Mira gathered what she could in her small backpack and climbed down the trellis. Her bare feet landed softly on the damp grass. With a single mournful glance at the old manor, she headed towards the nearby forest. She traveled for weeks before reaching the mortal realm. When she passed through the barrier, the sights and sounds of the busy London streets were overwhelming. Her rumbling stomach led her to a small coffee house. She found a quiet table in the corner. When her waitress came she ordered a latte and scone. Noticing it took quite some time for her waitress to return with her order, she inquired if they were hiring. The elderly waitress nodded and suggested she talk to the man at the cash register about applying.

Two weeks later Mira found herself waiting tables at the small coffee shop and living in a micro apartment a few blocks away. It was a far different life than the one she'd known in the coven, much simpler, but in its own way much more satisfying. She had only seen a handful of witches since arriving in London. She'd seen other supernaturals as well, werewolves and vampires alike. Her cloaking spells worked well, and they just saw her as a simplistic human.

Everything seemed to be going fine until one cold night in November a group of rowdy werewolves showed up at the coffee house. Mira could tell they had been drinking, as they stumbled from table to table asking people questions. One rather foul-looking werewolf was leering over a couple of young college girls. You could see the girls pressing themselves harder into the side of the booth to get away from his unwelcome advances. Mira cursed herself as she quickly approached the booth. "Hey girls, Joe can talk to you about those job interviews now, follow me," she gave them a knowing glance. She could see the look of relief on both their faces as they quickly pushed past the drunken werewolf to follow her to the back room. "Just wait in here girls, I'll call you a cab and come get you when it's safe." Mira darted back out to the counter, hoping the werewolves had moved on.

Unfortunately, they were still there, and now the drunken one that had been bothering the girls was focused on her. "Hey, why did you go chasing my fun away?" he slurred at her. Mira tried to sidestep around him, but he grabbed her elbow. "You smell good," he said, taking a deep sniff. "You smell different. How about you and I go have some fun instead?" He began trying to pull her towards the door.

Without thinking, she yanked back and stabbed at him with her ink pen. The werewolf let out a yelp when he saw the ink pen protruding from his forearm. "You bitch!" he roared. Mira panicked and ran out the back door praying to the Goddess that they weren't following her.

"How could I have been so stupid!" She cursed as she bolted the lock to her apartment door. She stormed into her bedroom and grabbed the old backpack from her closet. Just like last time, she quickly found all of the essential items she needed, a few bits of clothing, all her savings, her grimoire, and other tools. The sooner she left London the better. Werewolves were not the forgiving kind, and if they realized who she really was, there would be absolutely no chance of escape.

A distant howl caught her attention. Shit, she thought, they're looking for me. I walk out that door now, they'll pick up my scent in a heartbeat. Mira quickly threw up a cloaking spell to mask her scent and presence. She opened the grimoire and with a flick of her fingers let the candles on the altar and around the room. She focused intently on the grimoire, making her needs known to the magical book. She waited anxiously as the pages flipped and spun, finally coming to rest on a single spell. It was in an ancient language that she had only spoken once or twice before. She needed to find a way to seal the door to her past. She needed to find a way to be free.

Mira began to chant. The old magic swirled around her, making her body sway. Her voice rose echoing off the walls as the candle flames began to grow higher. Suddenly she heard a crackling sound, followed by a bright flash of light, then everything went black and she fell unconscious on the floor.  

Author's Notes:  Not my normal first person POV - what do you think?