Mutation
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"See you tomorrow, Brooke!" the teacher yelled out from across the street.
I pretended not to hear.
My feet dragged as I walked home from school. The sun had gone behind the large concrete apartment buildings an hour ago, leaving me to walk the twelve blocks home in the dark. The grey Toronto streets glowed ominously under the scattered streetlights. My blonde hair rippled in the cold mid-october wind, and i hiked my bag up higher on my shoulder as I skirted the dark alleyways. All I had to do was get home, then i could eat and go to sleep after such a long day. My teacher had held me back after school for a help session in english, and had only just let me out. My parents would be crazy with worry as my phone had died in second block and i hadn't called and informed them of the delay.
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Loud footsteps dragged me out of my thoughts. A large shadow slowly crept out of the alleyway I was about to pass, causing my heart to stutter. A gasp escaped from my lips causing the figure to look my way and start slithering further out under the street light. His voice stabbed through the silence like a knife. "why, hello there pretty girl. don't you know its late?" the delighted smirk on his dirt covered face was revealed as he pulled down the hood on his old jacket. I stepped back as he started towards me and tripped on the uneven sidewalk, landing on my back. His footsteps quickened a he got closer and my heart pounded inside my chest. I saw him stumble over and tried to cry out as he grabbed my shoulders roughly and dragged me up over to the brick wall of a closed store. his breath reeked of alcohol and his clothes were torn and bloodstained, and in the part of my mind that wasn't frozen in fear I realized the bloodstains were probably from other victims.
I tensed as he brought his face closer to mine, his cloudy brown eyes staring glassily at my blue tear-filled ones. "pathetic little baby doesn't have anyone to help her, does she?" he mocked as the tears spilt over. his grubby fingers poked at my face as he laughed at my fear. he leaned closer to my ear and whispered " no one can save you now you weakling. so stupid and useless." he laughed loudly and my ears rang.
Anger bubbled up inside me as he wheezed out another handful of intoxicated chuckles at my expence. how dare he think he could do this to me, or to anyone. my fists tightened as he pushed me harder into the wall, my shoulder blades grinding into the brick through my thin sweater. he brought one hand to his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, bringing it up to my face. it stung as he dragged the blade down my cheek, creating a cut that i was sure would scar. my anger sky rocketed as he smiled in glee at the crimson blood dripping off my chin. i wanted to kill him. i wanted to hurt him until he begged for mercy. i felt a part of my fear ebb and my muscles tightened under my skin, preparing for a fight.
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I felt my ears grow hot and suddenly everything was too loud. his breath, his heartbeat, and the sound of someone five streets over opening their apartment window. the mans breath hitched suddenly as he looked at the cut and he froze as his eyes met mine. He gasped out before taking a step back. I smiled as he gave me room to move. Shhhk. My hand met his shocked face, and he cried out. my eyes widened as four slim trails of blood slid down from his temple to his chin. I froze in shock as i looked at my hand.
Deadly claws protruded from each finger, glistening with his blood. a piercing scream rang out and it took me a minute to figure out it had been mine. "M-mu-mutant!" gasped out the man before he quickly ran away. I turned to look in the reflection of the store window. I whimpered as I took in pointed ears and how my blue eyes now had gold spiraling out from the pupil. Two small fangs peeked out of the corners of my mouth as i cried out in confusion. it couldn't be. I wasn't a mutant! My parents worked for part of the anti-mutant division, they would never let me back! Looking back at my reflection, I saw that the claws and fangs had shrank and that they looked normal again. All that was left were the eyes and the pointed ears. thinking quick I retrieved my bag from the gutter, and ran quickly and silently towards my house.
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Silently unlocking the door and creeping up the stairs towards my bedroom, I surveyed the area. It was later than I had originally thought, so my parents must have gone to bed.
Quickly, I shoved a weeks worth of clothing and essentials in a black duffle bag, and left it on my bed. Running into the bathroom I wiped off the blood and dirt and changed into a purple tank top and my stretchiest grey skinny jeans.
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Looking once more into the mirror, my eyes blinked at the altered image. The gold in my eyes had lessened so that it just rimmed my pupils and my ears were unnoticeable behind my blond hair. I wondered if I could pull off staying here, wondered if no one would notice I was a freak. My hopes were dashed as a Loud knock on the door frightened me and made my heart race in fear, causing my fangs and claws to come out. Horror shot through me as my parents yelled at me from the other side of the wood door about how I was in so much trouble if I didn't come out right that second. I felt my eyes change and I realized there was no way my fantasy would every have worked.
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Anger ran through me and I reached for the door handle and unlocked it. I stepped out of the bathroom and stood in front of my parents, and smirked up at them, my fangs poking out from my lips. All I saw was their horrified faces before my mother screamed and I felt my father give me a well aimed right hook. It sent me flying into the door frame of my room, and I quickly scrambled in and grabbed my bags, slinging the duffle over my shoulder and holding my school bag as threateningly as possible. I didn't want to hurt the people who i had loved only moments ago, but my father was charging into my room and quickly cornering me up against the window seat. Morbid thoughts of why it took him so long to get into my room vanished as he pulled out a gun that had been given to him by the anti mutant division. It had been issued after one of the employees had been killed in a riot, and I knew he knew how to use it. my feet bumped against the loose latch to the large window as he took the safety off. I did the only thing i could think of.
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I kicked open the glass, and jumped from my third story bedroom window.