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masterofgunfuShe regains awareness to hearing her mama calling her name and groans with the pain. Despite being only eleven, pain is nothing new to her, but she knows that if she didn't show it her aunts are more likely to hurt her again.
"Andrea?" her mama says. Her voice is weak and terrified as normal but there is something more to it this time, something almost...brave. "Come on angel I need you to change. It'll all be better if you change. I know it hurts, but you gotta be brave and shift."
Andrea blinks through the pain, a few broken ribs and a broken collar bone, and looks around. They're in a car and her mama is driving like a bat outta hell. She takes a deep breath, but winces when the broken rib pokes her liver. "All right mama, I'll try." She lets the beast within take over and feels herself fading. Panicked she claws onto control, just enough to stay herself as her body changes into the hybrid of a hyena and a child. Without a magic wave and with the broken bones, the pain is terrible but her bones knit once she is through and she's healed. Tears and sweat wet her fur, but she sits up and whines a question at her mama.
"Good girl," her mama says glancing over. "I knew you could do it angel."
Another whine escapes before she asks, "Where are we goin', Momma?"
"We're leaving. I've got a friend in Texas who will help us. We just have to get as far as we can before the Tech fades. Oh my baby angel, I'm so sorry it took this long."
Andrea turns to watch the road, not daring to hope. Her Aunts will find them soon enough right?
Days later they pull up to a cheap motel and a huge man waves to them. He's dressed in well-worn bike leathers and smells of oil and metal. Around his neck Andrea sees the ID with the enchanted silver square, a knight of the Order. Her mama flings the car door open and races to the man. She clings to him as if she were drowning and, Andrea supposes, in a way she always has been. The man looks at Andrea and gives a friendly smile as he holds her mama. He seems so strong, like nothing could ever knock him over.
If I were like him, a knight, she thinks, I could make them pay.
And warning for allusions to child abuse.
"Andrea?" her mama says. Her voice is weak and terrified as normal but there is something more to it this time, something almost...brave. "Come on angel I need you to change. It'll all be better if you change. I know it hurts, but you gotta be brave and shift."
Andrea blinks through the pain, a few broken ribs and a broken collar bone, and looks around. They're in a car and her mama is driving like a bat outta hell. She takes a deep breath, but winces when the broken rib pokes her liver. "All right mama, I'll try." She lets the beast within take over and feels herself fading. Panicked she claws onto control, just enough to stay herself as her body changes into the hybrid of a hyena and a child. Without a magic wave and with the broken bones, the pain is terrible but her bones knit once she is through and she's healed. Tears and sweat wet her fur, but she sits up and whines a question at her mama.
"Good girl," her mama says glancing over. "I knew you could do it angel."
Another whine escapes before she asks, "Where are we goin', Momma?"
"We're leaving. I've got a friend in Texas who will help us. We just have to get as far as we can before the Tech fades. Oh my baby angel, I'm so sorry it took this long."
Andrea turns to watch the road, not daring to hope. Her Aunts will find them soon enough right?
Days later they pull up to a cheap motel and a huge man waves to them. He's dressed in well-worn bike leathers and smells of oil and metal. Around his neck Andrea sees the ID with the enchanted silver square, a knight of the Order. Her mama flings the car door open and races to the man. She clings to him as if she were drowning and, Andrea supposes, in a way she always has been. The man looks at Andrea and gives a friendly smile as he holds her mama. He seems so strong, like nothing could ever knock him over.
If I were like him, a knight, she thinks, I could make them pay.
And warning for allusions to child abuse.
