Rogue Shadow

Chapter 3 - Too Soon

Chapter 3 – Too Soon

23:32 Thursday, 5th October 2017

Sitting on the rooftop that she was definitely meant to be on, Nat's mind wandered back on the previous month of hell. Why did this keep on happening? So many people in the world, but no. The Fates decided to make her insignificant existence as miserable as they possibly could.

Nat closed her eyes as a light breeze hit her face, thankful for the cool night during October; the month of mixed seasons. Fingers gently brushing against the purplish mark on her cheek, Nat let out a resigned sigh. That was nothing new either. The injuries. Torture, abusive foster homes, it all just added up. Long, curly hair blew around Nat's face as she watched the busy road. Cars drove past, tired from a long shift and eager to get home. Blissfully unaware of a tormented child, mere meters away.

No one knew. No one cared. Why would they? What did the feelings of one child matter? She was a foster kid with a troubled past, who would believe her claims? Only a matter of time before she was moved again anyway, so what was the point? It was easier to keep her mouth shut.

One month. That was the standard time with any foster home. Most of the homes just seemed to blur together to form months loneliness and suffering. Natasha could count the number of families she had been genuinely happy with on one hand with fingers to spare. Sharing a room with MJ. The Ryans. That man who lived on a farm – what was his name? Cody Hood and his daughter Molly. Such a tomboy if she'd ever seen one. That kid refused to wear skirts, dresses or anything resembling pink. Natasha had actually begun learning French while staying there, seeing as it was the family's first language.

It had only been one month since she left David Ryan's home, yet it had felt like another lifetime since Nat had been sitting at the dinner table with Brooke and the rest of the family. A whole month without seeing MJ. Literally the worst form of torture known to man. Sure, they had texted regularly, but Natasha didn't want to burden her friend with her problems, so she kept that can of worms firmly closed.

Then thinking back to her lost past, Nat reconsidered. If the scars that littered her torso were anything to go by, there had been much torture and abuse in her life. Yet knowing this gave Nat little comfort; she still missed her friend dearly.

Natasha let out a low sigh, combing her overgrown bangs out of her eyes with her small, scarred fingers. Hand coming to rest on her swollen, bruised and blackened eye, Nat shifted uncomfortably at the memory. Even if she was used to the abuse, it didn't make it any easier to deal with. One of the boys had jumped her while she was cleaning the table after dinner. She had dropped the plates which shattered on impact, she had been cut by the glass and then beaten by her foster carer, James. At least she healed fast. Give it a few hours and there wouldn't even be a scar. This time.

The wind began to pick up and lightning light up the clouds, flooding the world around her with light for a split-second. The rain had not yet come, yet the clouds blocked out the stars. She sat outside for a few more minutes until water started falling from the sky.

Groaning in defeat, Nat sat up to begin her descent off the roof. A bolt of lightning forked across the sky, momentarily lighting up the dismal street and illuminating a shadowed figure. Not even a second later, a defining clap of thunder came. And just like that, he was gone from sight. But still, Nat stared in relief. He had found her. She was safe. Why this random shadow made Natasha feel safe, she had no clue. But he did, so she accepted the fact. He had been gone since Natasha was removed from Laura and David's care and she and began to fear that she would never see him again.

The ongoing lightning strikes continued to show the strange man, standing out in the increasing drizzle of rain. They stood out in the rain, now a continuous drum on the corrugated roof, eyes locked despite the flickering light. Eventually, Nat turned away, determined to head inside before she became completely soaked to the bone. It wasn't like he was going anywhere.