'Glint' by Michele Rule

Tamara was nervous about moving her young family from their rural, isolated home into a small town the next county over. She wanted to homeschool her daughter but the strong-willed child insisted that she needed to go to school, make friends, live a normal life. Masks to protect everyone from the pandemic were still prevalent in public places like the grocery store, but now the mandate in schools had been dropped and Tamara was terrified.

“You have to keep your mask on even if the other children don’t,” said Tamara.

“But why, Mama? I want to fit in, not stick out!”

“If you want to go to school, that’s my condition,” Tamara insisted.

Every ring of the phone made Tamera jump until school was finally over.

“How did it go?”

“Great, momma! I had so much fun. And guess what, I found out we really belong here.  I wasn’t the only one!”

Tamara looked up as the teacher came out the door to wave goodbye. She removed her mask when she saw Tamara and her daughter together and smiled.  The glint of a fang in the afternoon sun made Tamara realize everything would be alright.