2 Chapter 2: Intense

I jolt up suddenly. Remembering Im in my studio I flop back down…purple hair fluttering around me.

Every damn time. Whenever the rain comes at night that dream comes back to haunt me.

Eight years it's been. I haven't seen Her since then.

It took me years to break out of the establishment those idiots trapped me into.

The so-called leader of the people decided to make institutions for people with our 'disposition'. When I say our I mean the kids who have powers.

The English government wants us to be 'trained' and put to use.

It's no secret dark entities have been terrorizing the normal 'humans' for decades now.

Plenty of rumors about who caused this invasion but not many leads. Some people believe God has come to punish us for our 'sins'. But I think differently.

The government wants us trained for a reason. We don't have rights and we aren't welcome in society. So the best thing for them to do is send us disposables to fight these things.

I reckon the government was secretly messing with things they shouldn't of as usual.

We all know they want to see if there is another dimension… the same way they test virus's as biochemical warfare…or so YouTubers state.

Something tells me they let them into this godforsaken world and now children are made into soldiers.

Anyway, enough speculation I gotta start the day. I swing my legs out of bed and place them on the cold vinyl as I push myself up, I smell more rain coming down.

Brilliant not a good time to be begging for pennies when no one will be around.

Hunger throbs painfully in my abdomen. Looks like I gotta hunt.

I turn to go to the loo before I shift as I don't exactly want to be as uncivilized to go in the woods. As I sit there my mind drifts back to old memories… the people I left behind and the guilt that comes with it.

Tears burn my eyes but I can't seem to drag my mind away from them. Uriel…with her fire…Kyran…his electricity…. Cat…. her ice sculptures on my birthday…Grayth…with his dangerous fog he would annoy the guards with…and Peter with piercing green eyes… his wind that made us all fly.

My family and I abandoned them. I breathe a deep sigh but I allow no pity for myself as I knew when I got the chance to escape and survive, I would damn well take it.

I stand abruptly disposing of the tissue and flushing the loo in an attempt to move past my daily overthinking.

As I wash my hands with warm water as soap isn't worth the hassle lucky for me my immune system burns out any bacteria due to the changes of form I conduct.

I look into the mirror and see my gold eyes reflected back at me. I look so old. I guess that's what hiding means. But what are my options?! A) die young B)spend my life on the run but live. Either way thanks to this society I'm screwed.

I step back and shift into my usual fox. Since that day with Her, I haven't been able to turn into anything other than this…. apart from a circumstantial hawk form used to prank the guards with Peter.

A small smirk finds my face as I remember the mischief we caused.

Perhaps I will start sneaking out to train again at night…. guess we will see.

I hop out of the bathroom window and scurry along the balcony refusing to look down as the 15th floor is not exactly close to the ground.

Luckily though my agility grows in fox form so I'm safe as my pads feel the harsh stone underfoot.

Jesus the rain is really coming down on good old Blighty. I finally make it to the fire stairs and scurry down quickly so no one sees a purple fox.

In no time I reach the pavement as I was right Westminster is empty apart from a few thugs near the bus stop.

Before Im spotted I focus on the task of running to Jubilee pond in fox form the journey is halved but still an hour and a half run so better to hurry.

As I run through the heavy rain barely any people blocking my path as I use the sidelines to afford cars. I begin to think of the hawk form earlier…it would mean less running and less mud being tracked on the cheap rug by the door.

But do I really want to train at night with those entities hanging around …not likely?

However, if the government finds me, I need to be ready to flee or fight …that's the question.

Guess I will see when the time comes…I could train on the roof.

After some time with my breath coming out sharply finally smell the pond water…thank god.

All that begging on the street and lack of food have really screwed my fitness up...

About my training, I just have to be careful or someone will find out i am house squatting and report me to whoever owns the place.

My thoughts are interrupted as I hear a small chirp from the water. Hunt Time.

As I sneak up to the overgrown reed mace I smell ducks about four of them from the paddling sounds searching for food like myself.

I can feel my frustration grow at how harsh the wild for them and me…but now isn't the time.

I shake my head hoping to get back into the fox's instinct.

My ears twitch as the sound of the ducks grows closer and closer until I can just see the tawny color of the mother and the three grey ducklings following her trail.

Lucky for me and sadly for them a fourth duckling trails way back distracted by a piece of plastic in the water. Damn litterers.

As wait and wriggle my way through the plant I see the other ducks haven't sensed my presence whatsoever and I edge closer to the fourth duckling.

I wait patiently as it finally comes within a meter of my location then pounce. The duckling tries and fails to evade me but I'm too skilled in this.

I look at the mother duck as I take the duckling between my jaws and try to convey my apology with my eyes, but she quickly flaps away with her other little ones without a second glance.

I'm not surprised my mother did the same thing. Allowed me to be taken away for her own happiness the same way the mother duck allows her baby to be eaten so she can survive. Suppose that's life.

As I walk away from the pond and find a log to lie in to finish my meal. I think of life.

Is this it for me? No job...no rights …never seeing my family again. It can't be but how can I do any of those things without being caught. Just giving my name Erza Moston would be a sure way to get taken away again.

But maybe if I train hard enough, I could be something. I am not a leader by any means but someone must be. There could be people like me right now planning on stopping the government from taking others…not that I would want to fight like that.

Even if they are just giving shelter to people like me…it's a life. This could mean no more killing in the woods by myself and being around people again.

I'm scared…but I've moped around so long. I don't even remember what it feels like to laugh.

I stand on my four legs now my meal is complete my mind I set on one thing.

I'm going to get stronger. Once I've done that then I will decide my path.

Nodding my snout forgetting I'm not in human form for a second, I roll my eyes at my lack of attention to major details.

I look to the sky and see the scarlet color spread across the sky and admire it just for a second as I forget reality.

Soon I could fly through that. I feel myself fill up with excitement at being able to fly and be free. That's all I ever want.

I pull myself back to reality as I prepare for the long run home as I don't want to be caught out in the dark with entities. No thank you.

Maybe I'm too sure of my own ability but that heavy feeling in my chest has faded just a little bit.

I'm going to try and that's all any of us can do. Try. I determine this as I push off my hind legs into a sprint and I embrace the pull of nature. The wind in my fur and the sound of thunder as it sounds above.

I just have to try.