Metamorphosis (Breaking Free, book 2)

Chapter 2-Owen

"Sera covered all the mirrors in our room. She refuses to look at herself and sometimes she wakes up crying. She says she's fine, but I don't think she really is. All I can do is hold her and make sure she isn't alone. That's all that either of us can do." He whispered, his breath soft and heavy with the weight of his words. I hated feeling so helpless when it came to Milo's suffering, but Mogli was right. There wasn't much I could do, and even when I tried to help more, he just pushed me away. Resigning myself to that thought, I squeezed Mogli's hand and leaned back in my seat.

We sat there like that for the last couple of hours of the bus ride, an unspoken comfort to each other. The baby had quieted down about an hour ago and since then, Mogli had fallen asleep, his book still laying open in his lap. He still had several hours to go till he got to the next shifter town over.

We were almost down to nothing on our stores of food and blankets, and with the winter weather chasing our heels, he was worried we wouldn't have enough to make it through. So he had left with me to gather supplies. He would be back in a week or so, but it was only a temporary fix for a problem that stemmed from within. We had nobody to lead us. We were floundering to stay together, and as one of the only military camps left, if we didn't manage to pull through, it could jeopardize the war effort.

Guilt pooled in my stomach. Alo had asked me to run for the position. The election was coming up, and he believed I would be the best candidate to win. With the whole town wrapped around his finger, his seal of approval meant I would be a shoe-in. But leading a camp wasn't something I'd ever wanted to do. The weight of hundreds of lives on my shoulders, not to mention a shiny new military command title to boot was too much for me.

Staring at the floor, I wished I could go back in time to when I was at Milo's school, only worrying about parties and grades and getting closer to him. It felt like it had been such a long time but it had only been a matter of months since then. Everything had been so simple, I wished I could turn back time and go back to where it all started and prevent any of it from happening. A loud ping interrupted my thoughts, quickly followed by the crackle of an intercom.

"Stop #43, Silverton." The intercom crackled, then clicked dead. The bus squeaked to a stop, jolting me forward and throwing Mogli's book to the floor. Mogli grumbled and shifted, and lightning crackled in the distance. Carefully closing the book, I put it in his bag. Staring at the pouring rain, I resigned myself to my fate as I slipped my hand from Mogli's.

Scooping up my bag, I pushed my way past him and off the bus, pulling up my hood, obscuring my face and providing somewhat of a cover. The rain soaked me to the bone in seconds, leaving me shivering as I walked down the dead streets. They were devoid of anyone, no one in their right mind daring to come out of their homes during a storm like this. All of the little boutiques and cafes on the side street held closed signs. It was a ghost town. I turned my head to the soaked ground. It felt kind of peaceful to be so completely alone for a couple of minutes. It was soothing to the soul, even if it was freezing.

I passed Grace's Cafe, then Bits and Bobbles, then Zach's Diner. Counting my steps, I waited for a sign that Milo's dad was anywhere nearby. It was too dangerous to set a meeting spot with his work, so he always left a coded town name and a date within his letters to Milo.

I smiled at the memory of the first letter. The surprise on Milo's face when he saw the code on the back of his letter imprinted itself in my mind. We spent hours decoding it together and after we figured it out we fell asleep on the floor together, completely content. It was one of his good days, and those seemed to be happening less and less frequently as time went on.

Suddenly a hand gripped the side of my jacket, clasping a hand over my mouth and jerking me into the alley. My eyes widened, adrenaline kicking in as I bit down on the hand, whipping around, my body in fighting position.

"Ow, kid! That hurt." Jeffery cried, clutching his bleeding hand desperately. A hood masked his features, but I knew his voice.

"Sorry." I apologized, my voice tentative. Jeffery shook his head before turning towards me.

"Word is they're planning something big. I don't know when and I don't know what it is, but it's soon. Real soon. They say they have a secret weapon that could go up against Milo. I don't know what it is, but it's gotta be something special. The whole camp is up in arms about it." He said, his voice hushed. Lightning flashed and Jeffery froze, his mouth still open.

"We're being watched." He turned and walked away nonchalantly, but his posture told me otherwise. He was stiff and tense. His words struck a chord of fear within me, and I followed, my body tense in fear and anticipation. I bit my lip, staying silent as we wove through dark alleys littered with trashcans and stray cats.

Thunder rumbled nearby and I shivered, unease settling into my body. I felt a weight on the back of my neck, and I resisted the urge to turn around, walking faster. My breath showed up in gray puffs around me, stark in the darkness of the night. Pulling my scarf up a little higher, I clenched my teeth.

Footsteps clomped behind us, growing faster by the second. My shoulders tensed and I watched Jeffery for a cue. Run or fight. The footsteps grew faster, and my heart sped up, pushing me to walk just a little bit faster. In line with Jeffery, I turned to face him, my eyes wide. His face was stony, but his eyes were wide and frantic. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small envelope, pushing it into my jacket pocket. Then he turned to look at me, his mouth forming a thin, pale line.

"Run." He hissed. Needing no other cue I took off sprinting. The footsteps clomped behind us faster and faster and my scarf slipped down my face. Jeffery disappeared around a corner. Glancing back and forth, I looked for a quick means of escape. Spotting an emergency stairwell I leaped.

Climbing higher and higher, my muscles screamed and my breath puffed out, as I pulled myself onto the balcony. Stealing myself, I gripped the bricks and dragged myself higher and higher. There was no time to shift. The bricks dug into my skin. Gritting my teeth, I pulled myself farther and farther and farther up, the sound of the pursuer just behind me.

With one last huff, I heaved myself onto the roof, pushing myself to stand, I began to run. My legs screamed as I raced across the concrete top. A ledge opened up in front of me and my heart leaped in my throat. There was only one way out. My pursuer was just behind me, nipping at my heels. Narrowing my eyes, I pulled the envelope out of my pocket and bit down on it.

The steps behind me grew faster. I felt their hand just behind my back as the ledge came closer and closer. My chest burned as I pushed myself faster. Thunder boomed nearby, rattling the rooftop. Stumbling, I pushed myself to my feet, my palms pulsing in pain.

Jerking myself forward, I took in a deep breath. The edge loomed closer. My heart thudded in my chest. 6 feet. My pursuer's breath was hot against my neck. 5 feet. I could feel them just behind me. 4 feet. My legs screamed as I pushed them faster. 3 feet. I could feel their fingertips grazing my hoodie. 2 feet. My heart stopped. 1 foot. I squeezed my eyes closed and jumped.

I could feel my bones breaking and shattering and feathers sprouting from my skin, the pursuer just behind me. Letting out a cry, I dropped the envelope, scooping down to pick it up in my talons. Recircling, I squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of their face. A single shock of red hair slipped out of her hood, her pale face contorted in rage. The glint of a metal knife rushed past me, then flew back into her hand, the red tint of blood on the tip.

Pain coursed through my wing and I slowly circled to the forest floor, branches slapping my face as I fell somewhere into the wilderness.