Chapter Three
The Forced Changes

We laughed some more at my question. It seemed so stupid. After all I've talked, argued, and become friends with her and yet I don't even know her name and she only knew mine by an article in the newspaper about me killing people. That moment was so fun. We were on the lush grass, near the woods, and out in the open. Any one could see us form a mile away. Even the people I spotted coming now. I could barely make out faces or even clothes. They were just blurs.
"Kira Vivian," she said. "My name is Kira Vivian."
"You know how in X-men they had x-names?"
She nodded slowly as if she knew what was coming next.
"Well, I think we should have that as well. We should call each other that all the time too. It'll be like our secret identity," I said this as if I was wanted in 50 states. She must think I do this all the time. I only know my way around it because of The Outsiders, a book I read in 8th grade."That's most likely a good idea."
"Do you have any money?"
"No"
"Me neither, we should also change our clothes," there it was again that tone that said, "That's right I'm the professional here, just listen to me. I know what I'm doing."
I should also change my hair, but I didn't want to change my hair. Like Ponyboy, it took me awhile to get it the way I liked it. It was blonde, curvy, and it went all the way down to my rib cage. I guess I had no chose. After all I'm on the run. I started to make out the people. Three seemed to be wearing the same thing, something blue or black.
"I should color my hair and probably cut it. What color should I dye it?"
"Red. No, brown. No, black!" she shouted with a big smile.
We laughed again. I nodded in agreement. Black, I think that would be excellent.
"Are though cops?" I pointed as I got a better view of the people; they were policemen in dark blue uniforms just like the one's Albert and Arnold were wearing just last night. At the same moment Kira and I looked at each other.
"Run!" She cried.
"Stop! Police!" the policeman roared at us.
We ran into the woods, I turned back, I could tell they quickened their pace when we ran. We were about 100 feet away, a safe distance. Ironic that I'm a runaway, but I never was good or liked running in P.E. or any sport they forced me to play. Yet, I was keeping a good pace. Of course it's a little harder to run when you have three things in your arms. I still held close the two solid poles and the long stick that I would like to say my dad left to me.
"Hold these and be careful they're sharp on the edges!" I gave her the two poles. They were heavier then you think. They were heavier then the stick that I held, of course balsa was one of the lightest woods in the world, if not the lightest.
As she did she asked, "Do you know where we're going?"
"No idea," I answered back. I couldn't believe that I've lived here all my life yet I didn't know that there was a forest a couple of miles from my house. I turned back through the few trees. It seemed so open, the forest. There was a big gap between us and the cops. I looked in front of me and right there was a huge, fat tree. I stopped myself abruptly. I almost ran right into the tree. I was a couple inches away from the bark. If I would have I'd probably blacked out and got caught. I couldn't believe it. I stepped back and ran around the tree slowly but then caught up back to speed.
"Where were you? I looked at you then you were gone I thought you left me."
"I almost ran into a tree." I said. I was still in total disbelief that it was so simple. I could see the newspaper title, Killer Caught by Tree. How humiliating.
"Really?" she chuckled, she still heard me even though I said it normally instead of yelling it to her.
"It's not funny," I was laughing as I said it though. "We could have gotten caught," It was pretty funny, what we were doing. I mean we were running, dodging trees, and talking to each other. Even though, it was more like yelling to each other. The trees seemed to be coming together. It was harder to keep dogging them and trying to keep track of Kira so we wouldn't get separated.
"Anyways I was thinking two things. One when you're running away from the cops, I swear your mind becomes clearer. You think of things you never did before, like if you do get caught you wonder what your sentence is going to be. Also, you totally know where to run even though you never thought this would happen to you. You only see this on T.V. with a newscaster and such. Hey, you think were on T.V.?" she was looking up through the bundle of trees as the forest thickened.
"You have an idea where to run?"
She got closer to me and tried to speak not so loud so the policemen wouldn't hear, "I think we should go to my house," we ran around a tree, another big, fat one. She ran left. I ran right.
"Sounds fine, but first we have to lose them," I pointed to the cops over my shoulder with my thumb. "Other wise they'll just follow us there."
She nodded slowly as if thinking of an idea, "Scare me."
"What? Why?" I laughed as I said it. Then serious, "Isn't running from people who could throw you in jail and lock the key forever scary enough?"
"Oh," She said quietly, looking down.
"What's wrong? I thought you knew that. You were just talking about it."
"I know, but that was a joke I didn't actually think about it," she said. Then she started to shake her head, "I don't want to go to jail. I don't want to get caught."
"Neither do I," I looked back to find out that they gained on us, 60 feet. I looked at Kira, she had a scared face and her hair started to turn black and seemed to grow. I turned my attention to the ground, thinking of an idea. The lush grass turned darker as if it was night. I looked at my watch, 7:00 but with day light savings it was light out until 8:00. I looked through the thick trees, overcast. I looked forward again. I felt something in my hair. It felt like something dropped on my head. I shook my head so if it was a bug the bug would fall out. I felt it again, but this time it I could feel the moisture. I looked at the sky, though the trees. It was starting to rain.
Kira was running faster, trying to keep up with me. Then I noticed I have never ran so fast yet I've kept a solid pace this whole time. I ran a little quicker, effortless. I knew she was going to get tired soon. I grabbed Kira's hand.
I wondered if Kira had something to do with the weather changing so fast. At first I thought she just like that kid in X2, how he didn't really have a power he just had a lizard looking tongue. Was she controlling the weather?
"What did you say your power way?" I asked her. How come I didn't think of this before?
"I'm so tired," she panted as she was slowing down. I could feel her tugging on my hand.
"I think I know my power," I muttered this as I picked her up and put her on my back as if I was giving her a piggy back ride. "Now what is your power exactly?"
"Aren't you going to get tired with me on you back? I'm not exactly a lightest person, but I can control the weather with my emotions."
"I'm fine, but can you aim the rain at them?"
"I don't know. I practically just learn what my power was never-the-less control it. Plus it's only sprinkling. I'm not that scared to make it down poor."
Yells from the policemen came to our ears, "Stop! Police!"
I decided to obey this time.
"What are you doing!" Kira shouted right in my ear.
"Ouch," I mumbled as I rubbed my right ear.
"Hello! We're runaways. We're supposed to run away," She said this slowly as if I couldn't understand and she used her forefinger and her middle finger as our legs running in the opposite direction.
"I think I'm going to turn myself in."
"What! We were just talking about how we were going to have secret identities and change your hair and stuff."
"I change my mind. They're just going to catch us and throw us in a cell with other guys, probably big guys at that. Then lock the door. Wow, there's 3 police running after us, and hey they added three cars!" I said this so nonchalantly and almost excited.
It started to rain harder. Kira was walking in circles around me. I could have laughed out loud, but I stayed in character, just staring at the cops. I couldn't believe that she didn't catch on, of course that would ruin my whole plan. I was just saying this so it would rain harder. The cops were getting closer, about 35 feet away. The cars were farther, but they stopped at the edge of the forest. The cops got out of their cars and listened to further instruction on their radios.
"Hey, Kira, look," I pointed to the cops. She didn't look, "Man, they're getting close. They sure are taking a long time. I wonder how long they're going to take just to cuff us, give us the whole speech about remaining silent, putting us in the car where there are barred windows, talk to us about getting a job there at the police station, and probably putting this event on our permanent record will almost certainly take them forever. Whoa, there about 20 feet away I'd say," I felt kind of bad mocking the police like that. I didn't mean it. They were really fast. I had to talk about all the consequences to scare Kira though.
"Oh man!" She turned her back to the police, it worked. There was a good rain coming from the clouds above. The police had stopped and pointed their guns at us.
"Kira," I was serious now. I took her by the shoulders and had her turn to me. We were face to face. It was hard to tell because the rain made us soaking wet and our hair looked like it was plastered to our head, but, yes, she was crying.
"Unhand the girl!" The police bellowed at me, but he was just a blur in the back round. I was taken over by Kira's face, I didn't mean to.
I turned Kira to face the cops, "Concentrate; aim the rain at the police. Not to kill them, but so their guns slip or something," I said in her ear. I tried to say it in a supporting voice, but I think it was too much of a demanding sentence. I wish I could have said something else then that severe decision.
It was pouring. I looked at Kira and she had her eyes closed. Focusing on what she was doing. She put the heavy poles on the ground and raised her hands as if she was pushing the clouds over to where the cops were. I looked up to find that she was pushing the clouds the more she guided her hands through the air the more the clouds moved. Then when they were over the cops she threw down her hands and it started to pour like it would never end. Thunder started and lightning joined in. The storm seemed to strike something in my brain. Then suddenly the lighting hit the three cars shutting down the engines. In seconds, the cars were in flames. The cops who used to be in the cars were glad they were out, but all of them were so confused as well. They were wondering how it could rain so hard on their side yet it was sunny where we stood. We heard some cops scream witch.
Kira muttered, "No, no, mutant." Then finally open her eyes and turned to me smiling so big. Her eyes were gray turning back to the normal light blue and her hair was shortening to the familiar, but darker, blonde that was strait from being wet.
"I did it!" she was so happy smiling so immense. I couldn't though, and she saw it. "What's wrong?" the rain she created ended.
"I'm sorry. I made you cry like that. That's not what I meant to do."
"It's okay, look what I did!" she turned my head to the cops which now were trying to put out the fire so it won't spread to the trees. "You helped. We can get away now. We can die your hair, make up cool secret identities, and run to my house for money."
"Okay, let's try to hide behind the trees. What way to your house?"
"This way," she pointed to the left.

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"Alright, they might know who you are so just act like a normal person and if they know then steal it and run," I instructed. Back to the professional tone. What was wrong with me? I've watched too many movies.Kira nodded. I was watching through the window, she acted very casual. Hands in her back pockets and just striding in. She picked up a big black sweatshirt, but it didn't look thick. She glanced in my direction, not turning her head. I nodded. She was leaning it against her body as if she wasn't sure if she was going to buy it. She held it and started walking around looking for something else.
I kept looking back at the storekeeper to see if he was looking at her just staring into the store. It was a little store. Just one salesperson. I liked this store a lot. It had everything from clothes to books, and it was cheap.
Kira had more stuff in her arms now including a shirt that was black, another sweatshirt that was dark blue, and my black hair dye. She held up a shirt that was purple that said "I'm wanted!", and it had a little heart on it. She had it up against her and she was looking in the mirror that faced me and then she looked at me. I shook my head. She put it back on with the other shirts that looked the same way just different sizes. She was griped a shirt that was forest green that said "Muggle" in black. In the corner of her eyes, they were waiting for my decision. I put two thumbs up and a huge smile. I loved Harry Potter, you could say I'm obsessed. It was another one of my favorite movies, along with X-men. Kira was just browsing. She picked up a book and was reading the back. I don't know why, maybe just to pretend she might get something else. The shopkeeper went toward Kira. He said something, I couldn't read his lips because he wasn't facing me. Kira put the book back. She went behind him so I couldn't see her. I didn't know if he found out. I didn't know if we got caught. The store guy put his hand on her back and guided her to the cash register. I let out a sigh of relief. Kira bought the items and came out of the store.
"How did I do?" she asked.
"You did great," but why was she asking me? The tone. "What book were you looking at?" we started to walk on.
"It was a book called Down the Rabbit Hole."

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"Okay," Kira did something to my hair. "How did you carry me and run for as long as you did? Was it your power?"
"Yeah, I think I have super-strength," it was weird saying I had a power. It was so surreal. I jumped into a movie, X-men. "The only this is that it doesn't explain why the glass killed the policemen."
She paused for a moment remembering what I was talking about, the article, then kept griping my hair then letting it go. "You most likely have more then the one ability."
Now she had the tone, "More then the one?" I said like that was impossible.
"Yeah, think X-men," she pulled gently on my hair then unleashed it.
Wolverine, he's power was healing rapidly his claws were put into him, and not his mutant power. That's one power. Cyclops, energy beams and nothing else, one. Jean Grey, telepathic and telekinetic, of course. I'm a huge fan of X-men, yet I don't even remember who has two skills and who has one, ridiculous.
"Jean Grey," I muttered. "You too though, you can change you appearance and control the weather. Am I right?"
"Bingo," another tug at my hair, it felt lighter after she let go.
"What force would have the glass stab the policemen? The same force is almost certainly the same one that pulled the truck."
"Telekinesis," she spoke so simply, the tone. She grasped my hair, pulled it down, and then released it.
"Hey, maybe that's it," I closed my eyes to remember the event and then winced the memories were too memorable.
"Well?" She turned the chair I was sitting in.
I looked into the mirror. There I was but I looked way different. I was looking at my hair, black and shoulder length. I was sacrificing so much to run away from the law. I started to doubt myself, was it worth it? I quickly turned away from the mirror. I don't think I'll ever recover my fear of glass. Was I being paranoid?
"I love it," I really did. It was something different and fresh. Much better then my boring long, blonde hair that every other girl had at my school.
Kira took off the paper towels that were over my body so cleaning up the hair would be simple. She did it with ease. I was grouping the hair that fell on the tile floor. I was really doing this. Running away from the life I loved. Did I have a chose? I mean I never dreamed of killing someone, yet here I am a killer of three.
Kira came back with a dustpan and a brush, "I'll get that."
"Hey, did you make the storm last night?"
She paused as if she got caught. Then she looked at me, "Yeah, I did."
I was stunned. I didn't think she did, but I asked any ways. She killed my mom which caused a chain reaction to right now, "What?"
She nodded and left to throw away the hair in the trash.
I rested on her bed with my feet hanging off. I was sad, but what if she didn't do it on purpose like me killing the cops? Was our power getting out of control? Why was it uncontrollable?
"Kira," I saw her in the door way, "was it that your power was unmanageable that you made that huge storm?" I turned my head to the door way.
"Yeah," she said sadly.
"Why couldn't you control it?"
"I'm sorry," she misunderstood me, her hair was turning black.
"No, it's fine I'm just wondering. Why couldn't you control it?"
"Oh," she said smiling glad that were still friends, blonde came back. "One, because I'm not exactly an expert at controlling my power, and two, because it is controlled by my emotions. My emotions were beyond a level I could control," she explained.
I sat up, "Exactly, emotions, when I was being carried away by the police I felt scared. An emotion, but it wasn't just a little scared, it was an immense level of scared. That's when my power killed the policemen." I looked at the clean floor.
"So, you're saying that emotions control your power as well as mine," she said nodding her head, catching on.
"Yes, you have to feel to use and control your power. Me, I'm not sure since we don't even know what my power is."
"What do you mean?"
"We say telekinesis, but for some reason I don't think that's it."
"What do we know for sure?"
"I have super strength, but I only had it when I was being taken away and when I was running from the cops. Then I seem to have some kind of telekinesis, but that only happened once with the cops."
"I think that you had super strength all along. There just wasn't a situation that you could use it besides with the cops. With the "telekinesis" I think we have to train to see what you really do have."
"Train," it sounded so weird to say that I had to train to control my power. "That's what we both need to do," I commented with a smile.
She smiled too, "I agree."