Early morning opened into the sky, the bands of orange light rising into the blue, like a sunset in reverse. Not a car was on the road on the New York Sunday, not a stirring light. Yet. The cold was bitter; black ice laced the roads which would be hell for the drivers that were rushing into work. Some humans were hard working, working on Sundays all the way into the night. It was tiring even to watch. Soon it would all set off, and I would have to move. I did not want to be judged by those people from the outside.
My black trench coat was all curled up under me. As I got up I pulled it straight, redoing the crossing buttons. I ran my hand down my back, checking for loose feathers or bumps in my coat. It had happened before; my wings not furled under enough, my identity too visible to the vague human world. I used to sleep in Times Square, under the massive billboards that gave me shelter from the rain, but the light got too great for my sensitive eyes. For all intent and purpose, I was a hawk, with my beady sensitive eyes and lightning fast reflexes.
I had recently gotten some new shoes, a generous middle aged female giving me a small sum of money to get me the items that I needed. It was a nice feeling, the new grips under my feet, the fresh material sliding against my soles. For once in this big city, it hadn’t rained, but the roads were covered in a thick layer of slushy sleet. Ah, how the humans over-exaggerated Christmas, rushing and worrying through the night-time streets. It was amusing to watch.
I continued to walk into the centre of the city, when something changed. My sensitive ears picked up the noise of light steps behind me, my feet speeding up slightly with worrying reflex. This always worried me, it was something humans did. But why did I have it? Surely in a bad situation you would want to hide that you were worried or scared. It would help in a fight. But the way your muscles tightened and your breathing sped up along with the painful feeling of your hearts expanding in your chest... if you have two hearts like me, that is. I held my mind to stop my wings from fluttering under my coat. The steps were slow, but close together, the shadow barely visible from the low sun. Even though it was a few hours after dawn, the sun was still bright enough to hurt my highly sensitive eyes as I walked the streets. I resisted the urge to turn around and look.
“Stranger,” a female voice said clearly, loud enough that it was fairly obvious that it was aimed at me.
“Yes miss?” I asked politely, stopping my feet from walking forward whilst turning around. They crunched into the white sleet and through to the pavement. I held my tongue to stop myself from saying anything in remark to her appearance. Brown hair waved neatly down to her shoulders, framing her heart shaped face, her skin like the snow that laced the ground. Her eyes were a molten gold, with sparkles of green behind. Something that I had never seen in a human before. Her top was covered with a leather jacket buckled to the side, but her legs were bare expect for a pair of denim wide legged trousers. Trainers were on her feet, like the ones Olympic runners wore for training. Obviously an athletic human out for a morning jog.
“Humans aren’t normally up this time in the morning. What’s your name, stranger?” Human? What the hell did she mean by that?! Firstly, how could she have seen through my thick disguise; was it my wings? Secondly, if she wasn’t human, why was she taking the chance on asking if I wasn’t human? What if I was? I could get her captured! My head whirred with ideas until a few seconds later I came back to the present. Her voiced sounded like a song, chimes in the freezing morning wind. I was barely aware enough to hear the word that caressed her lips and vibrated the air. I quivered slightly. She had said human, I had heard it clearly.
“Humans? Hahaha. Nice joke miss. They call me Lexus, Lexus Torn. What is such a high class woman like you doing out this early in the morning? Clubbing, perhaps?” I asked smoothly, trying to hide the worry in my voice. She didn’t seem human, she knew too much. And that voice, a voice like chimes or the most luxurious of silks. That would not be of human lips.
“Clubbing, ha. Human behaviour, huh? You would know how humans act, you try your best to fit in, as I can tell. Take off your coat, Lexus. I want to know what you are.” She laughed to herself, brushing a careful wave of mahogany hair out of her eye, revealing her left eye. She looked so beautiful. I trembled, swallowing slowly. My hands shook as I undid my buttons, my eyes still on her face. I didn’t know what I was doing; I was about to reveal my identity to someone who might just be a very scheming human. It felt like my mind was being told what to do by someone else, but I couldn’t force it out. A smile caressed it. As my fingers slid the coat off my broad shoulders, she took a step closer. The smile was turning menacing, striking fear into my bones, but also contained a sustainable amount of seduction. My wings fluttered with fear and the cold of the bare wind, and opened next to my arms. Her hands rested lightly on my shoulders, and she didn’t look scared, nor surprised. Only intrigued.
“Lexus, my name is Tempest. I’m not like you, yet I am. We are the same, yet different. I’m here to help you, be your master, your teacher. Maybe even your friend one day. Take my hand.”
I held my small hand out to her, and she grabbed it. And, within a few seconds, I was being dragged off into the dawning New York lights.
I'm just assuming that's a typo.
), and I’m quiet interested in what new twists and turns this story will take.