Charlie-

I walked into the school gates and immediately wanted to walk back out again.

My wings were on full display and were practically glowing in the morning sun. As a result I was getting much unwanted attention from my peers.

For some reason I'd ended up sleeping with my wings tucked into my back all night and so they'd ached like hell all morning.

Because I hadn't wanted them to ache again by keeping them in all day, I'd decided to come into school with them out in the open.

It had been a terrible idea really, and there were plenty of reasons as to why I would've preferred to have kept them under wraps - the many stares which I was now receiving being one of them.

As I walked I could feel my growing resentment towards the mass of people who followed me with their eyes and forced myself to bite back a nasty reply.

I remembered that it had been much like this on the first day but over time people had gradually become more accustomed to my unusual appearance. Well, so I thought.

Judging by the way many of them were behaving now one would think otherwise, but even I had to admit it could've be worse.

Through the corner of my eyes I could see that most still stared at me with concealed disgust but at least they no longer openly mocked me as they had done during my first few days at school. And that was something to be grateful for.

But as I walked I realised that it wasn't this that shocked and angered me the most. I understood why they stared at me the way they did, but the few stares of envy that I was receiving from a small minority, was what I couldn't. They sickened me.

I had no control over what I looked like, but if I did I most certainly would not have chosen to look like this.

Throughout my life I'd wanted nothing more than to fit in and for the most part I had - it was only when my wings were on display that it was a reminder for both myself and for everyone else that I was different and like no other.

I also had no desire to be an anomaly, and so often I had wondered how my parents had managed to create me like this knowing that I would never be judged as the same as everyone else.

My only comfort was that no-one dared to openly insult the rich girl freak who had also somehow managed to become the most popular girl in school. That was another story entirely but I was quite sure that this was what saved me from the most extreme and torturous bullying that I could think of.

In fact in my worst moments I often thought that my situation was a messed up fairytale to say the least, but that was just my own dark humour at work. Apart from the wings, I was a normal teenage girl. And I was almost happy with my life... almost.

When I saw my boyfriend Dan I walked up to him and gave him a kiss. He at least didn't seem to be staring.

"How was Jenna last night?"

I smiled bitterly remembering the forced apology that my father, David had forced me to make to my mother.

"She was alright." I winced at my own lie.

He frowned at me and cocked his head. "You're lying," he said after a while.

I placed a hand on his chest and leaned in inhaling his scent. " Mm, I'm impressed."

He laughed, stroking my hair. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"My dad forced me to apologise to her because I was rude."

"And?"

I pouted. "And he had no sympathy."

He laughed again and hugged me tight. "Charlie-Anne, I love you."

I felt a warm feeling in my chest.

"Good because I love you too. Now, I've got to get to class before I'm late."

I kissed him again and moved away. "So if you'll excuse me."

When I entered the school building I walked across the corridoors and saw my friends, Stacey and Lisa waiting for me outside our next class.

They waved at me.

I joined them. "Ugh, God I hate science."

Lisa pulled a face. "Yeah, and we've got to dissect a frog today with Miss Witch."

I tried not to look horrified.

"Seriously? I thought that was next monday!"

Stacey spoke up. "It was but they moved it to this week. Maybe the Witch couldn't wait to see our horrified faces when we opened up the poor amphibians' stomachs."

I groaned. "Fantastic."

"Oh yeah,"  Lisa spoke up again. "Stace and I were thinking of having a house party this weekend and we were wondering if you and Dan were up for it."

I shrugged. "Sure. We'll be up for it. What are we celebrating?"

My two friends shared a look making Lisa go pink.

My mouth fell open as I stared at Lisa. "Omg, you and Cole? Are you finally together?"

She didn't need to answer.

I squealed and gave her a hug. "Aw, that's brilliant! I'm so happy for you! Since when?"

She was beaming. "Since Saturday."

"Aw! That's so cute!"

Stacey chipped in. "I only found out this morning when I caught the two love birds holding hands."

I beamed again. "Yeah, we'll definitely come! This is going to be such a good weekend! Par- tay!"

I startled some younger students walking past making my friends laugh.

Stacey said, still sniggering, "It would help if you kept your voice down! Besides Liam doesn't know."

Liam was Lisa's ex and he had never really gotten over their break up during our second year of secondary school.

He was also one of Cole's friends, who was now Lisa's boyfriend. Not a close friend, but I betted it would be more than enough to cause some trouble between them.

I waved a hand. "Well, he's just going to have to get over it then unless he wants some unwanted attention. That bridge was burned years ago." 

The reason why they'd broken up in the first place was because Liam had cheated on her.

They were both twelve at the time which was slightly crazy, but they'd both gotten over it eventually. Well, Lisa had. I'd still never understood why people had supported both parties - after all it was Liam who had done wrong.

The rest of the class came to line up in two's and three's. It was time to go in. I wrinkled my nose as the smell of the chemicals invaded my nostrils. I'd always hated the smell of science classes.

                                    *

The night was dark as the shadow moved across the grand living room. It moved further still along the temporary country house that resided as its home and as it traipsed across the hallway and stopped outside a doorway which lead to a large basement, it slowly reached out and turned the door handle before stepping inside.

It climbed down the steps and reached a dark room which had been recently transformed.  When the lights switched on the room glowed unnaturally, the features of the shadow's face twisted into something that resembled a smile.

It was, as many had believed, a smile of a madman but he didn't care.

The shadow moved forward and reached a long metallic table that was centred in the of room.

The light above the table flickered to life as it turned on the light switch, which illuminated the body of a child which lay flat on the table. The child flinched at the brightness.

Carefully, the shadow tightened the straps which held the child down and drifted over to a large machine.

Just as the child struggled to get free the shadow flipped a switch that sent waves rippling across the child's body and the child, unable to scream, arched it's back, its face contorting into an expression of agony.

The man flipped the switch again which once sent more shock waves rippling through the child's body and when the child became still they went over to remove the child's straps.

When they'd done so they carried the child's unconscious body up the steps and then out into the hallway before placing it onto one of the large leather sofas that was placed in the country house's living room. Then slowly as though not to disturb the child, the shadow left the room and went out into another, smaller room.

As they sat down in the other room they thought about the outcome of the experiment. It hadn't worked this time, but maybe the next time it would.

They sat quietly and waited for the child to wake up and thought about how they'd tell them the results...