Avery
By: Adazula
Story description: Learning survival and to not get caught long before the age of 10 is not exactly a normal curriculum for sixteen year old Avery. But given the circumstances, there is no way to explain the mysterious powers without risking getting locked up and taken away. But what Avery didn't plan on is getting caught. By whom that could be the answer.
Chapter 1: The Hunt
"Dad. Why do we live in the woods in a cabin?" A six year old child asks curiously bringing in firewood for the night.
" We don't belong in a town. We belong here. Far away from people that can hurt us." The child's dad says as he stacks up the firewood to light them up for warmth.
"Us. Or you mean me?" The child raises an eyebrow.
"Smart kid." Dad mumbles impressed. " Yes. I'm doing this to protect you. Especially given your mother's special gift that she gave to you Avery. She wants to make sure you're safe and taken care of. The only way to do that is to live far from the people that can hurt you and you can be yourself without hurting anyone."
"I can hurt people?" Avery says out of shock.
"Not like you would mean to, but your mother is very powerful and I don't know much about how powerful you can be. I….. I want to make sure that you don't do something that you would regret." Dad says. " I just want to protect you. Do you understand?"
"Yes dad." Avery says.
"Alright. Tonight we have a choice. Trout or Trout?" The man jokingly says as he holds up the two same fishes in front of Avery. Much to the kid's amusement. Until everything darkens and the whole scene goes back to being a memory.
The green eyes of the now sixteen year old snaps open back to the current reality. The one that dad is not here and the daily responsibilities is left to the teen.
Avery moans and rolls to the side in order to look through the window by the bed at the outside world. It's early morning and very brisk with snow on the ground. Typical given the winter weather in the state of Midwest.
Avery sighs. Another day to keep warm from the colds of winter. Whoopie.
The teen gets out of the warm bed and heads out of the house already in clothing suited for this weather. Avery had learned for a long time to always sleep in outerwear in order conserve as much heat as possible. Especially since there is no fancy heater in the cabin. Just a cabin stove.
Avery goes around to the back where the firewood is stored and grabs a couple of logs before hurrying back into the house to lit up the stove.
Grabbing the book of matches and placing the wood in the stove along with some hay to help get it started, Avery strikes the match alight and starts a fire. With warmth immediately around the corner.
The teen stirs the fire a bit until a nice steady flame is set and closes the stove door. The whole cabin becomes brighter and warmer thanks to the fire.
"Avery?" A voice gets the teen's attention. Avery turns to Josie. Thirteen year old half-sister standing in the doorway to her bedroom.
"Joan. It's seven in the morning and a Saturday. Go back to sleep." Avery tells her.
"But I want to come with you on your hunting." She says. " Can I? Please? You promised to teach me."
Avery sighs remembering the promise to take Joan when she became a teen like Avery and got to go on the first hunt with their dad.
" Alright. But you have to stay by my side at all times." Avery says. Doing the same thing their dad did when he took Avery with him the first time.
The girl heads back into her room to suit up in winter clothes while Avery builds up on the one already on. The teen pulls on an old aviator leather jacket of Dad's and fingerless leather gloves. For extra measure, a grey beanie and long thick green scarf.
Joan comes out of her room wearing an outfit similar to Avery's. Given the fact that it used to be Avery's and before their dad's. Their dad believed in hand me downs as much as possible.
"Alright then." Avery says approvingly slinging the family Winchester gun over the shoulder. "Let's go and stay close."
The two of them trench through the snow in the woods. Avery is ahead of Joan with the gun in hand and loaded. Hunting takes a range of time. It can be within an hour or many more.
Avery looks around and has a feeling that they maybe able to be near a deer soon. It's funny. The feeling is unexplainable.
" Avery. How long until we find an animal?" Joan asks. Avery holds up a hand to shut her up while surveying an area for an clues of any animal. Feeling that there is a strong presences nearby.
The two of them hear a crack from something stepping on a branch. Avery immediately points the gun in the direction and sees a deer on the run.
"Let's go!" Avery shouts to Joan and the two of them run after the deer. Joan loses her breath and stops as her sibling keeps on going without her.
"Wait up!" She shouts at her sibling's disappearing form.
Avery doesn't hear her as the deer is only on mind right now. Finally the deer slows down for Avery to point and cock the gun. Ready to shoot, but stops. Something doesn't feel right to the teen.
It's another living thing for sure, but unfamiliar. Something Avery has not experienced. The teen knows and has feelings about many animals and people. But this is something not from this world.
Sure enough, it distracts Avery from killing the deer. The teen would have scoffed in frustration if the strange creature didn't come out instead.
" What the?!" Avery backs away and takes a good look of the monster.
The monster looked like a wolf mixed with some form of a yeti. It's white fur stands out against its blue body and It has shocking yellow eyes. This is not a normal creature that Avery sees in the woods.
Avery aims the gun and pulls the trigger of the gun at the monster. The bullet bounces off of the monster like it was nothing. Which makes the situation even more supernatural to Avery.
The monster turns towards Avery and growls in anger. All the teen could do is gulp in response.
"Uhh….Bye!" Avery says before making a run for it.
The monster chases after Avery. Years of practice must have paid off as the teen is weaving through the woods with little to no effort. It wasn't long before Joan appears in Avery's field of vision and the teen swiftly grabs and drags her along much to her shock.
"What is that?!" She shouts.
"No idea!" Avery shouts. "Pick up your feet Joan!"
Unlike Avery, the girl can't keep up and trust the ground like her sibling could. It wasn't long before she trips and brings both of them down.
The two of them scramble to their feet, but the monster has caught up to them. Joan clutches onto Avery in fright. All Avery could do is shield Joan's eyes from their impending doom.
The monster lunges at the two, but was suddenly hit out of the way by something. More like someone.
"Pearl! Amethyst!" The someone shouts. Avery and Joan look up at what's going.
The monster has its attention on a strange tall curvaceous woman instead of the two teenagers. Before Avery and Joan could register what is happening. Two more strange women appear. Followed by a young boy that looks slightly younger than Joan.
" There you are!" The pale one shouts as she blasts lightning from a strange spear in her hands at the monster. Causing it to be stunned.
The monster stumbles on its feet before a whip wraps around its legs and it's pulled onto the ground by a smaller purple woman.
"Woah…." Joan says in wonder. Avery just looks as stun as the monster.
The monster tries to free itself, but sees a shadow casting overhead and looks up in time for the curvaceous woman to collide her fist into its face. Causing it to explode its form.
Joan gasps in shock. The dust settles and the two get a glimpse of the group of strange people put something in a floating bubble.
"That gem is fast." Says the pale one exhausted. " Took us over an hour just to catch up to it."
"Still was fun though." The purple one says.
The young boy turns away from the conversation of the three women and sees the shocked teens.
" Hey! Are you guys ok?!" He asks.
" We're fine!" Joan shouts.
The group walks over towards the duo. Joan was fine with it, but Avery had a feeling of mistrust and grabs the girl by the jacket and throws her back.
" Avery!" Joan yelps as her older sibling raises the Winchester at the group of strange people.
" Put the gun down." The tall one sternly says.
" No one tells Avery Jensen to put down a gun." Avery growls cocking the gun. " I've shot bears with this. You're not much different."
" Is that kid seriously demented?" The pale one says.
" Avery! Put the gun down!" Joan shouts.
" Sorry Joan. I promised our old man to keep you safe. As for the question about me being demented. No. Just protecting my sister." Avery says to the group.
The purple one says. " Listen. No one is here to hurt anyone. We have no interests in you or your stuff. So why don't we just leave and you don't shoot us?"
Avery considers and starts to lower the gun slowly. But the feeling of mistrust is still there. These people are clearly not just any sort of humans.
"Who or, should I say, what are you?" The teen asks.
"We're the Crystal gems. We protect humanity and stuff." The boy says proudly.
"Good for you. We're just waiting for my Pop. You better scram before he comes home soon." Avery says.
" But he's in jail for the next week!" Joan shouts.
Avery growls in response.
"What did I say about talking to strangers Joan!?" Avery reprimands her before turning the attention back onto these Gems in a threatening manner." You think I'm crazy. I'm the sane one compare to my old man. He set a convenience store on fire when they no longer had his favorite slush flavor. Jailed or not, he always finds a way."
"Oh boy." The boy says looking nauseous in response.
The women take a fighting stance and the weapons from the fight with the monster come out of nowhere. Much to Avery's panic. Seeing that the Winchester is no good here either.
"I got get us out of here. They know too much." Avery thinks. Looking for a way out. Before a miracle arrives in time in the form of crows.
The teen senses a sea of crows in the sky coming near them. No one else knows. Only Avery knows. Sensing animals has always been one of the teen's strange gifts. At least, that's how the old man explained it. Good. Perfect opportunity for another gift.
" Distract." Avery thinks immediately.
The curvaceous one frowns and looks straight at Avery. Much to the teen's surprise, but it's already too late. Suddenly crows fly down towards the group.
"AH!" Everyone in the group shouts as the crows swarm in and start pecking the living daylights out of them.
Joan gasps before she's grabbed by the hand by Avery. Avery drags her along as the two make a run back for the cabin. Though they will have to take a longer route just to cover their tracks.
If there's one thing Avery had learn, it's don't make yourself the easy prey to the hunter.
This is another idea I had and I'm thinking of going with this one over Gem Mom for several reasons. One being that, I have the full idea of where this is going. Whereas Gem Mom was not fully thought out. It would unique, but I have no idea how I want to continue the story.
As for the main character, by now you have realized that Avery has no defining gender. This is done on purpose to make the character nonbinary and allow people to make assumptions about the character. Something that I wanted to try for a while. It is difficult on how to tell the story without using 'his' or 'her' adjectives. I might use they or them like for Stevonnie, but I can't help but see it only for more than one person.
Tell me what you think. Otherwise have a nice Tuesday.