Post by Seiren on Jul 14, 2010 15:43:44 GMT -6
Innocence.
I hate them. I hate the way they hide, the way they lie - the way they kill. But it wasn't always that way.
Ever since I was a small girl, I had interest in the shapeshiters of Cambria, although the type of interest that captivated me has since changed, the way I obssessed over them did not. I had heard alot of stories about shapeshifters. They were apparently 'extinct', or so the government would have us lesser humans believe. Truth was, they took the forms of humans and hid amongst us. I had often dreamt about being able to change forms and fly away. You see, my life had been like that of a captivated bird - trapped in my upper class house, bound by a maid with my mother and father living seperate lives to one another, and to their only daughter. I was never allowed to play outside with the other children. I often stared out of the window and envied their laughter. I wanted to make that sound too.
It was when I was ten years old that a girl spotted me watching her from the pavement. She and her friends had been playing a ball game but when she realised my look was of longing and nothing more, she stopped and shouted up to me - 'Come and join us!' I knew I wasnt allowed, but the woman who cared for me was busy doing chores so I climbed out of my bedroom window. An hour ticked by and I befriended the children, but non were as wonderful as Shana. She was soon my best friend and I took to sneaking out of the house on a regular basis to see her. It was only when my mother returned from abroad and caught me in the act that they began to watch me more carefully than before. I was a child and did not understand exactly why they were keeping such an eagles eye on me - actualy, thats ironic, since I changed my own name to Hawkeye afterwards, but thats besides the point. The reason my wealthy family was so reluctant to let me out was because of them. The shifters.
I found this out the hard way.
It was almost midnight when I heard rocks being thrown at my bedroom window. It was Shana and the others, they knew I couldnt play with them anymore and so decided to come see me late at night. I did what felt right at the time - and although it would end horribly, I dont know if anything would have changed if I hadn't gone besides my own self suffering. It doesnt matter what would have happened - its what did happen that makes this story what it is. I crawled from the window as always, making my way down the thick vines that clung desperatly to the red brick wall of my house. The thrill of escaping, even temporarily, was extraordinary. I remember the elation I felt as I hit the ground and ran off down the streets with the others - it was wonderful.
After about half an hour of playing hide and seek through the blackened alleys, Shana and I found ourselves seperated from the group. We were looking for them as they hid, but we never did find them. A noise startled us and, thinking it was our friends, we headed for it. What we saw was two men, one with a gun outstretched in his hand and another laughing loudly, unafraid of the weapon. Stupidly, we snuck closer, childish curiosity taking over. Part of me wanted to go back but I didnt stop Shana as she led me forwards, giggling innocently as we spied on the men.
The man never got to fire the pistol. The unarmed person moved, as swift as lightning and the man collapsed. Back then I didnt understand why the gunman just fell to the ground, like a broken doll - lifeless, unmoving, but now I realise the man had broken his neck. Shana screamed. She was younger than me but she seemed to better understand the situation we had found ourselves in - or maybe it was merely a sixth sence that overcame her, telling her that danger was close. She tried to run, leaving me frozen on the spot - then it happened.
The killer turned at the sound and snarled, seeing the movement, unable to hold in the predatory instincts he beheld. He changed - it was the first time I had ever seen a shifter transform and I would never forget it - leaping forwards, his human skeleton seemed to twist and crack, limbs becoming thicker but shorter, fur coming from nowhere, clothes pulled into his skin. It took only a second and as he landed on what was once his hands, he began to run, his form now a fierce linx with its eyes pinned upon the red heads frail, young torso. I felt the air on my skin as he bolted past me, his prey the youngest human, her screams turning to pants as she struggled to flee. She was only a child. She had no chance.
Now, out of everything that happened that night, there are two images that stand out. One, the body of a lynx pouncing, pushing the human to the ground, her arms frail yet stretched up to the sky, pushing at the beasts head feebly as she struggled for her life, screaming for help as the claws and fangs shredded her skin and painted her flesh as crimson as the hair upon her head. Two, my mind racing, panicking, not knowing wether to run and hide or try and save my beloved friend, the girl who had showed me happiness in its most innocent form. I turned, my body acting on its own according, prising the gun from the dead mans hands, turning and aiming. The feel of the cold steel was alien to me back then, but nowdays its an every day occurance. From the moment I lifted the gun I was doomed, and when I pulled the trigger - part of my soul died alongside the thing I shot.
Maybe It was a good thing, maybe I had saved her from the agony. All I knew as I fell back from recoil was that the bullet had pierced through her skull and as my shaking hands dropped the weapon a great feeling of grief overcame me. The image of her lifeless corpse staring towards me, her aquamarine eyes glittering with bloodied tears, will haunt me forever, I know that for certain.
The next thing I know, the beast is hurtling towards me, eyes wild as before, if not more so for stealing his prey. I turned, my legs numb yet forced to move as I repeated Shanas finaly moments of life. I thought I was going to follow suit, with noone to take the pain away with a bullet. I though he was going to torture me to death like he tried with Shana. His form shifted, the shadow got bigger, yet I didnt look behind me to see what he had become. All I knew was that I was fleeing one moment and was overwhelmed with pain the next as a unsheathed set of claws ravaged my back.
The last thing I remember was darkness.
