to the bathroom.
The taste had left my mouth but the world was now spinning around me. Was I not human? How could I not be human? What else was there?
I called my mom a thousand times as soon as the room stopped spinning. She wouldn't pick up. Without thinking, I got into the car and drove toward my Grandma's house. I got there in the middle of the night, but there were lights flickering in the living room. Grandma was burning candles.
All I had to do was walk up to the door and she opened it. "I sensed you were coming. Come in, darling."
"What do you mean you sensed me coming?" I asked as I stepped over the threshold.
"Would you like some tea?" Grandma asked.
"No, Grandma, I came here because I want answers." I threw myself down onto the couch.
Grandma shuffled over to me. "Tea first."
I sipped my tea as Grandma settled onto a pillow on the floor and sipped her own tea. "Ask me your question."
"What did you mean that all the females in your family have special abilities?" I asked. "You know when mom asked you about my lie-tasting ability."
"We all have some kind of divine sense. We are all connected to the spiritual world." Grandma closed her eyes as she kept sipping her tea as if she were a robot.
"Are you human?" I asked.
Grandma's eyes snapped open. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Cassie said I'm only human and the vilest taste filled my mouth." I shook my head trying to rid myself of the memory of the taste. "How could that be a lie?"
"Have you finished your tea?" Grandma asked.
"Yes, but what does that have to do with any of this?" I asked.
Grandma extended her hand toward me. "Cup."
I handed her my teacup, and she placed it upside down on a towel. I went to speak. Grandma shushed me. After a bit, she spun it around a few times then picked it up. She turned it a few times in her hand then placed it right side up on the towel.
"We're kitsune." Grandma continued to stare at the teacup.
"We're what?" I asked.
"Kitsune. Fox people." Grandma finally met my eyes. "You're a powerful one, too."
"How the hell are we kitsune?" I asked. "And how have I not known about this?"
"Dear, take a breath." Grandma stood up and took a seat beside me. "Kitsune are a very common form of mythical creature where we come from. We have lost the ability to shapeshift, so we can only feel our tails in the spiritual world. You have always been loosely connected to the spiritual world, so there is very little that you will need to learn."
"I don't understand anything you're saying." My mind felt like it was moving at a snail's pace compared to her speech.
"It's late. Get some rest. We will talk about it in the morning." Grandma stood up and ushered me to her spare room.
As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out despite the thoughts going through my mind. In my dreams, I followed a fox-like creature. However, it was much taller than the ones I had seen in real life and seemed to have more than one tail. I couldn't quite tell because the image was not clear.
I awoke to the smell of Grandma making breakfast. I hopped out of bed and rushed to the kitchen to ask her more questions. She stood at the stove working on some sausage and eggs.
"Good morning, darling. How did you sleep?" Grandma didn't bother to turn around.
"I think I dreamed of a kitsune." I sat down on a barstool and rubbed my eyes.
"Did it lead you anywhere special?" Grandma asked as she placed a plate in front of me.
"I can't remember." I picked up my fork and began eating. "So what do I need to know about kitsune before I can start training?"
"Well, kitsune are very ancient creatures who have been passed through lineages for hundreds of thousands of years. Some say they've been around since before the existence of men." Grandma stood at the counter to eat. "However, what you need to know is much more surface level. All kitsune share abilities, but each has a special one that is unique to itself. You have the ability to detect lying."
"So, my kitsune heritage is what has given me the bad tastes in my mouth?" I asked. "Why didn't you say anything about it before."
"The rest of your powers have been dormant, and I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible." Grandma frowned. "Kitsune have been hunted for their tails for years. We all have the ability to grow nine of them but adapted to lose our human form to keep them safe from hunters."
"Why would people want our tails?" I asked.
"Well, kitsune tails are related directly to the mastering of their abilities. Therefore, we become more powerful with each tail we grow. Hunters think they can gain our power by stealing our tails." Grandma took another sausage link from the plate she put extras on and handed it to me.
"Do they?" I asked.
"They can through a very grueling process. They essentially have to connect the tail to their spiritual body and physical one. The assistance of a sorcerer to assist them." Grandma sighed. "Anyway, you shouldn't have to worry about that. What you need to focus on is mastering your abilities."
"Why do I need to do that?" I asked.
"You will become the next matriarchal protector of this family." Grandma smiled at me. Her face shined with pride. "You have the chance to bring forth the most powerful generation of Kitsune the Ito family has seen in decades. You will be the revival of the kitsune."
Despite the immense responsibility her prediction carried, I couldn't help but feel myself swelling with pride. I had the chance to make the difference I always wanted to. I could bring forth strong generations of powerful women. "When do we start?"
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