Heart of fire: Hoax

Chapter 9: New home

I stopped near a high school. It looked eerie with the mysterious moonlight and the emptiness. Everything was so alien to me. I've never seen any of the new advancements. ATMS started to appear which weren't there before, televisions that made pictures pop out, angelic lights that dazzled me. I thought I was looking at the future, with the streetlights, the sound of people talking, and the sound of angry drivers aggressively honking at each other. None of this I have seen before, or so I thought. I walked around, exploring my environment. I took a walk around the place. I was just taking everything in. So this was my home. WoodLand. I started shivering a bit as the cold wind grazed upon my naked arms. I sat down near a dustbin. I took what seemed like a very worn-out blanket and covered it around me. I wanted to stay awake, in case Levi came to get me but sleep was tempting. My eyes grew heavier and heavier. My mind became silent. Quietly, I dozed off without another sound.

For the following six days, I was completely lost. I had no money, I had no clean clothes, no home. I was forced to steal food from a nearby supermarket. I wolfed down on a bag of chips, bananas, chocolate bars and an energy drink. I forgot what 'real' food tasted like. It was better than having beef and chicken almost every day. Or vegetables.

"He'll get you. And when he does, he'll kill you. He'll chop your head off." 

"He won't." I told myself. These voices won't stop. They keep on muttering. "He won't find me." "What if he does? There is always a way-"

 "SHUT UP! I WON'T" I started banging my head on the dustbin, for them to stop talking, until blood leaked from my nose. "I won't die." I crawled into a ball, wiping the blood from my nose. My legs started to shake uncontrollably. I can never get peace.

I snuck into the school. 'Woodland High School' ,it was called. I missed being a part of something. Being part of a community, even if it means not being committed. I watched as kids teased each other in the hallways, lessons taking place, people chatting during breaktime. I wanted to be there. I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be NORMAL. But what normal kid am I? What kid gets used for four years as a soldier? What kid has powers that she never asked for? Me. I'm a weirdo. I'm the kid everyone will be staring at. Me.

It was somewhere on a Saturday where things got a bit interesting. I made a small hut near the dustbin with old mats, cardboard and wood. It was big enough for me to sit upright and sleep curled into a ball. I was just sitting inside my make-shift hut watching birds peck pieces of food off the sidewalks, until I heard something. It was from another alleyway. Out of curiosity I went to check. There was a trail of blood. Well shit. I followed the trail, keeping my guard high and staying alert. The trail lead to a dustbin. Not inside of it. 

A boy. Kicking the wall and muttering to himself. His clothes had traces of blood on them, but from how little there was, and the tiny splatters of blood, I doubted he killed anyone. He had tears streaming down his face. His eyes were bloodshot and his face was red. Do I go? Hmm... no it's not my problem. I walked away until I heard a very distinct sound. 

"HEY!" I shouted. He cut his arms using a knife.  He looked at me like a rabid animal. He was shaking and angry.  I covered my mouth, regretting shouting. "Hey, do-don't do that."  He didn't reply, he just looked at me then the knife. I walked towards him, my hands in the air. I gently took the knife away from his hand, setting it far away from where he can reach. "Let's not do that, ok?" His hair was abuzz, messy and curly like a birds nest. 

He shook his head. "I'm sorry." He kicked the wall again. What do I do now?  

I thought of a way to lighten the situation. "Wanna... grab a bite? I have some food if you'd like?" I said as calmly as possible. He nodded, wiping his tears and straightened his clothes. He wore a white shirt with black pants. They both looked dirty, but I ignored it. I led him to my homemade tent and lend him chips and a half empty bottle of apple juice. He ate them quietly, savoring each bite and sip he took. After he was done, I gave some bandages, that I stole. I didn't help him, he seemed to know what he was doing.