Jake
I'm so proud of you…You and Tom have both made my life…Tell your mum I love her…
Dad, wake up! Please don't go!
Dad, WATCH OUT!
My eyes snapped open. I was shivering, uncontrollably. It was dark and I couldn't see anyone around. I was alone.
Pain shot through my head, my arm and my side. I lifted my left hand to my head and felt along my forehead. I felt a large cut from side to side. I shivered.
"I should have gone," I whispered to myself. "It should have been me that had died."
I tried to sit up, but my arm wouldn't support me. I lay back down again, trying to forget the pain, trying to feel numb. I hated pain. I loathed it because in my dad's final moments he had felt pain. I was there with him. I should have stopped his pain. I should have saved him. Why have powers when I won't use them for the good? Why hadn't I thought of using my powers?
My cast felt heavy and itchy. I longed to scratch my arm, but the cast was there. There was only one solution. I had to morph. I closed my eyes and focused on my tiger morph. I willed the tiger to be me. The first changes were my legs. They changed shape almost immediately. I loved the change; I wanted to be this tiger. But then a protesting voice filled my head.
((No, Jake,)) the voice commanded. ((Don't morph. Demorph! Demorph now!))
I stopped mid-morph and spun my head this way and that, looking for the source of the voice.
((That's it,)) the voice said softly. ((Now demorph.))
I don't know what made me do it, but I started to demorph. Maybe it was the urgency in the voice of the beholder, but I demorphed, no changes done to my physical human shape that could be seen.
I started to get up, but it was no use. Who was in the room with me? I willed the person to speak again. I needed to recognise the voice. It was familiar, but I had such a headache that I couldn't concentrate.
Suddenly a red tailed hawk hopped out of the shadows. I stared at him.
"Tobias?" I said, hesitantly.
((Hey Jake,)) he said. ((You gave us all a scare before.))
"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
((There was a spare room next door, so your mum is spending the night,)) he said, ignoring my question.
"What are you doing here, Tobias?" I demanded again.
((Just keeping an eye on you,)) he said. ((Can't be too careful.))
"Go away," I snapped. "Get out."
((Jake, I'm sorry if I freaked you out or anything…))
"Get out!" I said, raising my voice. "Just go!"
((Jake, look, I only told you not to demorph because it could expose you,)) Tobias said quickly.
"Tobias, get out," I whispered in a deadly sort of way.
((I can't do that Jake,)) Tobias said softly.
"Just get out, please," I said, furious. "I don't want anyone checking on me."
"Jake?"
I looked in the direction of the new voice. My mum was standing at the door, looking tired. I looked back at Tobias, but I couldn't see him.
"Jake, are you alright?" my mum asked, worriedly. "I thought I heard you screaming."
I shot a furious glance into the shadows, but turned to my mum.
"Just a nightmare," I muttered.
She sat down on my bed and put her hand to my face.
"You're taking this well, Jake," she said to me. "I'm so proud of you."
I felt increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that Tobias could be listening to this. I shot another glare into the dark.
"Jake, I need you to be truthful with me now," she said. I looked at her and she had a very serious look on. "The police are going to want to question you on the accident and before they do I want to know what happened first."
I swallowed, but didn't say anything.
"Jake, honey, you need to tell me," she said, softly. "I know this is hard for you, but it's going to be a lot harder with the police."
My throat felt husky, but I opened my mouth and lied. "I don't remember what happened, mum."
My mum looked doubtful. "Alright, honey," she said. "If you remember anything, please tell me."
I nodded, but didn't say anything.
She leant over and gave me a kiss on my forehead. "You know you're so brave," she said. "I don't know if I could deal with this if I were you."
She stayed with me for the rest of the night and I had no option but to let Tobias stay as well.