Take it or leave it
Find it and keep it some way
You want to be free but it takes more than walking away
If I'd only known what you needed
If I'd only been told
Taken the warning that should have been heeded...
-Love Hasn't Been Here; by the Michael Stanley Band
The journey down the alleyway seemed relatively short lived. Quinn had ensured that Blake was taken as far from the populated sidewalks as possible, and it seemed to do a bit of good. The teen seemed less anxious looking, and she didn't look like she'd double over at any given moment. But, unfortunately, her arms were still wrapped around her middle. Quinn did have a bit of hope, though. Just a bit.
"I don't get what we're doing here," Blake grumbled, her eyes darting around. "How's an alley going to help us?"
"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop complaining," Quinn exclaimed. "Why can't you just trust my judgment on this?"
"Because I don't know what to expect."
"All you have to do is trust me."
"Do you even know where we're going?" Blake barked. "This alley could go anywhere."
"I may not know where we're going, but we managed to get away from those people."
Getting away from those people. How was that at all important? Maybe it was Quinn's way of keeping Blake from becoming overwhelmed, but it was hard to say. That heavy feeling had subsided some since going down the alley, but it didn't make her feel any less unnerved. Being in a city, surrounded by humans and noise, was never an easy adjustment. Blake couldn't stand all the commotion that came with living in such overpopulated areas. It could help keep her hidden, but God only knows for how long.
"Is there something you're not telling me?" Blake asked.
Quinn set her jaw, her grip on the teen's arm tightening. There was no response, and that was probably the most unsettling thing.
"You said you're my guardian, right?" The teen's eyes glittered angrily. "What aren't you telling me? If it's for my own safety, I think I should know."
Letting out a sharp sigh, Quinn looked at her ward with wide eyes. "You want to know what's wrong?" she hissed. "What's wrong is that I want to protect you, and you're becoming more difficult. There are things that need to be taken care of, and you're questioning every little thing that I do."
Things? What sort of things?
Blake's eyes narrowed at that. Instead of arguing on what Quinn meant, she decided to keep her mouth shut. It was the best option, honestly. Seeing the look on her companion's face was something else entirely, and continuing to press the issue would only make matters worse.
u.u
Being the child of one of the most powerful ghosts in the Ghost Zone had its perks. For starters, it meant inheriting a lot of their unique abilities. It was really awesome, knowing that one day you'd be able to do a whole bunch of cool things. Another perk is having a natural air of intimidation. Having that kind of reputation, without so much as lifting a finger, made life a helluva lot easier! Things would automatically be done, without even having to ask. It was almost like a dream come true. There was also the benefits of being the child of two worlds. Initially, it was believed that humans and ghosts could never procreate — and that was coming from the hard-core believers — but Blake's parents threw those theories out of the ballpark.
Blake González was living proof of everything that seemed unnatural. She was the first — and probably only — known offspring of a human and a ghost. She was the first halfa to be able to live in both the Ghost Zone and on Earth. In fact, she had spent a good portion of her life in the Ghost Zone. Living there was a good place to practice her growing abilities, but her human half kept her wanting to go back to Earth. Blake's conflicting halves made it difficult for her parents. Did she want to live her life as a powerful ghost? Or did she want to live the life of an ordinary human? It wasn't an easy decision. Her parents seemed to be making that choice for her. One wanted Blake to be the most powerful she could possibly be; the other wanted her to be the most human she could possibly be. But because her ghostly parent had such a bigger influence, Blake became more in-tuned with her paranormal half.
God, just how different would Blake's life have been if she grew up human? What kind of person would she have become? It was hard to say. Maybe she'd have the same personality traits, even if she grew up in a more human environment. Maybe she'd be completely unrecognizable. For Blake, she found it to be a bit silly. She'd never imagined herself living among humans. She imagined life filled with the paranormal with a dash of those lowly humans on the side. Who would've thought things would change so drastically?*
Never, not even for a second, would Blake believe that she'd grow the nerve to run away. Her life seemed so perfect before, even if, in its own way, it was kind of dysfunctional. Her parents fought nonstop; they had such opposing views on how to raise a family, and it seemed to be a never-ending cycle. Whenever Blake's parents were within a few yards of each other, they'd start yelling and cursing, shouting and getting in each other's faces. Needless to say, it was always a risky confrontation. With one being a powerful spirit, the fights could very well end horribly. But, they never did. It never went beyond yelling. Deep down, Blake had to wonder if her parents still had a semblance of their old feelings for each other. If that was the case, then maybe that was why they could never physically hurt each other. It was something to think about.
You don't have to worry about them anymore. You're out and living on your own now. Don't worry about how they're doing.
That thought would work its way into Blake's mind from time to time. Every time it did, it caused the teen's chest to constrict and her jaw to set. She didn't want to think that way, but she knew it was necessary. It kept her going, it gave her the motivation to be free of them. Blake's parents seemed to have such an iron clad grip on her, that growing the balls to run off seemed almost thrilling. There was not a single doubt in the teen's mind that her folks had been blindsided by that. Their precious little girl actually took off! It was priceless! It was absolutely hilarious.* But living on the streets wasn't as funny.
Being a homeless teen was overwhelming. It was filled with plenty of paranoia. What kinds of people would be encountered? Where would be the safest place to sleep? What kinds of dangers lurk around the corner? It was like playing Russian Roulette — you had no real way of knowing.
Quinn was doing her best to keep Blake safe, but a ghost living in a strange world could only do so much.
And a halfa with no outside world experience could only do to help out.
(A/N):
Sorry for the wait and the poorly written chapter. I kinda ran out of ideas, so I tried to come up with the best ending I could. If you guys have any kind of constructive criticism, don't hesitate to give it, okay? That'll help this story progress.
I own nothing in this fandom. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and a strong fear of spiders. If you've got ideas for an OC or a subplot, be sure to PM me or leave a review. I'll add them in as soon as possible.
Be sure to leave random facts in the reviews. It could be on something new or on something old; I don't care which.
Thank you guys so, so much.
Be kind to one another, okay?
Sloane Johnson
