Cloudborne

Isabel chuckled softly at her best friend still trying to ward off waking as long as possible and surreptitiously slid some ibuprofen into her backpack before opening her dresser to find an outift.
"Can we just skip Monday and stay in bed all day?" She asked shambling towards the bathroom.
"Heh. I wish," she huffed and rubbed at her eyes, though she was definitely awake at this point. She just didn't want to face the guys whose dates she'd ruined.
Mondays weren't for effort. So she picked out some plain jeans and 'this is not a pipe' tee.
"You're gonna have to brush my hair as punishment for tearing me from my peaceful slumber." Elizabeth offered the hairbrush to Izzie. "Please." Then proceeded to make her best puppy eyes facial expression she could muster. Which was really more terrifying then cute.
Izzie rolled her eyes, but took the hairbrush as she met her eyes. For half a second, she froze in place as an infintesimal shiver traveled down her spine. Strange, she thought. She'd never felt that way around Liz before. However intimidating people found her sometimes, Isabel was always immune. Whatever, she dismissed it anyway and began brushing her long hair from the bottom up, absentmindedly admiring how her light locks shined betwen the teeth of her purple hairbrush. "Sleep okay?"
 
"Sleep okay?"
"Good enough. Wish I slept longer, at least you're not as strict with morning routine as my folks back home. Can't wait to go to college, then I can sleep all day long." There was something enjoyable about not having to brush her own hair. Oftentimes she had to do it herself because her mom was too busy and dad was really bad at it and ended up snagging at her hair. For the moment she enjoyed the little luxury her friend was providing her with. "And you? Headaches? Migraines?" Liz too felt that tinge of shock and shiver just before Isabela started brushing her hair. It was a strange sensation but in the last few days, it wasn't the only odd occurrence. It seemed like she could almost feel exactly how Izzie felt. Even back at the cinema, this sort of sensation pushed her on out to look for her friend and run like the wind to get her that aspirin. At the time she chalked it up to just her fear of medical emergencies but the more she thought about it the stranger it seemed. As if she instinctively knew how her friend was feeling even before she said it.

"Alright, let me get dressed then I'll brush your hair if you'd like." Liz was prepared for a weekend-long stay so she made sure to pack some spare clothing and now was the time to get them out of the bag. She swiftly put on a pair of dark, torn jeans and a black t-shirt with a dragon skull on it. Mondays.
 
"Good enough. Wish I slept longer, at least you're not as strict with morning routine as my folks back home. Can't wait to go to college, then I can sleep all day long."
Isabel just laughed. What, like classes didn't exist at college, or something? She didn't bring it up, but the image of Liz's face when she learned of 8 AM classes was all she needed to shake off the last of her drowsiness as she finished with the top of her hair.
"And you? Headaches? Migraines?"
"Nope. Hope the one last night will be the last one for a long time," she sighed. She especially hoped any headaches in the future wouldn't be accompanied by those weird awful flashes, whatever they were. Her mom may be a nurse, but this seemed like it would be out of her depth.
"Alright, let me get dressed then I'll brush your hair if you'd like."
"It's okay, you don't have to, I've gotta get some breakfast started anyway," she said, sacrificing the feel of someone else brushing her hair for the time to make her best friend breakfast. Juts as soon as she got dressed, that is. She undressed and pulled on the jeans she'd laid out, then slid on her bra, but had a bit of trouble with the clasp at the back. She grunted with the small effort, strangely punctuated by small but striking pains between her shoulder blades. Iz huffed in frustration, but only managed to get one hook in.
 
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"It's okay, you don't have to, I've gotta get some breakfast started anyway,"
"I 'do' like the sound of breakfast before school. Especially when I don't have to make it." Liz loved being a guest at the Blanca residence, between the nice welcoming atmosphere and delicious homemade food, just being next to her bestie was awfully idyllic and probably something she would look upon wistfully from the future. These small moments of peace and quiet just after a scare with those migraines.

Iz huffed in frustration, but only managed to get one hook in.
"Here, I'll give you a hand." Liz stood up to help with the bra strap and started by unhooking it first to get a better grip but then stopped dead in her tracks. Around Isabel's shoulder blades, two red bumps were clearly visible against her skin seeming almost bruised. The very sight of it froze her in her place with a shiver going through her entire body like a torrent of cold water. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds that seemed to stretch and warp into minutes while her heart skipped a beat there. Her thoughts were erratic and emotions even more so, ranging from fear and panic to anger and hate then determination and concern. For a fraction of a moment there she thought someone was abusing her friend physically but quickly came to a conclusion that it was unlikely. The anger died down then was replaced with fear and panic as she thought it was some sort of a tumour and didn't know how to tell Izzie about it. Next, that feeling too faded away and she managed to gather up her thoughts.

"Hey, Iz... You notice these bumps before? I'm afraid to touch them because they look like it would hurt. Here, I'll get you a mirror." Elisabeth led her in front of a big mirror then held up a hand mirror to let her see the back. She tried to put on her best stoical face she could muster but with how close friends they were Isabel could probably read her to be afraid.
 
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"Here, I'll give you a hand."
Isabel gratefully gave up and sighed, letting her friend take over with her favorite bra. Usually it was like muscle memory to hook on, so she didn't know why it was so hard this morning. Liz unhooked it first and then grabbed each side, but then her hands paused. Isabel's eyebrows furrowed. She turned to look at her friend over her shoulder with a question on her face, but all she was met with was a fearful stare. A wary, confused look grew on her face and deepened with Eliza's question.
"Hey, Iz... You notice these bumps before? I'm afraid to touch them because they look like it would hurt. Here, I'll get you a mirror." Elisabeth led her in front of a big mirror then held up a hand mirror to let her see the back.
"What?" she murmured, reaching behind her to try and feel what the heck Liz was talking about. Sure enough, on her way to the bathroom, she felt them. Two identical bumps under her skin, spherical like golf balls and definitely not there yesterday. She saw them in hte mirror wearing a look of utter shock. "What the hell?" she whispered, pressing on one experimentally. She gasped slightly in reaction to the sharp pain it asnwered with. It was hard underneath, like bone. She was going to mention that she'd never seen them before, but one look into Elizabeth's eyes, desperately trying to mask her emotions, and she thought better than to scare her further. "Maybe they're just spider bites. Whatever, I'll just wear a jacket today," she said, burying her own fears and stepping out of the bathroom, determined to forget about them altogether. It's not like she could do anything about them right now anyway. She grabbed a light jacket from her closet, harshly hooked her bra on and walked determinedly to the kitchen to make breakfast as quiet as she could. Her mom deserved to sleep in. The time on the microwave said they needed to rush, so she just pulled out some cereal and a couple of bowls before serving them both and setting the milk on the table. Now that she knew they were there, she was paying attention to the bumps on her back and how they felt so foreign between her shoulders. What the hell was happening to her?
 
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"Maybe they're just spider bites. Whatever, I'll just wear a jacket today,"
Elisabeth didn't seem too convinced by that suggestion but refrained herself from protesting the thought. While Izzie went to the kitchen Elisabeth went back to the room to pack her bag and her clothes. It gave her some time to think and consider what to do. Times like these she regretted being such a dum-dum. She was used to tackling her problems head on which won't help her here. If she insisted this was something more than just an insect bite then she might very well terrify Isabel even more. Not only that, someone would have to pay for all the medical examinations and she knew that Blancas didn't have much to spare. She rubbed her eyes then brought her hand up to her forehead and wiped off the few drops of sweat there. After a deep breath, she picked up a bag and did her best to purge the thought from her mind and give Izzie some peace of mind at least while they were together.

She joined her in the kitchen and swiftly ate her cereal though she lacked any appetite for it right now. "Gotta hand it to ya, Iz. You still can't cook up anything other than cereal. Let's just say you owe me one homemade breakfast and figure out when you're going to repay it at a later date." As faint an attempt as it was to get both of them to stop thinking about those bumps it was still a valid request. "Maybe we can have a slumber party at my place next." It seemed as though now more than ever Liz wanted to spend as much time as she could with Isabel. "Come on." She set the bowl in the sink and left it to soak in water. "We should get going, don't want the headmaster to say I corrupted another fine student." With a wink and a smile, she started to feel a little bit better, but could only hope Izzie was feeling better as well.
 
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"Gotta hand it to ya, Iz. You still can't cook up anything other than cereal. Let's just say you owe me one homemade breakfast and figure out when you're going to repay it at a later date."
Isabel tried to forget what she had just seen. Honestly, it's not like she could do anything about them right now anyway. So she worked toward a lighter mood and stuck her tongue out at Liz before chewing on another spoonful of honey nut cheerios.
"Maybe we can have a slumber party at my place next."
Isabel smiled and nodded, trying to finish her bowl before they were too late to get to school on time.
"Come on." She set the bowl in the sink and left it to soak in water. "We should get going, don't want the headmaster to say I corrupted another fine student." With a wink and a smile, she started to feel a little bit better, but could only hope Izzie was feeling better as well.
Iz followed suit, rinsing her bowl before grabbing her backpack and bumping Lizzie's shoulder as they walked out to her jeep.

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The school day passed pretty normally and even though she had to face the guys after being the reason both their dates got canceled halfway through, they didnt hold it against her. They even mentioned setting up another one some other time soon. Rick trusted Liz when she said Isabel was really sick and Dave asked if she was alright to be at school. He really was sweet, but her answer probably wasnt all that convincing when she thought about the not-spider-bites currently hiding on her back.

It happened again in 4th period. Faster this time. As Mr. Lestat droned on about parabolas, Isabel tried to take deep breaths in her seat. She had already excused herself to take ibuprofen in the bathroom at the beginning of class, but she couldn't sit here near fainting in her desk. There were only ten minutes left but as her hands started to sweat and her vision got cloudy, she knew she couldn't wait that long.
"Mr. Lestat?" She called weakly, raising her trembling hand. "Can I go to the nurse? I have a really bad migraine," she mumbled, eyes closed against the fluorescent bulbs above, praying he'd let her go.
He gave her permission in passing and continued with his lecture with hardly a glance at her. Some students stared, but she ignored them and picked up her backpack while trying not to stumble to the door.
Why is this happening? Why her? Her breathing picked up as she swayed and followed the walls of lockers to the nearest bathroom, just down the hall. Tears gathered in her eyes. She was so scared. What if she was dying? What if the bumps on her back weren't the only ones? What if there was one in her brain too? Isabel whimpered and fell to her knees. She dropped her backpack and landed next to the water fountains panting and clutching her head with both hands. What did she ever do to deserve this kind of pain?
 
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For what it was worth the day while it started out with a scare went on to become a much more relaxing experience. Almost as soon as she was on the school grounds Elisabeth took to greeting her peers with high fives and fist bumps. Best part happened when Izzie and Dave talked with each other without all the stress and awkwardness. For the time Liz let her more optimistic side take over and led herself to believe that everything was fine and that this morning's scare was nothing to worry about.

Literature was one of the few classes that Liz actually cared to pay attention to. Mrs Johnson was in the process of explaining how to use multiple narrative voices and had some great examples backing it all up. Elisabeth took notes on everything she could listening intently to every word and as she scribbled away furiously. There was no warning to it, just this sudden feeling of chills going down her spine. Drops of sweat materializing around her hairline and hand holding the pencil becoming soaked with sweat. It was as if she stared directly at a massive rabid dog. The feeling struck her so suddenly she could not restrain herself but gasp wide-eyed at the sudden terror overcoming her entire body making her knees shake. It was audible enough that those closest to her and Mrs Johnson noticed it.

"I-I have to go, s-sorry Mrs Johnson." She stuttered out while shoving her things into the bag and practically pushing over as she stood up. "Lady problems." She mumbled as she ran out of the classroom. She ran down the hallway as fast as her legs would carry her unsure what it was she was running away from. Whatever it was she knew there was nothing she could do but run, and run she did.

In the middle of a hallway on her knees clutching her head. Liz wasn't running away from something, but towards something. If only for a moment she managed to regain some self-control and grab her friend by the arm while shouldering her backpack. She pulled them both into the nearby broom closet and turned on the hanging light. "Isabel!" She said out loud holding her by the hands unsure what to do or how to help. Liz was covered in cold sweat and as much as she tried to fight it, the fear didn't let go.
 
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Isabel was far too preoccupied to notice the sounds of running footsteps headed towards her. When her eyes weren't shut tight against the pain, her vision was blurry and she was shaking by the time she registered someone swiftly pull her up and into a small space with cleaning supplies as she gasped, hardly able to walk with how dizzy she was. She could only recognize her best friend by her voice, terrified and concerned in the dim closet.
"Liza-!" She gasped, holding on to her best friend to keep from falling over as a surge of images and emotions flooded her mind's eye. She wasn't aware of herself in the present, but she seemed frozen, eyes wide and looking back and forth swiftly as if in a dream.

the mirror was stained with small dots of blood as the knife dug into her back again. A whimper echoed from her mouth as tiny feathers fell from the twin wounds between her shoulder blades, shivering around the new muscles twitching under the things
pressing from the inside out.
The pressure mounted again as a small scream escaped her throat.

Isabel breathed in deeply as if emerging from water and gripped Liz's arms to hold herself up while her knees shook beneath her. Her headache was already fading. She suddenly straightened, eyes blinking fast and panicked, fingers snapping back to reach behind her. Checking. Searching for the horrific things not yet larger then golf balls under her skin.
 
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A dreadful thing to feel so powerless. All Elisabeth could do was hold her friend tightly clutching her tightly against her chest holding her close and trying to resist panic welling up inside ordering her to run. He knees shook but she stood still, someone had to keep both of them standing. No way to combat the terror but to grab a hold of her friend and wait for it to pass. A calmer person would have called an ambulance or tried to calm down the panicking girl but Liz was almost equally consumed by the emotion. With every moment of Isabel's 'episode', Liz felt the emotion more personally and intimately, turning from shades of panic and terror to fear and dread. From something abstract chasing her to the very real feeling of helplessness.

By the time Isabel had regained some semblance of control, there were already tears in Liz's eyes. Terrified beyond reason she didn't even realise it but she started sobbing silently the only indication of it being the salty taste on her lips coming down the cheeks. The moment Isabel recovered enough that she seemed lucid again Liz grabbed ahold of her and hugged her tightly. "Izzie, tell me it's over, please tell me it won't happen again! I was terrified, just watching you go into this seizure, please tell me you will be fine!" It wasn't really something that Isabel could tell her and was she any calmer she would understand what an outrageous request that was.
 
Before she knew it, Isabel was back in Liz's arms, blinking and breathing fast but slowly coming to a realization she didn't want to even consider. Isabel hugged her back, staying still and quiet and rubbing her back because what else could she do? There was no telling how much worse this would get before it got better; IF it got better.
"I don't--"know..she couldn't know and they both hate it, but what else could she say? Isabel winced, helpless and so scared. "I'm so sorry Lizzie. I wish I could make it stop too. I'm sorry"

She wanted to tell her, because she sure as hell couldn't tell anyone else. But they were both so scared of all of this right now, there was no way they'd calm down in time to get to their next class. As if on cue, the bell rang, causing Iz to flinch in Elizabeth's arms and hug her even tighter.
 
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With the bell, Elizabeth shuddered as well and as Izzie tightened her hug Liz pushed harder against the closet door with her foot knowing someone might try and push their way in for a makeout session. Liz held her, careful not to agitate the bruised areas letting her friend bury her face in her chest as she brought her closer trying to calm them both down. Panic overtook her before and she was helpless to do anything, she may have even made it worse and as much as she tried to justify it she was terrified when he saw her friend seizing and was unable to help. Now at least when she was gathering her thoughts she could try and be strong for the both of them. She couldn't tell her it was going to be okay, that would just be a lie.

"I feel you Izzie, I'm here for you. No matter what happens, you have me, don't forget that. Don't be sorry, just stay with me, I have your back." Holding her like that she felt closer than ever to her, she felt her stress, her fear and her helplessness. "We'll wait for the class to begin then skip school, just try to calm yourself down now, okay sweetie? Hold onto me and don't worry about anything." She kept a strong front as much as she could, but a few stray tears streaked down her cheeks and onto Isabel's head and shoulders. Slowly but surely Elisabet's breathing slowed down and became calmer along with her heart rate.
 
"I feel you Izzie, I'm here for you. No matter what happens, you have me, don't forget that. Don't be sorry, just stay with me, I have your back."
As afraid as she was, she would be so much worse without Liz. She didn't even know how Eliza always seemed to find her when she needed her, but she wasn't about to question it. She wasn't alone. And that made her feel marginally stronger.
"We'll wait for the class to begin then skip school, just try to calm yourself down now, okay sweetie? Hold onto me and don't worry about anything."
Isabel nodded, burying her face further into Lizzie's neck to try and quell her shaking. It took her a couple minutes to get her heart rate down and she hated making her best friend worry like this. Hell, if their roles were reversed, she'd be freaking out too. By now, the footsteps outside had quieted some, so Iz mumbled, "W-where will we go?" it had to be someplace private to talk all of this out, figure out what to do..something. But what could anyone do when they found out they could be going insane or actually sprouting wings?
 
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Elisabeth held her close to herself, waiting for everything to pass, for her own courage to well up before she could start to take care of Izzie properly. She stroked her hair and her back while holding her firmly against herself trying to be the firm ground they both needed. She rocked them both side to side to help calm them down trying to think about where they could go that would be calming and helpful. For a moment she debated driving out to the edge of the forest away from all the people but that would be too far if something serious were to happen to her friend. The only similar place in town was the park. They could get a blanket from the Jeep and sit down underneath a tree away from the trails to talk in private.

When she was certain that everyone had gotten to class she gave Izzie her best smile as she broke the hug and kissing her on the top of her head nodded towards the door. "Come on, we can go to the park, sit down away from everyone and everything. Sticking around would be too much now for the both of us." She led her out by the hand, supporting her as she walked even if she didn't need it. Helping her get into the car she rushed on over to the driver's side and with an exasperated sigh turned on the car and took off towards the Park. She didn't even know what to think about what had just happened. It was all beyond surreal and she didn't want to start talking about it until they were both completely calm and away from the traffic and people.

She parked at a nearby parking lot paying for the daily parking, unsure how long this would take. Her school bag was left in the car but she took a small messenger bag along in which she remember she had some snacks and a sheet for them to sit on at the park. Really it was her impromptu picnic bag, she loved being in nature every now and then. Jeep was the perfect vehicle for her unexpected offroad excursions and while they didn't ride it through the park it was good to at least have that bag. She found them a nice secluded spot in the shade and laid down the sheet for them to sit on as she took out a few bottles of water and some snacks such as salty pretzels and breadsticks. Shaking her head almost exasperated she had to ask. "What in the world happened, Iz. I was sitting in my class when all of a sudden I am panicking and running down the hall without any reason and all to find you collapsing to your knees. This isn't the first time this happened either, I felt similar when you ran to the bathroom last time, but now it felt so much more terrifying. You seemed out of it. Are you okay?" She asked with a concerned look unsure if either of them could answer that question.
 
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Elizabeth's touch did wonders to quell Isabel's fears. Focusing on her fingers swirling on her back and carding through her hair instead of the sense of impending doom still surrounding her mind really helped her calm down. So by the time the footsteps outside the door were gone, she was calm enough to nod and follow her best friend out to the parking lot and to the park. The ride there was pretty quiet. Mostly, Isabel was just trying to figure out how to make sense of all of this and how to explain it all to Liz. At this point, she would have to come clean if she was going to convince Lizzie not to take her to the hospital instead.

She just hoped that Liz wasn't mad at her. Even if it wasn't on purpose, she still felt like she taking up all of her time with this. She didn't want to cause so much trouble for her. And she has no idea if it will keep happening or if she's actually just going insane. So she sighed as she got out of the car and left her backpack in the front seat, still no closer to figuring out a good way to explain it all. She followed her best friend as far as she walked, grateful for her adventure bag as they settled down with the sheet at the base of a tree. Isabel took a shaky breath, knowing the questions would come soon. She was nervous, but she always felt better after talking to Liz.
"What in the world happened, Iz. I was sitting in my class when all of a sudden I am panicking and running down the hall without any reason and all to find you collapsing to your knees. This isn't the first time this happened either, I felt similar when you ran to the bathroom last time, but now it felt so much more terrifying. You seemed out of it. Are you okay?"
"I mean..I am now." That was the strange thing after all. If she was really psychotic it wouldn't just randomly hit her brain with headaches and visions for so short a time, right? She'd be crazy all the time. Or something..
"But when I'm not...I get these headaches that build until they're really intense and when I feel like my head is gonna explode, I...go somewhere else. This sounds so crazy, but I see things..that happen to us. I don't know what's going on it's a lot of brief flashes but in the bathroom at the movie theater, I saw blood and I think I was screaming, but I saw your hair. There were feathers in that one too...god. I probably sound insane," she murmured, feeling so weird saying it out loud.

Everything was so painful, but now, sitting in the sunshine with the breeze shifting the leaves above them, it all seemed like a dream.
"In the broom closet...I saw myself. Standing in front of a mirror and holding a knife. And I was using it to..to cut my back. Right where the bumps are now. Except in my..whatever it is I'm seeing...they're bigger...by a lot. And," She took a deep breath and kept her eyes down. "There were feathers there. Under my skin." She paused when Liz didn't immediately say something.

"I don't know what's going on or what they mean or why I'm seeing these things but I am literally perfectly fine otherwise so I can't think of anything I can really do about it accept hope they're not real and that I'll be fine soon I'm so sorry I wish I could just make them stop, she rambled, covering her face with both hands and praying Liz wasn't considering just sending her to the loony bin or something. This is way over any of their heads and none of it makes sense. But they're together. And Lizzie always makes everything better..but she can't fix this any more than Isabel can. So what could they do?
 
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Listening to her Liz's expression shifted from confusion to concern then vice versa as it flipped flopped unsure what to feel anymore. Nothing seemed to make sense now, not her own feelings not Isabel's feelings. They were just two girls ready to finish high school and start college life but instead they had to deal with this strange phenomena. Unsure what to do or how to help Elisabeth just moved close to Izzie and hugged her as she brought her head close to her own chest. Holding her that way seemed to calm her down a little as well as helping her get the thoughts in order.

"Iz, I didn't think much of it, but now after what you just said..." He seemed reluctant to voice her thoughts. "Maybe I can feel your emotions? When you got scared I was terrified, I didn't even see you or know you were in pain but I ran out of the classroom and back at the movies I felt that I had to run to my car and back to you." Holding her tightly she continued. "If you can have visions maybe it's not too crazy to think that I can feel what you feel?" She said unsure of what she was even getting at. "I don't know, Iz. I just wish I knew what was going on so I can help you." She brought Izzie's head to her lips and kissed the crown of her head in a motherly fashion. "We'll get through this, let's just think for a minute."

She held her there for a good minute or so swaying from side to side and back and forth gently. Once her thoughts had been in order again she started thinking about it logically. "So, you said you saw yourself cutting into your back with a knife, and that there was something with feathers in there?" Liz said almost reluctant to accept what she had heard. "I want you to promise me not to do that, I don't want you to hurt yourself. There is no way you can reach those things with a knife, you will only hurt yourself so don't even try. Promise me that no matter how much it hurts you won't do it?!" She was stern and stubborn about it as she shook Izzie by the shoulders to get her to understand how serious it was. If the pain really did become unbearable she would have to take her to the hospital or if it got even worse, try and cut it herself for her. Either way, she couldn't let her friend do something so dangerous.
 
Isabel just curled further into her best friend, holding her tight like if she just stayed there nothing bad could happen. She prayed to anything that when they pulled away from each other that somehow all of this would have been an awful nightmare of some sort.

When Elizabeth spoke again, she kept hesitating, reluctant to voice her own view even though they both sounded like they were living in a supernatural episode.
"Iz, I didn't think much of it, but now after what you just said...Maybe I can feel your emotions? When you got scared I was terrified, I didn't even see you or know you were in pain but I ran out of the classroom and back at the movies I felt that I had to run to my car and back to you." Holding her tightly she continued. "If you can have visions maybe it's not too crazy to think that I can feel what you feel? I don't know, Iz. I just wish I knew what was going on so I could help you." She brought Izzie's head to her lips and kissed the crown of her head in a motherly fashion. "We'll get through this, let's just think for a minute."
Isabel shivered, afraid to look Lizzie in the eye. She didn't doubt her best friend at all, but the thought that whatever was happening to her was somehow affecting Liz was terrifying. Not only was it making her worry and skip school and the movies, now it literally extended to her psyche! Now she was worried for them both. Her lips on her forehead helped to keep her thoughts clear, but she wasn't sure she could actually come up with any solutions, even being soothingly swayed in the quiet of the park. It seemed a small eternity before Liz spoke again.
"So, you said you saw yourself cutting into your back with a knife, and that there was something with feathers in there?" Liz said almost reluctant to accept what she had heard. "I want you to promise me not to do that, I don't want you to hurt yourself. There is no way you can reach those things with a knife, you will only hurt yourself so don't even try. Promise me that no matter how much it hurts you won't do it?!"
Isabel winced, hoping that she could promise as her best friend shook her by the shoulders in an attempt to make sure she knew how serious this was. It's not like she wanted to do it, but she was scared she wouldn't have a choice. "I..I promise to try. If these..visions are as real as they feel, I don't know if I can stop them from happening. But I'll try. I don't..want to see the future." She breathed, just beyond shocked that she was even considering the idea. "So if I can stop it from happening, I will." Isabel met Eliza's eyes then, worried and scared for them both, but conveying that she would try her best not to make things worse for them both.
 
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"So if I can stop it from happening, I will."
"Maybe you are supposed to, maybe that is why you are seeing it in the first place." Elisabeth proposed, hoping to get her friend's confidence up. She couldn't expect her to resist the pain if it became too great, in fact, that was her biggest concern. Still, she didn't want to see her best friend self-mutilate for no reason either. "You are strong, stronger than me in some cases. Remember how much I screamed when I sprained my ankle, I was certain it was broken." The feeling of powerlessness was far too much for Elisabeth to handle, it was the worst possible way she could feel and in a way, it seemed like either something unexplained was happening to both of them, or they were both going insane. Mutual insanity, where one person takes on psychotic traits to match their partner even though they aren't really losing their mind. It was too much, she just wanted to go back to school like none of this was happening.

The two spent most of the day at the park. The few snacks Liz had were eaten so by the time the classes had ended they had both calmed down a bit and were ready to head home as usual. Liz wasn't looking forward to dealing with the fallout of staying at Izzie's for a day longer but she didn't really seem to care about her parents that much now. She was more focused on making sure Isabel can be left alone at home. Sure it wasn't long before her mother arrived but even still she was wary of leaving her best friend to fend for herself. Especially with that fell premonition rolling around their minds.

"I don't like leaving you alone Iz. But I got my own battle to fight." Leaning in she gave her a kiss on the cheek before they parted. "Stay safe, ok. I don't want you doing something stupid when I'm not around. You're supposed to be the smart and pretty one, I'm the goofy and funny one, right?" It was gibberish for the most part but she wanted to see Izzie smile, to look maybe for a moment like everything was fine. "What's the worst that can happen? You grow wings and become an angel? Maybe you'd learn how to date cute boys if you had big fluffy wings to keep you safe." Sticking her tongue out in a mocking fashion she hoped it would work to ease her spirits. After the goodbyes were said Liz drove back home slowly trying to delay the shouting contest that was bound to ensue.
 
"Maybe you are supposed to, maybe that is why you are seeing it in the first place." Elisabeth proposed, hoping to get her friend's confidence up.
Isabel wanted to believe that, but the visions just seemed so inevitable. And if she was supposed to stop the events in them from happening..what was she supposed to do about visions that weren't about her? What if she started seeing the futures of others? Isabel shook the thought away. There was no sense in worrying about things she couldn't do anything about.
"You are strong, stronger than me in some cases. Remember how much I screamed when I sprained my ankle, I was certain it was broken."
"Yeah.." With the reminder of when Liz sprained her ankle, she remembered a small bit of how helpless Liz must be feeling now.
Isabel hadn't been able to heal her friend that time either, just help her stay healthy until she healed. And at this point, she wished the worst of her problems was a broken bone.

Elizabeth was able to take her mind off of such things for awhile though. They had a nice relaxing time at the park, feeding birds and finishing off the picnic bag snacks, including the smushed zebra cakes. She figured her mom would get some message about her partial absence from the school or something, but probably wouldn't pick up the home phone before late tonight. She'd take the lecture tomorrow. Lizzie's parents though...could pose a problem.
"I don't like leaving you alone Iz. But I got my own battle to fight." Leaning in she gave her a kiss on the cheek before they parted. "Stay safe, ok. I don't want you doing something stupid when I'm not around. You're supposed to be the smart and pretty one, I'm the goofy and funny one, right?"
"That is not remotely correct. It's not like I love when you leave me either. If I had your parents, I'd avoid them too. But I know you can take 'em. I'll be here..not worrying," Isabel gave a nervous laugh as she stepped out of the Jeep.
"What's the worst that can happen? You grow wings and become an angel? Maybe you'd learn how to date cute boys if you had big fluffy wings to keep you safe."
Izzie stuck out her tongue as the Jeep backed out and they both laughed until the car pulled away and Isabel walked inside. She wasn't really sure what to do, so she tried to knock out a few assignments, going through the motions and hoping she'd be around long enough to turn them in.
 
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Elizabeth drove home reluctantly but fast enough that she could get to sleep as soon as possible. When faced with situations such as there where she knew she wasn't going to like it she wanted to get it done as soon and as quickly as possible, like ripping off a band-aid. He parked the jeep on her designated spot in the driveway, her father parked it in the garage and her mother in front of it, both cars were there which meant mom had gotten home earlier. Possibly after hearing she skipped class. With a sigh and some mental preparation, Lizzie grabbed her backpack and got out of the car. Even bore she was at the door she could hear them shouting at each other, trying to be silent and speaking in hushed tones but still shouting. She couldn't catch what it was they were talking about but she knew it had to be related to her. She barely even caught them speaking when it wasn't related to her.

As soon as she stepped in through the door of the house got eerily quiet and the two of them stared at her. She looked them both over. "Hey mom, dad." Before they had a chance to speak she started walking towards the stairs to her room but was soon halted by the stern voice of Annabell McAllister. "Hold it, we need to talk." Stopping dead in her tracks she didn't even get a chance to turn around before she heard the voice of her father Ewan McAllister. "Honey, let her rest, we can talk in the morning." A statement which solicited a menacing almost killer stare from her mother prompting her to speak up to save her dad from those wicked blue eyes.

Her mother was by no means short but standing beside a two-meter tall man she definitely didn't seem as tall as she really was. Regardless of the size difference, they all knew Annabell could take them both out. Maybe even at the same time. Dropping her backpack by the stairs Liz stepped towards the short haired blonde. "Alright mom, I am listening." There was something terrifying about her mother when she got that look in her eyes. All instinct in her body would tell her to get out of the way whenever she did it.

"Take a seat, this will take a while." Her dad had already made tea and by now it was the perfect warmth to be drunk. He knew they would need it, the story they had to tell her was a crazy one and she would likely have plenty of questions. Without a word she pulled out a chair and noted a few folders and a laptop on the table.

"There is no real way to say this in an intelligent way other than very directly and with undeniable evidence." He mother started as she started typing on the laptop. "Here, this is what we're up against." What proceeded to be displayed on the screen were various footages of natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other horrifying accidents or murders. Each image or video had a very obviously pointed out figure in the background or to the side just out of focus. An individual with wings, or as it seemed various different individuals. "What is this?" Liz spoke up just before the footage ended. She got the chills from watching it all, mostly due to all the bad luck and tragedies showed but also because it was downright creepy to see people with wings standing there watching it all from the sidelines. He crossed her arms in front of her chest, bracing for what was to come.

"That my dear, Elizabeth, is the enemy." Her mother started speaking slowly and calmly. "We call them the Omens, Hollow-Bones too. They always show up for a disaster, we don't know how they're doing it but we believe they are causing them." She paused a moment before continuing. "They aren't normal people with wings, don't think of them as such, they are something else. Always showing up for disasters, hell, those wings couldn't possibly support them in flight and yet they can most definitely fly." She opened another video file on her laptop showing one of the Omens mid-flight. "Luckily, we aren't weaponless and without tricks in this fight." The confused expression on Liz's face was quickly erased when her father took over.

"We call ourselves Hunters, bloodlines since ancient times with powers to sense and track the Omens. We find them and take them into custody. Research and try to see what it is they really do to cause these events. You are also a Hunter, Lizzie. If our predictions are correct you will be one of the strongest trackers yet." He meant it as nothing short of encouragement and yet Liz caught something else there. She had a closer bond with her dad and could tell when there was something he was not telling her.

"What do you mean predictions?" She caught onto something or she was sure she did before her father could answer though her mom cut in. "Genetic predictions, our DNA was analyzed and your father and I were found to be a solid match for cultivating a strong Hunter, both in the body and the tracking ability. That's why I insisted on teaching you how to fight and that is why I forced you to work out when you no longer wanted to. You have the perfect genetics for it." Her mother explained which was all fine saying that Liz was genetically healthy and all but she found that same string and she pulled on it.

"You two never loved each other, you just got married in order to conceive me, isn't it?" She looked at the files she was given examining the few details about their organization and DNA analysis they had done. "I... I cannot believe this..." She rose from her seat pushing the chair back. "not only are you kidnapping and imprisoning people you also made me to be your tool, not your child?! How could you!" She shouted at them both as she threw the files down onto the table half of them flying off in all directions. "Sit down, Elizabeth." Her mother snarled by Lizzie didn't listen she shook her head in disbelief and turned to stomp over to her room. "Sweetie, that's not what it was. We loved each other and we love you." Her father tried to calm her down but she wasn't having it. "Loved, past tense, now it all makes sense. I won't be doing your dirty job." She snarled back, same as her mother but without as much venom in her words. Grabbing her pack she rushed up the stairs and locked herself in her room. Her entire world came crashing down, ever since Izzie started having her problems and now with what her parents were telling her she was far too exhausted to think clearly or calm herself down. She simply buried her face in a pillow and cried herself to sleep still wearing the clothes from that day.