Gifted With Curses

Chapter 3

Coral

Cammy seemed nice enough. Xenus had told me all of these stories about how witch-hunters were evil and stuff but I was definitely enjoying myself right now. I tried to act normal in front of them, I didn't want them to see my fear. It would only lead them to them figuring out about me and ultimately, my death. I was sure that if I just didn't use my shapeshifting, they wouldn't take a second glance at me. I could help them in a way I had only dreamed of.

I got out of the car and put my air pods back into my blazer pocket. I walked alongside Cammy to the train. It was just like any of the others that led through cities and countries. A large tunnel with a long cylinder train that when powered on, could travel faster than most things you have ever seen. The only difference about this train was it was guarded by about twenty witch-hunters. Cammy told me that all capable witch-hunters took a shift here for an hour. There was a huge timetable for it in the mess hall.

At least it's only an hour, I thought. Any more and I'd fall asleep on duty.

I nudged Cammy as I stepped onto the platform. "Hey, how long is the ride to Tassie?"

He frowned. "Not as long as the car ride, that's for sure."

I laughed. "Right, that's reassuring. If it was for that long I think I'd be a corpse before I even reached the place!"

He smiled, "Lucky it's not then."

By the time they'd stepped onto the train, the doors closed right behind them and the train was already speeding through the tunnel, the blue lights that were in the tunnel every hundred metres seeming like a blur.

I took my phone out of my pocket and put in the password I had memorised after doing it billions of times.

8 7 5 1 0 8 9

Opening my phone I dialled Harvey's number without a second thought. The phone picked up on the second ring.

"Oh my gosh, Coral? Are you okay? I've been worried about you all morning but you're basically a living hero to the school. Everyones talking about you."

"That's cool," I answered. "So, uh, are you ringing me in class? If this is a bad time I'm happy to–"

"No, no! It's fine. When I started to feel the phone vibrate I went to my locker saying I needed to get my drink bottle."

I grinned. "Damn, which teacher believed that one?"

"Well, they're all letting me do anything today, I think they feel sorry for me," Harvey explained. "Anyway, where are you?"

"I'm on one of the tunnel trains heading right for Tassie as we speak."

"Do you want me to send you anything, like, uh, food or..."

"No! I'm fine man," I assured Harvey. "Why would you send me something? They have everything you need down there."

"Well," he answered meekly. "You saved my life this morning Coral. Or at least you saved me from having major injuries these past few months and, now it's like I know the truth about the world - I was told about witches and witch-hunters like it was no big deal, and I know I would have been kept in the dark my whole life unless you did what you did today. I want to return that favour some way or the other."

"Then just assure me you won't get beat up by those kids again, that should be enough," I answered. "I was worried as hell for you this morning and didn't even think before using my powers."

"Oh right, your gifts!" Harvey exclaimed.

Coral cringed, partly from the fact that he had just been shouted at right into his eardrum and because just hearing someone say he had a gift, they both sounded so wrong. He had a curse, and that knowledge would never leave him, even when he became a witch-hunter and fought for the best of humanity.