Despite coming to grips with his newfound power it was still too overwhelming. He felt smothered in his own room -- barely able to catch his breath. He got dressed and headed out, avoiding Mark and June downstairs in the kitchen, and quietly let himself out the front door. Nobody even noticed him.
Ty walked. To the end of the street at first, then to the end of the next block. Then several streets down. He barely noticed how far he'd gone as his mind swirled with moral dilemmas, possibilities, and dangers. Still lost in thought, he found himself at the edge of town staring across the highway and looking into a forest. He knew those trees well, for he had gone there many times to collect his thoughts... or hide.
He walked on, across the road, through a clearing, and into the line of trees. It got darker as he went deeper into the forest, and Ty soon found himself farther than he'd ever been before. Finally, exhausted, his legs pleaded for rest, and the 15 year old sat down on a pile of dead leaves staring at a rocky stream that divided the ground. If only he had some friends, he lamented, if only he weren't alone. He could sort all this out... whatever it was. None of that seemed to matter for the moment, however, because he had gotten himself hopelessly lost in the deep dark woods. All around him nothing was familiar at all, and he had long since traveled from the area he knew.
His heart thumped in his chest and he took a deep breath trying to calm himself. Then the tears began to fall as he sat there, overwhelmed, and when at last Ty calmed himself down his face was red from crying.
Some power, he thought, I bet it can't make me any friends. Or... could it? Up in the trees above him he heard birds chirping. Below him fish snapped insects off the top of the stream, and somewhere in the distance of the forest a variety of woodland animals were wandering. What if he could have an animal for a friend? Wouldn't that be awesome? He had always loved nature, loved wildlife... what if he could make an animal able to talk? Or intelligent? Or make an animal a person? Or... an animal person?
Strange thoughts began to swirl once more in Ty's mind but this time they were focused less on the morality of his power and instead on using it. Just a small little test, he promised himself, just enough to see if he could really do something like that.
But... what would he change? He examined the trees and saw a solitary blue jay clinging to a branch. The fish? He noticed a snail inching it's way across a log on the other side of the stream, and somewhere in the distance he could hear something else moving. The possibilities were there, but which lucky creature would be his ultimate target?