The Enhanced Ones (paused)

Ch. 11 Faith

Throwing the branch was not one of the wisest choices I have ever made. Too bad that didn't occur to me until I watched the new girls flinch in terror. The little red head with the big doe eyes and her fierce friend.

"Faith that is quite enough!" Sam seethes at me while her darling daughter Christina brushes dust from her coat.

"Oh give me a break." I say crossing my arms. "How was I supposed to know that you brought in some new ones."

"That isn't the point and you know it." Christina says before Same can.

"No one asked you." I snarl.

"You have gotten too aggressive Faith. I think you should take a break for a while. Perhaps being here all the time is having negative effects on you psyche."

"You can't be serious!" Christina demands of her mother.

"Whatever, so long as I get to go solo."

Sam nods at me while trying to placate her daughter with calming had gestures. "Alright, but take one of Violets tabs just incase you need help." She finally says. "I don't want another incident so soon after retrieving Willow ad Shiloe."

I give a brief nod then lift myself up into the air and towards my small room at the main house. The two girls are no where in sight when I go past the entry way. Fine by me. Hovering outside my window my mind undoes the latch. Once complete I crawl through the small opening into my dim room. I reach for a small duffle bag and throw a spare set of clothes inside as well as some essentials.

"Hey Faith." A soft voice calls from the other side of my door. I crack it open and look down to see Violet fidget nervously on the other side.

"What?"

"Um, Sam wanted me to give you a tab." She holds out her hand and in her palm forms a small crystiline structure. I take it slowly so as not to startle her. "It works by pressure." She says. "That way even if you can't hold onto it you can still signal by crushing the air around it against the sides."

"Thank you Violet." I say with as much sinserity in my voice as I can muster. She gives a little smile then hurries off down the hall. Sighing I close my door and stuff the tab in my pocket. "Time to get outta dodge." I grab my duffle and lift myself out of the room and into the late afternoon sky.

I drift for hours in the clouds not caring where I end up only knowing it should be far far away from anyone and anything.

After the sun has set I decide to let myself down into a city below. When my feet touch down on a flat roof I drop to a crouch. Inching my way to the ledge I look down to street below. The pavement is dark with dew and not a soul moves in sight. Quickly I lump over the side to land silently on the sidewalk two stories below. Instantly I am crushed with the feeling of being trapped. Briskly I walk towards a small park area with benches. Completely alone I begin to relax. I pop a stiff joint in my neck and chuck my small pack on the nearest bench. Then I begin to stretch out my arms and legs. As I fall into my rhythm surrounded by trees and street lights my frustration slowly begins to ease.

"Well hello." A man's voice chatters behind me. I slowly come up from a leg stretch rising to my full height of six foot four and turn to face a squat man in need of a bath.

"Can I help you?" I ask coldly. His eyes bulg as he takes in the fact that I tower over him. "No? Then you best be on your way." I say and stoop to grab my bag.

"Hey! Don't turn your back to me." He growls followed by the near silent sound of a knife being drawn.

I pause and listen to his gruff breathing. For a moment old nightmares dare to take hold, but I force them to the back of my mind. "Look, you don't want to do something you'll regret." I say without turning around.

"Oh, I won't regret nuthin'."

In an instant two things happen. I leap over the bench with my bag in hand and the man falls forward onto the bench hitting his skull with only a little more force than naturally possible. Without checking to see if the creep was still breathing I dart for the safety of an alley. Once there I drop to the ground and curl into a ball. It is only here in this cold place that I let the memories take me.

"Excuse me?" A voice rouses me from my sleep. My snot crusted eyes squint into the already brightening sliver of sky above me.

"What time is it?" I ask and my voice cracks due to the tears I had shed what only seems a short time ago.

"It's about ten in the morning. Look, my boss doesn't take kindly to people hangin' 'round the back of his shop so you better get goin'." The concern in her voice rouses me from my half conscious state and I look around myself. Last night I had been se desperate I had not even considered how it must look to others.

"I'm not homeless." I say and slowly pull myself to my feet.

"He won't care."

Popping a few joints I look at the girl. Her long black hair hangs down to her knees and her eyes seem almost to contain a shade of pink within the brown.

"Sage!" A burly man's voice bellows from the otherside of a tagged metal door.

"Coming!" The girl, Sage, calls over her shoulder. She looks back to me and whispers, "You have fifteen minutes before he comes out for a smoke break. You better be gone before then." She pauses a moment and a strange look passes over her face before she shakes her head and darts inside the building.

I grab my pack and head for the street.