Rage and Hatred

As every morning Matteo, a ten years old half-human, half-animal child, runs outside the tent and towards his mother as soon as he wakes up. She’s a beautiful animal but he still doesn't know which animal she is.

“Mom, when are you telling me which animal I am ?”

His mother bends down and puts her arms on his shoulders.

She whispers to him. “Shh, soon but I can’t tell you now.”

Matteo is sulking. “Why ? All the other children know.”

“Because you’re a bit different from others.”

She thinks. He’s still young but soon the others might notice he’s not like us. If someone discovers he’s different, he might get killed.

As usual Matteo notices the worried expression on his mother's face.

“Hug.”

Matteo’s mother hugs him with all her love for him. That day she doesn’t just seem worried but sad.

✴

The village alert signal rings through all the village.

Four humans suddenly run in the village and start shooting at every animal they see with their noisy shotgun.

Matteo starts crying, her mom takes him in her arms and tries running with him towards the forest behind the village. At the moment she enters the forest she gets shot in her back and falls over Matteo.

“Mommy !”

With her last strength, she cuts Matteo’s fur with her claws and tells him.

“You’re half human so they’re not going to kill you but you have to promise me you will pretend you’re human.”

Matteo seems confused.

“I promise.”

He holds his mother as strong as he can and hears her last words.

“I love you.”

“I love you mommy.”

Her eyes go blank.

All what’s is left is Matteo’s shocked expression.

I don’t even know which animal I am.

“Mommy ? Mommy ?”

He tries to shake her with his little hand but she doesn’t move.

Matteo comes out from under her mom’s body and tries to wake her up.

“Mommy…”

At a moment he realizes what is happening and stays frozen.

✴

One of the naughty men walks toward him.

“What are you doing here ?”

Matteo startles and trembles.

“I don’t know.”

“You must have been kidnapped, don’t worry we’ll take you out of here.”

Matteo couldn’t be more confused at the situation, the man who killed his mother is now holding him in his arms to take him somewhere safe.

I can’t take it, how dare he hold me, how dare he touch me, I’m going to kill him. I’ll definitely kill them all, one by one !”

His anger is stronger at every breath and he discovers now a new feeling, hatred, he doesn’t even know what it is but he feels it in the deepest part of his heart. He can’t not react to what has just happened.

I’m half human only to fool them but I’m half animal to be stronger than them.

Matteo makes his claws grow bigger and cuts the throat of the man holding him who falls on the ground. Matteo now runs toward another man and starts crying.

“What’s wrong boy ?”

The man bends down to stroke Matteo’s hair.

The man notices his colleague dead on the ground, he’s about to say something.

“There must be a survi…”

As the man’s throat is just above him, Matteo slits it, the man tries to stop blood from flowing with both of his hands. It can be seen on Matteo's face that his rage won’t stop until every guilty human is no longer breathing.

Another man notices the blood on Matteo's claws and prepares his weapon but Matteo is already in front of him.

“How did you …?”

Matteo thrusts his arm and pierces the heart of the man.

I’ve always been kind but this time I can’t take it anymore, I’m not going to stop until they’re all dead !

There’s only one man left, the man hits him with a shovel but Matteo doesn’t move, he is bleeding and is shaking but he won’t move. Matteo jumps on the shovel and runs towards the heart’s man. Once again he thrusts his hand into the man’s heart.

Matteo falls back, he faints even before his body hits the ground.

✴

Matteo lost everything he had, everything he knew, only unanswered questions, the rage and the hatred were left from that day.

✴✴

Ten years later, Matteo wanders in the street with only one purpose in mind, revenge on humankind. He sees a man threatening another one, which seems to make him angry.

THEY never change.

He runs at the man, shows his claws and cuts his throat in front of the other.

“Ah !” The frightened man runs away.”

They’re all the same, not even saying thank you when you save them.

✴

Farther in the street, several men are fighting against each other, as usual Matteo doesn’t want to know who started this fight, he just wants to kill them all.

Let’s go.

Matteo is turning on himself as if he is dancing and cuts the throat of all the men here but one of the men cuts him with a knife at the same time. Another tries to run away, Matteo strangles him before he can leave.

“You’re fast…you… seem hurt… I can help you.”

“Why would I need the help of a human like you !” Matteo is more angry than when he started the fight, he squeezes the man’s neck tighter.

“Please…, I’m innocent, ah…”

“Innocent ?”

At these words Matteo remembers the horror that happened ten years ago.

The man is about to faint when Matteo releases his neck.

“Hah !” He takes back his breath.

“It’s just a little wound, I don’t need help for that usually.”

“So you’re half-human and half-animal ?”

“Don’t ever say half-human first.”

“Okay, sorry. By the way, I'm Anselm and you ?”

Matteo looks at him closely.

“What a curious human you are, I’m Matteo.”

“Do you heal from poison ?”

“Why do you ask that ?”

I don’t feel good.

“These men were using poison so I think…”

Matteo faints in the man's arms.

“Hey ?!”