[2019]
I was sitting on the ground, watching in envy the Pups play fighting. I was trapped as a kid, so I never got to play-fight with other Shifters. Along with the P.I.S.S thing, I went back to plucking grass and regrowing it.
"Edith," David's voice rang out for being a big guy he can be quiet, "Why not join the pups? They are at your age." My age? But-right their normal, lucky.
"I can't, I may-", he interrupted me by lifting me up from the ground. "Wait! No! Please let me down David," I pleaded, "I'll play along with them at a later date, but now? Not now!" He ignored my pleas and brought me closer to the younger ones.
"Edith here wants to play, will you allow them?" He questioned them. I shook my head subtly, they looked at each other and jumped up towards me.
"I'm assuming that you know how to shift, so get to it if you will." He said as he put me down. I nodded, swallowing and let my core take over. They haven't seen or heard from me from the year I've been here on how it looks so this would be a true shocker for them. I could feel some relief when I shifted but I heard my heart thumping a lot faster.
I sat down and looked up at David who was in awe. The younger ones are having, what it seems, an existential crisis. Tilting my head, and putting it up seemed to take them out of the trance. I shifted back before they could even talk.
I mumbled something about going to meet a friend, so I got up and walked out. I rushed out of their sight, I unlocked the door to my car and hopped in. Starting the engine I could hear my phone buzz in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID, and it was David. Immediately hanging up on him, and I drove out of the Den. I could hear the phone buzzing, I tossed onto the passenger seat and ignored it as I drove to the park.
As I turned off the engine I picked up the phone and saw the numerous messages left for me by the Pack. Asher saying that he heard what the Pups had said and wanted me to know it wasn't anything awful, David trying to make me come back to the Pack for whatever reason. I marked them as read, and texted Finn. He knows about the Magical world, and I had to use Fire magic to prove it to him.
He immediately called me, and asked what was wrong. I blabbered about what happened, that they didn't know about the damned syndrome. He listened, after I had it all off my chest he offered to stay with me at the Shed. I told that'll I'll be there waiting for him at the beginning of the path.
He hung up, and I drove back to my home. I went inside and changed clothing, bolting outside to the path. I saw a car pull up and saw Finn get out. I bursted out into laughter, and ran faster. I could hear him scream and I knew he tried to race me to the path.
I waited for him at the path, he was out of breath. We talked all the way to the Shed, I put a candle on both of our forearms and lit them. We have gotten really close since I've told about magic, we've indulged each other with stray touches that fuels us for weeks. I could feel flickers in magic in him, which was why I wanted to be his friend.
Maybe he's a latent? That's what I'm thinking, maybe I should ask Dad how to see if someone is a latent. Is there a way to tell them before they found their powers before a traumatic event.