The Last of the Shifters

Kyra: the realization

Every store I walked past only worsened my mood. I needed actual fresh air not this car polluted air. I made my way through the town until I found a quiet alley way that led to the wall, making sure no one seen me, I ducked into the alley and made my way to the ever-growing wall. I would come here often when I needed to think. 

 The wall was every bit of twelve feet tall. I climbed on top of an old dumpster where I scaled my way to the top of the wall and sat, looking out on the beautiful forest below. The wind was steady and the smell of trees and moist leaves hit my nose as I breathed in deeply. I enjoy coming here when I need to think. I don’t have many friends anymore. My best friend was sent to another town to go look at colleges. Soon no one I cared about would be here except Gran. 

From what I could tell by the position of the moon, hours had past while I was sitting there trying to absorb the information gran gave me. I decided I should walk back, as I made my way back through my small town it really hit me, my mom hadn’t abandoned me like I believed she had all these years, they took her without knowing I was born, they shipped her off out of fear. I had been so mad at her for leaving me.  

I was going to be shipped off too if I didn’t leave before they found out. Before I knew it, I was crying, people on the street were gawking at me, as I started to pick up my pace until I was in a full-on sprint towards my house. Tears streaking down my face. 

When I made it home, I burst through the door, gran was sitting in her chair where she always is, she quickly got up and ran to me making sure I wasn’t hurt. “What’s wrong darling? Are you hurt?” Gran asked quickly, still checking me over for injuries.  

“They took her. I have been so mad, and they took her! They’re going to take me too!” I sobbed. “I have to run. I have to leave but it’s dangerous beyond the wall. What am I going to do?” I cried even harder talking between sobs. Gran took my hand and sighed.  

“We leave. We go to the cabin and live our lives how we were intended to.” Gran said softly, squeezing my hands, comforting me.  

I sighed and looked at her sadly, regret evident in my features. “Gran you can’t leave your life here, all of your friends, your job, your house. You can’t leave this all behind for me. You can survive the genetic testing. Please don’t give all of that up for me.” I pleaded. 

“Kyra, I will go with you, on one of my ‘camping’ trips, I take them multiple times a year that everyone knows about. I will teach you the things I know how to do to survive outside the wall.” she smiled. 

I nodded. “O-Okay.” I sniffled, “But promise me, that you will not leave everything you have built behind because of me.” I whispered, sniffling. She smiled, holding my hands still, “I promise, I will continue to live my life until I decide this life is no longer one, I want to live.” She smiled softly at me. Now let’s finish off these cookies before bed, I have to get up early tomorrow to get our travel permits, and set up bear at the boarding house for while we are gone.  

I smiled and nodded, scarfing down a couple more cookies drenched in milk as we made idle conversation. After about an hour, and about 12 cookies, we both made our way to our own bed and laid down for the night. My head was spinning with what was going to happen before I finally succumbed to sleep.