6

 

I was passing by a dark alley in the dead of the night when I heard a quiet, nearly indistinguishable sobbing. Pausing, I frowned and backtracked my steps, straining to hear it again. Finally, I managed to pinpoint it’s location, and I crept into the alleyway cautiously, my senses on high alert.

The sobbing grew louder, and I peered round the corner.

My eyes widened in shock when I saw a young girl pinned to the wall by a grimy man. Judging by his messy hair, overgrown stubble littering his grimy chin, and his disheveled clothes, it seemed like he was a homeless man or a drunkard.

He chuckled as he began to unbutton the woman’s blouse, his eyes roving over her exposed flesh with a maniacal hunger. The woman was sobbing and trying to throw him off, but despite his appearance, he must have been stronger than he looked. 

Shaking slightly, I stepped out from behind the dirty walls and tried to appear as intimidating as possible.

“Hey! Stop that!” I yelled.

He whirled around in shock, but relaxed when he saw that it was just a teenage girl. Grinning widely, he advanced towards me with his hands outstretched, and I felt a twinge of fear. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I braced myself to fight. He grabbed my arms, meaning to pin me to the wall like he did to the other woman when he paused. His eyes widened and he jerked back suddenly, his face twisted in a painful grimace after he touched my skin. Letting out a cry of pain, he dropped to the floor in a grotesque position, his limbs twitching. Although I was unable to comprehend why he had suddenly collapsed, I wasn’t about to question it. Filled with righteous fury, I struck out at him and kicked him in the gut, feeling my lips curl into a satisfied smile when he whimpered. Eventually he stopped writhing senselessly, and the light died from his eyes. 

Confused, I reached down to tap him on the shoulder warily, wondering why he had suddenly stopped moving. My eyes widened with shock when I realised that he wasn’t breathing, and I was filled with horror.

Did...I...just kill a man?

I heard a terrified sob, and I looked up to see the woman that the man was attempting to rape gazing at me. When our eyes met, she scrambled across the floor in an attempt to escape, avoiding my eyes and clenching her fists in a defensive action. 

She was scared of me.

I was suddenly filled with a sense of deja vu, and memories of Cody’s agonized expression and the horrified expressions of the passersby flooded my mind once more. I gazed at my hands, feeling an overwhelming sense of self-loathing.

 

I killed someone.

I killed someone.

I killed someone.

 

Without bothering to notice the woman’s reaction, I leapt up from the floor and sprinted away, feeling tears prick my eyes.

I now knew, that I was a monster. I murdered Cody. And I murdered that man.

My shoulders heaved from the force of my sobs as I slumped against a wall, feeling guilt and horror eat away at my soul.

I wasn’t human.

Just then, a hand extended towards me and I glanced up. I froze when I saw an unfamiliar woman standing in front of me wearing a hooded jacket that concealed most of her face.

“I saw what you did.” she said, her voice strangely warm.

My mind was whirling with confused thoughts as I stared at her, uncomprehending.

Why didn’t she think I was a monster? Why wasn’t she afraid of me?

“I’m not afraid of you.” she smiled, as if reading my thoughts.

Reaching up, she removed her hood, showing me her face. I recoiled with a mixture of disgust and fascination when I saw that her skin was blue, and that her skin was scaly instead of smooth. The most startling feature was her eyes, that gleamed a mystical amber colour.

“W-what are you?” I asked fearfully.

She chuckled.

“Relax. I’m Mystique. I’m like you. I’m not human.”

“What? I-I don’t understand.” 

“Listen to me. Normal people? They don’t understand us. They don’t understand how special we are. You and I? We’re mutants. We are unique and powerful. Come with me, and you'll never be treated like a monster again.”

Her words evoked images of Aunt Carrie and her scornful expression whenever she addressed me, Cody’s frantic expression when he tried to escape from me, and the woman who had looked at me with fear after I had saved her from being raped.

I felt rage trickle into my veins, and instead of simmering away inside my gut, I felt the emotion coalesce and harden into ice.

Mystique is right. I’m different, but I am not a monster.

I raised my head to look at her in the eyes again, this time my gaze calm and clear.

“Yes.” I said.

She smiled once more, before extending her hand again.

This time, instead of shrinking away, I took it. I left my backpack behind as I followed Mystique into the darkness, my steps purposeful and my head held high.

Never again, would I be scorned or hated.

 

The wind howled unmercifully as snow muffled the remnants of dying nature and blanketed the streets in a sea of everlasting white, but I no longer felt cold.

I knew now, that to survive, I couldn’t be weak. I needed to have ice in my veins, in my soul; crystallized.

 

 

Anna Marie was no more.

I’m Rogue now.