~Chapter 4: Hide and seek~
Angelo took a steady breath. He pondered on what he had seen today and how he felt about it all. He'd seen the girl he was slowly falling in love, turn into something she couldn't control. He'd seen her run away because she couldn't control herself and was ashamed and scared. He stroked his metal collar and knew all to well how she felt. That metal collar was the one thing he had in this world as a reminder to what exactly he was. His powers were out of control and Anderson had made sure the boy came to no pain or harm as they agreed that he should wear the psych-controlling device until he could master his skills and abilities. The collar acted on his brainwaves, tuning them down to a normal persons wave length. Without it, they were high and erratic and the effects of him not wearing it where devastating.
He sighed and thought of Yumiko and what she had to control her. By what he had seen, it was her own strong will and determination. It was also her voluntary alienation from everyone else.
It was a small rubble of nose faraway that drew him out of his daydreaming. It started off as something he could of ignored, but the raised voices and the unfamiliar rabble of his mentors harsh tones that he knew there was something occurring.
He carefully snuck out of his room and drew as close as he could without being seen, glad he could still hear from where he was. He could tell that a large number of teachers and priests and nuns had gathered, everyone chattering away.
"Right, right, right, can we have some control please!" Anderson put his hands up and everyone instantly became quiet, "this is not 'Timmy getting his head stuck in the railings again'. This is something far worse. In all the years I've been here, no one has ever run away. Especially not in winter. It's incredible how she managed to climb the wall and it's going to be a miracle if she manages to walk the two miles in the snow to the village. She's ten years old. Everyone please...try to be serious. We have to find Yumiko before something happens to her."
Angelo' heart leapt into his mouth and he covered it quickly with his hand to silence any noise coming out, revealing his where abouts. He could barely control himself. Yumiko was missing. She'd run away and was outside in the cold right now.
"You lot, stay here encase she comes back," he signalled to five adults, "someone also needs to look after the children. The rest of us will split into three groups. We have to search quickly. She may be ten but she's very good at hiding."
Angelo had barely had time to hear the last sentence. He'd stopped gripping tightly onto the wall and was already quickly scurrying back to his room.
'I have to find her. I need to find her.' He kept repeating in his head and his heart raced wildly.
He quickly darted about his room, gathering what he could find in his bag. He allowed his rational mind to slow things down as he collected a large blanket, some food, a flash light and even some matches he'd found dropped after some kids sneaked them inside the orphanage and threw them away before an adult could get them.
He made his way back out, sneaking easily past the small group of those left behind, making his way out of the building. He'd snuck out many times during the evening and night and made sure to make a safe route if ever need be that he would go out during the day. He was a black spot on a pure white canvas as quickly shuffled into the shadows of the trees and covered his clothes in white snow, knowing that he'd be cold, but as long as he kept moving, he'd be fine.
He wished for once he didn't have the collar around his neck. He knew he could find her quicker using his powers. But now, all he had to rely on was thought and prayer as he walked through the mounds of snow, into the gardens and into the woods, where Yumiko was hiding.