Chapter 7

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The school day had finally drawn to a close, and Fable made sure to lag behind in the library for hours after class. That way, it meant her friends would have to leave without her. When all the students and teachers had cleared the building, she made her way outside. She walked through the courtyard, and continued out through the main gates, and followed the path to the country road. The sky was already dark and dreamy; a lilac blue with deep, purple clouds, and a small slither of crescent moon which had just begun to emerge from the darkness. Fable inhaled the cold air tensely. It was the moment she'd been waiting for. The night was her shield: the protector of her secret. For once, she was feeling completely untouchable leaving the safety of her school at this hour, and the lack of street lighting and people did not frighten her at all. 

She began to run freely along the road, on the verge of hysterical laughter. When she arrived at the familiar crossroad, instead of turning left as she normally would to go to her village, she took the alternative path down to the dense woodland beyond. The trees along the path seemed to bend towards her slightly as she made her way through; their eager branches reaching out like beckoning arms. This way, this way – yes keep going! She could almost hear their voices. She continued down the path until it suddenly dissipated; fading out into a glade of grassy undergrowth which was submerged in a thick blanket of decaying leaves. Everything looked so beautiful and gloomy at night – she thought. The world was simplified into shades of black and blue; the shapes and shadows of previously distinguishable objects blurring into obscurity. Fable was almost ready. She came before some ancient stone steps which were partially buried by the earth and weathered into unevenness. They seemed to lead up a steep slope and into some mountainous reach. If she could make it to the top, perhaps there would be a fantastic leaping point; she imagined herself jumping off the cliff and transforming into a bird mid-air. How amazing and life-changing it would be!

But right now... she had a big problem. She could make out the muffled sounds of male voices in the distance – but they were quickly getting louder and clearer.

"Oh crap!" muttered Fable quietly to herself. What if some jerks from school had followed her and had some crazy ideas. She needed to escape quickly – but where to hide? There was no way she could climb any of these tall trees or attempt the stairs in the darkness. She would be spotted immediately on the slope and could have a nasty fall. Where could she go? All she could see was a sea of trees. Fable was exasperated. She thought she might have a panic attack when she saw the group of males emerging from behind the blind-spot. There were three of them, and she observed they were all wearing dark hoodies which were mostly hiding their faces. Trouble. She saw one of them pointing at her and the other two started elbowing each other and jeering.

"OI!" one of them shouted.

She had to escape - now! They were coming for her and there was nothing left to do. The adrenaline came flooding through her veins and Fable turned her back on them. She made a dash for the perilous stairs. Everything around her was a blur. Faster, faster! She had covered a lot of ground, but wasn't out of breath yet. She was building momentum and could feel a strange and sudden change in her own body...

She was weightless! Well, almost weightless. Her tiny bird heart was beating so rapidly she thought it might explode - but she was soaring into the night! Her brown wings were agile and steadfast. Fable instantly felt comfortable in this body, as if she had known it all her life. "Flying is natural to me!" she cried into the wind, but only some odd little chirping sounds left her beak. Of course – she thought cheerfully – now I speak bird. She started to fly with a sense of calmness now, and decided to swoop back over the clearing to check if the troublesome youth were still around. She could see them. But they were insignificant to her now; they appeared as small black blemishes on the grey grass beneath her. She laughed internally at their confusion, watching them turning in hopeless little circles to find her. Pathetic. Fable flew up and over the rocky mountain to admire the views; the black forest stretched out for miles – it looked so ominous and foreboding from these heights. But it could easily be a home for her now. The sky was ablaze with stars, and the moon was shining blissfully on her fluffy, white chest. Everything was perfect. It was time to sneak home...



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