There's a boy, lost his way, looking for someone to blame.
Kaleb sat alone on a bench in the quad at his school. He didn't exactly have friends to hang out with or talk too, but he didn't mind much. He was never one for company. Most of the time people left him alone, I mean, who wants to associate with such a freak? Everyone knew he was a mutant, you know, those highly dangerous ones that your parents tell you not to associate with? Yeah, him being the only one in a small school in Oregon, it really made him an outcast. Even his mom didn't really want him.
Like I said, they normally left him alone, but that day wasn't exactly a normal day. Justin and his gang of friends came over to where he was sitting and looked at him, until Justin poked him.
"Hey, freak!" He yelled, although Kaleb sat just a few feet away. Kaleb looked up; giving him that evil look he gave anyone who talked to him. "What are you even doing here, mutant?" All his buddies laughed. "You should just leave! No one would even care anyway. You know why? Cause you're a damned freak!" Kaleb wasn't sure why he chose today to bully him. He was most likely just bored beating up the same kids and wanted a challenge, more or less. Or maybe he was scared, that's generally why anyone bullies. Either way, he wasn't going to just sit there and take it. He stood up, and although he was the tallest in the eighth grade, Justin came close and they were looking each other eye-to-eye.
"I'm the freak?" He questioned.
"Yeah! You gonna do something about it?" Justin gave him a shove.
"Maybe." He said, attempting to shove him back, unsuccessfully. Justin suddenly had a wild grin on his face, now was the time the real beating up happened. His friends backed up, forming a circle. There was more room for Justin to beat Kaleb to a pulp now. His beefy fist went up, ready to land the first punch, but Kaleb wasn't going to take it. He rarely ever pulled this card, but he did not like to be messed with. He looked around and bent the shadows casted by the many people to his will. Any shadow casted became his weapon. He had no intention of hurting him, just enough to scare him. Kaleb was just completely unaware of the strength he possessed.
Kaleb took his collected shadows and bent them into a distorted bear. Justin stepped back, aware of the sudden danger he was in. All his so-called "friends" ran away, off to who-knows-where. With Kaleb now "in control" of his little situation, he decided he needed to end it, in just the right way. He moved his shadow-bear like a marionette puppet, invisible strings tied to his hands. Kaleb lashed out, the bear mirroring him. Justin screamed for help and Kaleb continued to slash. Little did he know he was losing control. He was getting tired, and the bear was falling. He tried to send the shadows back, but it wouldn't break apart. The bear fell like a tree in a forest, and with one last slash of razor-sharp claws, sent Justin falling to ground, blood leaking from a wound in his stomach. The shadows returned when the bear hit, but Justin was still on the ground, writhing in pain.
Kaleb looked down at him in total shock. Justin was dying and he couldn't do anything about it. It's all my fault. He thought to himself. I'm a murderer. He looked at him again, tears in his eyes. He yelled I'm sorry tons of times, over and over again. He made a realization, he had to run. But everyone would know it was him. There was no one else around, he could make it look like an accident. He turned the shadows from a nearby tree into an axe. He chopped it down in one fluid motion and it fell on a now dead Justin. The axe evaporated and he took off. Through the gates and down the road. He just ran and didn't stop. Tears flew from his eyes and he muttered I'm sorry over and over and over again. He ran until he reached a dirt path, trees lining one side. He stopped when it started raining, and the only thing on his mind was what Justin's last couple sentences had been. Cause you're a damned freak!
There's a girl in the window, tears run down her face.
Lindsey paced in her little bedroom upstairs. Her parents had told her to stay in there until the party was over. Ever since they had discovered her little mutation, they hated her. She truly was treated like a freak in her own home. Generally she would listen, she feared her father above all things. Her father was, unfair and rash. She had many scars, mentally and physically, from her father. At that point, if she had a choice, she would ditch the mutation any day, if it meant her father would love and appreciate her.
Like I said, normally she would listen, but today wasn't exactly a normal day. She would just go down for a second, not long enough to do anything stupid and receive more abuse from her father. She put on her best dress. It was her only dress, but it was better than ripped jeans and an old t-shirt. She tentatively put her hand on the doorknob. The cool metal plus the nerves of what she was about to do was enough to send chills up her spine.
"Ok, if you're going to do this, you have to chill out and relax. Everything is going to be fine." She told herself. She turned the knob and opened the door. "No second thoughts." She stepped out. Then took another step. Then another. Pretty soon she was walking at a normal pace, up the hall, down the stairs. Suddenly she was at the party her parents were hosting. She looked around and spotted some children her age. She walked over to see them playing a game.
"Hey, mind if I join?" She asked.
"Sure." One of them replied.
"What are we playing?"
"Darts." A few said in unison. She watched them play in order to get an understanding of the game. She watched them cheer, the closer to the center the dart landed, the louder they cheered. Someone passed her a dart next. No one had gotten it in the very center, but she picked up on the various techniques. She took a deep breath on the draw-back, and blew out on the release. The dart flew and landed dead center. She and all the others cheered loudly. But Lindsey was the loudest. She felt like finally someone accepted her. She jumped around, unaware of the change happening in her body.
Leathery wings sprouted from her back, the cut of the dress allowing them out. Sharp talons emerged from her fingertips and her feet molded into talon-like appendages. Her face elongated and sharp fangs emerged. Lindsey was confused by the sudden silence. She looked around to see everyone in the house staring at her, in all her bat-like glory. She looked herself over.
"Well that's new…" She said, half to herself. She looked over and saw her mom, dad and little sister looking at her. Her father's face was red with rage. Lindsey watched as adults gathered up their children and made for the door. One by one the families left, afraid by what they had seen. They trickled out until only her family was left. She smiled nervously. Her bat features slowly disappeared back into her skin (minus the wings), until she looked like she could be normal.
"I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"
"Oh yeah. Do you have any idea what you have done?!" Her father spoke. "I told you to stay in your room! And you directly disobeyed me! Now look! No one is ever going to come back! They're going to tell everyone we invited a… a… a mutant!"
"Dad, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"
"Sorry fixes nothing! I never wanted you as I daughter! You are such a damned freak!" Lindsey looked at her father. How could he say such things? Fathers are supposed to love their daughters, no matter what. Tears streamed from her eyes and she ran up the stairs and into her room. She looked out the window in her room as tears continue to flow. It began to rain outside, as if the whole world was crying with her. No. She thought. No one is crying with me. Dad's right. I am nothing but a damned freak.