To The Haven

Asha laid next to her sisters, Ravyn and Courtney, who were sound asleep. She was the oldest. She carried the most on her back when it came to responsibility and seeing things through. She looked at them sleeping peacefully. The girls hid away in an abandoned barn. Asha slowly got up from her pallet. She needed fresh air to think and she didn’t want to wake her sisters. Slipping out the barn doors and closing them back quietly. She walked towards a well in the middle of the property.

She looked up at the sky, the specs of stars, and the quarter moon. Her feet slowly lifted from the ground. With her arms open and the air full, she rose with the flow of the wind. She stopped herself at level with the top of the trees. She could see at a great distance. Her eyes were bird-like in this state. She could see everything around her in great detail. Small movements on the ground. She looked for nothing in particular, but continued to scan the outside of their homemade perimeter. They needed time to get a better plan.

“We can’t keep going like this,” she said to herself. A year since they had seen their parents. It a year since they started running. A year since her younger sisters started manifesting their abilities. Uniquely, Asha was born with hers. 18 years since the government began collecting all like her and her sisters using The Collector to accomplish their primary goal.

Asha was beginning to feel the stress of the responsibility of her sisters. Ravyn was only 15. She was young, naive, strong-willed, and listened to no one. She didn’t understand the gravity of their new position in this life, but she understood and commanded great power. It was an amazing feeling for her to have far more progressive abilities than her sisters. She was the youngest. It showed.

Courtney was nothing like either of her sisters. She was quiet. Kept to herself. Unlike most middle children, she dreaded attention. She wasn’t like Ravyn. She wasn’t taking in the changes the same way. She feared her abilities. She feared her own potential. She didn’t want her abilities, but she didn’t want to lose them to The Collector.

Asha began to lower herself down to the ground. Being born with her abilities her parents did everything they could to educate her and train her. They made her strong. Forcing her to make decisions at a young age and teaching her to live with the consequences. Asha and Ravyn never saw eye to eye. Until her sisters began to manifest their abilities, Asha and her parents agreed to live in secrecy. They trained in private and homeschooled Asha. Asha was more unique than her sisters as she was more comfortable with herself and her abilities. She fancied her a leader much to Ravyn’s dismay. She took on the responsibility of keeping her sisters and herself safe, while at the same time doing everything she could to teach them what her parents had taught her. She walked back to the barn and quietly locked them back in. She laid back on her pallet and turned her back to her siblings, closing her eyes as she started to drift to sleep.

Ravyn was the first to wake up that morning. She knew the rules were that they weren’t allowed to explore alone. They were stronger together, but she woke up energetic and ready to practice her ability. She was more ambitious than her sisters. She wanted to see what all she was capable of. Every time she grew stronger she could feel and sense her abilities beginning to evolve, creating a larger extension of her ability. Ravyn got up and stood at the barn doors. She looked back at her sisters as she smiled. She slowly started morphing into a small garter snake as she was able to slip through a dugout under the door.

Once outside Ravyn was able to slowly transform back into herself. She let out a chuckle. Her abilities still amazed her. She wanted to know that she could do more. She started shifting her weight as she began to decline in size. Her nose spouted long with her lips. She began to transform herself into an Eagle. Once in full form, Ravyn began to soar the skies.

Back at the barn, Courtney was awake and aware that Ravyn had left the safety of the barn. ‘Asha...Ravyn’s gone.” she said to her sister as she nudged her. Asha began to open her eyes as she turned toward Courtney.

“This is getting old.”Asha lifted off the pallet without bending a single muscle. Courtney’s left lip curled up as she was impressed. She followed her sister out of the barn as they both looked around. Neither wanted to call out for her name in case they were heard by agents of The Collector in a nearby distance, but neither really knew how to even begin looking for their sister.

“If she took a form then we have no choice but to wait until she comes back on her own,” Courtney said to Asha.

“We don’t have that kind of time. The Collector and the agents could catch up to us at any given moment. We have to find her and keep moving.

“One more night?” Courtney pleaded.

“No.” Asha said, “we’ve been here long enough. One more night would do nothing but make you guys comfortable. I need you both to be alert. You have to pay attention because if you get caught we don’t know where they take everyone...and if Ravyn insists on doing everything but listening to me. Finding whoever gets caught is that much harder.” Asha removed a large map from her backpack. She marked every spot on the map they stayed at with a red permanent pen. A way to keep them moving forward. Looking for their parents and getting to The Haven.

Not an organization, not a place, but a person. Not an ordinary person, rumored to have amazing abilities and multiple ones. The Haven was considered one of the most powerful forms known. Asha had been instructed by her father to find this being before he was taken away by agents of The Collector.

“...go grab our things, pack it all up, and meet me by the well. I’m going to search for Ravyn. We need to leave before we’re exposed.” Courtney nodded and headed back inside the barn while Asha walked back towards the well. She lifted from the ground. Now higher than the trees. Her eyes glossed over black as she entered form. Telepathically searching for her sister. Her sisters’ emitted a different energy form allowing her to distinguish between them. She could connect with any number of beings and forms while searching for The Haven. Often in her form, she was most aware, her form was stronger than herself without it. She had been training and practicing her focus and attention to her own senses. Like wind guiding her, her telepathic abilities picked up on Ravyn’s energy.

She smirked as she connected to Rayn’s mind, “You can be any animal you desire, and today you chose...an eagle. Why not a pterodactyl, I’m sure you’d draw more attention this way.” She said in her head. Ravyn’s form circled around the sky as if to come back, but then continued forward toward no destination.

“Leave me alone.” Ravyn thought.

“When you’re back here I might, but we’re leaving. We need to keep moving forward. Agents are getting closer. Having to find you in full form makes us all vulnerable to The Collector.”

“Then stop trying to find me and leave me alone.” Ravyn tried to block her sister out of her head.

“Make me...I’ll just keep ruining your flight until you get back here. You had your fun, now return so we can move on,” Asha said. She emitted a low-frequency energy blast from her mind to Ravyn causing Ravyn to lose flight.

“What are you doing, asshole, you’re not mom.” Ravyn tried to return higher in the sky, but her wings felt heavy and wet. She struggled to flap and lift them, “Are you trying to kill me, ASHA!?” She screamed. Asha’s head tilted slightly to the left as the wind grew stronger. She emitted another low-frequency energy blast causing Ravyn to lower closer to the trees. Keeping height. Asha tethered a mental net to her sister's mind, turning her direction back towards the barn. “ASHA!” Ravyn exclaimed. Asha’s tether grew stronger as she pulled her sister with more force. A black aura surrounded her form as she drew on more power. This time, she sent another energy blast, a stronger frequency as her tether took over Ravyn’s form and with force brought her back toward the barn. Covering Ravyn’s wings in her black aura and bringing her back to her original form, holding her over 30 feet in the air. Ravyn was alert now, no longer an eagle, but a vulnerable girl. Not the first time she’d felt her sister’s power, but the first time she’d been unsure of her sister’s intention. “Asha…” Picking up on Ravyn’s fear and distrust. Asha lowered Ravyn to the ground. Asha began to scan the area of their location. She sensed more than just her sister near the perimeter. She zoomed into the wooded trees seeing six figures making their way in their direction.

Asha let her form go and landed on her feet. “There are agents not far away. We need to go...NOW!” Ravyn took in deep breaths. Courtney is confused as to what just happened but lugging the girls' bags. Asha grabbed hers and Ravyn’s. She slammed Ravyn into her chest with a look of annoyance. Ravyn rolled her eyes. The girls ran towards the east of the wooded area. They continued to run as fast as their legs could take them as these agents were trying to surround them.

“We need to take form,” Asha said as she lifted off the ground effortlessly. She took cover to the trees camouflaging in with the branches and leaves.

“Show off,” Ravyn said as she shrunk into the size of a beetle and followed one to a dunghill. Courtney couldn’t breathe. She didn’t and couldn’t change her form the way her sisters did. It wasn’t effortless for her. She had no idea what to do but continued running. Seeing her sister struggle. Asha entered her mind.

“Transform, Courtney, NOW!” Sending a high frequency burst her sister's way she helped Courtney transform into a butterfly as she blended into a family of them nearby. The girls were hidden and out of sight as the agents that tried to surround them reunited with neither girl in their sight.

“They might have transformed.” One of the agents said. They armed themselves pointing their guns in different directions.

“We need to split up.” Said another agent. They agreed and dispersed in different directions. Asha reformed first and scanned the area. Her eyes shifted like a camera zooming in and out. She took a deep breath.

“We need room to run...or fly,” she thought to herself. She smiled and focused on finding her sisters. She channeled them telepathically so that only they could hear her thoughts. “We have to leave our bags. I need you both to transform into finches. We need to stick together in a flock that won’t be detectable. We need to transform now. I’ll help you, Courtney, we’ll work on it later.”

“Eagles are better. Bigger. Faster. Can we be Eagles?” Ravyn asked in her mind.

“No. Eagles don’t travel in flocks. The goal is to blend. Be inconspicuous. Do not draw any attention our way.”

“Finches don't flock but fine. Next time we’re turning into Eagles.” Ravyn crawled out of the dunghill and shifted into a small finch. Shaking her bird head she chirped as she took to the top of the trees.

“Alright, Courtney, it’s your turn,” Asha said, looking into the distance at the group of butterflies.

“I can’t. I can’t morph from one animal into another. I have to turn back.” She said as her anxiety and fear started disrupting her form.

“Stop,” Asha took a deep breath. Her eyes glossed over black and the aura around spilled out black clouds around her. She pointed her opened hand towards her sister, “Courtney, I can only help you. Morph now.” Courtney whimpered as she channeled her beautiful butterfly wings into small finch wings, her thorax, antenna, abdomen, proboscis, compound eye, and head with her sister's help became the head and body of a finch. When she finished transforming completely she was proud of herself. Rising to the top of the trees with Ravyn.

“Thank you, Asha,” she said to her sister who was following behind her as a finch to the top of the trees.

“Let’s go.” Asha began flying towards the east. Her sisters followed behind. They flew as long as their wings could take them, but Ravyn and Courtney were still new to transforming. They couldn’t hold form as long as Asha could. Their abilities were limited. They weren’t as powerful as she was. As long as they were being hunted, she could not teach them otherwise.

“We’ve been flying for hours. I can’t keep my form.” Courtney said as she started lower to the ground. There were mountains and trees and valleys all around them. They had left their map behind along with their bags. Asha needed time to think. She wanted to keep going, but pushing them wouldn’t work.

“Those mountains overhead. We need to get to those mountains. Finches weren’t meant to travel so far without stopping. I just need you to push a little longer Courtney.” Asha pleaded.

“An eagle could,” Ravyn added.

“Shut the hell up about your damn eagle, Ravyn,” Asha said as Courtney started lowering beneath the girls.

“I ca…” she tried as she started plummeting lower and faster. Passing out as she transformed back into her human form. Asha transformed back into hers. Eyes glossed over black as she dived past Ravyn to catch Courtney before she touched the ground.

“Cause two big ass girls falling from the sky is just normal,” Ravyn said in sarcasm as she followed suit getting ready to transform back once she touched the ground. Asha focused on her trajectory as she reached out for Courtney and with one arm holding on to her sister and with the other arm waved it to the sky causing dark clouds to form creating a fog in their area and surrounding them deeply.

“Not now, Ray,” Asha thought as she landed and laid her sister on the ground. Ravyn, now transformed back into her human self, kneeled beside Courtney.

“I’m not carrying her. I was at our last doctor’s appointment. She was forty pounds heavier than me then...imagine now.” Ravyn said with a smile. Asha shook her head as she checked on Courtney’s vital signs. Her mother made it a point to teach her so that she could internally monitor her own.

“We need to get to the mountains. Put her on my back.” Asha told Ravyn. Ravyn made a face.

“She’s fatter than you,” Ravyn laughed. Asha threw a flower at her. As she transformed into an Appalachian horse. “Now why does she get a ride?” Ravyn said as she raised both arms pointing at Asha. She shook her head and began to lift Courtney from the ground. “Now, I don’t want to complain, but you’re gonna have to lay down or something cause this bitch is heavy. We don’t even eat anything out here.” Asha whinnied in frustration and lowered herself to the ground. Ravyn laid Courtney over Asha’s back on her stomach and Asha stood back up. “What’s it like knowing you weigh anywhere from 840 -2200 lbs and having 5 million pounds of Courtney on your back?” She gave a hearty laugh as Asha shook her head and began walking in the direction of the mountains with Ravyn walking behind her right.

“We’ve been walking for hours. We left our bags like dummies...no food...no water...and sleeping beauty gets to do the easy part sleeping the journey away...I’m going to eat her.” Ravyn said as she side-eyed her sister.

“You’ve been complaining this whole time.” Asha pointed out.

“That’s because you’ve said nothing this entire time. Horses might not talk, but telepaths do. You might think you know.”

“Are you bored….AND lonely, Ray?” Asha asked. Ravyn rolled her eyes.

“No. Yes...I’m bored to death. Lonely is impossible with the two of you always around. Maybe if I just transform into a…”

“No. Whatever your idea is...it’s a direct no.” Asha stated.

“Who died and made you the boss?”

“Mom and dad…”

“Neither is dead. I would implore you to never say that again.” Ravyn had stopped dead in her tracks as she made her threat. Asha turned her head around to see that Ravyn had stopped.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” Asha said. She turned her body around to face her sister. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“That’s right. You shouldn’t have. The collector took mom and dad because you were born with your….gifts. If you were just like me and Courtney. He never would’ve taken interest in them in the first place. 18 years of keeping you safe, training you, and molding you into this perfect fucking freak of nature got us all dragged into a new hell. So yeah...you are sorry.” Ravyn said as she walked off and towards the mountain ahead of her sister. Asha exhaled and turned back around. Following behind Ravyn.

‘She doesn’t mean that’, Asha told herself. The girls continued as they started climbing the mountains.

“How much further?” Ravyn said. Asha didn’t respond to her. She was scanning ahead for a place to stop. She might’ve been able to keep her form, but the day had been long and tiresome. It was getting dark. They needed a safe place to rest and she needed to transform back into herself. “Hello?” Ravyn said again. “So you’re just going to ignore me?” Ravyn turned around and looked at her sister. “REAL fucking mature.”

“Shut up, Ravyn, not everything is about you. I can’t use multiple abilities and talk. Either I focus on forming and talking to you or I scan ahead for a place to stop. I need to stop too.” Asha said. “Another hour and there’s a cavern ahead. We go deep enough inside, make it safe, and we sleep. I should be able to scare off unwanted prey.”

“Ugh,” Ravyn said, taking her shirt off. She used her shirt to wipe the sweat off her body, then tucked her shirt into her back pocket. The temperature was going down with the setting of the sun.

Once they got into the cave, Asha transformed back into herself holding Courtney up with one arm. Ravyn got to the other side and they carried their sister to safety. They walked not too far from the opening of the cavern, but not too deep into the caves that they were lost. They laid Courtney near the wall of the cavern. Asha did not want to light up the entire cave in case they could be seen from any distance. She waved her hands in a circle creating a temperature in the cave at seventy-two degrees. She created a forcefield behind them so that nothing deep into the cave could get to them and a force field at the entrance. She sat back up against a wall and took a deep breath. She was exhausted. A year. A day. It was all running together.

“We can’t keep going like this,” she said out loud.

“Teach me something...I can transform into any animal in the world. What else can I do?” Ravyn asked, sitting next to her sister. Asha’s eyes closed.

“Try...moving that rock over there,” she said, adjusting herself against the rocks, “you have to concentrate and be patient.”

“Cool. Telekinesis.” Ravyn stared at the rock and tried her hardest to move it, but nothing happened. She usually feels her power when she’s taking form, but she felt nothing trying to move the rock. She looked at Asha who was fast asleep. The force fields holding well. She couldn’t leave the cave or wander further into it. “What am I supposed to do if I have to go to the bathroom, Asha?” she asked. Asha took a deep breath, forced open her eyes, and waved her hand at the back force field of the cave creating a door.

“Since you’re up, you have the first watch. Try not to do anything stupid or get us killed for a few hours. I can’t keep my eyes open,” Asha said to Ravyn. Ravyn smirked.

“Cool,” she said. She waited a couple more seconds before walking through the door. She started walking the cave continuously flicking her hands trying to create light. “Asha could do it,” she said in jealousy. She continued flicking her fingers and swinging her wrists. As she walked far enough down without any light, she picked a random rock to relieve herself, then headed back to her sisters. Ravyn was disappointed. She knew she wouldn’t have Asha’s level of skill right away, but she did think she could create a simple fire out of thin air or no air. She didn’t think tapping into her powers would be difficult.

She walked through the door of the force field and laid next to her sister Courtney. “Asha does everything around here,” Ravyn said, thinking out loud.

“She’s the oldest,” Courtney whispered.

“Here I thought you died or something, the hell happened to you out there,” Ravyn said as Courtney turned her head towards her.

“I just...I couldn’t hold my form any longer. I needed to sleep. It felt like...well that,” she said, pointing at Asha. Asha was stretched out on her right side with her back to her siblings.

“She could just teach us,” Ravyn said. Turning towards Courtney, “Don’t you want to know how powerful you are? Don’t you want to find out if we can do all the things and then some that Asha can do? Don’t you?”

“No, Ravyn,” Courtney rubbed both of her eyes with her left hand as she got repositioned into a comfortable spot. “I really don’t. I’m proud of Asha and you should be too. She’s overcome great and unthinkable odds. She’s grown and evolved far from where she started. She always has our backs. She’s always thinking of us. Even before The Collector knew about us, she made sure that we shined first. She never made our moments her moments. She has always been the best big sister….and she’s always been a loyal friend. She’s not the leader because she’s the oldest, she’s the leader because she is. She leads, we follow. She’s the only one who can find The Haven. She could’ve left us a long time ago. Dad has always told you, ‘power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely’ and the way you go for Asha shows he’s right. I heard what you said to her today, Ravyn Mikel, I wasn’t impressed. I’m more afraid of who we’ll be if we come into our abilities faster than we’re supposed to. We’re not ready to yield that kind of power.” Courtney said directly. She looked up to the top of the cave.

Ravyn rolled her eyes. She got up and moved to another spot in the cave. She turned her back to her siblings tucked behind a rock and close to the wall of the cave. Her jealousy and anger began to consume her.

“What makes Asha so damn special?” she asked herself as she stared off until she fell asleep.