She gently pulled me back and waited for me to get my footing before relinquishing the reigns to my body. I look around and there is nothing left of Stephen. My stomach is full, and my body grew tired. "Where is his body?" I ask her. "Don't you know that panthers don't waste a meal?" she sassed. I laugh, there is blood everywhere but not a bone of Stephens body in site. I'm covered in his blood and I will not leave this house like this. "Pack a bag with the most essential things you will need and book a flight."
"We need to leave this place as soon as possible. There is no need for you to be here." She said. I did as told, I pack a bag that I can carry with some clothes, a small bag of toiletries and some shoes. I pack my emoji school backpack with all my important documents, thankfully when the social worker took my case, she had me take my passport out. Don't even ask me why but I have it, after packing everything I will need I look for something to wear.
I pull everything with me to the front of the door in the living room and go to my parent's bedroom to shower all the muck and blood off me. After I was ready, she took control again but didn't push me back this time. "You need to know what we're capable of, we are one and you need to master our gifts just like I do. We need to be a synchronized unit. Move and feel as one. You're mine just as much as I am yours." She walks with purpose as if we have been together all our lives.
She walks back towards my bedroom that it's the last down the hall. She lifts my right hand as I feel it get hot once more, I look and find it ingulfed by flames. I know this shouldn't be normal and that I should definitely be flipping out, but I am not. This feels as normal as breathing… soothing even. Like a part of me that was dormant and now is awoken. She touches my bed and furniture lighting it in flames as she went. She looks at the photos of my grandmother and me before she died that I had on my nightstand.
It's the only picture I had of her and one where I was truly happy. She took the photo out of the frame and took it for me. "Thank you…" I whisper gratefully. She caresses my cheek lovingly and goes on with her task. She walks around the whole apartment lighting everything she can. "What are you doing?" I ask after a while. "We can't leave trace of anything, so everything needs to burn." She answers. I didn't ask any more questions and wait until she finishes.
I pull my backpack on and pull the bag with my clothes with me. First stop is the bank, then the airport and get the heck out of dodge. I pull my hoodie over my head to cover my face and walk towards the back entrance of the project. I avoid everyone, which is easier said than done. I take my bus pass out and wait for it to arrive. "To where should I take the plane ticket?" I ask Nahlexa. "Florida." She answers and lays to rest in the back of my mind.
She looks as if she really is sleeping but I know she's paying attention to everything around me to keep me safe. The bus arrived half an hour later and I sit in the back. I look inside my backpack making sure I didn't leave anything. I really need my cellphone right now; I could book a flight and don't have to wait when I get to the airport. I get off the bus and walk towards the bank. I take my cards and ID out to hurry things along. "I need to see an agent; I would like to take a large sum out of my account." I say to the receptionist as I fill the paper with the amount.
She nods her head and adds me to the waiting list. I wait patiently for one to call my name and thankfully I didn't have to wait long. I gave the agent all my documents and the paper slip with the amount I wanted. "Is there a reason you want such a large sum?" she asks, I frown suspicious. That is no one's business much less hers, I worked my butt off since I was ten years old to save everything I could, and I won't let anyone tell me what to do with it.
"It's my money and I want that amount, for what? That doesn't concern you." I say folding my arms in front of my chest. She frowns not liking my tone, but she can't do anything. The account is under my name, she nods and does as I ask, she took a large manila folder with her to get the cash. I sign the papers she needs, and she gives me my folder. I put it inside my backpack and ask them to call me a cab. "Why do we need to leave the island?" I ask as we wait for the cab to arrive.
"Our scent is potent; you weren't born a panther, so you didn't go through the stages of our growth. I chose you already being a fully grown panther. You only being sixteen makes things a little different and complicated. We need to control my pheromones and my scent. Right now, it's only me controlling it and its barely working. We can't be tracked; we need to disappear for our safety until you're ready to fight. Our scent will be everywhere in that building and every place we have gone since we shifted. Even with the fire, whoever wants our people dead will find it. So, we need to put as much distance between us as possible. You need to learn to control our gifts, shifts and how to fight in both forms." She answers.
The cab driver honks the horn when he arrives. I open the trunk and put my bag inside. "Aeropuerto Luis Muñoz Marin, por favor." I say in Spanish and he immediately peals off. "How are we going to train or better yet who will train us? And why me being only sixteen make things difficult?" I ask. I don't know anyone in the US and I certainly don't have family that can help either. "I know someone…" she answers, "We panther shifters, shift for the first time when we turn eleven and we were quickly added to the training group."
"We were taught by our elder females how to control our pheromones and our scent If we didn't have a mate. They wanted us to know how to be able to protect ourselves from males that would take us against our will if they got a whiff of our scent. Yes, we wouldn't be able to conceive from them unless we accept them, but we would still need to get over the fact that we got raped. Us being of different ages makes me take more of the control in that part until you learn how to do it."
"Which needs to be soon…" she says. I guess I understand that, I leave her alone and look at the passing scenery. After a twenty-minute ride, I pay the driver and walk inside. I feel my stomach doing summersaults. I have never been out of Puerto Rico so its safe to say I have never flown. One hour and a half later I have my plane ticket in hand, and I am waiting for the flight to board. The people keep staring at me as if I have grown a second head.
It's making me uncomfortable; I don't look any different from every female here. Well, the ones my age at least. I have on gray sweatpants, a white t-shirt and a gray hoodie, which is still covering my face. I have my backpack on in front of me, so no one can steal my money. I don't trust anyone at this moment or ever. I stand by the windows looking out at all the planes flying out and arriving. "Is this a good idea?" I ask her nervously. This running away thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Even with all the reasons in the world to do it and all the opportunities to accomplish it, I have never had guts to pull through with it. I had the money to go on my own since young, I could have even bought myself a nice home away from my parents, but I never did it. Call me a coward if you like because even saying it in my mind, it sounds that way. Every time I thought of doing it, I heard my grandmas voice in my head telling me not to. My mother wouldn't have given a rat's butt if I did leave, but I felt as if I was disappointing my grandma for even thinking that.
Right this moment what is ringing in my ears is her voice. Telling me to love and respect my mother even if she hurt me. I feel my heart constrict in my chest and I am consumed by this overwhelming feeling to cry. I quickly walk towards the nearest bathroom and lock myself in the handicapped stall. I lean against the furthest wall from the door and silently cry. I promise myself this will be the last time I do. I sit on the floor, pull my knees up and wrap my arms around them and cry until I'm pent.
"Flight 1247 to…" came through the intercom announcing that my flight is going to start boarding. I sigh in exhaustion; I gently rub the itchiness in my eyes from the lack of sleep and push myself off the ground to wash my face in the sink. I dry it gently and walk out. People start lining up according to their sections and I do the same once my section is called. My seat is all the way in the back of the plane since it was the only seat available for this flight.
I sit near the window, I buckle my seatbelt and put my backpack to the side facing the window. I close my eyes and decide to rest while on this death contraption. "When we land, you need to quickly retrieve your bags and get a cab out of there. We can't stay there for long." Lexa says. I don't argue, "Aye, aye captain." I say understanding that we can't be anywhere for long and try to sleep. My life is sure turning interesting, who would have thought I would be chosen to be a shifter. Exactly!
These things aren't supposed to be real; I have read so many books on them but never in my wildest dreams did I think it true. I close my eyes and try to shut my brain off. I'm startled awake by the plane landing. I have never been able to sleep so soundly since before my grandmother's death not even living under my parents' roof. I waited until the last person got off the plane. I put my backpack on and walk towards the exit. I pull my hoodie over my head again and walk towards the baggage claim.
I pull my bag off the conveyor belt and walk outside. Finding a dang cab here is practically impossible. After an hour of walking around and asking the people who work here, I got one. "Where to?" I ask Nahlexa. "Lehigh…" she answers. I tell the driver where too and sit back. I stare out of the window at the passing scenery. This place is beautiful, but the temperature is way hotter than I'm used to. I take my backpack off and put it next to me while I take my hoodie off to fold it. The driver dropped me off near a barber shop where Nahlexa insisted we stay.
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GOT IT