"Mr Munyaradzi?" I said when l saw him in the front seat speaking with Amandla.

"Good afternoon Ms.Marin," h said.

"Hello, sir. Sorry to ask but what are you doing here?"

He pushed forward the gears and the lifeless engine throttled to life with a roar.

"I'm here to pick up my niece."

Amandla and Mr.Munyaradzi smiled at each other with this gentle fondness. Amandla glanced back at me. My mouth was suddenly ajar; l had no words.

"Fuchsia?" she said.

"Niece? You're his niece?"

She faced the front again, scrolling through her phone casually.

"Yeah."

She turned her eyes to me.

"Fuchsia, my uncle." She smiled at my uncle.

"Uncle Munya, this is my friend Fuchsia."

He nodded and laughed gaily.

"We have already been introduced. She is in my history class."

Amandla looked at her uncle with raised eyebrows.

"Huh? Really? Since when?"

"Since Thursday 'Mandla," he said.

Amandla did a double take and faced me once again.

"Hey, Fuchsia! You didn't tell me you have history," she said.

"Well, l'm paired with Hung now, so we're following his schedule."

Mr.Munyaradzi inclined his head slightly in my direction but he said nothing.

"Oh? That's great. It must be really interesting being with him," she said.

I shrugged.

"I don't know l've only been in his lessons for a day no. So today will prove to be interesting."

"No doubt this will be your first open day? You will learn so much and l hear it's fun."

"It's so much fun, you'll see..."

"Wait, wait. Open day?"

Mr.Munyaradzi opened his mouth but Amandla spoke before him.

"Open day happens annually at the Academy, foreign hunters, scholars and monster experts visit us and train us. They also showcase some monsters we learn about."

"Oh," l said.

"Yes, and this year there is a fine selection available. Fox spirits, Crocottas, Cú Siths, Cat Sidhes, Fetchs, Hobs and even Shrieks. Shrieks are such a rare find, especially in our area."Mr Munyaradzi said.

I pulled on my bag strap.

"Yeah...sounds great."

It all sounded great but not exactly something l would enjoy much. I wanted to meet up with Denzel and finalise my project. He smiled knowingly.

"I know you are too intelligent to enjoy such things, but l'm sure even you would love to see a few creatures from your textbooks," he insisted.

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Once we arrived at the Academy, we all climbed out of Mr. Munyaradzi's deep cherry red Jeep Grand Cherokee. I shrugged on my bag-pack and closed the back seat door.

"Thank you, Mr. Munyaradzi."

"It was my pleasure," he said.

He smiled at his niece and gave her, her lunch. He then embraced her.

"I will see you later, enjoy your day-and remember to take as many notes as possible."

"Yes, uncle."

She smiled at him and her white teeth sparkled.

"See you girls," Mr Munyaradzi raised a hand in a wave.

We were about to leave when he stopped us.

"Won't you come for lunch, Fuchsia?" he said.

Amandla gazed at me.

"No, sir l will eat at home, don't you worry," l said.

"I insist. My wife is preparing these delicious fruit tarts," he said.

I could feel myself start to salivate. Oh, those are my favourite, especially with custard.

Mr Munyaradzi looked at his niece and when she giggled l knew she had told her uncle to say that. She has been trying to get me to come over for a month now.

"Oh, no l couldn't..."

Amandla elbowed my side so l could stop speaking. I took in a breath her bony elbow had sharply dug into my organs.

"Everyone will be there at my uncle's. You should come...it wouldn't be the same if you weren't there."

She's guilt tripping me! Hold on... if she said everyone it only meant that all my friends would be in attendance. Of course Senzo would be there-he is her brother. Most definitely Phineas would come, as well as Monique and Léone. Well, why shouldn't l go? It would be fun.

"You bet l will come!"

Mr.Munyaradzi and his niece, Amandla smiled simultaneously.

"I told my aunt you are a vegetarian, so we made sure to prepare specific dishes for you," Amandla said.

I smiled in gratitude.

"Come on let's get going or we'll be late!" l said.

We waved at her uncle before pushing through the large oak wood doors into the vast corridors.

Here goes nothing.

The cat hissed as l stopped to stand next to Phineas.

"This is a shape-shifter," he said, as he glowered down at it.

I gazed at it in its tiny, silver prison, with its blue-coloured marbled coat which was striking in the dimly lit hall.

"I doubt it," l said.

"Why?"Phineas said still gazing at it.

"It is a cat! Plus it is so small."

He scratched his scalp.

"Shape-shifters are not only wolves as the Twilight Saga has many believe," he said.

He laughed and l laughed in response. The blue feline scratched at the metallic bars and they dinned in response.

"Then, what is a shape-shifter?"

"A creature that can change into an animal," he said.

I squinted at him.

"Creature?"

I thought it was just an animal.

"Their human at birth but their first transformation is triggered involuntarily, when they lose control of their emotions," he said.

"What? It's human... Then we shouldn't..."

I could sympathise with this creature. I nearly shed a tear. Phineas rotated to gaze at me. He stared into my eyes as the emotions raged inside me.

"Put it in a cage? Don't work yourself up! It's not as simple as you think, this is a pre-determined condition."

My eyes welled up and l struggled to breath as the tears choked me.

"S...So? We can help them!"

Phineas lowered himself so that he was squatting in front of it.

"The gene for shape-shifting is passed on in a family genetically from father to son and, from mother to daughter. Sometimes the children are not even aware that their parents are shape-shifters, and they marry humans, thinking they themselves are humans-and they have kids of their own and they become shape-shifters."

I nodded.

"So even if their parents can't teach them, surely their grandparents can," l said.

Phineas sighed.

"And they do. But what happens when they die before passing on their knowledge?"

I wrinkled my forehead and sniffed.

"Their grandchildren become shape-shifters but don't know how to change back..."

I opened my mouth.

"So?" l said.

"They lose themselves, and become animals. That's what this cat is," he finished.

I reached a hand out towards it but it growled and tried to bite me. I pulled it away in time. I stared into its green eyes that were slitted by malice. I frowned. Poor, thing. There must be someone trapped in there...Confused and scared. He touched my shoulder.

"There's nothing you can do for it," he said.

"I still think we can help it...him or her. We can..." I said my lip quivering as tears threatened to spill.

Phineas shook his head and stood up. He brushed off his chinos.

"It is on show today, afterwards we will quarantine it and test how human it is," he said.

But what happens if there is no human at all? What if all that's left is raw animal instinct?

I was about to ask but he walked off before l could.

Looks like it is time to do some research of my own.

I passed by the hissing cat and l saw a marble fox. It stared at me contemptuously.

"And what are you?"

I tilted my head. It barked and it too tilted its head at me.

"You're kinda cute," l said.

It puffed out its solid white chest and held its head high.

"There is nothing cute about that monster," a voice said.

I jumped in fright. There was a short man with platinum hair, high cheek bones and yellow teeth.

Where did this weird old man appear from?

I stepped back. Maybe he is a fox spirit?

"Look at it; he's cute," l said.

The fox showed its teeth but it wasn't in a growl as one would expect.

Is it smiling at me? No, that is a smirk.

I scowled at it and it beamed more to my annoyance.

"This fox loves compliments. You see! Look how he smiles."

Yeah...this old man is not a fox spirit.

Hhmmm....a boy. No wonder. Only a boy would get a bigger ego after being complimented by a girl.

He lit a match by striking it against a dull orange box and a fire was ignited. He put the cigar in his mouth; he inhaled it deeply, filling his lungs with the noxious gas. He swivelled his fingers which caused them to lightly jerk away the long root beer coloured tobacco stick.

He closed his tiny eyes as he savoured the taste. I frowned at him in distaste.

"This fox was very tricky to capture...l did my best to trap it by setting its den on fire and luring it away with fresh blood...pig's blood!"

"Pig's blood!?! Why did you use that?"

"Don't you know? Pig's blood has a very similar smell to a human's blood..."

I gave him a sceptical look. Was this guy screwing with me?

"To a fox!" he quickly added.

He puffed out smoke and l coughed.

"Aha...ahh...Sooo, what happened?" l said.

He kicked the cage out of the blue and his studded boot marred the metal bars creating an irritating, grating sound. The animal laid his blue-tipped ears against his blue capped head. It backed away into the corner and whined. My eyes softened.

Did he have to do that?

I was about to bend down and consol the frightened creature but he grasped the shoulder of my purple jacket.

"Not so fast! This creature is quite dangerous....Now, what was l talking about?" he said.

He looked into the distance and the fox glared at his polished leather brown shoes.

"Oh! Yes!" he shook my arm roughly.

"This little bugger outwitted me! Foxes are cunning!" he spat.

He assaulted the animal's enclosure and it flinched but it held its position. It showed its sharp teeth in a growl.

"Grrr..."he said.

I shook my head in disapproval.

"I then let my apprentices follow up the case, so they can tell you how they captured him," he said.

I turned and l saw a crowd of teenagers by each stall and glittering cages where supernatural entities apparently resided. I heard the distressed shriek of these monsters and the excited banter of fellow hunters as they eagerly watched demonstrations and lively lectures, away from the dreary classroom atmosphere.

"Uhmmm...where are they?" l said as l stood on the tips of my toes to peer over much taller adolescents' heads.

"They are here...let me go get them!" he chirped excitedly before scurrying away. His short stature disappeared into the boisterous throng.

"Oh, great."

I thought he wouldn't leave, but he finally left. Immediately l felt immense relief. However, the fox looked after him not certain if he was safe. His presence was suffocating and the stench of smoke hung heavily on his clothing, which made it uncomfortable to breath. I knelt down and sat with my back against the cage.

"Sorry, little guy,"l said before gazing at the miniscule whiskered face. He inclined his head and chattered in a friendly manner at me. He ran and climbed on the bars using my back as a ledge. He sniffed my hair and his snout tickled my scalp. I laughed.

"You really shouldn't do that!" a smug voice yelled.

My heart dropped into my gut.

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