I'm Coming For You...

It's My Fault

    I never really liked being around people. That's why I live out of town near the woods. People are scared of the woods. People are scared of me. They don't come anywhere close to the forest because of the creatures that stubble through near twilight. Even if I went to stay in town they'd chase me back here. They think me one of them, and wish me to go back to my world, even though I belong here... just not of their town.
My father and mother lived in a village up in the mountains. My dad was human and my mom was of The Feather. The people in my dad's village were kind and understanding of me and my mother. She was accepted by my father's people, but my father, and anyone else who stayed in the village, wasn't accepted by the people of The Feather. They thought of us as beast. Just a nuisance that was too close to their nest. They didn't even try to understand others unlike them. They just hated us, especially a half breed like me.
They ignored the fact that my mother choose a human over the people of The Feather. They told her she had to live with the people of the village and wasn't allowed to come back. If she was caught flying her wings would be snipped. She was okay with that. That was their rules.
Then, she had me. She loved me, really, but she also loved the village. She couldn't just leave to keep me safe because then The Feather would destroy the town, but if they found me they would kill everyone. So she and my dad had to disguise me to look more like everyone else. If I wanted to get out of the house I had to cover my glowing white wings with mud, and then tuck and wrap them uncomfortably in a heavy cloth under normal looking clothes. People from out of town couldn't tell, so only the villagers new that I wasn't completely human. I didn't like doing this, but understood that it kept everyone safe... somehow.
I wasn't even seven when they found out. A couple of adolescents were messing with the villagers in town, again. They weren't supposed to be here, but that hasn't stopped them yet. As usual they were destroying stands, pushing people around, and being overall rude and obnoxious. I try to avoid them by staying in on days when they were in town, but I was supposed to help one of our local elders with their garden and had to pick up the flowers they had ordered.
I didn't look at them and avoided them on the path completely, but they still singled me out. They talked to me, telling me I smelled familiar, that they hadn't seen me around before, and then, trying to scare me, called themselves monsters that like to eat children that are snack size like me. I wasn't stupid and new what they were saying was just lies. They were bullies, and best thing to do with bullies is to ignore them. I didn't say anything. I didn't do anything. I didn't even make eye contact with them.
They weren't happy that I didn't react. Called me rude for not answering when being spoken to. Said I need to apologize. So I apologized and started to walk away. Then they really got mad. They got in my way and started yelling at me. When I just stood there and took it, they shoved me. As I fell back one of my wings untucked.  It poked through my shirt, but I didn't notice till I started to sit up. There eyes widen with horror and disgust. It was too late to try hiding it. They took to the sky and left without another word. I didn't see them for months afterward, but the patrols over us seemed to triple.
I was asleep in my bed when they set fire to our village. Mom ran up to me and told that we had to go, that they knew, that if we didn't leave now we would die. I grab two handfuls of mud to throw on my wing, but my mother soaks me in a bucket of water.
No time for that she says, we have to fly away now. I ask her about dad. 'Where is he?' 'Is he coming with us?' She says nothing as she drags me by the hand out the back door. Our backs are like spotlights to the others in the air. I can hear their wings draw closer. She tells me to fly, but I don't know how to. She takes off for a few seconds and then is nailed to the ground with a spear through her chest. Blood soaks her shirt instantly. I try to help her up, to get her off the ground, but the spear has her pinned. I crying really bad now and I can't see. This is the worst dream yet, only it's not a dream. She clutches my hand weakly. The last words I hear her say barely reach me at a whisper, 'Run...away.' I'm frozen, I'm sorry mom I can't, I just can't, you just can't... mom please... One of the fleeing villagers scoops me up in the middle of my sobs. I don't want to leave... please.