I was told that they kill innocent humans for fun. That they will steal our valuables, kidnap our young and burn down our homes. This is what we’ve been taught. We’ve been told these stories all our lives to ensure we grew up hating them. It worked. Practically everyone I knew was afraid of them. All they saw were disgusting monsters with unnatural eyes, strange markings and weird features. Something that needed to be oppressed.
I was different. I found them fascinating. Imagine having ink flowing through your veins instead of blood. Imagine having a talent that you could do perfectly since you were born. Just imagine being so unique. As a child I wished to be like them, or at least to be able to befriend one of them. Unfortunately, the way I saw things changed my friends and family in the worst way imaginable. Only now do I realise my mistakes.
The city is alight. I do not know how I got here nor do I know why it is burning; all I know is the people are suffering. Their screams echo throughout the city. The fire is consuming everything they have. And there’s no way to stop it. What should I do? Should I run while I still have a chance? Or should I try and help the poor souls who still have a chance?
A sudden shriek rips me out of my thoughts. I guess that makes it easier to decide. I frantically look around, trying to figure out where it came from. Another shriek erupts from the building to the right of me. Amber flames blaze from the shattered windows. I take in a few deep breaths and slam my shoulder into the door. Smoke engulfs me, stinging my eyes and lungs. Tears blur my vision as I try and blink them back. Damn fire.
I try to yell, ignoring the panic rising in my throat.
“Hello!? I’m here to help!” I manage to shout.
“Make some sound; any sound so I can find you!”
A small groan responds. I cautiously manoeuvre around burning timber towards the source. There is debris everywhere; some charred by the fire, others still in the process. Walking through an archway into a back room, I notice a twisted figure sprawled on the ground. A knot forms in my stomach as I see their legs are crushed by a fallen beam. The beam is no ablaze, but it is still glowing a vibrant orange. As I draw close, the smell of burning flesh tells me to act fast.
I scramble over to crouch by the figure. Here we go. I take a few breaths in and out to prepare myself. As I place my hands on the beam everything shifts around me. The walls, the furniture, the fire merge together, swirling around as if they were ink. It all becomes distorted. I no longer hear the crackling of the fire nor the screams of others just a high pitched ringing. Then I notice my hands are on the beam yet I feel...nothing. Not an ounce of pain. I remove my hands and study them. The skin is scorched red and should be agonizingly painful but it feels as if nothing has happened to them. This is impossible. The ringing gets louder, my heart thunders in my chest. What’s going on? I don’t understand. The building swirls around me making me feel queasy. I stare at the figure on the ground and... everything falls silent.
The silence does not last long as an animalistic screech erupts from the figure’s throat. The cracking of their bones can be heard as their body snaps in unimaginable ways. I shouldn’t look but I can’t seem to stop myself. Their body reforms becoming an entirely different shape. I know what’s going on. They’re shifting. It can’t be. This means they’re one of them. They’re tainted.
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