Kate put her money on the shop's counter and took the sandwich she had
brought. She went outside, hood pulled up and casting a shadow over her
pale features and sat on the bench she had seen earlier.
She tore the plastic wrapper off and devoured the food, wishing, not for the last time, that she had eaten properly the day before. She had money, about £60, some clothes and her mobile with her, but all this could do nothing to help her after a week or so. She could have £10,000 but in the long run, she knew she couldn't get very far on her own, things were bound to catch up with her. The day before her only thoughts had been how she could get out of the house, past that, she had nothing. Finally she stood up, muscles stiff and sore due to a combination of running like her life depended on it and sleeping curled up in a gutter for the night. There was nowhere she could think of to stay. Her friends would have been begging to help her if it had been 4 days ago, but none would let a mutant in their home. For the moment, it looked like the gutter would have to do. For a fleeting moment, she felt proud of herself for surviving this far on her own in the big wide world, but this was quickly swamped by an overwhelming feeling of the daunting times ahead of her. Now she was a mutant, she would never be free. Her shoulders slumped and she started up walking to nowhere in particular.
Back home, chaos had settled clumsily in the house and it looked as if it was planning on staying there for a while. Kate's mother was crying again, this time into her friend's shoulder as James was held up making frantic phone calls to try and get hold of someone, anyone, who could help sort this mess out. Upstairs, Shannon and Edmund were arguing loudly, with colourful language, but no one else in the house cared enough at that moment to do anything about it. Shannon was convinced that Edmund was responsible for her sister getting away and knew where she was. She was furious and certain that they were in danger of their lives. Edmund's anger matched that of Shannon's and it was coming perilously close to becoming a repeat of the scene in the dining room.
Over the next few days, things arranged themselves into some sort of pattern. For Sharron, it was spending most of her time checking and rechecking locks on doors and windows in the house and having long, drawn out phone calls with various friends on her predicament. Her mother did something very similar but also took time to periodically deplore her husband to 'Do something!". On his part, he was doing things, calling anyone he could think of that would be of use whenever the phone was free, filling in forms and writing speeches on how there was nothing to be worried about, and worrying. Edmund slipped quietly away from them, in the same house as them, but somehow unnoticed, in the comparative serenity of his room, however, he exchanged texts with his sister. She was ok, and for the moment, so was he.
There was not much Kate could do except to keep moving, walking as far as she could each day and keeping her head down. She still didn't know where any of this would lead. She had heard from radio extracts that they were looking for her, and she was continually looking over her shoulder, but no one had approached her so far and for the moment, it seemed luck was with her.
Kate watched her feet move mechanically forward, in the same way she had watched them for the last week. Weariness tugged at her heels but she had to keep walking, keep on walking to anywhere as long as it was in the opposite direction to home. Home. Funny she should still called it that even though she knew she would probably never see it again, let alone live there. A buzzing sensation followed by 4 beeps came from her pocket and brought her out of her musings, she reached for her phone and read the text from her brother.
Across the street from her, a group of lads had seen this, their attention fixed firmly on her phone. They had been following her for a while now, but this kid was either too tired or too stupid to notice them. They were now sure she was alone, and they could easily relieve her of her phone and whatever she had in her bag. The leader, known as Gash to all but his mother, motioned to the others and they stepped off the pavement towards her.
Kate turned round to see them towering over her. She cursed herself for not hearing them, with her enhanced senses, she should have detected them a mile off. So much for keeping her guard up. Instinct made her start to run from them, but a strong hand took hold of her wrist and she was cornered by the rest of them in seconds.
"What's in the bag?" His voice was low and calm, there was no hurry, this kid wasn't going to put up much of a fight. She didn't answer. He had both her wrists now, and he slammed them into the wall behind her. "What's in the bag?" He was angrier this time, his face inches from hers and his hot breath of a thousand cigarettes sweeping over her. Kate was close to retching, but was more reluctant to give up all she owned in the world than she was scared of him.
"Get off me!" She matched his glare and for a moment he was caught of guard, then he kicked out and in one movement she found herself sprawling on the ground in front of him. Hands to the left of her seized her bag and began to search through its contents. She heard the rest of them laugh at her. She was humiliated as well as bruised, and very angry. She picked herself up and when he made to restrain her once more she lashed out.
For a moment, the only sound was a low hissing one which she identified as coming from herself, hissing like a cat, teeth bared. The guys shuffled away from her clumsily for a second and she smelt blood. She was confused at this sudden change, before she looked down to see her fingers curved slightly before her and claws glinting from each of her fingers. Looking up, she saw the source of blood, the leader would have a nice scar down the side of his face for the rest of his life.
Then the moment was broken, mutants had a high reward on them, and these kids were only ever in things for the money. Wary of her hands, they had all the advantages physically, and she was soon face down on the pavement, waiting for the police to arrive.
She tore the plastic wrapper off and devoured the food, wishing, not for the last time, that she had eaten properly the day before. She had money, about £60, some clothes and her mobile with her, but all this could do nothing to help her after a week or so. She could have £10,000 but in the long run, she knew she couldn't get very far on her own, things were bound to catch up with her. The day before her only thoughts had been how she could get out of the house, past that, she had nothing. Finally she stood up, muscles stiff and sore due to a combination of running like her life depended on it and sleeping curled up in a gutter for the night. There was nowhere she could think of to stay. Her friends would have been begging to help her if it had been 4 days ago, but none would let a mutant in their home. For the moment, it looked like the gutter would have to do. For a fleeting moment, she felt proud of herself for surviving this far on her own in the big wide world, but this was quickly swamped by an overwhelming feeling of the daunting times ahead of her. Now she was a mutant, she would never be free. Her shoulders slumped and she started up walking to nowhere in particular.
Back home, chaos had settled clumsily in the house and it looked as if it was planning on staying there for a while. Kate's mother was crying again, this time into her friend's shoulder as James was held up making frantic phone calls to try and get hold of someone, anyone, who could help sort this mess out. Upstairs, Shannon and Edmund were arguing loudly, with colourful language, but no one else in the house cared enough at that moment to do anything about it. Shannon was convinced that Edmund was responsible for her sister getting away and knew where she was. She was furious and certain that they were in danger of their lives. Edmund's anger matched that of Shannon's and it was coming perilously close to becoming a repeat of the scene in the dining room.
Over the next few days, things arranged themselves into some sort of pattern. For Sharron, it was spending most of her time checking and rechecking locks on doors and windows in the house and having long, drawn out phone calls with various friends on her predicament. Her mother did something very similar but also took time to periodically deplore her husband to 'Do something!". On his part, he was doing things, calling anyone he could think of that would be of use whenever the phone was free, filling in forms and writing speeches on how there was nothing to be worried about, and worrying. Edmund slipped quietly away from them, in the same house as them, but somehow unnoticed, in the comparative serenity of his room, however, he exchanged texts with his sister. She was ok, and for the moment, so was he.
There was not much Kate could do except to keep moving, walking as far as she could each day and keeping her head down. She still didn't know where any of this would lead. She had heard from radio extracts that they were looking for her, and she was continually looking over her shoulder, but no one had approached her so far and for the moment, it seemed luck was with her.
Kate watched her feet move mechanically forward, in the same way she had watched them for the last week. Weariness tugged at her heels but she had to keep walking, keep on walking to anywhere as long as it was in the opposite direction to home. Home. Funny she should still called it that even though she knew she would probably never see it again, let alone live there. A buzzing sensation followed by 4 beeps came from her pocket and brought her out of her musings, she reached for her phone and read the text from her brother.
Across the street from her, a group of lads had seen this, their attention fixed firmly on her phone. They had been following her for a while now, but this kid was either too tired or too stupid to notice them. They were now sure she was alone, and they could easily relieve her of her phone and whatever she had in her bag. The leader, known as Gash to all but his mother, motioned to the others and they stepped off the pavement towards her.
Kate turned round to see them towering over her. She cursed herself for not hearing them, with her enhanced senses, she should have detected them a mile off. So much for keeping her guard up. Instinct made her start to run from them, but a strong hand took hold of her wrist and she was cornered by the rest of them in seconds.
"What's in the bag?" His voice was low and calm, there was no hurry, this kid wasn't going to put up much of a fight. She didn't answer. He had both her wrists now, and he slammed them into the wall behind her. "What's in the bag?" He was angrier this time, his face inches from hers and his hot breath of a thousand cigarettes sweeping over her. Kate was close to retching, but was more reluctant to give up all she owned in the world than she was scared of him.
"Get off me!" She matched his glare and for a moment he was caught of guard, then he kicked out and in one movement she found herself sprawling on the ground in front of him. Hands to the left of her seized her bag and began to search through its contents. She heard the rest of them laugh at her. She was humiliated as well as bruised, and very angry. She picked herself up and when he made to restrain her once more she lashed out.
For a moment, the only sound was a low hissing one which she identified as coming from herself, hissing like a cat, teeth bared. The guys shuffled away from her clumsily for a second and she smelt blood. She was confused at this sudden change, before she looked down to see her fingers curved slightly before her and claws glinting from each of her fingers. Looking up, she saw the source of blood, the leader would have a nice scar down the side of his face for the rest of his life.
Then the moment was broken, mutants had a high reward on them, and these kids were only ever in things for the money. Wary of her hands, they had all the advantages physically, and she was soon face down on the pavement, waiting for the police to arrive.
