Rosethorn: Phoenix Warriors, #1

1

Journal Entry #300

Dear Diary,

The world is changing. Everything is changing. I’m changing. I don’t know how or why, but I’m not the same girl I used to be.

The world is a strange place, almost unrecognizable. It’s different, both better than I imagined and worse than I pictured.

The world is filled with superpowers, with magic, with love and hope.

For a long while now, I’ve known that there are a few select people with superpowers. They have awesome abilities. Those people, supas, they’re like video game characters. It’s like they walked right out of a comic book into the real world.

And I’m one of them. It’s amazing, but it’s also terrifying.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up and start from the beginning.

The night was terribly dark and after a day that had been long and hard. Hazel Stanley had tried her hardest to find a job, any job, odd or otherwise, anything at all that she could do. Most of the time, people would either ignore her or send her on her way.

Earlier, she had spied a car company that usually had a guy outside who was dressed up as a transformer to try to lure in customers. The transformer guy hadn’t been there, so she’d walked inside and asked if she could be the mascot for the day. The manager had agreed but hadn’t mentioned payment. She haggled, but the guy had been stingy. Five an hour. That had been the most he would offer, but he’d promised to pay in cash, so she had accepted the deal. Honestly, she probably would’ve accepted three an hour. Beggars couldn’t be choosers, but she would never beg. Hazel had never accepted a handout, and she never would. She would earn whatever she was given. If there was one thing Hazel hated, it was pity.

Then again, she quickly grew to hate the costume, too. The material had been awfully heavy and cumbersome, but she would go on to wear that outfit for eight straight hours. Sure, jerks honked at her as they blew on by, but she didn’t care. Forty bucks was huge for her.

She even tried to actually transform, mostly because she was bored and not because she thought it would lure in customers. It actually did, though, so that was an added perk. The dealership was situated at a traffic light, and when people were stuck at a red light, they would snap pics of her. Hazel had enjoyed that part of it.

The manager had paid her, but he hadn’t seemed pleased. Despite his scowl, she planned on stopping by whenever she didn’t see a mascot on the corner. She would wear anything for money, even a huge red lobster suit.

Afterward, her shoulders especially had been killing her. All she wanted was some food and shelter. For several days now, she hadn’t been able to get into any of the places around the city. Every time she would show up, they would turn her away since they were already filled to the brim.

Hazel needed a meal and a semi-warm place to sleep. She hadn’t eaten in days, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could go without something in her stomach. Sure, she had the money that she could buy herself something hot, but why not try to make the cash last as long as she could? It was a gamble she and many others had to make.

Her belly rumbled as she approached a third shelter. The first two already turned her away. She didn’t know what she would do if this one was filled already too, especially since it was starting to rain hard. If she had to sleep outside again, it would be a damp, soggy affair.

The sight of the ajar open door gave her hope. Rubbing her arms to try to ward off the chilly night air, she ventured inside the slightly warmer building. This place had been dirty, but then, none of the places that helped the needy around here were what Hazel would call tidy. That didn’t matter to her or any of the people who sought them out for shelter.

Behind her, rain started. It hadn’t been light either. Downright pouring. She really needed to get into this place.

The bell at the front desk was like a beacon, calling to her, and she rang it eagerly, the sound small and tinny. Despite the soft noise, a nice man with spectacles and a beard appeared almost right away. Hazel knew him well since he worked here most nights. Brian was a good man.

At the sight of Hazel, he smiled and then frowned. Her stomach twisted with uneasy. Still, she tried to cling to hope and not give way to despair. Not yet at least.

Hazel, he said.

She visited here often enough that everyone here knew her by name. He had to be willing to help her. He just had to. The other two shelters she’d checked first had been close to the dealership. Otherwise, she would’ve tried here first.

Got a bed? she asked hopefully.

Brian hung his head. I’m sorry. We’re all full. There’s not one free bed, and all of the food’s already been given out.

Hazel’s stomach rumbled again. It’s okay. Thanks anyway. Have a good night.

This had been the last chance she had for a place tonight. With the rain, she had few options. She would have to hope she would find a tree or an alley with some cover. Some of her homeless friends stayed in the same place every night and didn’t bother with the shelters. It was moments like this that made Hazel wish she had too.

Things could have been worse, though. She did at least have money for a meal. Tonight had been a rainy one, so why not use it instead of saving it?

Head down, she rushed out of the homeless shelter, almost missing the look of sympathy on Brian’s face as he called out an apology.

Across the street from the shelter were a few fast food joints. Hazel rushed over, planning to go inside, get out of the rain, and eat some food. Hopefully, the storm would have passed by the time she was ready to leave. If not, she could hang around inside for a while. Since she would be a paying customer, she wouldn’t be loitering.

She was drenched by the time she reached the door. Before she could push it open, someone grabbed her elbow. The grip was so strong she couldn’t break free, but that didn’t stop her from flailing her arms and trying to kick the bastard. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth as the man dragged her into the alley beside the fast food joint.

What do you think you’re doing? the man asked. In the darkness of the storm, he loomed over her like a grizzle bear, powerful and terrifying.

She bit his hand, and he backhanded her so hard she fell to the ground. He grabbed her left foot and dragged her closer to him. Hazel shrieked, slapping him, trying to kick him, but he had already grabbed her money. Just like that, the guy was running away, leaving her penniless, soaking wet, and with a sore ankle. She figured a bruise was already forming where he had gripped her elbow.

Tears streaked down her face, indistinguishable from the rain pouring down on her. She was soaked to the bone, and once again, she would have to go to sleep hungry. Worse, she was positively starving. Working all day had made her so hungry. Now, she’d worked for nothing. She could not have been more frustrated or furious.

There was no point in finding a police officer. She hadn’t been able to get a good look at the guy in the darkness, and he was probably spending her money right now anyhow.

With a sigh, she climbed to her feet, crossed her arms, hunched over, and ran away, not bothering to look back at the fast food joints. Weeks ago, she had tried to get a job at any one of them, but they’d all sent her on her way.

Where to? Hmm. Not too far from the shelter was a park. That might be her best bet.

The slick sidewalks forced Hazel to walk so she wouldn’t trip and fall. Traveling slowly in the pouring rain wasn’t fun. Her few possessions were dripping wet before she was even halfway there. She barely had the energy to walk to the place. Honestly, she was almost ready to give up, to no longer fight for her life. Nothing was fair. Why bother to constantly struggle day after day? She would never get ahead, and no one would miss her when she was gone.

The world was a mess. Although there supposedly were supas out there, people with incredible, amazing powers that could hardly be believed, they didn’t bother to stop and notice her. No one did. Most everyone pretended she didn’t exist, that none of the homeless did. They were nothing to regular people, just a nuisance who could be easily overlooked and ignored.

Hazel was falling harder than she ever had before. Somehow, she was quickly reaching a point she never thought she would ever reach. She almost didn’t want to be a part of the world anymore. She no longer wanted to be a part of much of anything. Maybe she would curl up on a bench in the park and not wake up. Maybe that would be the best possible outcome. She might’ve even prayed for that to happen.

When she finally arrived at the park, she managed to find an empty bench under a tree, the branches forming an umbrella-like canopy. The bench was mostly dried, and she curled up on it. If the police saw her, they would make her leave. If they asked her to, she might have refused. If she were lucky, they would arrest her. Then, she would be taken out of the rain. It would be worth it. But they probably wouldn’t have arrested her. They knew she was homeless, and they wouldn’t help her.

That was all she had wanted. Help. Not a handout. A job. She would work for the money.

It had been her choice to run away, to not stay in the system. She had suffered too much and had thought freedom would be the first step toward her salvation. Instead, leaving had caused her new misery.

Maybe she should have tried a new foster family.

Nah.

Nothing in life ever went her way, so most likely, she wouldn’t die tonight. If she did wake up in the morning, she would have to go dumpster diving. Hazel hated it, but plenty of restaurants were wasteful, and she couldn’t hold out on eating for much longer. It might be her only way to get food, but it wouldn’t be easy. She’d have to fight off vermin, rats, and bugs, not to mention other homeless people. Hazel didn’t think she would ever get used to the vile rodents.

The stolen money irked her so much that she couldn’t settle to sleep. The rain pounded against the branches of the tree covering her, and some drops trickled through. Soon, the rain began to pelt her despite the canopy. The branches started to sag from the heaviness of the wet leaves.

Hazel did her best to find a comfortable position on the bench. She was so very tired, and all she wanted as to sleep. Well, a dry, warm bed would be nice too, but that wasn’t going to happen. She didn’t want to cry, but the tears came anyway. She wasn’t able to control them, and she didn’t bother to wipe them away.

In the distance, she spied a woman with a large umbrella heading straight toward her. More trouble like that jerk who had stolen her money? Just what she needed.

The woman with the umbrella reached Hazel and sat down on the bench next to her. Hazel thought about getting up and finding another bench, but the others weren’t protected at all from the rain. Why wasn’t this lady sitting on one of the others with her fancy umbrella?

The woman turned to Hazel. She had the friendliest face Hazel had ever seen, even more so than Hazel’s own mother, and Hazel immediately felt guilty for wishing to be left alone. The tall woman patted her black hair pulled into a tight bun and sighed. She was older than Hazel, older than her mother would have been if she was still alive.

Who was she? What did she want? Hazel couldn’t help being curious. Normally, she would keep to herself and wouldn’t have thought twice about moving away.

The woman smiled at Hazel. You seem to be having a bad night.

I am, Hazel admitted. Noticing the woman had stopped her crying, but she found herself having to fight back sudden, hot tears.

Dear, dear, the woman said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a chocolate bar. I know this isn’t much, but here. Eat.

Hazel greedily took it from her. She was starving, and while she wanted real food, who could turn down chocolate? Swiftly, she ripped open the bar and tried to remember the last time she had candy of any kind. Her first bite was delicious. The chocolate melted in her mouth.

Thank you, Hazel said, her mouth full.

I’m Marie, the woman said. Marie Blair.

Hazel, was all she offered. Just because the woman had shared her full name, didn’t mean Hazel had to. She didn’t tend to trust strangers.

Which meant maybe she shouldn’t have eaten that candy bar. What if Marie had drugged it? But Hazel felt fine. Still hungry, of course, but fine. She was being paranoid, but she couldn’t help it. Trust didn’t come easy for her.

Hazel, Marie said, you really shouldn’t be living on the street.

If Hazel had her way, she wouldn’t be living out here. She would have a place of her own, a job, and money for clothes and food. She would never stop striving to make an even better life for herself.

But finding work had proved impossible. Most places didn’t want to hire someone underage, and her lack of a permanent residence hurt her, too.

Hazel had spent a few years in the orphanage and then a couple of months with a foster family. She didn’t like to think back to that time period in her life. Suffice it to say that living on the street was preferable, even with nights