Toxin

CHAPTER 12 - As time passes...

1 am. The days swet past our fingertips, starting slower, but gaining more speed... More power. He doesn't think I should do it. He doesn't trust her. I mean, who would? The only person who has known her properly would be me! After all, she chose me. She made me full, complete. Sure, I felt like he completed me, as he did in his own way. But she made me, me. And besides, none of them could stop me. Stop us. I leaped out my window, time slowing down once more. I inhaled the cool air surrounding me, running fast in reality, but just making it slow enough for me to enjoy completely. Who wouldn't want to feel the soft breezes flowing through their hair? I smiled, enjoying this quick moment to myself before shifting into a creature that could terrify, but would learn to be loved.

I finally felt as if I were a free spirit, escaping all my worries, all my thoughts... Only by doing this, I'll look like a selfish, arrogant teen girl, trapped at the age of 'everlasting beauty' which practically every woman in this world would love to be. Last night- or this morning's breakout felt great. It freed my insecurities from the chamber of my mind and released out into the wild, for someone else to encounter. Now that's a little selfish. What a bitch I am. But what was also great about that night was the fact that I (along with Toxin) happened to be faster than Atlas and Vapour. Though I would say last night was fun, I knew Atlas didn't agree to it. In fact, the only reason he was chasing me was to bring me back to my original state! My useless, hideous vessel that hid my true self, contained it with a shield of one-way-glass. But, after tormenting Atlas and exploring new areas throughout my small town, Noonwarrin, I eventually gave it and let Atlas carry me back to my room, the only 'safe haven' away from Iris, who had seeked pleasure in making sure Atlas is well-away from me so I could feel 'safe'. Mhm... What an idiotic excuse, Iris. But I don't tell her that, because I agree, it's funny seeing the pain and hate radiating off of his expressions. Priceless! But still, in the end I do manage not to be the bad guy and save Atlas from his immortal sister. Nevertheless, he sees through my cracks, and I see through his. Entertainment for the whole family!... Or, partially. Today however, or rather the last few months, Effie has been acting strange, quiet even, which is upmost unusual for her. "What's going on, Eff?" I asked quietly, my face expressing a blank canvas. Effie looked at me and sighed. "I've been going on like this for almost 7 weeks, and now you finally take notice." Effie chuckled, a hint of stress shining through evenly. I cocked my head to the side and jumped over the back of the lounge, falling down and sitting beside her. "Effie, I'm serious. I thought this whole thing that's happening was going to blow over-" I stopped, cutting myself off. I shouldn't have said that. "Really?! Are you serious Aaly! My boyfriend has gone missing for weeks beyond end and you think it's just going to BLOW OVER!?" Effie shouted, standing up and clenching her fists. I winced, lowering my gaze to the floor. She sighed and slumped back down, her head down in defeat. She leaned over against me, her sulking eyes in the crevice of my shoulder. I patted her back gently, wrapping my arms around her upper back. I pulled her in closer, her sobbed distant no more. She looked up at me, her cheeks shimmering with wet, smeared tears and puffy red eyes. "I just don't know what to do, Aaly! And with all of this liquidy or misty creature thing going on, I have no idea what to expect!" Effie choked, all positivity being buried, hidden within the depths of her heart now, only sorrow and pain radiating from her. I stopped, my face going cold. It mustn't be a coincidence... Dwayne disappeared on the day we finally smashed the Sand Dunes High team... I wonder if...

I suddenly got up, looking down at Effie's blubbery face. "Stay here, I need to talk to someone." I exclaimed, my face once more hosting an expression of a clean slate. Effie nodded slowly, sinking back into the lounge and hugging a pillow tightly, continuing to watch the news once more. I grunted, turning for my bedroom. My mother wasn't home today, another late shift as usual. I sprinted up the stairs in a quick, mannered fashion, the wind behind me following poorly. I smacked my door open and ran, leaping out towards my large, closed window. I scrunched my eyes shut, expecting to 'accidentally' smash it, but I didn't feel anything, or hear anything. I landed on the patchy, dry grass floor with barely a thud. I opened my eyes, looking up. The window looked fine, completely unharmed, and so I realised that I was in my other form. I grinned quickly, but victoriously. It was raining today, and heavily too, so I expected no one to be out of their houses and on the streets. I shifted out of Toxin's form, just in case there was a passing car or someone with an umbrella who wasn't exactly wanting to be dreaming about me in their nightmares tonight. I dropped into the surrounding bushlands, sprinting through using my new, inhuman speed. I sped as fast as i could if I needed to pass through the streets, well, at least fast enough to not be entirely seen through the human eye. I arrived at the back of a small apartment block, one made from outback-styled bricks. I speedily climbed up to the top of the building, and flung myself through the weird shutters that stopped people from looking in, and still be able to see through on the other side, which I was now on using my liquidy form. The first to greet me was Sanity, who was standing between the balcony door frame. "Hello, Aaly, Toxin, why are you both here?" Sanity murmured, sitting down. And just as she finished, down came Atlas, rushing over the ladder and standing beside Sanity, who looked like she wasn't impressed. Iris came shortly after. "Well, we all need to talk, and I need the knowledge out of everyone here- well, except for Rose. Sorry girl." I chuckled drily, easing up the tension towards the end of my sentence. They all looked at me with curious eyes, and led me inside. We sat in front of the TV, which was soon turned off by Sanity, who despite having a paw, still has a mind. Atlas attempted to sit next to me, by Iris cut in, she now in-between us. "OK, so I'm sure you all have heard of Dwayne's disappearance." I started, shuffling away from Iris comfortably. Atlas and Iris nodded back slowly, Sanity on the other hand, staying still and looking content... wise, even. "Well, he disappeared on the day of our game, not showing up after the game ended, or in other words, didn't return to Effie." I exclaimed, kneeling my elbows on my knees and wrapping my hands around each other. "Then Effie had said to be, and I repeat her words exactly; 'I just don't know what to do, Aaly! And with all of this liquidy or misty creature thing going on, I have no idea what to expect.'." I stated, now sitting up and crossing my arms. "An that just got me wondering... What if Effie's suspicions were right? What if someone has gotten their hands on Dwayne? Someone of our kind, or someone of our origin?" I uttered. The room stayed quiet, but the thoughts muddling in Atlas's and Rose mind were at large. Vapour and Sanity were talking thoroughly, a non-stop buzz being heard loud, but not clearly. "Well... It could be that. But Effie could also be over-reacting, because stuff like this does happen nowadays, and earlier on in human evolution." Vapour exclaimed through Atlas's body, his soft velvet voice ringing through my ears. "But in this case, Vapour, Dwayne is a bigger bloke. For a human, he's quite strong. He has Black-American origins, and he wrestles on top of that! Besides, he'd be a nuisance to keep quiet, let aloe hide in general." mewed Sanity in a firm, but somehow innocent tone. I blinked slowly, absorbing this quick statement. "She's right, Vapour. Why pick Dwayne to kidnap when you have a bunch of other scrawny beings?" Iris snorted, nudging me. I turned and glared at her, attempting a threatening grin. But sadly, those touches don't ever work on her. "So maybe then Dwayne's kidnapper could potentially be like our kind? What do we do with that information? And what's the reason why they've done it? Because surely they've stopped spreading our curse." Vapour hissed, crossing his arms and leaning back. I uncomfortably moved forward a little more. "I guess that's what we've got to find out now, I guess. Who is this Mystquid and why they've captured him- well, other than Dwayne could evolve to be one of the strongest of our kind." Iris muttered, raising her hands up, and letting them fall down onto the sides of the lounge. And am I the reason for it... Toxin whispered sorrowfully in my head, confusion now flooding my mind.