The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 16

Returning to the collage, I cautiously looked around my room, expecting to see Merlyn there. I knew he had been keeping tabs of me ever since I moved to Central City, and the strange lights I had spotted in my room at night gave me the creeps, making me think there was someone watching.

That Merlyn was watching.

Shivering, I continued through the dormitory and sighed as I sat down, knowing that I was alone. Except from the hidden cameras in my room.

Feeling rather self conscious, I hastily looked round, worried he was watching. I needed to be alone.

I was ashamed. Ashamed that I was so weak as to let Merlyn catch me out again, ashamed that I hadn't protected my friends, ashamed that I had agreed to this... life. But then reminded myself of why I was doing this. To protect my family.

The problem was that I was failing to protect my friends.

I knew that, in my heart, I was strong. I could take verbal abuse and emotionally-draining remarks; in high school I was made fun of due to my goodheartedness, people being put off me by petty rumours created by others. In my last few years though, how I treated others paid off and I subsequently gained good friends.

I just hadn't used my strength physically yet. And that was going to change.