Freaks

VII

Your POV:
"Do I really have to go, Grandma?"
I watched as she finished painting onto a tarp in giant, evil red letters,
"PROTECT US. LOCK UP MUTANTS!"
She slowly attempted to stand and I rushed to help her up.
"___, you have to stand up for what you believe in. As long as those things are on this earth, we're in danger."
I knew there was no fighting this. Her ways were set in stone, permanent and everlasting.
I just hoped I had enough strength to survive that crowd of angry people.
The car ride was silent, and I could sense the swirling chaotic mass of anger and fear from a mile away. When we got to the protest, there were hundreds of people there with signs demanding that mutants be imprisoned, or even worse, killed.
My grandmother led me into the center of the group of people.
"Take the other side of the banner," she told me.
I did so, and tried to quietly stand there as people began to chant,
"RID MUTANT SCUM! RID MUTANT SCUM!"
Each repetition further stabbing into my chest.
My grandma looked over at me and realized I wasn't chanting.
"___, say it with us!"
I closed my eyes tightly,
"I can't."
"Yes you can! Cmon! We have to get rid of those freaks!"
"Really, Grandma. I-I can't."
"Say it!"
My head was now pounding heavily as everyone's anger swarmed around me.
"___, say it!" she commanded.
The crowd continued onward,
"RID MUTANT SCUM!"
And for a moment everything turned into a blurry mass of color, and my ears were only filled with an ear-piercing ringing.
Then everything went black.
My eyes opened with my grandmother hovering over me, my back against the grass.
"___, you fainted."
I slowly sat up and replied,
"How long was I out for?"
"Five minutes. I told you to drink more water this morning."
"Yeah, sorry. I should've drank more water."
"Well, if you're feeling better, we can keep going." My eyes went wide,
"Um, no. I need to go. I'm still feeling light-headed."
She helped me up,
"Okay, well I'll be home a little later. I'll be going out to dinner with the heads of the Anti-Mutant Committee. I'm thinking about joining. Are you good on your own for dinner?"
My heart sunk,
"Yeah, I'm-I'm good."
"Alright, be safe ___. You never know where those freaks are hiding."
I ran as far away from that place as I could.
I walked down streets until I was at the forest preserve. The only sound audible was the swaying tree branches and chirping birds.
I sat among the trees and bursted into tears.
What was so wrong with me that people wanted to kill me for it?
Even my own grandmother wants to kill me...
I sighed and wiped away the tears rolling down my cheeks. Before I was always able to deal with these things on my own, but now...now I needed someone.
I followed the trail back to the park ranger's office and slipped a quarter into the payphone outside.
There were a couple of rings until he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey," I said sniffling.
"___? What's up?"
"Peter, could you meet me at the forest preserve?"
"Sure, are you okay?"
"I'm alright, I just...could you come please?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be there soon. See ya."
"Bye."
I sat with my back against the payphone pole and stared at the ground. It was only about ten minutes before I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned to see Peter there with his hands in his pockets.
"You got here fast," I said as he extended a hand to help me up.
"I was in the neighborhood."
"Will you take a walk with me?"
He smiled and nodded as we proceeded down the dirt path.
It was silent until he stopped and looked at me,
"What happened? Why were you crying?"
A tear raced down my face,
"I want to tell you. I wish I could tell you, but I can't."
"Alright, then can you at least tell me why you're in the middle of the forest?" he said with a smile.
"I go here when I need to clear my head. My second favorite spot."
He nodded and looked up at the orange sky.
"It's getting late. Cmon, you can come back to my house."
"Thanks, Peter."
He draped his arm over my shoulder as we walked onward. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
And I could sense the same in him.