If it cries like a girl, complains like a girl and throws like a girl it must be a girl, right? That's the logic used to torment Erin growing up; though now that he's in college most of his tormentors have lost interest. Finally free of the worst of the abuse he begins to feel like he might have a chance at a life. But everything changes for him when he goes Wyld!
February, 2008
I tried to contain the tears as I rocketed through the clouds but, as usual, it didn't work. One by one they dropped, glittering in the sun as they fell from my eyes like little jewels. It was kind of pretty, but I wasn't in any mood to appreciate it.
Thankfully there was nobody up there to see how pathetic I was being. I could get used to this flying shtick, if only that was the only thing going Wyld did to me...
My speed was amazing! In moments I was out over the Pacific, leaving the California coast far behind. How fast was I going?! I'd heard the Wyld had weird powers but nothing like this! I was like Superman... or I guess more like Supergirl...
I shook off my melancholy in time to see the islands off in the distance. I wasn't headed the right way, but I seemed to be able to see strangely far from up here. Somehow I was sure those islands were my destination; Hawaii. Rumor had it that Wyld were welcome there, so I turned towards it with what hope I could muster.
Soon the islands were growing as I flew rapidly towards them. I could see at least three Japanese gunships and an aircraft carrier moored at Pearl Harbor. It still seemed weird to think that Hawaii was part of Japan. But no weirder than California becoming one of the most ultra-conservative states in what used to be the United States of America. Real united now, huh?
My musings were interrupted by a beam of red light shooting up from one of the islands. I tried to dodge, but it was too fast. It seemed to pause about a foot in front of me, as if hitting some kind of barrier, but then it plowed through and everything went black...
"How are you doing?" a woman's voiced said, startling me so badly I almost fell out of the bed I found myself in. Glancing around quickly I figured I must be in a hospital. The woman was a nurse by the looks of it.
"My head hurts." I said.
"I'm not surprised, you got blasted pretty hard. I'm surprised you're even alive." she said.
"Yeah, about that...?" I said, annoyed at my 'welcome'.
She shrugged, "I'm told that you look an awful lot like a missile on radar. And you were moving really fast. What did you expect us to think, coming at that speed from California of all places?"
"Oh, yeah." I said, shrugging. "I guess I didn't think that far ahead."
"It's lucky for you that someone with the right powers was nearby to save you. However you survived the blast, I doubt you would have survived the fall into the ocean." the nurse said.
"Yeah, that would have been bad. Where am I, anyway?" I asked.
"Honolulu. All the new Wyld are brought here, though they don't usually arrive so spectacularly." she said with a grin.
"Yeah, I bet." I groaned. I was glad to see I was still wearing the clothes I'd had on when I ran... or rather flew, away from home. Not that I could call it home anymore...
"I'll see if I can get you some aspirin for your headache." the nurse said, turning and walking out. The door was wide open, so it would be easy enough to split. But I figured I'd give them a chance. They're supposed to be welcoming to Wyld in Hawaii, so maybe I wouldn't get the same kind of welcome as I did at home? Hopefully. Especially if I kept the weirder stuff the change did to me to myself.
A few minutes later the nurse returned with a guy in a dark suit. I'd expected she might bring a doctor back, not a spook. That's what he looked and acted like, anyway. I glanced around real quick to spot any windows in the room. There was one and I figured I could get out at any time if things went bad. Which they almost always did with spooks.
The nurse gave me a couple pills and a little cup of water. I swallowed the pills and washed them down, never taking my eyes off the spook. Weirdly enough, though, he didn't seem as intimidating as the spooks I'd seen at home. Sure, he was big and imposing. But he was actually smiling slightly. It wasn't even a cruel smile, something spooks back home often had.
"Relax kid, I'm not going to hurt you." he said. "We do things differently here than back on the mainland."
I didn't relax, much, but I was starting to think the rumors just might be true after all. That would be nice.
"What's your name kid?" he asked when I didn't say anything.
"Erin." I said softly. I was thankful I had a gender neutral name. It made things so much easier!
He nodded and held his hand out in a friendly fashion, "My name's Joe. Nice to meet you."
I looked at his hand doubtfully, but he just held it there. Reluctantly, I reached out and shook his hand. I was kind of embarrassed by the rather girly way I did it, but he didn't act like I'd done anything odd. Oh yeah, girl... Got to get used to that, I thought, mentally kicking myself.
"So... what's your story?" he asked, taking a seat in one of those uncomfortable hard plastic chairs hospitals everywhere seem to have.
I shrugged, "I went Wyld, people freaked, so I ran."
"Or more accurately flew?" he asked with a chuckle. I shrugged again. He nodded and then settled down to business. "Okay Erin, here's the deal. Every Wyld that comes here has to get interviewed, that's the rules. My job is to find out who you are, or were, and how you came to be here. Then we'll get you entered into our system and you can start your new life."
"Just like that?" I asked, shocked by how simple he made it all sound. Surely they'd want to know about my powers and stuff, wouldn't they? I'd heard that some countries were building a database of the powers of all their Wyld. Supposedly for scientific reasons, but everyone figured it was just another way to control them.
He shrugged, "Pretty much. We try to leave the Wyld alone to live their lives like everyone else. Everyone's happier that way. But you need an identity, legally, here in order to work, open bank accounts and all that. We also like to know what things are really like in other countries for Wyld. We can't trust the media; a lot of it is state controlled anymore. So the stories of Wyld like yourself are really helpful in getting an idea what is going on out there."
"State controlled?" I repeated, frowning. "Where is the media state controlled? I've never heard of that except in, like, communist countries or something."
He smiled sadly, "Unfortunately, it's a lot more common now than it was before. Most of the remnants of the USA have state controlled media. It's part of their program to indoctrinate everyone into the ideology that those countries are based around. Calivada is actually one of the worst from what we've heard from refugees like yourself."
"That can't be..." I protested weakly. But really, I wasn't that surprised. California used to be liberal, but the height of that was before my time. Things had been going slowly downhill for a while before the Wyld started showing up. And once they did, all bets were off.
He seemed to know what I was thinking, nodding sadly, "Yeah, lots of people are surprised by how far California has fallen. Used to be one of the greatest places to live, now it's one of the worst. At least, in America. California's a paradise compared to some countries, like Iran."
I shuddered at that. Everyone knew how bad Iran had gotten. Not that they were ever all that great, but still. "So, what do you want to know?" I asked.
"Well, to start with, what's your full name?" he said, pulling out a notepad and pen.
"Erin..." I paused, realizing my middle name would bring up questions I really didn't want to answer. "Lynn Carlson." I finished, hoping he didn't notice my pause.
He did, I could tell, but he didn't make a big deal out of it. He just wrote it down and looked back at me, "So, Erin, why did people 'freak'? Were you seen when you went Wyld?"
I nodded, "Yeah, it happened right in the middle of my philosophy class."
He winced, but just asked, "What happened?"
"It... wasn't pretty." I said, shuddering at the memory of the looks my classmates and teachers had given me. Not that I'd ever been popular or anything, but even in high school I was never reviled that much. "Everyone jumped out of their seats and backed away from me like I was a bomb that could go off at any moment. But they looked at me like I was a demon or something..."
When I didn't say anything else for a while he nodded, "Yeah, we get that a lot. At least you don't actually look like a demon. Some do, you know. You're a beautiful woman."
I looked away, wincing at his words. "Yeah, well, things just got worse from there."
"Did someone in the class attack you?" he asked.
I shook my head, "Not really. There were lots of insults and some people held crosses up like they would keep me away or something. I think someone was actually praying, too. Anyway, when I realized what happened I ran out of there as fast as I could."
"Not flew?" he asked.
"No, I ran. I didn't find out I could fly then." I replied.
"So where did you go?" he prompted.
"Home. I knew it wouldn't be safe at the college, everyone would know in minutes. And the dorm wouldn't be safe, either. So I went straight to my car and drove home. I passed a bunch of police cars with lights and sirens going on my way out, so I figured I escaped just in time." I said, remembering my fear as I tried my best not to react to the police cars. I was so relieved when they didn't stop me!
He nodded, "Yes, most of the old American states still react to Wyld as if nothing has changed."
"What do you mean?" I asked, wondering what kind of change he could be referring to.
"Haven't you noticed?" he asked, glancing in surprise at the nurse. She looked just as surprised as he did.
"Noticed what?" I said.
He shook his head, "Wyld aren't the same as they were. Did you blow anything up when you Changed?"
I shook my head weakly as I took in what he was saying. When the Wyld first appeared they did a lot of damage. People tried to subdue them until a way could be found to control their powers. But they couldn't find a way. So eventually most countries took to killing Wyld on sight. Things weren't as bad as back then, but people still tended to panic at the sight of a Wyld transformation.
"Haven't you ever wondered why Wyld aren't as uncontrollable as they used to be?" the nurse said, surprising me since she hadn't said anything since Joe came in.
I shrugged, "I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, I've never actually seen a Wyld before. I heard about a couple of them showing up in town before, but they were dealt with quickly."
"What do you mean by 'dealt with'?" Joe asked.
"I... don't know, actually. That's how they always talk about it on the news, 'dealt with'. I just figured they were locked up somewhere or something." I said.
He shook his head sadly, glancing at the nurse for a moment before turning back to me, "When they say 'dealt with', they almost always mean killed."
"What?!" I yelped. "I thought they weren't doing that anymore!"
"Some aren't, some are. Calivada still does as far as we know. It's like they don't even know that Wyld have changed." he said.
"How have Wyld changed?" I asked, glad to find an excuse not to think about what I'd learned.
"When the Wyld first appeared they were incredibly powerful but had absolutely no control over that power. You're a Wyld yourself, is that the way it is with you?" he said.
"Well, no, not really. I mean, I didn't know what my powers were right off the bat, or how to use them. But I wasn't out of control... Why is that?" I asked, realizing things could have been much worse. I wouldn't want to be responsible for something like Bakersfield. I shuddered at the thought.
He sat back and shrugged, "We honestly don't know. About two years after the Wyld first started appearing things just... changed. They started appearing with much greater frequency, but at much lower power levels. And most of them have pretty good control over their powers, like you. There's no reason to lock up or kill Wyld anymore. They aren't a threat, mostly."
I took a moment to take in what he'd said. It fit my own experience, and the fact that things weren't as bad as they were with the Wyld, even if they were still killing them back home. "But... if that's true... why doesn't anybody know about it?" I finally asked.
He leaned forward again, "Oh, they know. The ones in power, anyway. They know Wyld aren't a danger anymore. But some of those countries formed around the fear of the Wyld more than anything else. Without that fear they could fall apart. So they keep the fear going. But that's probably not what's going on in Calivada. At least, not all of it."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Haven't you noticed how fanatically people have been acting over the last few years? Aren't there more churches than ever?" he asked intently.
"Well, yeah, I guess. I've never understood why so many people are getting so forceful about their religion, but what does that have to do with anything?" I asked cluelessly.
"A lot of the American countries that came out of the USA are leaning towards theocracy. Either out of genuine belief, because it's a useful tool to control people, or more likely a combination of the two. Fear of the Wyld, and the religious fervor associated with it are very powerful right now." he said.
"That's why people were holding up crosses and stuff?" I asked.
"That's right. People are being taught that Wyld are demons, or possessed, or just really evil people getting punished for their sins. Haven't you picked up any of that?" he asked, looking confused.
"Well, yeah, I guess. My parents have been on about it a few times. I didn't think it was that widespread though. Or that bad." I said, but realized it made a lot of sense. News articles and broadcasts were getting more and more religious references in them. I thought it odd a few times, but hadn't really paid attention. Surviving high school and trying to get good grades in college had taken up all my attention.
"You were reclusive, weren't you?" the nurse said. "Didn't get out much?"
I shrugged, "I guess so. I never had a lot of friends or anything. And my parents were really pushing me to get good grades. They were threatening to cut me off if I didn't."
Joe look at me oddly, "I'm surprised a pretty girl like you didn't have lots of friends."
"Late bloomer." I replied with a shrug, mentally patting myself on the back for the quick save.
He gave me an odd, knowing look before shaking it off and saying, "So, what happened when you got home?"
It took me a minute to get my thoughts in order, "Well, it took me a while to convince my parents of who I am. I looked a lot different before. Once I had convinced them, though, I wished I hadn't!"
"Did they hurt you?" the nurse asked softly.
"No, but not for want of trying." I said, wincing at the memory of Mom coming at me with a kitchen knife. I'd ran away from her, but found Dad in the living room loading his shotgun. That was all I needed to see!
"Are you invulnerable or something?" Joe asked.
I shook my head, "No, not that I know of. Once I realized they were seriously trying to kill me I ran for it. But Mom cut me off at the front door, so I had to take the back door. It was locked and while I was fumbling with the lock I heard Dad cocking his shotgun behind me. I jumped out of the way just in time to not get shot. Fortunately for me the blast blew the door open."
"So then you flew?" he said.
"Not immediately. I was trying to get around to the front yard, but Mom beat me to it again. I was frantic, trying to get over the fence when I saw Dad follow me out with the shotgun. Mom was blocking the front yard with a big knife in hand, and Dad was blocking the only way back into the house. There was nowhere to run and he was about to shoot me. I closed my eyes, thinking I was about to die. I heard Dad's shotgun go off again, but I didn't feel anything. When I opened my eyes I was floating about twenty feet up." I said, more tears coming out as I relieved the fear and shock of those moments.
The nurse came over and sat on the bed next to me, taking my right hand in both of hers and stroking it. She didn't say anything, but it helped. I really hated how easily I cried.
"Are you okay?" Joe asked. He actually sounded like he cared. I wondered if maybe I was wrong about him being a spook. Though I couldn't imagine what else he would be.
"Uh, sure." I sniffled. The nurse handed me a tissue and I wiped my eyes and blew my nose. I felt a little better after that and continued, "So, I found myself floating. My parents looked really shocked at that, but also even more determined to kill me. They looked at me like I was worse than scum. I couldn't take it anymore and tried to run. Next thing I know I'm like, ten thousand feet up or something."
"Did you come straight here from there?" he said.
"I guess so. I mean, I kind of flew in circles for a while to get a hang of this flying business, but then I flew up even higher so I could see better and headed west. Then I got here and some red beam of light swatted me out of the sky." I said.
He grimaced, smiling apologetically at me, "Yes, sorry about that. When we saw you on radar and realized how fast you were moving we all assumed you were a missile. We were afraid it was nuclear. It wouldn't be the first time Calivada has taken a shot at us. So my boss sent me to shoot the missile down."
"You?!" I squeaked, annoying myself yet again with how girly I sounded.
He shrugged, "Yeah. I'm Wyld, too. I didn't change physically, I just got this blast power. Frankly, I'm amazed you survived."
I found myself edging away from him, not that there was much room to move on the bed. The nurse grabbed my hand again, "It's okay, he's not going to hurt you. Not if he knows what's good for him." She smiled at me and then turned to frown at him.
He held his hands up defensively, "Hey, how was I to know? I thought I was shooting down a missile. Give me a break here." He didn't sound too serious, though. It was more like a game between the two of them. I realized they must know each other, which was kind of odd. Surely Wyld didn't arrive like I did very often for the two of them to have met like this before?
Anyway, I relaxed a bit at their banter and stopped trying to get away from him. I was angry at myself for being such a wuss, not that it was anything new. "So..." I started, clearing my throat when my voice squeaked again, "what happens now?"
He smiled, "That's the easy part. We get you a place to stay, some clothes, food, etc. Then we work on finding you a job and get you back in college if you want. How does that sound?"
"Really? All that?" I exclaimed in surprise. I had figured things would be really tough, for the little time I had to think about it. It almost sounded too good to be true.
"Sure." he agreed. "You only get the help for six months, though, so it's best to get working as soon as you can. Then you can save up some money for when you get your own place. If you start soon enough, and just live off the government money in the meantime, you can get a pretty good head start."
What could I do but agree? It's not like I had any better prospects. Hell, if I flew somewhere else I might get shot down again and there might not be anybody nearby who cared enough to save me!
So, Joe left to get some forms for me to fill out. Government's the same everywhere in that regard, after all. The nurse, I finally got her name, Nancy, went to find me some clothes. While they were gone I sat and thought. It was weird the way Nancy had been comforting me like that. Nobody had treated me that way since I was little.
When Nancy got back she had some sweatpants and a t-shirt for me. I went into the bathroom to change, closing the door behind me to keep Nancy from following as she seemed inclined to. Did all women act like that?
Anyway, I got my clothes off and that's when I found out somebody has a sense of humor. All my life, it seems anyway, I've been called a girl, fag, fairy, etc. I've always been weak, physically and emotionally. Crying all the time and generally making a fool of myself. So, what does the Change do to me? Turns me from a girly man into an... erm, manly girl? Yeah, still got the goods down below, and they're bigger than ever!
There was a mirror in the bathroom that was angled kind of low, I guessed for people in wheel chairs or something. Anyway, I was able to get a pretty good look at my new body and I was shocked to say the least. I'd heard of she males and guessed that's pretty much what I was at this point. But why did I have to be such a babe, and so well... well, you get the idea!
After gawking for a minute or two I decided to throw those clothes on and do my best not to think about it for a while. The clothes fit okay, but I was worried what would happen if I got... excited. Why did I have to be such a freak?!
When I came back out of the bathroom Nancy was still there; tidying things up for the next patient I guess. As usual I must have been wearing my heart on my sleeve, because she obviously noticed something was wrong. "Are you okay Erin?" she asked, walking over to me.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." I lied.
She didn't buy that, "It will get better, you'll see. It was hard for me at first, too, and I didn't have to deal with my parents trying to kill me! I'll be with you for as long as you need me."
I looked at her oddly at that, "Why?"
She laughed, "What, you think you're the only one to have a rough time? Some of the Wyld we get here are way worse off than either of us could even imagine! A couple months ago we started this buddy policy thing. Every newbie gets a... mentor, I guess, to help them get settled."
"Oh, okay." I said, feeling a bit let down. I was starting to think she liked me, but that was silly. No girl had ever shown any genuine interest in me before, why should that change now that I looked like one of them?
She finished cleaning up and led me out into the waiting area to sit until Joe got back. "So..." I said hesitantly, "you said you're Wyld, too?"
She shrugged, "Yeah, but I didn't get much out of it. I look a little better than I did before, different color hair and eyes, and I can do some minor healing. If I have any other powers I don't know about them. Certainly nothing as impressive as flying!"
I blushed, ducking my head, "Uh, yeah. That part is kind of cool, actually."
"Kind of?! I know there's at least a few other fliers here, but I've never heard of anyone who can fly at your speed. Do you realize how fast you were going?" she said.
"Uh, no? You guys said I was mistaken for a missile, so I guess it was pretty fast?" I said, surprised that I hadn't really thought about that yet. But then, it had only been twenty four hours, if that, since I changed.
"Pretty fast she says!" Nancy humphed, "You were more than pretty fast!"
"Uh, sorry?" I said, not sure how to respond to this weird girl.
She laughed, "I was just kidding with you Erin! You really were a recluse, weren't you?"
I just nodded, not knowing what else to say. It's not like I could tell her I was a guy, was it? I needed her and Joe to get me going in this place. And the fewer people who knew about me the better.
We sat in silence for a while after that, until Joe returned. Nancy decided to go do something after one look from Joe and I started to worry. He looked kind of serious, though not angry or anything. He sat down next to me, holding a file folder in his lap.
"So, can you guess what I found when I looked up your name Erin?" Joe asked.
I gulped, "Uh, no?"
Then he laughed. At first I thought he was laughing at me. I mean, who wouldn't? But then he patted me on the back like we were sharing some great joke. "Relax, Erin! You're not the first gender bender we've encountered over here! You're not in any trouble or anything. I just wanted you to know that I know, okay?" he said.
"Uh...okay?" I stammered, not sure why he was acting so normal about this. But then what he'd said sunk in. There were other people like me? Then reality caught up with me; he didn't know. He thought I was all girl or something.
"Sure." he smiled, "It's rare, but it happens. Some people are thrilled with it, some don't much care and some hate it. But almost everyone gets used to it eventually. It's your body now, after all. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Not even Nancy. I'll leave that up to you."
"Okay?" I said, still stunned by his reaction. Still, I figured if he knew how messed up I really am he'd be acting differently. After all, at least a normal 'gender bender' is a boy or a girl. Not both!
He laughed again, "Come on, let's get the paperwork out of the way."
He handed me the folder and a clipboard with a pen attached, like you see in hospitals everywhere. Then he left to get a coffee, asking if I'd like anything. I told him no and got to work.
When he came back he sat down a few chairs down and waited patiently. Didn't this guy have anything better to do? But when Nancy came back he said good luck and left. Huh, guess he didn't want to leave me alone for some reason. Maybe they thought I'd try to escape or something.
The paperwork took ages. I had to ask Nancy for help on some of it. Legalese I do not speak!
Finally it was all done and we left, dropping the paperwork off with someone at the front desk. I was surprised at that. Wasn't this government stuff, not hospital stuff?
"Don't look so surprised." Nancy said, startling me. "This hospital specializes in Wyld issues, so naturally it works closely with the government to help refugees. We get a lot of them, after all."
"Really? I didn't think there were that many Wyld out there." I said.
"Remember what Joe told you? We're not as powerful as the first ones were, but we're much more numerous. It looks like everybody under a certain age is going Wyld these days." Nancy said.
"What age?" I asked.
She shrugged, "We're not sure yet. But it looks like it's fairly young. Nobody over the age of thirty has gone Wyld in a few years. It may be younger even than that. It's hard to say; especially since a lot of Wyld look younger or older than they are, or age slower or faster than normal people do."
"B-but... there would be... thousands!" I stuttered in surprise.
Nancy laughed, "More like millions, I think. A lot of people think everyone will be Wyld eventually. I think that's one of the big things that scares a lot of people."
"I had no idea it was that bad." I said.
"Bad? What's so bad about everyone being Wyld? It's different, but I don't think it's really bad. The real problem is the way so many people react to us." she said.
"I guess." I said, shrugging. But I couldn't help but wonder how different a world full of Wyld would be. Especially if there were really Wyld who looked like demons like Joe said. I shuddered at the thought. Mom and Dad would have really gone ballistic if I'd turned out like that!
Nancy took me to the DMV first. I was surprised it was still called that here. Back home Homeland Security had taken over the role of supplying most forms of identification like driver's licenses.
It was weird being in the DMV office. It was like something from a movie, or vague memories from when I went with my parents when I was a kid. It seemed so normal, until I noticed the other people. There were a couple of catgirls in line in front of us. There was also what I could only call a goblin! I just about freaked out when I saw him.
"Relax Erin." Nancy said softly, grabbing my arm. "You'll see lots of people who look very different or even scary here. But they're just like everybody else. You will get along better if you treat everyone the way you'd like to be treated, instead of just reacting to their appearance."
I nodded weakly. There were a few other odd looking people there, including a woman with two heads! She was normal otherwise, which I think only made her seem more strange in a way.
The rest of our time at the DMV I spent trying not to stare at anybody. Although that was really hard with the catgirls. As odd as they were, they were also really good looking. They also were wearing short skirts and their tails sometimes flicked upwards, causing their skirts to flip up. They would grab their skirts and pull them down every time it happened, looking around in embarrassment, so I figured they hadn't been catgirls for very long.
Nancy nudged me at one point, "Don't stare Erin, it's rude."
I muttered, "Sorry." But I figured she thought I was staring for a different reason than I was!
Finally, we got up to the counter. Nancy had held onto some of the forms I'd filled out and handed them over. The woman who took them seemed normal enough and completely unfazed by the oddness around her. I could only guess that she saw a lot of it.
Much to my surprise, I got a drivers license right then and there. You had to wait at least a month at home, but they just printed it out on the spot. I also thought they'd have me take a test, but apparently they still had some access to computer records from California.
The picture was actually pretty good for a government ID. I was depressed to see the F for gender, but even I realized it would be simpler to let everyone think I'm really a girl.
Once out of the DMV I sighed in relief. I hadn't expected it to be so easy, but I also hadn't expected it to be so strange! "So, now what?" I asked.
"Now," Nancy said, "we go to the refugee housing. It's a group of apartments that have been set aside for refugees to use until they get settled. Don't worry though, they're not as bad as you're thinking."
I glanced dubiously at her at that but kept my mouth shut. I doubted 'refugee housing' was going to be very good. But it might not be as bad as my old dorm room. And maybe I wouldn't have a roommate?
It was finally starting to sink in that I'd be living here from now on, so I started paying a little more attention as Nancy drove me to my new home. What I could see of Honolulu was a strange mixture of tourist paradise and freak show. On the one hand it was sunny and beautiful, but there were so many Wyld around it totally transformed the place. Many looked pretty normal, of course, but some were really weird!
When we arrived at the refugee housing I received a shock! First, we had to pass through a fairly impressive wall to get in, complete with security gate. And the gate wasn't automated, it was manned by two obviously Wyld guards. One looked like a werewolf and the other looked more like an ogre or something. He was big and ugly, anyway.
The next thing that shocked me was that it wasn't run down looking at all. There were six buildings interspersed with palm trees and some bushes and flowers I didn't recognize. The buildings themselves were fairly recently painted and in good repair. Nancy guided me to apartment number 52 and handed me the key.
"So... this is mine?" I asked.
She nodded, "Yep, for the next six months anyway. Go on in."
Hesitantly, I put the key in the lock and turned it. When I opened the door I found myself in a pretty simple apartment, but definitely not the dump I expected. The door opened into the living room/dining room. There was a small table with four chairs around it at one end and a sofa and end table at the other. I could see the kitchen through one doorway and a hall on the other side. The kitchen was small but equipped with refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, oven and even a microwave. Definitely better than my dorm room already!
After walking around the kitchen I headed down the hall. It bent at a ninety degree angle almost immediately with a closet on the right side. To the left it continued for another ten feet or so with three more doors. One was the bathroom and the other two were bedrooms. Although only one of them was furnished with a bed, dresser and book shelf. The other room was completely empty.
"All of this?!" I squeaked after getting the grand tour.
She smiled, "Yes, all of it. A bit better than you expected?"
"Uh, yeah. A bit." I said, still in shock.
She laughed, "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction, too. I figured any kind of government housing would suck and I would be eager to get out. That's what they want, after all, is for you to move out on your own. But for some reason they set aside some pretty decent apartments for it."
"Weird." I said.
She nodded in agreement. "So, all done looking around?" she asked. I nodded. "Good, then we can go get your account started and do some shopping!"
I groaned, "Shopping?" But I knew she was right, I didn't have anything but the clothes on my back. Well, that and the clothes I was wearing when I arrived. I didn't know what had happened to them, though, and didn't care. They didn't fit anymore anyway.
She laughed again and dragged me out of my new apartment. Soon we were pulling up in front of a fair sized bank. "You said something about an account?" I asked.
She nodded, "Yes. Every refugee gets a bank account set up for them with regular monthly deposits for six months. After that you're on your own."
"How can they afford to do that?!" I said.
She shrugged, "It's Hawaii. Even now we get a lot of tourists. Even more than before in some ways, since everyone is curious about all the odd Wyld we have here. We have to turn some of the less friendly away, but we still make a lot of money. Plus there's all the regular businesses. And on top of all that Japan helps out. Nobody's more wealthy than Japan these days."
I had to nod at that. I'd heard that Japan owned more of the old US than the old US did even before it split up. Whether that was actually true or not I didn't know but everybody knew Japan was doing well.
The bank was a repeat of the DMV office. A long line, lots of weird Wyld and me trying not to stare at them. Especially this one cute catgirl. There seemed to be a lot of catgirls around for some reason.
I got another shock when I found out how much the first month's deposit was. It was a fortune!
Nancy laughed at my expression, "It's not as much as it looks. We use Yen here now." At my confused expression she said, "Part of Japan now, remember? Take a couple zeros off that number and that will give you a pretty good idea of how much it is in US dollars."
"Oh, okay. That makes more sense. Still seems like a lot, though." I said.
She shrugged, "You need a new wardrobe, food, toiletries, the works. The first deposit is larger for that reason. What you get for the next five months will be a lot less since it's mainly to cover the costs of food and transportation. The other bills are covered."
"So I don't have to pay for electricity or water or any of that?" I asked.
"Not for the first six months, it's part of the free housing. After that you have to pay for everything just like everyone else. So don't get too used to it." Nancy said.
I nodded, still in shock at how generous they were being. The Calivada government would certainly never do anything like this! But then, they were pretty poor since the break-up. Both California and Nevada had a lot of tourist income before the breakup but that dropped off a lot after the US broke up. Even so, they wouldn't throw money around like that. Especially on Wyld!
I couldn't believe how lucky I was to find all this. I'd only had rumors to go on, but it worked out better than I could have possibly anticipated. Even with getting shot out of the sky. That got me thinking, "Hey, who saved me anyway?"
"Another newbie, actually. She arrived only a couple of weeks before you did. She's telekinetic. You're lucky she was here; I doubt anybody else would have been able to save you before you hit the water." Nancy replied.
"What's her name? I'd like to thank her sometime." I said, wondering if she was another weird looking freak or not. Not that I was one to talk!
Nancy looked at me intently for a moment and shook her head, "I'd like to tell you, but she asked me not to. She's really shy."
I sighed, "Alright, I guess I can understand that. Will you tell her thanks for me if you see her?"
"Sure, I can do that." Nancy said.
We were silent after that until we arrived at some clothing store I didn't recognize. I groaned as we walked in. Nancy was dragging me straight towards the undergarments and that was exactly what I wanted to avoid!
I was pleasantly surprised when she didn't try to come in with me to the changing rooms. I ended up trying on a stupid number of bras before finding what fit right. Which seemed to be different in every style and manufacturer! It didn't help any that I'm rather... large, up top now. Just like I am below...
I told myself to quit thinking about that, but shopping for panties kind of screwed that up. Nancy kept pushing me towards the ones that didn't cover much, but I knew I'd need something a little more substantial to help hide my... differences. She just thought I was being a prude, but I didn't care.
After that ordeal was thankfully over we moved onto jeans and skirts. At first I intended to refuse skirts no matter what. But after trying on a few pairs of jeans I realized they were way too tight fitting! Wearing them would have been like wearing a t-shirt that said, 'look at the freak!". That left me with skirts, unfortunately. They were surprisingly comfortable, though, as long as they weren't too short. The short ones left me feeling naked. And that's not a good thing when you've got something to hide.
That place didn't have many long skirts, so I didn't get many. Then we moved on to shirts. Or tops. Or blouses. I wasn't really clear on what term was right for what item so I just kept my mouth shut about it.
That part wasn't as bad, but so many girl's clothes emphasized my new attributes and I didn't want that. I finally found a few styles that were loose enough to take a little of the attention away from my chest. It wasn't much, but I'd take whatever I could get.
Nancy was clearly not liking my taste in clothes, but she didn't do more than voice an occasional opinion. I was glad for that, and glad she thought I was really a girl. A real girl would have already established a style, so she probably figured this was mine. It worked for me.
Dresses were another issue. Most of them wouldn't work for the same reason the jeans didn't. Besides, they tended to be designed to direct attention to my chest which wasn't much better. I ended up only getting one dress and wasn't sure I'd ever ware that. I didn't really want to wear girly clothes but I had little real choice in the matter. Well, no good choices, anyway.
Finally, that ordeal was over. Or so I thought. Next thing I know we're at another clothing store! I almost asked if we hadn't already gotten enough but stopped myself. Would a real girl say that? Didn't they love to shop?
The second store had a lot more long skirts, though, so that worked out. Nancy wanted to peruse the entire store, but I was good after the skirts. But then we had to get shoes!
The shoe store was... interesting. Nancy seemed to think I should only get flats since I'm almost six feet tall. One nice thing about my change is I didn't lose any height. I was just as happy to avoid heels so I went along with her. But she thought I should buy fifty pairs of shoes or something! She was obviously disappointed when I only got two.
Just when I thought we were finally done, she reminded me that I needed food. At least that was something I had some small experience with!
The grocery shopping was simple enough, until Nancy tried to stop me at the 'feminine care' items. I had to think fast to avoid that one, but finally managed to convince her that I'm really self-conscious about that kind of thing and would come back later. She looked at me oddly for that one but thankfully let it go.
Finally, finally, we were done. It took a few trips to get everything into the apartment from her car. Nancy insisted on helping me get everything put away. By the time we were done it was getting dark out. I hadn't even thought about food, but I was starving!
Nancy was, too, "I've just realized I skipped lunch. I'll come by tomorrow and help you with your job search, okay?"
I nodded tiredly, "Sure, thanks."
With that she left. I was exhausted and starving. After eating a slightly overcooked microwaved meal I went to bed.
February 2008
Thankfully Nancy didn't come over early, I'm not a morning person. I woke up around ten, I think. After getting dressed I made some eggs and bacon for breakfast. Or brunch, whatever. Nancy knocked on the door while I was still eating.
"Hi Erin." she said when I opened the door. She sniffed, "Am I interrupting your breakfast?"
I shrugged, "I'm almost finished, come on in. Want anything?"
She shook her head as she followed me in, "No, I already ate."
"So what are we doing today?" I asked, sitting down and stuffing another forkful of eggs in my mouth. She frowned for some reason.
"We'll go over to the Wyld Employment Assistance office. It started up last year to help new Wyld find jobs. Not everyone is willing to hire a Wyld, especially a new one who might not have a handle on their powers yet. So it's really helpful." she said.
I nodded, "Cool."
She waited patiently while I finished eating and threw my dishes in the sink. She frowned again. "Aren't you going to wash them?"
"Sure." I shrugged, "When I get back." I thought it would be rude to keep her waiting any more than she already had, but she didn't seem to agree. But she didn't argue, either.
We got back in her car and she drove us over to the WEA. Inside was even weirder than anywhere else I'd been. A long line had already formed and everyone in the line was Wyld. And most of them looked it. There was a guy with three fluffy tails, though he looked normal otherwise. Another guy was really misshapen, like he had turned into play-dough and some kid had played with him and he stuck that way. He moved really awkwardly. I was glad I hadn't become so obviously freakish.
The line moved slowly at first, but picked up after a while. I was so distracted by all the weirdness around me I didn't even notice when we got to the front of the line. Nancy pulled yet more papers out of her bag and handed them over, making me extra glad she was along since I had no idea what to do. Apparently that stack of paperwork Joe gave me covered just about everything.
The woman at the counter went over the papers, entered some stuff in her computer, and then gave me a little piece of paper with a number on it. Then we had to sit and wait.
"What exactly happens here, anyway?" I asked Nancy once we were seated.
"They keep track of open jobs that are available to Wyld and try to find something that fits you. Then they'll send you over for an interview. It's pretty straightforward and they do most of the work for you." she replied.
The wait wasn't all that long. When my number was called it was by a woman who came out of an office down the hall. We followed her into her office and sat in the chairs facing her desk.
"Hi Erin, I'm Jacky. Your records don't show that you've had a job before. Is that right?" she said.
"Uh, yeah. I was a college student and my parents were paying for everything." I said.
She nodded, "Okay. How far along in your studies were you? I don't see any record of any degrees."
I shook my head, "No, I was just in my second year. I was still working on general requirements and hadn't settled on a major yet."
She typed something into her computer and turned back to me, "Well, that means you're pretty much stuck with retail or restaurant work. Pretty much all the other jobs that don't require education or training get gobbled up fast. Fortunately we have a lot of restaurants and stores for all the tourists so there's plenty of that. With your looks I'd say that waitress is your best bet."
I just gaped at her. Never in my life had I anticipated being a waitress! Once my brain rebooted I realized it made sense, though. I'm kind of a knockout now. Pretty girls get good tips, so that could work. I didn't like the idea much, but since I didn't really know how to do anything I figured I'd better make use of my looks for lack of any other assets.
I still didn't like the idea, but I went with it, "Okay."
She smiled, "Good! There are lots of openings for girls like you, since so many of the Wyld we get here are... unusual looking. They never do as well at service jobs like these."
She handed over an application for me to fill out. Once that was done she wrote down the name, address and phone number of the restaurant I would be applying at. With that we were done. She wished me luck and we left.
"That was easy." I said.
Nancy nodded, "Yes, it really is. This is the first time I've mentored anyone, and I came here before the office started up, so I've never actually been inside myself. I wasn't sure what to expect either."
"So, do I go to..." I look down at the note, "Rami's Diner now?"
"Might as well." she agreed.
I told her the address and she drove me over. It was halfway across town from my apartment, so I realized I was going to have to learn the local bus routes or get a bike or something. I didn't think the money they were giving me would cover a car.
Once we got there Nancy pulled into an empty spot and walked me to the door. She stopped there and looked around, pointing down the street, "Over there is the nearest bus stop, I think. There's a bus stop inside the apartment complex, so you should be able to take the bus over here without too much trouble. I'll find out what the times are while you're applying for the job, okay?"
I nodded nervously, "Okay."
With that she headed towards the bus stop while I went inside. I'd never worked a day in my life and had no idea what to expect. The first thing I noticed was that Rami's Diner was actually pretty nice. It wasn't a really expensive place, but it was no greasy spoon, either. It was nearly one o'clock, so there were still a lot of people from the lunch crowd. I was glad to see the waitresses were all wearing skirts, fairly long ones. That would make things easier.
The hostess saw me standing there, looking around and not knowing what to do, "Hello, welcome to Rami's. How many in your party?"
"Uh, I'm here for a job?" I said hesitantly.
She smiled a little brighter at that, "Oh good! We've been shorthanded for weeks. Follow me." With that she started walking. I hurried to catch up and soon found myself at a door that said 'Employee's Only'. She opened it and ushered me through. "First door on your left is the manager's office. I'll let him know you're here. Just go on in and have a seat."
She turned and left. I walked over to the door, which was unmarked, and opened it. It was a small office with a desk, chair, filing cabinet and computer. There were two more chairs facing the desk. I sat in one and waited.
A few minutes later the door opened and a small man walked in. He was quite a bit shorter than me; maybe five six. He was also really androgynous looking. I wasn't even sure he was a guy at first. He had long brown hair and slightly pointed ears. He also had translucent wings!
As soon as the door was closed he walked over to me with a smile and held his hand out, "Hi, I'm Jake. The WEA called ahead, so you must be Erin?"
I shook his hand weakly, "Uh, yeah, that's me."
He nodded and sat; sideways, I noticed. Must be hard having wings. He pulled a sheet of paper out of his fax machine and looked it over before looking back up at me. "So, have you ever worked as a waitress before?"
"Uh, no, I haven't." I said.
He nodded, "That's not a problem. I'll have Tessa show you the ropes. When can you start?"
I shrugged, "Any time, I guess."
"Just arrived?" He asked. I nodded. "Okay. Well, Tessa doesn't get in until two, so how about you come back at two tomorrow?"
"Sure, that's fine." I said, not realizing I'd be starting so soon. Not that I had anything better to do.
"Excellent!" he beamed. "We've been looking for a while, but most of the people who have applied have been, well, a bit different." At my incredulous look he laughed. "Yeah, I know, pot calling the kettle. It's not like I have a problem with people who look different. It's just that the customers don't take well to them. A few, like the catgirls, can get along okay sometimes. But mostly it works best to use normal looking girls like yourself."
"Uh, okay. See you later?" I said, not sure how to take this guy. He seemed really upbeat, grinning all the time.
"You got it, kid!" he agreed. He shook my hand again and ushered me out. Next thing I know I'm standing outside the door, wondering what I'm getting myself into.
"That was quick." Nancy said, startling me.
"Yeah, it was. Did you find out about the buses?" I said.
She nodded, "Yes, I did. We'll pick up a schedule for you on the way, but the bus comes by here pretty regularly so you shouldn't have any trouble."
After getting the bus schedule she drove me back to my apartment. It was weird to call it that. I'd never lived alone before. Heck, I'd only been in the dorm for a little over a year and I had a roommate there.
"So, I guess I'll see you around?" I said as I got out. But she surprised me by getting out too.
"What, did you think I was going to just cut you loose on your own? It's my job to make sure you get settled in here. You don't even know anybody yet besides me." she said.
"Oh." I said lamely. "Uh, so what now?"
She shrugged, "Not sure, really. There's not much in the way of training for mentoring. We've pretty much exhausted what I know. So I figured we could just hang out and talk, or go for a walk so you can get a better feel for the area?"
"Uh, walk, I guess." I said, not having any ideas myself.
She smiled, "Cool."
We started walking in silence for a while. Finally she seemed to get tired of the quiet and asked, "So, did you have any idea what you wanted to do? Career wise?"
I shrugged, "Not really."
"I've always wanted to be a nurse myself, but going Wyld kind of changed all that." she said.
"Yeah, I can see that. Were you in school yet?" I asked.
"No, not yet. I hadn't started college yet when I changed. I was due to start a few months later, but I never did." she said.
"Why not? I mean, aren't there colleges here?" I asked, remembering what Joe had said.
She nodded, "Sure, but it seems kind of pointless now."
"Pointless? How?" I said.
"I can heal people now. My power really isn't affected by how much or how little I know about an injury or illness. So learning all that would kind of be a waste of time. That's why I got into mentoring. It gives me something to do when I'm not healing people." Nancy said. She looked a little sad about it, oddly enough.
"Couldn't you work as a nurse full time with your power?" I asked curiously. I would have thought a hospital would be thrilled to have her.
She laughed, "I kind of do. But there's little point to standing around waiting for someone to get hurt and come to the hospital. I'm not the only healer, you know. When someone comes in we heal them and send them right back out most of the time. There's really not that much call for traditional doctors and nurses here any more. I work four hour shifts every other day. Somebody with healing powers is always there, and they'll page me if they need me. So I'm left with a lot of free time."
"Wow!" I said, not sure how to respond to that! I'd never imagined Wyld would completely wipe out the medical industry. "I wonder why they didn't have Wyld healers back home."
She laughed humorlessly, "Oh, they probably did. But they probably only healed the people in power or the very wealthy. I wouldn't be surprised if they were slaves, either."
"The people being healed?" I asked, confused.
"No, the healers. Some of the Wyld who were 'dealt with' might have been locked up to be studied, experimented on, or used as slave labor. Especially those with useful powers like healers." Nancy said, sounding like she knew a lot about it.
Neither of us spoke for a time as we walked down towards the beach. It was a beautiful beach. I could see why everyone liked to come to Hawaii. But it was still weird to see all these freakish Wyld walking along.
We stopped to get something to eat and continued walking. We didn't talk much for a long while, which was fine by me. It gave me time to think about what I was going to do. I hadn't really thought about the future since all this started, only a couple days before. I wasn't even sure what options were available to me. Could I work in any industry I wanted, or would being Wyld restrict me? What kind of jobs were even available in Hawaii? Would I have to learn Japanese and go to Japan to work if I chose the wrong kind of job?
Thoughts like that flew around in my mind until Nancy derailed them, "Do you want to continue with college, once you get settled into your job and everything?"
I shrugged, "I don't know. I guess? I was just thinking that I don't even know if being Wyld, and living here, would restrict the kinds of careers I could get into."
She shrugged, "If you stay in Hawaii there would be fewer options. But you could always go to Japan. Lots of people do, though you'd have to learn the language."
"What's it like there?" I asked. I really didn't know anything about Japan except what I'd seen in movies. I doubted movies about ninjas were good research material.
"I don't really know." she said. "But I know that being Wyld there isn't a barrier like it is here. Being white is probably a bigger barrier, really."
I laughed, "Isn't that a switch? Being a Wyld freak is okay, but being white isn't!"
She turned on me angrily, "We aren't freaks!"
"Okay, sorry!" I said, but I still felt that way. After all, she didn't know. Nobody did, and I intended to keep it that way. Only Joe knew I was a guy, and he thought I wasn't anymore. That suited me just fine. Not that I ever wanted to be a girl or anything, but being seen as a girl is a lot better than being seen as the freak I am.
Nancy seemed mollified and we walked in silence for a while. Eventually we got tired of walking and went back to my apartment. I hadn't paid as much attention as I should have, so I still didn't know where things were very well. Though Nancy did point out the bus stop in the apartment complex and I managed to pay enough attention to remember it. I'd need it to get to work after all.
We hung out and talked about our lives before going Wyld. I had to edit my story a lot to cover up the fact I'm a guy, but she didn't seem to catch on. At least, I hoped she didn't!
She told me she'd lived in Oklahoma, another bad place to be Wyld. Her transformation, such as it was, took place in private. She looked enough like her old self to get by for the most part, but she couldn't hide the fact she'd changed, either. A sympathetic relative paid for a ticket to Hawaii, and here she was. A much smoother move than mine, to say the least!
She had to leave shortly after that for a date. I was just as glad to see her go, though I felt kind of guilty about feeling that way. But I felt like I needed some time alone to think. I hadn't figured out what my life was going to be like before I changed and now I had an entirely new situation to get a hold of. The hardest part was being seen as a girl. The rest I'd get used to easily enough, I figured, but the girl stuff sucked. I'd already gotten a lot of looks from guys and I didn't like it. I could only imagine how many more looks I'd get if I dressed more like Nancy wanted me to.
I heated up some frozen pizza while I thought, but my thoughts just went in circles. After eating I decide to go for another walk.
This time I paid a little more attention to my surroundings. I decided to stay inside the apartment complex walls; fewer people that way. I wandered for a while until I found myself in a small park. It was easy to miss, being surrounded by all the apartment buildings. There was a playground for kids, but it didn't look like it was used much. Mostly it was just grass with a few trees.
For lack of a better idea, I wandered around the park. One thing I did figure out during my walk was that I needed a computer as soon as I could get one. Just to kill time surfing the net or playing games, if nothing else. I figured I was going to have a lot of time to kill.
I was just heading back to my apartment when I noticed a group of guys watching me. At least, I thought they were guys. They were all monstrous looking so it was hard to say. They were all over six feet tall with bulging muscles and greenish skin. They also had ugly faces with almost pig like snouts and big tusks sticking up. In fact, they kind of reminded me of those guys from Star Wars, in Jabba the Hutt's palace. The guards with the axes. Except these guys looked a lot more menacing.
I picked up my pace, but they started walking towards me. I kept one eye on them as I hurried towards home. They all wore similar clothes with identical tattoos on their forearms. I got a sinking sensation in my stomach as I realized they were probably some kind of gang. Just what I needed!
They altered their course to intercept mine. I realized they were closer to my apartment then I was. I thought about running, but figured with their muscles they could probably catch me easily enough. Then I remembered I could fly. That gave me a boost of confidence, so I decided to relax and see what happens. I could always fly away if they got violent or something, I figured.
They smiled when they noticed I had slowed down. Their smiles were frightening enough I almost took off right there. They didn't just have tusks, they also had sharp looking teeth.
"Hey babe!" one of them called out in a deep, guttural voice. I winced and tried my best to ignore them.
"Hey, we're talking to you!" another yelled angrily a moment later.
"Leave me alone!" I yelled back.
"Bitch!" the third one growled, reaching out to grab me. I decided enough was enough and took off. Or tried to. Oh yeah, haven't practiced this part yet. When I didn't start flying I really started to get scared. I'd been beaten up lots of times before, but it was obvious they had other things in mind.
I started running and they were right on my heels. I knew I'd never get away from them, but the next thing I knew I was airborne again and moving fast. Too fast! I nearly smashed into one of the apartment buildings, veering to the side at the last second. Then I had to pull up to avoid the wall. Before I could even think about stopping I was already outside the apartment complex and something like five hundred feet up in the air.
I could just hear those guys yelling in the distance, but I wasn't worried about them anymore. I was more worried about if I'd be able to land or not! After all, I'd never actually done that before.
Not wanting to lead them back to my apartment, I decided to explore the city from the air. I got a much better idea how things were laid out from there. And I also realized that I didn't have to take the bus. I can fly!
That really cheered me up and I flew around in loops and dives for a while, just for the fun of it. I could really get used to this!
I saw a couple of other people flying around while I was up there, but they were way slower than me! They also didn't stay in the air for very long. Whether that was because they didn't have far to go or just couldn't fly for long I couldn't tell.
Eventually I got tired and decided to head home. I was a little worried about those guys, but there was no sign of them. Landing turned out to be pretty easy. I found I could stop and hover in place easily. From there all I had to do was fly down slowly. I started out too fast, but quickly got the hang of going slow. Flying faster seemed to be easier than going slow, but I figured that could just be a control thing. With more practice I might not have any trouble.
Once safely inside I quickly locked the door and sighed in relief. I decided then that I would have to get some practice flying so I would be able to react more quickly in the future. Those guys might try something again, after all.
I was exhausted, though, so left such worries for later and went to bed.
Feeling a little grungy, I took a quick shower before getting dressed. Quick, because my body still freaked me out a lot. At least I hadn't lost one part, though it looked a little freakish on my new body. But then, my new body looked freakish on it's own to me. At least, on me it did.
After my shower I accidentally saw myself in the mirror and nearly screamed. How could I ever get used to this?! I threw my towel over the mirror when I was done with it and felt a little better.
Walking around my apartment naked was something I thought should be natural, but my chest was bouncing around uncomfortably reminding me why I needed to wear a bra now. Like I couldn't see that clearly enough with these giant things!
Once I was finally dressed I grabbed some cereal. By the time I was done I still had over an hour before I had to be at work. Enough time for some flying practice, I thought.
I was a little nervous leaving the apartment, but there was no sign of the guys from before. Sighing in relief, I tried to fly. Again, no dice. Fear had triggered it before, but I didn't really want to have to rely on that. If I could fly at will it would be a lot better. And it would save me a fortune on bus fare!
I thought about going to the park to practice, but decided against it. I might look strange standing in front of the building looking up like that, but I felt safer there.
I tried jumping, willing myself up and everything else I could think of. Finally I got so frustrated I screamed. I closed my eyes when I screamed and when I opened them I was five feet off the ground. What the...
I floated there a minute just trying to figure out how I'd done it. But I was no closer to figuring it out, it seemed, except that it didn't have to be fear. Apparently frustration works, too. Maybe any strong emotion? A thought, anyway.
Feeling silly floating there, I flew up. I did a little experimentation, but really this part was easy. It was getting going in the first place that was hard. So I landed and tried again. This time I tried thinking about my parents attacking me. It took a few minutes, but I managed to get myself worked up enough to float again. Then I landed again. What other trigger could I use?
I didn't come up with anything, and I found using thoughts of my parents a second time was harder. I really needed to find a better way to fly.
I didn't know how long I'd been practicing, so I went back inside and checked the time on the microwave. It was the only way of telling time I had. Getting a cell phone would probably be a good idea, I thought.
It was only twelve thirty, but I decided being early might not be a bad thing. Besides, I had to figure out where it was. Things look different from the air.
So I worked myself up again and flew. I knew the way by car, mostly, but from the air it was hard to follow the same route. Especially since it was difficult to keep my speed down to the point I wouldn't overshoot everything. It took me most of the time I had left to find the place.
I got a few looks when I landed in front of the diner, but not nearly as much as I would have expected. But I was glad for that.
When I went inside I found it wasn't as busy as last time, though there were still some people lingering over a late lunch. The hostess recognized me and waved for me to go in the back, "Go on through, he's expecting you."
"Thanks." I said. After a short walk I was back at the manager's office. I knocked, and this time he was in.
"Come in." he called out.
So I did. "Hi." I said, standing awkwardly, not sure if I should sit or what.
He smiled, "Hi Erin, good to see you again! Let me get Tessa in here and she can get you a uniform and start your training."
He made a call, saying just, "Send Tessa back here." A few seconds later there was a knock on the door. "Come in!"
The door opened and a woman in the diner uniform walked in. She looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't place from where. The fact her hair was down, obscuring her face, didn't help any. She was another cat girl. I was starting to wonder if there was a whole nation of catgirls out there or something!
"Ah, there you are!" Jake said happily, smiling at Tessa. "This is the new girl, Erin."
She turned towards me but as soon as she'd gotten a look at me she suddenly turned away. "Hello Erin." she said, so softly I barely heard her.
"You okay Tessa?" Jake asked.
She nodded, but kept her eyes away from me. What was that about?!
Jake cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence that threatened, "Okay, so Tessa I want you to get Erin a uniform and start her training. It hasn't been that long since your own, so you should remember how it goes, right?"
She nodded again, "Yes."
He nodded, looking oddly at her, then me, and back at her. Shaking his head he waved us out.
She was quick to get out of the room. I rushed to keep her in sight since I didn't know my way around. I got the feeling I made her uncomfortable for some reason. Which didn't make any sense. If anybody was going to be uncomfortable I would have thought it would be me. After all, she's the one with cat ears on top of her head, a long furry tale sticking out from under her skirt, and slitted eyes. I'd only gotten a glimpse of them, but they nearly glowed like cat eyes sometimes do.
Before long I was changed, thankfully where nobody could see me, into the diner's uniform of dark green vest and skirt with a white shirt. Or blouse, whatever. The skirt was a little over knee length and not tight, so there wasn't much danger of anybody seeing anything I didn't want them to. That was a relief.
After that Tessa started my training by having me follow her around while she did her job. She kept up a commentary the whole time, but it wasn't always easy to hear her. She kept her eyes averted from me the whole time and spoke softly. But not with the customers. She was easy to understand with them. Weird.
I was picking things up okay, though I'd need to study the menu. Thankfully she wasn't going to have me working any tables on my own my first day.
We took a break to get something to eat around seven. I tried to get her talking while we ate with little success. She'd talk about the job, but that's about it. I was really wondering what was up with this girl. And I really didn't understand why she kept her hair covering most of her face all the time. She was actually really good looking, once you got used to the eyes and ears and stuff. Her canines were also a little longer and sharper than normal, but they were actually kind of cute.
She had a good figure, too, though the uniform didn't display it to best effect. For which I was grateful for myself, though the shirt was a little tighter than I'd like. Or top? Whatever it is.
After eating it was back to following Tessa around and trying to hear her over the noise of the diners. It was hard to keep my attention focused since it was just the same thing over and over again. Mostly. We did have to deal with a couple of guys trying to get grabby. Fortunately Jack was walking around at the time and put a stop to it. If I had to somebody was probably going to get hurt and, realistically, it probably would have been me.
I was relieved when the work day was finally over. My feet were killing me and I was tired. Although Tessa had done most of the talking and everything, I'd done most of the carrying of food and empty(ish) plates. I guess being the new guy I should have expected that.
As I was getting ready to leave Tessa disappeared. That girl might be part cat in appearance, but she was more like mouse in attitude.
I flew home, finding it a little easier to get airborne this time. I didn't even really have to think about something specific. I just dredged up some feeling and whoosh, there I went. Maybe it wouldn't be dependent on emotion eventually?
I flew a few lazy circles to get a feel for the area before heading home. Once there I dove into bed as soon as my clothes were off and was asleep instantly.
Nancy came by in the morning to see how my first day at work went. We talked for a bit, got lunch, and got me a cell phone. After exchanging numbers she left, seeing as I really didn't need her anymore and I could contact her anytime with the cell. I was glad for that as I was sure I'd need it at some time.
That left me with an hour to kill, since I was working the same hours as Tessa. I spent most of it flying. Not because I needed the practice so much as because it's fun. I mean, really, who wouldn't enjoy being able to fly like that?
Then it was off to work. That trip only took seconds now that I knew the way. After all, I move pretty damn fast when I want to. I came down faster than before, mostly because I was feeling more confident. As my feet hit the pavement I heard a gasp. Turning towards the sound I saw Tessa standing there looking like a feather could knock her over.
"You okay Tess?" I asked. Everybody else called her Tess so I was hoping she wouldn't mind. Besides, Tessa is kind of cumbersome. At least compared to Tess.
"It...it's...you!" she whispered. It sounded like she was in awe or something. She was actually looking right at me for once and that's when I finally remembered where I'd seen her before. She was the girl I saw at the bank. I blushed in embarrassment at that, afraid she'd noticed me staring at her there. Maybe that was why she was uncomfortable around me?
"What do you mean?" I asked, hoping she wasn't thinking the same thing I was.
"You fell out of the sky!" she said.
"Nah, I didn't fall. I just came down a little fast is all. I can fly." I said, glad she wasn't on the same wavelength after all.
"No, not just now." she said, confusing me all over again. "Before."
"Huh?" I said brilliantly. I'd only actually fallen out of the sky once, and I didn't remember that since I'd just been shot down by Joe. Maybe she was there when whoever it was saved me?
"I caught you." she said, looking down now like she had the previous day. That was a disappointment, I really did like the look of her face when her hair wasn't in the way.
Wait, caught me? Could she be the one? "Uh, are you that telekinetic?" I asked. She nodded without looking up. "Wow, small world! I was hoping I'd get a chance to thank you in person. You saved my life! Thank you!"
She looked up briefly and I could swear she was blushing. Then she looked down again and mumbled, "You're welcome."
We stood like that for a couple of minutes, neither knowing what to say. I mean, what do you say to the woman who saved your life? It wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence.
We both seemed to realize we needed to get to work at the same time. Without saying anything I held the door open for her and we went in. Neither of us said a thing as we got ready to work.
Tessa stayed with me all day like before, but this time I was the one doing all the talking with a little help from her when I needed it.
I pretty much had the hang of it by the end of the day. Tessa didn't talk during our breaks, so I tried to find her before she left. No luck, though.
I hurried out as fast as I could and flew up, but I couldn't see her. It was too dark to see much, anyway.
Sighing in disappointment I headed home. I spotted those gangers hanging around the park again, but they weren't anywhere near my apartment. Then I was back and in bed in no time.
My biggest problem outside of Tessa was the guys that kept asking me out. It was really creepy. Fortunately I only really had to deal with them when I had to go to the store and at work. The rest of the time I was either in the air or home. I spent most of my spare time flying.
Then it was the weekend. I was all set to work, but Rami's had enough waitresses working the weekends. That meant I had two days with nothing to do.
Naturally my first thought was to go flying. I didn't have a computer; I hadn't gotten my first paycheck yet. I didn't have any books and didn't know where the library was. So, that's what I did. Fly.
I explored the entirety of Oahu from the air. I flew from one end to the other in remarkably quick time. I would have wondered if I was flying faster than the speed of sound at my top speed if it weren't for the fact there was no sonic boom. But then, for all I knew there wouldn't be for something as small as a person.
It wasn't until this flying around the island that I finally noticed something that should have been obvious from the start. I didn't feel any wind while flying. At all. My skirt didn't even fly up when I flew down quickly and my hair didn't budge at all. It was like I was just standing still. Weird.
That first day was interesting. I really pushed myself with my flying, trying to find out how fast and far I could fly. I managed to circle all of the Hawaiian islands in minutes. It really seemed like I had to be going faster than sound, so I wondered if I really was but whatever kept me from feeling the wind was also preventing a sonic boom.
I also learned that flying did indeed tire me out. By two o'clock I was worn out from all the flying, and I didn't start until ten or so. I wondered if I would be able to fly longer eventually or if this was it. I hoped I'd be able to fly more, though I probably didn't really need to. I could probably get back to California if I wanted to already.
After getting something to eat I slept for hours. The remainder of the day was spent thinking about what I wanted to do. I couldn't just work at the restaurant and fly for the rest of my life. Using my powers for a job occurred to me, but I couldn't see how that would work. I couldn't fly all day; at least not yet. And I could hardly carry much with me. What good would that be?
The next day started much as the previous. Shower, dress, eat and fly. But that ended pretty quickly. Before I'd gotten very far up and was still above the apartments I noticed those gangers harassing someone. Someone familiar.
It was Tessa, and she was obviously terrified. They were grabbing at her clothes and it was pretty clear what their intentions were. Next thing I know, I'm shooting down at them at top speed.
She broke away just before I started my dive and ran. They tried to follow, but were interrupted by me crashing down in front of them. Somehow I didn't get hurt. The same couldn't be said for the ground I landed on. When the dust cleared I was in the center of a small crater and the only person standing. Tessa had fallen and was curled up in a ball, crying. That really pissed me off.
I turned back to the gangers and saw they were all drawing weapons of one kind or another. Two of them had knives, one a club of some kind and the last had a small pistol. I only noticed this in passing, though. I was already moving, using my flight to power the fist that hit the nearest one square in the face. Only, my fist didn't really hit.
But something did. He went flying, spinning oddly and crashing in an awkward heap several feet away. I ignored him and used the same trick on the next one. And the next. The guy with the gun was last as it worked out. As I turned to him he fired several shots, but none of them hit me. But my fist, or whatever, got him. When he landed he hit head first and went limp.
Two of them had gotten back up, but they weren't interested in fighting anymore and fled. One was unconscious or dead, and I didn't care which. The last one was lying with his head at an impossible angle; his neck obviously broken.
I had to hold myself back from going after the other two, and that really surprised me. I'd always been willing to fight. But I'd also always lost. Now I'd gone up against four big guys and totally trashed them. Hell, I'd even killed one or two! I didn't know how I'd done it, but looking back at Tessa I was glad I had.
"You okay Tess?" I asked, reaching down to help her up.
She was still curled up, but peeked up at me cautiously. Seeing me standing there, hand out, she looked around for the gangers. Then looked back at me in something bordering on awe. "You did that?!" she squeaked.
I nodded, "Yeah. Not sure how, but I did. I really hate people like that. They tried that on me a few days ago, too. But are you okay?"
She just stared at me for a solid minute before nodding weakly, "Yes, I'm alright. Thank you." Finally she took my hand and let me help her up. Her clothes were torn and she had some scrapes here and there, but she didn't look to have been hurt beyond that.
"I just realized," I said, "that Nancy mentioned that the person who saved me had only been here a few weeks. That means you still live here, don't you?" She nodded. "I'll walk you home, then."
She didn't argue and started walking. She kept glancing back at me with the oddest expression. I couldn't read her at all, but that wasn't anything new. On the other hand, she wasn't hiding her face from me anymore.
Ironically she was in apartment number 48, just around the corner from me. When we got to her door she stopped and fumbled in her purse for her key. When she'd unlocked the door she turned and looked at me, "Thank you again for saving me Erin."
"It was my pleasure. Besides, you already saved me, remember? Are you sure you're alright?" I said. I didn't really like the idea of her being alone after what happened. Somehow I had the feeling she could use some company and wouldn't have any. I didn't like that idea at all.
She glanced around fearfully, probably worrying that the remaining thugs might come after her. She seemed very reluctant, but finally said, "Would you stay for a little while?"
I smiled, "Of course!"
She opened the door and I followed her in. Her apartment was identical to mine, of course, though it had a few more personal touches. She even had a television in the living room. "I'll go change." she said, walking back towards the bedrooms. I sat on the couch and waited. I really wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand, I really liked Tessa. I didn't know her all that well yet, but I felt like she needed a friend. And a protector. On the other hand, I had no idea how to be friends with a girl as a girl.
She was back in a few minutes wearing baggy sweatpants and shirt. Like most of the clothes I'd seen her in, they didn't flatter her at all. I wondered about that. It was like she was always hiding, even in a room full of people.
"Would you like some help cleaning up those scratches?" I asked, looking at the angry red marks on her cheek and hands.
She looked down at her hands like she hadn't even noticed and nodded. We went into the bathroom where she started washing her hands. Then she cleaned them with alcohol and rubbed some antiseptic cream into them. Seeing her face in the mirror she wordlessly handed the alcohol to me and waited while I cleaned the scratches for her.
"Are you hurt anywhere else?" I asked when I was done.
She shook her head, "No, that's it. Thank you."
We had another of those awkward silence moments. "So..." I said, fishing for something to say to break the ice, "where did you live before here?"
"Texas." she said softly.
I winced, "Ouch, that might be even worse than California. You don't have much of an accent, though."
"My father was in the military. We moved around a lot." she said with a shrug. Suddenly she started walking out of the bathroom and I had to scramble to get out of the way. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda out of the fridge. She stopped as she was closing the door and turned to me. "Would you like anything?"
She had opened the door again so I could see what she had. "Sure, I could do with a Coke, thanks." She handed it to me and we sat at the table. After taking a swig I asked, "Was it bad in Texas?"
She shuddered, "Yes, very bad. I don't want to talk about it."
I nodded, "I can understand that. My parents tried to kill me, so I can only imagine what you must have gone through. Being Wyld really sucks sometimes, huh?"
She nodded, "Yes, though at least I got a useful ability out of it." With that she let go of her soda, but it stayed floating. I already knew she was telekinetic, but it was still pretty cool to see it for myself.
"That's cool!" I said, taking another drink. Then I remembered what had just happened, "Why didn't you use that again those guys, though?"
She glanced at me briefly and started crying. The tears turned to sobs. I sat there, wondering what I should do. Would a girl hug her? Or was that just with friends? This girl stuff is confusing!
I didn't like seeing her so upset, so in the end I went ahead and hugged her. Next thing I know she's basically sitting in my lap bawling into my shoulder. I didn't know what else to do so I just held onto her.
As I held her I became aware of her tail brushing against my legs. It startled me at first, but actually felt rather nice. And she had this nice smell that I couldn't quite place. Like some kind of flower maybe. And her breasts were pressing against mine. It was a really weird sensation, but nice, too.
That's when things went horribly wrong. What can I say, she's a pretty girl and we were in pretty close contact. I'm a guy, what would else would happen?
She didn't notice right away and I thought maybe I might be okay. But then she stopped crying suddenly. Slowly, she leaned back and looked at me. And then looked down. I know I was blushing and I couldn't look her in the eye. I really hadn't wanted her to find out. Especially like that!
"W-what is th-that?" she whispered.
I seriously thought about lying to her about some kind of weird tail or something, but somehow I couldn't do it. With my eyes downcast I whispered, "I'm a guy."
The weird thing? She didn't run away or call me a pervert or freak or anything like that. She just sat there, still halfway on my lap, staring at me. Finally she said, "Going Wyld did that to you?"
I nodded, then shook my head as I realized she might have the wrong idea. "I was always a guy; just didn't always look like this." I whispered.
She nodded thoughtfully. Then she seemed to realize where she was and hastily returned to her seat. She sat there staring at the table, nodding to herself for a while. I figured I had outstayed my welcome, so I stood and started towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Tessa asked.
I turned and she was still sitting at the table, looking up at me with an unreadable expression. "You don't want a freak like me around." I said, eyes back to the floor as I turned to go. But I couldn't. I don't mean I couldn't bring myself to, though. I was frozen in place. I tried to move, but it was like I was frozen in ice or something. Only not cold.
I even tried flying, but that didn't work either. I realized she must be using her powers. I already knew she was powerful. She rescued me from what must have been miles away after all. I looked up fearfully, not sure why she'd want to keep me there but figuring it wasn't going to be pretty.
When our eyes met she gasped and suddenly I could move again. But I didn't, because she looked really upset. "What? Why?" I said, not even sure myself what I was asking.
In the blink of an eye she had literally flown to me and wrapped her arms around me as she cried, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you! I won't hurt you!"
I just stood there, not sure what the hell was going on. Why was she apologizing to me?!
She got herself under control and backed up a few steps. She wrung her hands together before saying, "I'm sorry about using my powers on you like that. I just didn't want you to leave thinking you're a freak. You're no weirder than me. I'm sure you didn't ask for this anymore than I did, either."
Objectively I could see her point. Objectively. But that part of me wasn't at the helm at the moment. "You don't know what you're talking about! You're beautiful, I'm a freaky shemale or something."
Her eyes misted up a little, though I couldn't imagine why, and she took my hand between both of hers. It was similar to the way that Nancy had at the hospital, but it felt totally different. "Thank you for that, but you're beautiful too. Being different doesn't make you a freak. Those guys who attacked me are the real freaks."
I couldn't argue with that one, though her calling me beautiful was simultaneously weird and wonderful. And being wonderful was weird, so I guess it was more weird than anything.
She dragged me over to the couch, without powers, and gently pushed me down. I sat, wondering what the heck she was doing. Wouldn't she be afraid to have a freaky guy like me alone with her like this? Especially after what those guys tried to do?
She sat next to me and stared at her hands for a few minutes in silence. I was just starting to get fidgety when she started talking, "I... have issues with men. My father was... not a nice man. And there have been others. Men frighten me. But I am not attracted to women. I had come to think I would always be alone. Then I saw you falling out of the sky that day."
I really couldn't see the connection between the two things, though her talk about her father was upsetting and distracted me a little. "I felt you before I saw you. I felt drawn toward you. I can't explain it. I had never felt anything like it before. Using my power to stop your fall was more reaction than thought, though I'm glad I did."
There was another pause, but she continued before I could find something to say myself, "I didn't think much of it after that. I figured it was just another weird aspect to my powers. That our powers interacted in some way, or that I had some kind of psychic power I wasn't aware of. But then I saw you at the restaurant."
"I felt the same way before I even saw you. That it was you hadn't occurred to me, though. I assumed it was my powers acting up in some way again. I'm still new to them. But I felt strangely around you. From the first time I saw you up close I felt it. I couldn't understand what it was at first and tried to stay away from you as much as I could. And once I figured it out I tried even harder. I couldn't understand how I could be feeling that." she said, still staring at her hands.
"Feeling what?" I asked when it seemed like she wouldn't continue.
"I was... attracted to you. I've never been attracted to a woman before. It didn't make any sense to me. I began to wonder if my fear of men was affecting me more than I thought. Then I saw you land outside the restaurant that day and realized you were the same person I felt falling out of the sky." she paused, glancing up shyly from a curtain of hair before returning her gaze to her hands.
"You're attracted to me?!" I exclaimed. That was definitely the last thing I was expecting!
She nodded, "Yes. It was so strange, but finding out you are really a man changes everything. I can't help but think that I knew, somehow on some level. And I'm not afraid of you."
"Wait, what are you saying?" I asked, not daring to hope. Much.
She tried to answer me without success. Then she shook her head angrily and turned to me. Before I knew what was happening she had her lips pressed against mine.
She pulled away slowly, looking at my eyes as if there was some message there she really wanted to read. I just sat in stunned amazement. Then my mouth turned up into this big, goofy grin. "Wow." I said, for lack of anything better.
She grinned back, then turned sad and turned away. "I'm sorry about how I've acted around you." she said.
"No, I think I get it now. I can understand your confusion. It would be like me being attracted to a guy. I wouldn't know what to do with that and it would definitely freak me out." I said, ever so glad that hadn't happened to me.
We said more after that, but I'll keep that to myself. Needless to say, we started seeing each other. Oddly enough, nobody at the restaurant was surprised. Nor did they seem to mind.
We both started thinking more about the future after that. She wanted to teach, which was quite a surprise to me. She always seemed so shy; teaching seemed out of character. But the more I got to know her the more I realized a big part of that shyness was because of what her father and some other people had done. Thankfully none of it was sexual, but they still did plenty of damage.
I finally settled on science, oddly enough. I think mostly because I became very curious about why our powers worked the way they did. I knew modern science hadn't come close to figuring out Wyld powers yet. Then there was a class at the local college about metaphysical science. In other words, Wyld science. It was very interesting, to say the least.
We both started classes, though it meant we didn't see each other much outside of work. But we made up for that in the break room. The other waitresses gave us a bad time about it, but only in jest. They were actually really happy for us and helped us take time off together by covering for us and swapping work days.
I'd never been in a relationship before, so it was all new. The same turned out to be true for her, which shouldn't have been a surprise with her fear of men. But we certainly had a good time.
I'm not sure if it's going to last. I really hope it does, and she says she does too, but I'm afraid it won't. I don't know what I'd do without her. In just a few weeks I've become so attached to her it's like I can't tell where I stop and she starts. I'll just have to make sure it does last, somehow.
I never would have thought being Wyld would lead to such wonderful possibilities as I have now. I thought it was the end of my life when I changed. Now? I think that maybe, despite how horrible it was at the time and how uncomfortable I still am with my body sometimes, that it might just have been the best thing that could have ever happened. Weird, but then with the Wyld things usually are!