Griffin Cliff


	"Now, remember, Sam.  These dishes must be clean when we get
back," said Sam's Aunt Marge.  She and his cousin, Leigh, always went out
after supper.  Sam was stuck with perpetual kitchen duty.
	"Yes, ma'am," replied Sam.
	"We will be back in a few hours," Aunt Marge said.
	"Bye, Sam," said Leigh closing the door behind them.
	Sam was alone again.  Ever since his parents were in that car
accident, he has been living with Aunt Marge and Leigh.  He was a
fourteen year old boy, and he was still treated like he was eight.
Leigh, being eight, can do anything that she wants.
	After finishing the dishes, he went outside to enjoy the night
air.  There was a large rock wall behind their house.  Griffin Cliff was
the name given to it.  Sam enjoyed lying under the cliff and gazing
toward the top.  He had been on many rock climbing expeditions with his
father.  But, Aunt Marge won't let him climb to Griffin Cliff.  It was
perfect for rock climbing.  But, she said that her husband got killed on
that cliff.
	"Griffins live at the top," she says.  "And they don't like
trespassers.  That's what happened to George."  She would always choke up
whenever she told him the story.
	But that night, while he was lying there looking up the cliff
wall, he thought he saw something flying.  It was too high to see what it
was, but it looked like some sore of hawk.  This got his curiosity up.
"What if that is a griffin?" he asked himself.  "Aunt Marge and Leigh
won't be back for a few hours.  That will give me plenty of time to scale
the rock wall."  He ran in the house and got his equipment.  He quickly
set everything up at the bottom of the cliff and started climbing.
	"This is easier that I thought," he said to himself.  He was an
avid climber, so he reached halfway up in about twenty minutes.  "Aunt
Marge is going to have a fit if she finds out.  But, I don't care."
	Sam continued on the rest of his journey.  Thirty minutes later,
he reached the top.  He looked around and didn't see anything up here.
Just some rocks and trees.  He looked over the edge.  "What a view," he
said to himself.  "Look at me," he yelled out to the world, "I made it!"
	"So, you did, human," said a voice.  He turned and saw a large
majestic creature sitting on a rock staring at him.  It had the body of a
lion and the head and wings of an eagle.  "So you did," said the griffin
again.  But the creature's beak didn't move.  That's when Sam realized
that he wasn't hearing the voice, the voice was in his head.
	"You.. You are a griffin," muttered Sam.
	"Yes, I am.  We all are."  When the griffin said those words,
other griffins stepped out from behind trees and rocks.  Two walked over
to Sam circling him.
	"You are trespassing, human," said the first griffin.  "By the
law, Griffins are the only one's allowed up here.  No humans."
	"Are you going to eat me now?" asked Sam certain of his doom.
	"Maybe," said the first griffin.  "It depends.  Akuro, what do you
think?"
	"I think we can eat him," said one of the griffins circling Sam.
"He looks tasty.  No, wait.  We can't eat him."  The griffin turned Sam
around so the first griffin could see his back.  "It's too late," the
griffin said grabbing something behind Sam and holding it up.
	Sam felt the griffin's paw on the thing it held up.  He turned
and looked.  It was a tail.  A lion's tail.  A lion's tail that was
attached to Sam.  "What?" asked Sam startled.
	"It looks like we can't eat you, boy," said the first griffin.
"It would be cannibalism if we did."
	Sam was confused as he felt his legs changing shape.  They didn't
fit his pants anymore.
	"You are becoming one of us," said the first griffin.  "The law
says that only griffins can be here.  Thus you must be a griffin."
	"But, I'm not a griffin," said Sam as he fell to all fours.  His
arms were furry front legs now.
	"You will be," said the griffin.
	"But, I don't want to be a griffin," said Sam.  Actually he said
it with his mind, because his mouth was forming into a beak.
	"You should have thought of that before you climbed the cliff."
	There was a rip as Sam's wing burst from under his shirt.
	"Welcome, griffin," said the first griffin.  "What is your name?"
	"Sam," replied Sam.
	"Welcome, Sam," said all the other griffins.
	"Ready to test out your wings, Sam?" asked the first griffin.
	"I guess," Sam replied.
	"Good, follow me."  The griffin leapt into the air.  Sam did the
same.  Flying was easy.  It came naturally.  He caught up to the other
griffin.
	"Were all of you human, too?" asked Sam.
	"No, only a few were human," replied the griffin.  "Griffins have
been around this area for a long time.  We have managed to keep out of
the public notice pretty well.  And those that do find us become a griffin."
	"But, don't you eat some of them?"
	The griffin laughed.  "No, we were just trying to scare you.  We
don't eat humans."
	"But, what about my Uncle?" asked Sam.  "Aunt Marge said the
griffins killed him."
	"I'll tell you about your Uncle later," said the griffin.  "We
have an appointment."  With that, the griffin started spiraling down toward the ground.  Sam followed.  "We have to meet someone," he said.
	They landed in a clearing in the woods.  Two people sitting in the
grass looked up at the two griffins.  They stood and ran over to the two
griffins.  It was Aunt Marge and Leigh.
	"Oh, George," said Aunt Marge.  "We miss you around the house."
	"I know, Marge," said the griffin, George.  "Remember I love you."
	"George," sputtered Sam.  "Uncle George?"
	"Sam is that you?" asked Marge angrily.  "I told you not to go up
on the cliff.  Now see what has happened to you."
	"Don't worry, Aunt Marge," replied Sam.  "I cleaned the dishes
before I climbed the cliff."
	"Oh, Sam," said Marge hugging him.  "I didn't want this to happen
to you, too.  I know how the men in the family are.  They see a rock
wall, and they have to climb it."
	"I think I like being a griffin, Aunt Marge," said Sam.  "It's
something new.  It's an adventure."
	"You're just like your uncle," said Marge.  She looked over at
George and Leigh playing.  "Just like your uncle."
	After a long visit with Aunt Marge and Leigh, George and Sam leapt
into the air and flew away into the night.