Hidden in Plain Sight (Working title)
Chapter 3: Audrie

Audrie's wings were closed behind her as she leaned against the weeping willow tree this angel apparently called home.

"I said hi," she said.

"Um, I-" Audrie realized this was Avery, one of the girls she'd met at school.

"My god," Audrie said. "It's not like I'm going to kill you or something. I wouldn't have been so obvious about it if I was."

"I-" Avery seemed unable to put her thoughts into words.

"I followed you," Audrie said simply.

Avery was quiet.

Audrie yawned as the sun set. "Anyways, I should get going."

"No!" Avery said. "It's... Um... It's pretty dark out... What if you get attacked or something?"

"I can handle it." Audrie could very obviously take care of herself. Her claws were somewhere from two to three inches long. Come on.

"Ok..."

Audrie turned and walked off, away towards her home. She was unaware that the angel had followed her the short distance to her home.

Audrie carefully climbed into the redwood's hollowed trunk. She sat comfortably on the pile of blankets she'd made her bed. Audrie looked up at the sky through a hole in the tree, the sky was slowly fading into dark blue and then black as the sun set. Stars began to appear in the sky. She carefully walked outside climbing on top of the redwood. She sat down on top of it, placing her hands by her sides and she stared up at the moon above her. It shone it's reflected white light down on the forest, covering it with a slight white gleam. It was beautiful at night, with all the moon's light reflected off the tops of every tree. It seemed truly magical. Her parents had called her Moon sometimes before they were killed trying to protect her.

But she didn't like thinking about that.

The trees around her blew in the slight wind. The night was warm and cool at the same time. It made it feel nice. She stretched her pitch black wings to their full wingspan. Six feet. They weren't that big but they were big enough. She yawned as the full moon rose up into the sky. Audrie looked down from the sky at the ground and jumped when she saw Avery trying to hide in a bush below her.

Yeah, trying.

Wasn't working.

Audrie hissed. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Did you follow me?"

Avery wrapped her white wings around herself in fear. "N-no," she said.

"So you followed me," Audrie said, seeing through her lie. "Got it."

"Um... I..."

"Just leave me alone," Audrie hissed, making sure her wings were unseen against the night sky.

"O-ok," Avery said before running off.

Audrie folded her wings behind her back, putting her hand on her head. She hoped Avery hadn't seen her wings but she was pretty sure she had. She had to have. Audrie had no clue how long she'd been spying on her for.

She looked up at the sky, letting her wings unfold and fall down onto the tree trunk she sat on. All she hoped was that Avery hadn't seen her wings. She hoped her secret was still safe.

She hoped.

But she knew it wasn't. Avery had to know. There was no way. She had a six foot wingspan! There was no way Avery hadn't seen her.

But she clung to the hope that she hadn't.

Was it a little unbelievable?

No. It was a lot unbelievable.

Did Audrie care?

No. Of course she didn't. Why should she?

She guessed she should stop believing she could possibly have not seen. There was no way. But still...

Audrie got up and carefully slipped into the bushes beneath her. She crept into her home and laid down on her pile of blankets. She put a blanket over her and curled her wings around her. She laid her head down and fell asleep, completely hidden from the rest of the world. She hoped humans wouldn't replace her here. She didn't have to hope though. She was perfectly hidden. Humans wouldn't replace her if there were ten creatures hiding in here together. Not that there ever would be.

How wrong she was...