At first my running was clumsy. With each step my shoes swayed around my feet my earlier transformation must've stretched them further than I had anticipated. A bus was loading off passengers nearby, close enough that I could have hopped on.
Despite what little time I spent running my lungs were already burning in my chest. Somewhere along the way I progressed into a sprint, but at the rate I was moving it was obvious that my form and breathing were all wrong. It was difficult but necessary. If I wanted to be a hero, I would need to be in shape both as Taylor and 'Windigo.'It was one of the first things my partner advised me on. In the weeks since awakening my powers I began a regimen of cardio, callisthenics, and power training. My progress had been slow but steady, outside of my changer form I was in the best shape of my life.
But the impromptu training was only half the reason for why I had to keep moving, the rest had to do with Emma. Even after I got my powers I still held out hope for my ex-best friend. We were so close while growing up. Our dads, in particular, grew close in college and remained as such when they both eventually got married. It was only natural that their children kept up the tradition. I used to think of my family being twice as good with two moms, two dads and the best sister, a kid, could ask for. It was good while it lasted.
Looking back I never could place my finger on how it all went south in the end. But like everything else it had started with my mom. Neither she nor dad would tell me what happened, but I could tell things were strained. Next incident was between our fathers according to my dad, it was only a small disagreement between friends. Whatever it was shortly coincided with the visits to or from Emma's becoming increasingly infrequent. Still our friendship persisted. We still saw each other at school and carried on with regular phone calls before bed.
We confessed everything with each other, what are secrets among friends? I was so excited when Emma told me about the local model scout that had reached out to her. She was a nervous wreck, for hours she would point out every physical flaw she had real or everyone she uncovered I refuted by bringing up every positive trait she had. Apparently she had a lot, but of course she would she was my best friend and deserved what ever good came her way.
But once again mom ruined everything. Things between our parents went from strained to painfully awkward. Dad wasn't himself anymore, none of my family was anymore. The Barnes and the Heberts grew distant and for the first time Emma and I drifted apart. I figured then that a bit of distance would be good for us, a chance for us to change into better people. That was the summer before Winslow. Emma and I still talked but only occasionally, like a chore. I had hoped to fix that during the break but dad only got worse after what happened with Mom, he decided to send me away while he coped.
The first thing I did when I came back was speak to Emma, to divulge about how I had changed. But she was different too. That was the last conversation we'd have as , every intimate secret became open rumors, every insecurity loaded into barbed insults. She knew everything about me and used it all to destroy me. I could never consider hurting Emma Barnes but hate her? That I could do without hesitation. My sprint had only picked up speed fueled by resentment towards my former family. I must've looked crazed, a too tall of a girl running while flailing her arms and colored the different shades of the rainbow. I was everything but conspicuous, as noted by people getting out of my way long before I reached them.
I was almost home, turning the corner I picked up speed. Unfortunately at that moment so was someone else. I was moving too fast to stop, and my ruined shoes were no help at all. We collided, the speed of my run sent us both sprawling to the sidewalk. I tried to use my arms to cushion their fall but in my hurry forgot about my own descent. I scraped my head against the ground and could feel the gash sting at my temple. My vision was blurry, I started blinking to clear it up.
"I'm sorry, are you ok?" I asked groggily.
I felt a soft hand brush against my forehead pushing my hair away from the wound.
"It's alright and yes I'm fine, how about you?"
She had a pleasant voice it was similar to a friend or something of that sort. Blinking my eyes clear I could finally see who I knocked down.
She had the greenest eyes I've ever seen; with the slightest shift of sunlight, the color in them changed from emerald, jade, to everything in between. I didn't notice I was staring until she scrunched her brow in concern.
"U-uh um yes I mean yeah I'm good."
I awkwardly pulled my arms from under her before offering a hand took a bit of effort not to gaze into her eyes again. I was grateful to get a better look at her she was around my age probably sixteen or seventeen but she dressed like a secretary. She wore her dark blonde hair in a bun, with a long sleeve blouse and a knee-length skirt. Despite her conservative choices in clothing, she was nonetheless attractive. Apparently I was staring again, because she brought her hand up to my face to check my gash.
"Are you sure you're ok, you're kinda spacing out." she said only this time with a subdued smile on her face. I only nodded. Her smile grew a bit wider as she rummaged through her purse eventually retrieving a handkerchief to offer me. It was then I recalled that I was sweaty and covered in enough color to make a clown jealous. I reflexively took a step back to which the girl took a step forward placing the silk cloth into my hand, shaking it as she did so.
"Hello I'm Amara" she said still holding my hand, "what's your name?"
"My name's Taylor, nice to meet you, " it really was.
"Are you being chased, I can call for help if you need it?"she said losing my hand and grabbing her cellphone.
"No, nothing like that I just wanted to get home is all, it's just been a real mess of a day you know?!"
I'd meant for the sentence to come out calmer than it had, but I instead managed to say all of it in under a only nodded politely probably looking for the quickest way out of this situation.
Instead, she said,"well even if that's the case I think you still might need this."
Producing a pen and blank business card, she wrote a few numbers on it before handing it to me.
"Here's my number in case you ever need it."
I could feel my cheeks go red. She must've noticed because her smile returned in all its glory.
"Nice meeting you Taylor, hopefully we'll see each other again soon," Amara said before turning the corner.
I continued on my way home walking now to marvel at the piece of paper. It felt like it weighed more than it should've, I stared as hard as I could at the numbers as if they'd disappear if I took my eyes away from them. I didn't know how long I spent burning the numbers into my head, but I arrived home in no time at all. Carefully folding the card, I tucked it into my pocket and braced myself to enter.
I stepped lightly on the porch and adjusted my weight accordingly; the stairs to the home had long since rotted away. The porch itself wasn't in much better shape it sagged and squeaked with the slightest provocation. Even with the majority of the window blinds closed, I didn't want to risk my dad overhearing my arrival in the middle of the school day. If he caught me, he'd probably just send me back to Winslow to attend the rest of the school day as a clown. I entered the quiet house slowly as to not create any disturbances with only a few stray strands of sunlight it was difficult to seem much of anything. I wasn't too worried about bumping into the furniture or anything mundane.
The more pressing concern lied with the scattered mounds of beer cans and glass bottles. Most of the living room had a faint trace of alcohol in the air, but the living room is only where my dad had left his empty cans. I turned to his office, a small room with a mini fridge and a computer for his job. The door was left around I soon found him standing motionless in the doorway of the kitchen a fresh beer in hand.
Daniel Hebert was a tall man seemingly made of only skin and bone. His beady and baggy eyes accentuated gave the constant impression that he was somewhere else than where he should have been. Most of the living room had a faint trace of alcohol in the air, but the living room is only where my dad had left his empty cans. If he were to walk the streets hed likely be mistaken for a homeless bum.
"Annette is that you?". He asked his voice barely above a whisper.
I knew what was coming next but that knowledge didn't make it any easier to endure. A part of me wanted to accept the hug meant for mom I almost did but decided against it at the last second.
" No dad, it's me Taylor,"I said in a voice so small I could barely hear it.
He froze mid hug and placed a single heavy hand over my shoulder. Staring with the same squinted eyes like he had done so many times before he was searching for the woman who had abandoned us years ago. Once he was finished, he wordlessly grabbed his liquor and proceeded to lock himself in his office.
I felt something wet near my eye reaching up I wiped away some of the blood that had dripped from my head wound. The blood had formed into a ring orbiting around my hand gaining speed with each rotation. I had more important things to do and with that I climbed the stairs towards the bathroom. On my way there I tossed Amara's number on my bed. The first thing I did upon entering the bathroom was to run cold water with my clothes still on. I needed a distraction and this would definitely do the trick.
I had zero hopes of salvaging my clothes the only use they were to me now was for training. I released a small portion of my blood cloud or 'wraith' as I liked calling it. The amount was only so much to surround most of my body. I tried controlling the wraith so that it would only remove a single article of clothing at a time. Single commands tended to work best 'up' for my sweater was easy enough but I ran into trouble when I got to the buttons of my under shirt. Instead of unbuttoning one at a time the wraith moved as a whole using its entire mass to attack the buttons.
Thus tearing them free from the shirt and in the process ricocheting into my eye. That was the end of my experiment, but fine control was not among my strengths.
I stripped out of the clothes leaving them as a wet pile in the corner of the tub. I recalled most of my wraith back into myself but left some of it out to heal me. It formed a network of blood flowing from my the gash to my head towards the bruises on my neck and back. After a few minutes I was done with both my shower and my healing. Wrapping a towel around myself, I went downstairs to the basement where I kept my costume and gear.
The basement was crowded with junk all of it mainly due to how much of mom's stuff was down here. It was a mystery of how dad managed to get all this stuff down stairs. I didnt know him to have any friends to help him, and he was even less likely to allow hired help to handle Mom's stuff. Regardless, it provided me assured privacy. One of the things dads brought down here was a large rusted safe it was so old I had doubts that it was even functional. But it was what was underneath it that mattered to me. I slightly transformed gaining only a bit of muscle but enough to push the safe back without too much noise.
My efforts revealed the deep hole I had punched into the ground where I kept my costume and burner phone. With my particular power set getting a costume was already going to be a challenge, I didn't have the option between style and practicality. My costume was comprised of a pair black extra large thermal leggings and top. The last piece of my costume was large rain coat that reached down to my knees and protected my identity with a hood Windigo. The burner phone had only one contact loaded into it. Pausing for a moment I considered what was about to do. I almost felt a tinge of guilt, but the criminals deserved what was coming to them.
I sent her the text.
Windigo: Hey, I'm looking for some action tonight are you in?
I spent several minutes waiting for a response but was reassured by the answer.
Shadow Stalker: Hell yeah, let's meet here
The night had only begun.