Raven stumbled through the woods, shivering cold and hungry. It was past midnight and the moon was covered with a thick blanket of gloomy clouds. With no light to guide her through the trees she tried morphing her eyes into that of a feline-but with no luck. Shape shifting required spending energy and she had none left to spare.
To her relief she suddenly felt nurtured grass beneath her bare feet. She squinted her eyes and made out a huge building less than a half-mile away.
'It must be a mansion!' She thought to herself delightfully. No lights were on. This was perfect.
Propelled by the thought of delicious food by rich people's standards, she sprinted across the neatly trimmed lawn towards a window that looked easy to manipulate open.
She frowned as she fumbled with the window, trying to gain purchase along an edge with her fingers. 'These rich people make their windows tough to open...'
Frustrated, she shape shifted her nails into thin, hook-like claws and finally managed to force the window open from the bottom. She gasped as a wave of nausea suddenly hit her. If she didn't find food soon she would surely faint.
Once inside she began scouting around for the kitchen. There was expensive furniture and extravagant decor all around her but she was too hungry and too tired to notice or even care. Within minutes she found the kitchen. Her stomach was practically roaring with hunger now.
She stopped in front of the refrigerator and gazed at the pictures strewn across it. There were many of a little boy and an attractive older woman with blonde hair, but no one else. For a moment Raven was jealous that two people could live in such a luxurious place by themselves.
Sighing disapprovingly she opened the refrigerator and grabbed the first thing she saw: A wheel of sharp cheddar cheese. She took a bite and closed her eyes in bliss. It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. She put the cheese down and climbed up top one of the counters in hopes she could find some crackers stowed away in the cupboards.
She rummaged hastily through all the cupboard's contents, not knowing what half of the items in it were. Her mind was so focused on her empty belly that she had thrown all discretion out the window without even realizing it.
That was when she heard the footsteps. She froze in place and strained her ears to listen. The footsteps were soft and light. Perhaps the little boy in the photo? She hopped off the counter and took one quick look at the older lady in the photo and then became her, just as a young boy walked in. Thank God she ate that cheese for a quick burst of energy.
The boy had a timid, fearful look on his face, yet he seemed determined as he rounded the corner with a baseball bat in hand. Raven gave him a quick scan from head to toe. He looked like any typical brown-haired boy, though he had that rare look of maturity about him. She guessed he was in his early teens.
"Mother!" He gasped with relief, lowering the bat. "You scared me! I nearly though you were a burglar!"
Raven blinked as she gathered in his words, unsure how to respond. As the silence between them grew she knew she needed to say something.
"I'm sorry dear." She said with an apologetic, sweet smile. "I didn't mean to scare you, my love. I was only just getting a drink. Would you like something? I could make you some hot chocolate."
The boy stared back at her in silence, but had a slightly puzzled look on his face. For a moment Raven feared he would say he was allergic to chocolate and then her guise would be blown.
But she wasn't prepared for what he did instead.
"Who are you? And what have you done with my mother?" He demanded.
All of a sudden his voice was booming with magnified intensity all around her. It was as if the decibels of his voice had tripled. She scrambled backwards until her back met the wall, her eyes wide with fear. Then she focused on his lips: They weren't moving. His voice was in her head.
"Stop!" She begged, then willed her body back into its true form, shrinking down until she was nearly a foot shorter than the boy and much bluer-looking.
Rather than beat her with his baseball bat like she imagined he would do, he smiled the biggest, brightest smile anyone had ever given her. Her heart warmed at the sight. How long had it been since anyone had shown her a gesture of kindness like that?
"I knew I wasn't alone." The young boy beamed.
"You're…you're like me?" Raven asked shyly.
He nodded and extended his hand to shake with hers. "My name is Charles. And you are?"
Raven shrank back. "You're not afraid of me?"
The boy threw his head back and let out a light chuckle at this. "Afraid? Quite the opposite, actually. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life! To know that your not alone...it's a remarkable feeling."
Raven smiled back and took his hand in hers. "I'm Raven."
"Raven, Raven. Your hungry, aren't you? You were going to steal something to eat but now you don't have to." He gestured all around him. "What's mine is yours. Eat whatever you'd like."
Raven beamed. "Really?" She could barely wait for him to nod his approval before she darted back to the refrigerator. This time she grabbed a casserole dish full of sliced honey ham. She began eating it ravenously as Charles watched. For some reason she didn't feel bothered by his staring. He was strange, just like her.
Charles took a seat at the kitchen table and propped his elbows on it, resting his chin in his hands. Raven saw that he seemed mesmerized by her appearance and suddenly felt very self-conscious.
"Please don't feel embarrassed. I think you look incredible." He said suddenly.
Raven raised and eyebrow at him and stopping eating the ham. "How did you...?"
Charles blushed apologetically and looked down at his lap. "I'm terribly sorry." He looked back at her, meeting her eyes. "I have an ability to read people's minds. If it bothers you just say so and I promise never to do it again."
"Yes." Raven said quickly. "It bothers me." She was slightly horrified at the thought of someone nosing around in her mind, able to know every little detail about her. "Please don't do it."
Charles cast his head down and raised his eyes to her. "I promise. You have my word." As if eager to change the subject he leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "I guess I'm going to have to get to know you the older fashioned way: Talking and asking questions. Just how old are you?"
"Twelve." She said quickly; A little too quickly, Raven thought with regret.
Charles raised an eyebrow. "I don't need to read your mind to know that your lying. Be honest, I'm not going to hurt you."
Raven let out a breath. "Eight. I'm really only eight."
Charles nodded and looked away from her for a moment, then back. There was pity in his eyes. He spoke softly, "And your parents?"
Raven said nothing.
Charles got up from his chair and walked over to her, kneeling down right beside her. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, fearing that he would hand her over to an orphanage now.
He put a hand on her shoulder and she quickly looked down and away from him. With his hand he gently lifted her chin up until her eyes met his.
"You can stay here with me as long as you wish. Your in need of a home and I'm in need of a friend like you. What do you say?"
She didn't know what to say so she just threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Tiny tears began to trickle down her cheek. She had just broken into a wealthy mansion and been offered to live in it by the kindest boy in the world. Her joy was insurmountable.
He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug, then placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back gently so he could look at her.
"First things first, you are much too skinny. We'll need to do something about that. And...your, um…skin."
Raven blinked the tears away then blushed. "I know, I'm hideous."
"No, no!" Charles said quickly. "Don't ever say that. You were born beautiful and you have an amazing gift. Always be thankful for that. It's just that you and I are different from everyone else and we have to hide that. Do you understand?"
Raven nodded quickly and shape shifted to her favorite human form: honey-colored skin, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes.
Charles smiled, "Exquisite."
Raven smiled. "Will this do?"
"Yes, quite. My mother is going to adore you. She's always wanted a little girl."
Raven's smiled faded. "Your mother? She lives here?"
Charles chuckled. "Yes, silly girl. Did you think I lived here all by myself? I'm only fourteen, you know."
Wow, he's old. Raven thought for a moment. She shook her head and focused on the inevitable obvious: No wealthy mother in her right mind would take in a straggly little girl under her wing. Charles' proposal really was too good to be true after all.
"Your mom wont let me stay here. She'll ship me off to an orph-" Raven stopped mid-thought as an idea struck her.
"I know! Maybe I can just shape shift into a cat and be your new pet."
Charles looked taken aback. "You can do that?"
Raven nodded.
"Could I see you do it?" He asked cautiously.
She closed her eyes and began willing her bones, muscles and skin to shift. But after a split second a sharp pain hit her head and the whole room began spinning.
"Agh..." Raven moaned and began to fall backwards. Charles quickly extended his arm and caught her behind the back before her head hit the floor.
"Raven? What's wrong?" He laid her down in his lap and peeled the hair from her cheeks and forehead. She was sweaty. He felt her forehead with the back of his hand. She was warm too.
Raven squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face with her hands. "My head...it's hurting so bad..." She said weakly.
"Raven," He began seriously, voice full of concern, "When was the last time you slept and had proper nutrition?"
"I was...was...I think two or three days ago." She felt delirious now.
Charles shook his head and looked up, thinking quickly. He glanced back down at her and looked as if he were studying her condition. Very carefully he opened one of her eyes and examined it.
"Your eyes are very red. I hadn't realized it before, but they are not normal looking right now." He placed two fingers on her neck to check her pulse. "What did I say my age was?"
"Wha-? It was-you said...Urgh, I don't know. Your old, that's all I remember."
"And your confused. Well then." He seemed to draw a conclusion from her answer. "Your suffering from malnutrition. Not only are you confused, but your dangerously thin, warm with fever, eyes are swollen-"
"-I know! I know...you… you stupid! That's why I came here, you know...for food."
"-And you are irritable. All signs of malnutrition. I'm going to get some vitamins and minerals to put in you. Until then you need to lie down."
He lifted her up easily and carried her through his large manor, down several dark hallways and up a short flight of stairs into a small study. He laid her down on a generously sized sofa with plush pillows and soft blankets. A moment later he was gone.
Raven lied there miserably and tried to get a grasp on her thoughts. She was so stupid to have tried to shape shift into a small animal. It takes a considerable amount of energy to do something so drastic as to shrink your body down so much. Clearly she should have known better. The whole point of breaking into this place was to eat food and recuperate her body, but then she went and tried to bend it over the edge while it was beaten down. It was probably due to the excitement of showing off her shape shifting powers to someone for once; She thought shamefully.
Charles re-entered the room with a glass full of some green, creamy liquid. It looked strange. And repulsive.
"I need you to drink this." He said. She could barely lift her head to shake no, but Charles seemed to catch her effort.
"Raven, you will drink this." His voice was stern. It was an order. She noticed the austere look on his face. "It's chock full of all sorts of vitamins and nutrients. Your body will gain what its missing from drinking this shake. Now drink."
He sat the drink down on a coffee table beside them and sat down beside her. Gently he cupped his hand behind her head and placed his other hand behind her shoulder blade to carefully lift her into a seated position.
"I'll be honest, it doesn't taste great. But try not to breathe as you drink and the flavor wont bother you. Now then, drink." He brought the glass to her lips and she parted her lips open. Slowly he tipped the glass until she drank all of its contents, then she let out a series of coughs and gagging noises. If she didn't lay down now she felt as if she would surely puke.
She tried to squirm free from his gentle grasp but her attempt to do so was feeble. Her eyes darted back to his face. He seemed concerned with her weak attempts to free herself. It seemed as if she had to use all her might to pull away from him whereas it took little strength for him to hold her.
"Not so fast, Raven. You are feisty, aren't you?" He shook his head, quickly dismissing that thought. "Here, eat this piece of bread. Your body needs the carbohydrates. After that I wont bother you anymore. Deal?"
"No..." Raven whined. Charles covered his hand with his mouth in an irritated manner, but quickly shook the feeling and sighed. Raven noticed his expression and blushed guiltily. She was being a stubborn child, and she knew it was getting on his nerves. He was only trying to help her get better.
Silently she took the bread and ate it in small bites. To her surprise it was actually very tasty with its honey oat flavor. She consumed the roll in less than twenty seconds.
"Do you have more?" She asked hopefully.
Charles smiled. He seemed glad that she had an appetite. "I'm afraid not. You don't want to over-do it with the calories all at once. Remember, you haven't eaten in three days. I'll feed you again in a few hours. Now get some rest, little one." He rubbed her forehead affectionately with his thumb and tucked her in with a blanket.
She closed her eyes and languished in a warm, cozy feeling. As she started to drift off she felt Charles place a wet cloth on her forehead to bring her fever down. She smiled her thanks and opened her eyes just barely, watching as he walked across the room and plopped down in a cushioned rocking chair. He let out a sigh and rest his forehead in his hands. Raven felt bad for him. Here she was keeping him awake when it was probably two in the morning. He looked run down and exhausted, as if he weren't used to ever being awake at his hour.
"Good night." Raven said quietly. She was out before she heard his response.