M stands for Mutant - Chapter 1 - Snowfall

The cold wind rushed past the tent, that stood in the middle of the snow covered clearing. The trees that surrounded the clearing waved back and forth in the wind. The sound of footsteps through snow could be heard, even though the wind was howling. An old woman appeared in a small opening in the trees, she was headed towards the tent, holding something in her hands. When the old woman reached the tent, she spoke up in a raspy but sweet voice, 

“Snowflake dear, you awake?” 

There was a quick pause, then a voice said from inside the tent, 

“Yea, I’m awake sandy, give me a moment.” 

The tent unzipped and a head emerged, it was a beautiful young African American woman around the age of 17, snow white hair with tight curls. 

“Snowflake dear I brought you some breakfast.” Sandy said smiling, 

she handed over a beautiful, decorated breakfast platter. 

“Sandy, you didn’t have to...” Snowflake said, taking the platter, 

“When someone is living on my grounds, I care for them, you know that sweetie.” 

Snowflake smiled, while shaking her head, with a slight giggle. 

“Well, you must be hungry, I will go back to my cabin. If you need anything, you know where I am.” Sandy said, before turning around, heading home.

As Sandy walked away, you could hear the footsteps disappearing into the distance. Snowflake zipped up the tent and stared at the food. She looked beside her, where her gloves laid perfectly beside her bed, they were long black gloves that covered up to her elbows. She grabbed her gloves, as frost spread over them when she slid them on. After she ate, what was given to her, she grabbed her clothes and put them on. As she stepped out of the tent, she grabbed her trench coat, it was very long almost dragging across the ground when you walked. She put the hood up and started walking towards Sandy’s cabin, soon a small, but rather comfortable, log cabin appeared. Snowflake made her way to the door and knocked before opening it. 

“Sandy, is it alright if I borrow your truck?” Snowflake yelled into the house, 

“Yes of course my dear!” Sandy yelled back, masked by the closed bathroom door.

Snowflake quickly swiped the keys off the coat rack, and made her way to the truck, that was parked in the gravel driveway. Snowflake turned on the car, and immediately turned on the radio. The radio was filled to the brim with country music, but luckily for her that was her favorite kind of music. Driving down the country roads this time of year was bliss for her, the long wavey roads and cold breeze filled her soul, she rolled down all the windows, and let the cold winter air consume the truck. She was known as the ‘weird girl’ in town, no one knew why Sandy let her stay, some rumors were going around that Snowflake was a witch and had put Sandy under a spell. After all she was basically the only Mutant in town.

Snowflake rested her arm on the open window, as the car rolled into the city, she could feel the stares in the back of her neck. She parked the car in a supermarket parking lot, her car was all the way in the back, furthest away from the entrance. She rolled the windows up, and stepped out of the car, ice spreading on the door. She pulled her hood up, and stuck her hands in her pockets, as she made her way to the entrance of the supermarket. When she made her way in, her eyes scanned the room. Her hand instantly found a cart, and as she pushed it along, she went around the shop, picking up cheap instant meals.

Suddenly there was some loud commotion at the front, 

“GET OUT OF HERE YOU FREAK!!!” a woman yelled, 

Snowflake’s gaze immediately switched and focused on the sound. When her eyes focused, she saw a younger teen with big white feathered wings, currently getting yelled at by a wild parent. She had seen teens like her before, some even younger, after all the virus did target the kids. The parent was shielding their child with her arms, 

“GET AWAY! DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HER! YOU WILL INFECT MY CHILD WITH YOUR- YOUR DISEASE!!” The parent yelled, 

while the teen was slowly curling in on herself. Snowflake made her way towards the front, leaving her cart behind. Snowflake showed up, standing a few feet away from them, she put her hand out and said, 

“Hey- Hey! What is going on here?” 

The parent quickly whipped her head over and stared at Snowflake. 

“Why do you care!? Mind your own god damn business!” The parent yelled, 

Snowflake side stepped so she now was in front of the teen, who seemed pleased that she showed up. 

“I think the only one needing to mind their own business, is you ma’am. Please quiet down and leave.” Snowflake said calmly, 

the parent huffed and scurried off, with the child by the hand. While the child was being dragged away, they curiously looked at the two mutants, now standing in the middle of the store alone. Snowflake adjusted her trench coat and started walking off. 

“Wait! Sorry... wait for me…” The teen said, 

Snowflake glanced at them. 

“Sorry, I travel alone.” She answered, 

“No wait! Please… I don’t have anywhere to go…” 

“Fine.” Snowflake said, nodding her head towards the cart.

They made their way to Snowflake’s cart, that was currently half empty, because of the slight distraction. 

“What’s your name kid.” Snowflake said looking at the teen, 

“A-Annabella” the teen said. 

“No, your ‘name’, I don’t want that stuff.” Snowflake said looking at the kid, 

“O-Oh, I, uh… Feather...?” Feather said. 

“Right, Feather, stay close to me, do NOT stray away.” Snowflake said, 

as she started walking to the instant meals section of the supermarket. Feather quickly followed behind Snowflake, keeping her head down and her wings close to her. 

“You should really not be out in public here.” Snowflake said while checking the prices of some of the instant meals, 

“well- I- “Feather tried to say, before being cut off by Snowflake. 

“You know, stop stuttering alright? If you want to survive, you must be able to stand up to yourself.” She said, 

turning around staring at Feather who still looked down to her feet. Snowflake sighed cucking some instant meals in the cart, 

“Right, anyway, let’s get out of here.” She said, walking away with the cart, leaving Feather scrambling to follow along.

When they made their way to the parking lot Snowflake pointed to Sandy’s truck, 

“That’s mine over there, but we might need to get out of town, I don’t know how much you like the cold.” She said, looking at Feather. 

“Uh… Well… Not much no…” she said, looking at the rusty orange truck. Feather hesitated a bit, following a few steps behind Snowflake. 

She had never met another Mutant like her, she had always felt alone in a world filled with ‘normies’. 

Snowflake got in the driver’s seat and gestured to Feather to get in, Feather stared at the messy passenger seat, as Snowflake tried to move the garbage out of the way. Feather awkwardly slid into the seat, trying to hold her wings close to her. The car rumbled as Snowflake turned on the car, just quickly giving Feather a glance, as they drove out of the parking lot.

The car windows were still rolled all the way down, leaving the air to circulate through the car, Feather sat shivering in her seat, not knowing whether to ask to close them. Snowflake rolled up the windows, 

“I don’t bite you know.” She said, breaking the silence, Feather flinched, 

“I- I know…” she said quietly, looking out the now closed window of the truck. 

The roads slithered down the mountains like snakes going on a hunt, Feather had never really left the ‘comfort’ of the town. She felt a pit in her stomach, it was at this moment that she knew, she could never go back home.