The Unknowables

We are here. We may be walking past you right now. We could be anyone, your best friend, a neighbor, even a part of your family, and you don't even know it. We can't tell you who we are, because we don't know if you can be trusted. Even we don't know how many of us there are, all we do know is that we are not safe. Someone is hunting us. If we are discovered we are never heard from again. We can't even trust each other, when trust is the only thing that is keeping us alive. We are just like you in most ways but we must live unknown, hidden, because if they find us we could be dead. Or worse. The thing that's really messed up? The ones hunting us? They made us like this.

 *****

Chapter 1

I take a deep breath. My eyes flick around trying to take in everything at once. I'm inside a ring of people screaming and yelling, and facing off their best fighter. My adrenaline and anticipation for a fight sky-rocket. Slowly and calmly, with no emotion on my face I slide into a back stance. One leg behind me and one in front facing my foe. The man in front of me was only a few years older then myself and about a head and shoulders taller.

His clothing is loose but I know that underneath he is well built. His black hair is cropped close to his scull and a little stubble peeks from his chin. I can smell his sickly sweet after shave from where I stand. I have seen him fight a few times, he lacks defense, and is slow to attack. I have to end it quickly or he would over power me. He likes to play with his opponents, make them dance around him so that  he can intimidate them with his large size. This is a fight I have to win, or me and my friends would pay the price.

He goes into a relaxed front stance, his legs to far apart and grins like he has all the time in the world. The picture of confidence. The crowds yells and jeers are going to his head. I make my eyes scared and wide, I want him to think I'm afraid, so that he'll get stupid, make mistakes. I would let him think I was just another helpless victim. It works. He smiles wider and relaxes even more, he wasn't even pretending to take me seriously now.

I curl my back foot under me and use it to propel myself at him. He gasps in surprise. People almost never attacked him directly and his weak block was too late in coming. Before he could go on the defense I punch him in the gut. Winded and shocked he stumbles back giving up his stance and balance. I advance and within a moment I drop to my hands and sweep his legs out from under him. With a loud thud he hits the ground and I am standing over him, I have won.

With a screaming yell the onlookers throw themselves at me. In a moment I'm overwhelmed with hugs and cheers.

"OK! O,K!" yells my karate instructor trying to regain at least a semblance of order.

I can barely hear him over my friends hugs and cheers. I struggle my way out of the crunch of people over to Kevin who's being teased by his friends. He turns, I smile at him jokingly and say,

"Next time you could at least try."

"Wren, you could outmatch me any day." He smiles back.

Instructor Kirk comes up behind me and claps us both on the backs. I gasp and give off a small grunt of pain. Fortunately his hand falls quickly away from my back and my classmates chatter covers any noise I made.

"Line up!"

Immediately the noise falls away and everyone drops into line. Kirk smiles at all of us, the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth turning it into a giant grin. He might be in his forties with graying hair but even when all the guys gang up on him he never lost.

"So, we all know that Kevin here made a statement that offended Wren. Today being a Friday, Wren had the right to challenge him to a fight. With Wren being the winner, Kevin should have something to say to us now." he gazes at Kevin expectantly. With a heavy sigh Kevin brakes out of line and bows to me, fist in palm.