The Fox, Red

094 - No More Waiting, The Time Is Now

My alarm goes off before the sun rises. I made sure that it would be well before I actually needed to be ready. I step outside into the darkness with nice, clean clothes that I had bought and kept stashed for this. I wish I had the suit that Madam Odette had made for me. That looked sharp. That would look like someone ready to show the world something amazing. I'll settle for the store-bought dress shirt I was able to find.

The walk to the church is colder than normal. It may be the early morning or it may just be a lull in the weather. Without the lights, the street is a lot harder to navigate. What little light from the city spills over is helping. My eyes adjust with a little help from some alchemic magic. Any extra light that I can scrape up is pulled into my vision.

I take the corner where it becomes a mostly straight shot to where I need to be. I get that feeling that I'm being watched again. I send out a short-range ping but nothing shows. Where is this feeling coming from?

I continue on my way with a heightened sense of awareness. The feeling never leaves. The further I travel the worse it seems to get. It finally becomes unavoidable. I stop in my tracks ready for anything. I feel something touch the middle of my back as someone whispers to me, "Please, don't turn around. Just listen." This voice sounds concerned. There's hesitancy in the shaking words they speak.

"Red, please reconsider this action of yours. These rules have been in place for a long time to protect us. They were written in the blood of those who were hunted and killed for having this ability. People don't understand. They don't want to understand. They only see something different that is scary. Something that they see as unnatural. We've survived for this long because we hide."

I take a deep breath as I hold myself steady. These words carry a lot of pain. "You don't know what you'll unleash with this path of yours. Please don't do this. Don't do this to yourself. You'll make yourself a target. Don't do this to the others who follow you. They'll be shunned by their communities and even their own families. You need to understand that this arrangement wasn't made from want but from necessity. I know I can't stop you but I beg that you please reconsider. You could have a quiet life where you can learn as you, please. You can find someone to share that knowledge and your life with in peace. But not if you chose this path."

The touch disappeared. There were three clicks of what sounded like shoes as they stepped away from me. There was no point in me turning around to see who it was. They were already gone. I reach into my pocket to grab the envelope they had left for me. I can feel the plastic cards that are inside. I have access to my funds again. I'll have an ID that I can use. I just wonder if it's me or a forged one. The government did a thorough job of erasing me.

I look up at the night sky to see a few twinkling bodies in the sky. Do I want to do this? Is this really what I want to do?

I arrive at the church to the sound of a few happy folks welcoming me. Everyone here today should be someone with a job to do. We are limiting visitors to ensure that this goes as smoothly as possible. I step into the side office to take over the final version one last time. They'll be moved over to large notecards so I can read them as word perfectly as possible.

One of the more active members, Jonathan, steps in with a worrying smile, "We are ready for today but you seem quite troubled. What is on your mind?" His raspy voice only makes me feel more uneasy. If he was confident in talking to me, his words are clear. He thinks he treading a line by asking me a question. He's one of those followers that believes that I should not be questioned, ever, and that doing so is an affront. I've had to work with him many times to tell him that it is OK to ask questions. If someone doesn't know something, it's better to educate them rather than demand they follow blindly. Communication brings reasoning. Reasoning brings understanding. Understanding is how we get folks to join our cause. Some will not understand and rather than waste time and resources trying to get them to understand, we are better off moving on to the next person.