Chimera: The Impossible Death of Amy Winters
A Young Adult Paranormal
Chapter One
My name is Amy Winters and I’m immortal. I look seventeen years old, but I’m really seven thousand and thirty-three – oh, and I’m a Chimera. What’s one of those? I hear you ask. Well, before you wiggle your finger to find your Kindle dictionary, let me enlighten you. I’m a mythical female human who possesses the ability to shift seamlessly between a number of creatures such as a vampire, a werewolf, the ghost of… Well, you’ll find out as you read my story.
Being a Chimera, although newsworthy in itself, is not my story. Since the time of Gilgamesh – the King of Uruk whom I knew very well – humans have sought the elixir of life. I once heard of such a thing in the land of Ethiopia, but if it ever existed it was lost to mankind long ago.
Anyway, I’m tired of immortality – it’s a curse. I’m now going to tell you the story of my impossible death.
***
‘Come on Amy,’ my mum called through the bedroom door. ‘You’ll be late for lessons.’
If she only knew! I’d been to so many lessons in my lifetime that I could teach the Gods – if they hadn’t gone away and left me. ‘Coming,’ I mumbled from under my quilt.
I live in Port St. Lucie, in St. Lucie County, Florida. I know – you’ve probably never heard of the place, but a Chimera has to live somewhere, and it should preferably be somewhere hot with a white sandy beach, clear blue waters, and a fantastic coral reef. Don’t ask me why I chose St. Lucie – I liked the name, it was somewhere to hide, the real Amy Winters was dying of Leukaemia – take your pick.
I saw Henry, my younger brother by three years, go past my open door. ‘If you go in the bathroom before me hog-breath, I’m going to rip your heart out and throw it in next door’s garden for the dog to devour.’ I could as well – in a heartbeat.
‘Too late,’ he called as he banged the bathroom door and locked it.
I hung over the banister on the landing. ‘Mum… Tell hog-breath to let me in the bathroom.’
‘How many times have I told you not to call your brother that,’ Mum shouted back at me. ‘You should have got up when I called you the first time…’
My mum – Mrs Delia Winters – is a Realtor in an office overlooking the beach, and already dressed for work in a pair of slacks and a
satin top. One day, I might be able to get up as early as she does.
‘I hate living in this house,’ I said stamping my foot. ‘A beautiful young woman like me should have her own bathroom, and not have to share one with HOG BREATH.’ I shouted the last two words to register my displeasure at having to wait to get into the bathroom, and stomped back to my bedroom. It wasn’t the first time I’d been a teenager.
If hog breath knew what I was and what I could do he’d show a bit more respect. Maybe… Grabbing my Blackberry, I sat on the bed checking my messages – I’d had it on silent. Izzy – my best friend – had sent me at least a hundred texts about what she was going to wear for the dance we were going to tonight, and she still hadn’t made up her mind. You’ll meet Izzy later, she’s a Siren and has a voice to die for.
I saw hog breath trying to tiptoe past the door and ran after him in my Red Penguin pyjamas and bare feet. He made a dash for his bedroom laughing, but even without using my powers I’m fast. I dived and ripped his towel off just before he slid into his room and shut the door.
‘Pervert,’ he shouted.
‘Bare-butt hog breath,’ I threw back at him feeling as though justice had been achieved.
***
In the kitchen, I smacked hog breath on the back of the head as I passed him.
‘Stop picking on your brother, Amy,’ my dad said from behind his newspaper. Thomas Winters is an Architect who works out of Okeechobee – I love that name it rolls off the tongue like jello. My dad’s okay, but he works too hard, and I hardly ever see him.
‘If he wasn’t such a wet noodle I wouldn’t have to,’ I said curling my lip. I actually like Henry Winters. He’s a bit of a gadget geek, but
when Amy had Leukaemia he was there every day.
My dad folded his newspaper and said, ‘Gotta go.’ He kissed my mum on the cheek and was gone. I probably wouldn’t see him until tomorrow… maybe. Tomorrow was Saturday, and it was unlikely I would venture from my bedroom before midday after the late night Izzy and I were going to have tonight. By that time, dad would be on the golf course.
I heard Izzy’s horn. Her dad had bought her a yellow VW Beetle – she loved it.
I threw back my orange juice. ‘Later alligator,’ I said to my mum, picked up my bag, and rushed out the door. I didn’t speak to hog breath.
Chapter One
My name is Amy Winters and I’m immortal. I look seventeen years old, but I’m really seven thousand and thirty-three – oh, and I’m a Chimera. What’s one of those? I hear you ask. Well, before you wiggle your finger to find your Kindle dictionary, let me enlighten you. I’m a mythical female human who possesses the ability to shift seamlessly between a number of creatures such as a vampire, a werewolf, the ghost of… Well, you’ll find out as you read my story.
Being a Chimera, although newsworthy in itself, is not my story. Since the time of Gilgamesh – the King of Uruk whom I knew very well – humans have sought the elixir of life. I once heard of such a thing in the land of Ethiopia, but if it ever existed it was lost to mankind long ago.
Anyway, I’m tired of immortality – it’s a curse. I’m now going to tell you the story of my impossible death.
***
‘Come on Amy,’ my mum called through the bedroom door. ‘You’ll be late for lessons.’
If she only knew! I’d been to so many lessons in my lifetime that I could teach the Gods – if they hadn’t gone away and left me. ‘Coming,’ I mumbled from under my quilt.
I live in Port St. Lucie, in St. Lucie County, Florida. I know – you’ve probably never heard of the place, but a Chimera has to live somewhere, and it should preferably be somewhere hot with a white sandy beach, clear blue waters, and a fantastic coral reef. Don’t ask me why I chose St. Lucie – I liked the name, it was somewhere to hide, the real Amy Winters was dying of Leukaemia – take your pick.
I saw Henry, my younger brother by three years, go past my open door. ‘If you go in the bathroom before me hog-breath, I’m going to rip your heart out and throw it in next door’s garden for the dog to devour.’ I could as well – in a heartbeat.
‘Too late,’ he called as he banged the bathroom door and locked it.
I hung over the banister on the landing. ‘Mum… Tell hog-breath to let me in the bathroom.’
‘How many times have I told you not to call your brother that,’ Mum shouted back at me. ‘You should have got up when I called you the first time…’
My mum – Mrs Delia Winters – is a Realtor in an office overlooking the beach, and already dressed for work in a pair of slacks and a
satin top. One day, I might be able to get up as early as she does.
‘I hate living in this house,’ I said stamping my foot. ‘A beautiful young woman like me should have her own bathroom, and not have to share one with HOG BREATH.’ I shouted the last two words to register my displeasure at having to wait to get into the bathroom, and stomped back to my bedroom. It wasn’t the first time I’d been a teenager.
If hog breath knew what I was and what I could do he’d show a bit more respect. Maybe… Grabbing my Blackberry, I sat on the bed checking my messages – I’d had it on silent. Izzy – my best friend – had sent me at least a hundred texts about what she was going to wear for the dance we were going to tonight, and she still hadn’t made up her mind. You’ll meet Izzy later, she’s a Siren and has a voice to die for.
I saw hog breath trying to tiptoe past the door and ran after him in my Red Penguin pyjamas and bare feet. He made a dash for his bedroom laughing, but even without using my powers I’m fast. I dived and ripped his towel off just before he slid into his room and shut the door.
‘Pervert,’ he shouted.
‘Bare-butt hog breath,’ I threw back at him feeling as though justice had been achieved.
***
In the kitchen, I smacked hog breath on the back of the head as I passed him.
‘Stop picking on your brother, Amy,’ my dad said from behind his newspaper. Thomas Winters is an Architect who works out of Okeechobee – I love that name it rolls off the tongue like jello. My dad’s okay, but he works too hard, and I hardly ever see him.
‘If he wasn’t such a wet noodle I wouldn’t have to,’ I said curling my lip. I actually like Henry Winters. He’s a bit of a gadget geek, but
when Amy had Leukaemia he was there every day.
My dad folded his newspaper and said, ‘Gotta go.’ He kissed my mum on the cheek and was gone. I probably wouldn’t see him until tomorrow… maybe. Tomorrow was Saturday, and it was unlikely I would venture from my bedroom before midday after the late night Izzy and I were going to have tonight. By that time, dad would be on the golf course.
I heard Izzy’s horn. Her dad had bought her a yellow VW Beetle – she loved it.
I threw back my orange juice. ‘Later alligator,’ I said to my mum, picked up my bag, and rushed out the door. I didn’t speak to hog breath.
