Shapeless

Ch 12 signs

It was early in the morning, so early that the moon still floated high above the world, sky a dark blue. Skyler opened her eyes with a grunt, sore from sleeping on the floor. The carpetless concrete was highly uncomfortable and the position she had slept in gave her a crick in her neck. Peering into the bed beside her, Skyler smiled softly. Vivian was still asleep, dusty covers rising and falling with her tiny breaths. Skyler took one last look before making her way through the room entrance.

Hardly daring to breathe, she crept down the hall, almost wishing she could fly. Eerie shadows pressed all around her and she nearly screamed when a rat bumped into her foot from behind, but she stopped herself. dDrawing attention to herself was the last thing she wanted.
Skyler's gaze darted around in all directions, nervously watching. She wasn't supposed to leave at all according to the orphanage owner. They expected her to live the rest of her life in one creepy building. It was so ridiculous. Good thing that she hadn't been caught yet. There were too many orphans to keep track of so the rule wasn't ever ienforced. Still, better safe than sorry.
Heart pounding in her chest, Skyler made her way through the silent building, gritting her teeth. A throbbing sensation briefly gripped her head making her gasp. Seriously? She had expected the headache to be gone by now. Speed increased, still in pain, she struggled to the end of the hall.

Creeping to the main entrance, she half stumbled outside. Releasing a relieved sigh, Skyler made her way around the building, picking her way through the bushes. She grinned slyly to herself when she found a dark leafed bush with bright red berries clumped together on each branch.
Checking to make sure the coast was clear, she reached for the fruit, desperate hands grabbing the berries and picking them off, shoving them into her pockets. Soon, red juice dripped off her chin and hands. She wiped it away with her sleeve.
When she had finished, Skyler crept to the end of the mini forest. She nervously made her way across the parking lot, feeling exposed. She could easily be spotted here. Though no one was awake at this hour, the idea still made her uneasy. She finally made it to the road, shivering when a chill crept up her spine. Whipping around she gasped, feeling the sensation of being watched. "Who's there?" She whispered shakily, hands clammy with sweat beading her forehead.
Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught her eye. She stared into the bushes. Skyer stiffened when she made out a pair of glowing eyes. Her eyes widened. What is that? She didn't blink, neither did the hidden eyes, seeming to stare into her soul, the moon reflecting off them.

She flinched violently when something leapt out of the bush towards her. With a muffled scream, she recovered when she saw what it was. A cat? The black creature was drawing a paw over its head, oblivious to the harm it had caused. Pausing it's washing, the creature turned its head, yellow eyes shining in the dim light. "Here kitty, kitty." Skyler sighed, beckoning to the cat who ignored her. She shook her head with amusement, coming to its side. "You're a sassy little thing, aren't you?" she blinked, bending down to scratch between its ears. It purred, arching it's dark-furred back.

Skyler lifted the cat's chin, examining the red collar. She read the name. "Shade." aAt once, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she got to her feet quickly. She blinked, a bit startled. She could have sworn that there were red eyes in the bush. When she opened her eyes, they weren't there anymore. Speaking of Shade, Skyler couldn't see the cat anywhere. Stifling a shiver, Skyler continued on. It's fine. It was just a cat. Nothing to be afraid of. She tried to convince herself, but the unpleasant feeling didn't leave.

After a while of walking, Skyler made it to the bus stop. It was miles away from the orphanage so she always started walking early to make it there on time. She glanced up. The sky was beginning to brighten and relief filled her. At least she wouldn't be traveling in complete darkness anymore.

Her spirits lifted when a small, gray bus rolled into sight. She guessed that it used to be yellow, because of some scraps of color but most of the paint had peeled off or faded.
She drew in a breath when the bus screeched to a halt in front of her. Trying to calm down, she made her way up the two stairs and sat down in a leather seat. She tilted her head, briefly wondering why the interior was still intact when the outside had been so weathered out. She shrugged. It must be Erosion or something. She couldn't remember if that was the right word or not, she didn't exactly have the best grades in science. All she knew was that the outside of the bus was exposed to the elements and the inside wasn't.