2) And So It Begins

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The morning was cool and cloudy as they set out in the truck. Collins had loaded the old shotgun in back, just in case they ran into any problems.  Elise and Reve sat side by side, holding hands. Reve was excited at the prospect of travelling. Being confined to home ground was fine, but she had never seen much outside of the area of which she lived.

Collins had offered to drive, explaining he wanted to see what was on sale. But Reve knew better. As the young girl had begun to mature at an alarming pace, so had her alien abilities began to manifest. It wasn't just confined to shape shifting she was also able to skim people's thoughts. It was this new found skill that had made her much more aware of the dangers that were out there, and one of those dangers happened to be Carl.

It was a shock when it had first happened to her. She'd been playing outside, watching her mother hang the washing as Carl had passed her. The word 'evil' and 'abomination' jumped out at her not knowing where this words had come from. That was until she caught the hate filled gaze from Carl.

She never vocalised what she 'over heard', she knew her Mother was constantly worried for her welfare but she also knew how much she loved Carl. If her Mother found out Carl's real feelings towards her daughter, her Mother would be devastated. And so she stayed quiet, and tried to keep out of the way of Carl as much as possible.

It was this skill that also alerted her to the fact that Collins was accompanying them as a bodyguard. Reve didn't much mind, her excitement blotted out pretty much everything else.

The journey didn’t take long. It was a pleasant drive the sun was shining and a few fluffy white clouds dotted the sky. The landscape seemed vast to Reve, a never ending green carpet.

The scenery soon changed as they hit the main road to the village. Remnants of the past were still visible on the tarmacked road with the street lamps that no longer worked. The area resembled a ghost town, until they rounded a group of dilapidated houses and there set up was the market.

"Look Reve, we're here..." The sight, smell and groups of people captivated her as she greedily drank in the scene before her.

Her eyes grew wide as she took in the dozens of stalls, selling a variety of items. Some were selling herbs, others fruit and vegetables, some were even selling off bits of old computers. Most stall holders were shouting about what they had to sell, each getting louder and louder as they tried to drown out their competitors.

Elise had given Reve a pair of contact lenses to hide her eyes. It made Reve’s eyes appear normal, able to blend in without arousing any suspicion that she was anything but human. Reve hated the feeling of the lenses but the chance to be around the busy market, was more than enough for her to put up with the discomfort.

The village was packed with people selling whatever they could. This area hadn’t been too lucky, not many populated areas had been unscathed during the alien invasion. But people had come back here and rebuilt, scratching a life out for themselves as best they could.

Although there was an air of celebration, if a person was to delve that bit deeper, past the immediate surface. The fear could be seen, always present. It was in the tightened smiles, the darting looks covered by over joviality.

"Elise, do you mind if I leave you for half an hour. I've some business to attend too."

"Sure Collins, we'll be at the dress shop. I'm going to see what they have, seeing as this one keeps on growing" She smiled down fondly at Reve. "I'll meet you in the square in half an hour" Collins grinned and headed off.

They came to a small stall, covered from top to bottom of various cloth and clothes in all shapes and sizes. Some were in better condition than others. Mother and daughter proceeded to rifle through them, in the hopes of finding something that would fit the ever growing Reve.

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