Morph [EDITING] || Wattys 2017 Winner

~FOUR~

~amelie~

The gates of Morris Major loom in front of me as I race past them, tears and sweat streaming down my cheeks.

Sophia. Sophia. Sophia.

Her name pulses like a second heartbeat in my head. I have to get to her, have to get to my little sister. My legs feel on the brink of collapsing as I sprint across the grass to the front doors, throwing them open without stopping and running left towards her classroom. Doors flash past me, featureless and blank, as I focus on the end of the corridor. My heart is hammering almost as loud as the sound of my panicked feet in the silent corridor when-

"Ammy?"

A tiny voice says my name from the room next to me, a whole different part of the school to her classroom. But there's no mistaking it - there's only one person who calls me Ammy, and that's Sophia. I rush into the room, quickly identifying Sophia and one of her classmates huddled under a desk. I run towards her before realising the sound will alert us to Dad's team, and quickly slow my steps until they're silent. Sophia beams at me, though her eyes are watering.

"Ammy, I knew you'd come!"

In spite of the situation, she seems like she couldn't be happier now I've turned up. But the boy next to her looks pale and shivery, staring at me with distrust and fear. I open my mouth to reassure him, but as soon as I move closer he lets out a whimper and a quiet, super-high humming fills the air.

The boy's eyes suddenly flash white, and the humming intensifies into a shrill shriek. Sophia cries out and squeezes her hands over her ears as I move closer to her, trying to get her away from this boy's ability. Because that's what it is, I realise. An ability. He has a power, and so does Sophia, just like me. This is real. I have no idea what his ability is - whether it's dangerous, even lethal. And that's when I suddenly understand.

This boy might kill us all.

I look over at the hyperventilating kid next to my sister, then back at Sophia. There's no way I can reach her without getting closer to him and scaring him even more. But the high-pitched screaming in my ears isn't letting me think properly, and I can't see another solution.

So I try it anyway.

As soon as I take a step forward, Sophia's classmate lets out a cry and, faster than I can register, the glass window on the other side of the classroom makes a horrible shattering noise and speeds towards us, each minuscule, glittering shard flying in vicious, perfect synchronisation. I have a split second to make a decision, and I take it.

I sprint forward, throwing myself in front of Sophia and shoving the shocked boy out of the glass' path. Time seems to slow as my head turns away from the barrage, all of the tiny pieces pointing towards my body. I close my eyes...

...and time speeds back up as the shards hit me, a million deep cuts all over my body. I stumble away from Sophia, gasping with the pain. Through my dazed haze I see her classmate's eyes widen at what he's done. Sophia screams and runs over to me. She's screaming my name, desperate and sobbing, as a rough voice shouts and footsteps hurtle through the corridor outside.

They've found us.

I try to push Sophia away from them, but as soon as I move a muscle searing pain rips through me and I freeze, tears rolling down my cheeks as men in black enter my vision and surround Sophia and the boy with guns pointed at them. The last man to enter hurtles over to me and rips off his mask, revealing my father's panicked face

"Amelie?" he breathes. "What are you doing here? What happened to you?"

Before I can reply, he stares at the shattered window, then at the two eight-year-olds, then back at me. Through the darkness that looms on the edge of my vision, I see him make the connection.

"Amelie!" He rushes closer to me, but I push him away with screaming, agonising muscles.
"Sophia," I choke out. "Dad, don't... don't take her..."
He looks over at his other daughter with pained eyes, but as soon as he sees her, cowering in a corner, it's replaced by coldness. "She has an ability, Amelie. She has to be contained."
"No, Dad," I say, struggling to catch a glimpse of her past the men surrounding her in a tight circle. "She's your daughter. How...?"

My words falter as my vision narrows even further, blackness surrounding the tiny space. Dad looks at me again, concern filling his features.

"Amelie? Amelie... hear me?"

His words sound muffled, underwater.

"...help... lost blood... unconscious..."

I give in to the darkness and the ringing in my ears as a pair of arms scoops me up and the shouting of the people around me fades.

~ryan~

Amelie's unconscious form is held tightly in my arms as I hover above the school's roof. She's bleeding from uncountable cuts, all small but deep slashes across her body. I got to her in the nick of time - Carmichael and his team couldn't have done anything for her. Below me, a screaming girl with a blonde ponytail is being dragged along the ground, wildflowers sprouting from every patch of grass near her. I assume she's Carmichael's daughter and Amelie's sister. Another set of men carry an unconscious boy with them - presumably knocked out because of an ability more dangerous than flower-growing.

The two small bodies get lifted into the waiting truck, black and menacing. The soldiers slam the doors loudly and forcefully, and Sophia Carmichael's screams are abruptly cut off. I turn away, not needing to see the truck begin to drive them away, and rise higher into the sky. The wind is cold against my face, but it's forgotten as soon as I start zipping forwards through the air, Amelie's hair streaming out behind me.

I only just returned Izzy home safely, satisfied that she won't tell anyone Amelie's secret. She was unconscious for the whole journey to the rebel base, so she won't remember where it is, although she'll remember my face. She spent a week in the base, being looked after, but I was the only one who brought her what she needed. I just have to make sure she never sees me again. Isabelle will have psychologically blocked out the actual kidnapping due to the trauma, so that means Amelie's secret will be safe.

Minutes pass, as I fly at my fastest speed, and soon we're above a small, inconspicuous log cabin in the middle of a wood. I lower myself down, still holding tight onto Amelie, and as soon as my feet hit the floor three rebels rush out and take her from me. I run after them, and quick as lightning we pass through the wall and we're inside, and we're safe.