Superhuman [Book 1]

16 || Sputter

➟ sam
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"I told you to ice over. I don't see how that was so hard to understand. It literally could not be more simple!" Tommy raged, his accent ablaze. I nodded, looking down.

"I'm s-sorry, Tommy."

"You had one task, and you tell me you can't do it? I don't get it!"

"W-well, the whole ice thing only happens w-when I'm happy," I murmured, and Tommy sighed, gripping the fisherman's cap he had retrieved from the wooden chest a few miles back.

"Or sad," Tommy said back, and I nodded. I knew what he was trying to do.

When I was really sad, my body encased itself in ice, so to speak. When I was happy, though, a slight layer of ice coated over my arms, torso, and legs. I could still move. I could still drink. However, less ice was there. Tommy wanted a way to harvest more water. Little did he know, I would have no access to it.

Waking up in the middle of a desert came as a shock to me, but I think it startled Tommy more. He, being a Times, had control over the lightning element. Lightning and deserts have never had good history. I, on the other hand, being a Invisa, had power over the ice element, which is a constant supply of fresh water. "I kn-know, Tommy, but I wouldn't b-be able to reach it. You'd b-be fine, and I'd d-die of d-dehydration," I said, looking up at him slowly. He nodded, biting his lip.

"Right. Sorry," he said.

"'S fine. I just think y-you should g-get to know y-your team a l-little better," I said back, and we resumed walking across the seemingly endless desert.

Tommy could try as he could to be a real leader, but he had never known the strengths and weaknesses of his team. Not that I did, but I wasn't trying to be a team captain. I just wanted to make it out alive. "W-Where do you think the others are?" I asked, scanning the landscape.

"I... I don't know, Sam. I don't know," was all Tommy said. I nodded, remaining solemn. We resumed walking.

After a while, sand began to stick to the bottom of my feet, invading my shoes and sticking between my toes. I crinkled my nose, walking on without complaint. The sun had seeped below the horizon, and an eventual chill found its way up my legs. I shivered slightly, wrapping my arms around my shoulders. A strike of thunder sounded across the sky, but not a drop of rain was in sight.

"That might be Ly, warning us about danger up ahead," Tommy cautioned, stopping in his tracks.

"I d-don't know, Tommy. She only thunders l-like that when she's m-mad. It's probably heat lightning." I kept walking.

"Okay. Sorry," Tommy said, matching my pace.

"D-don't apologize, j-just l-learn the powers," I said, shrugging. He nodded.

"Sorry," he said in return. I smiled, kind of amused at his antics.

"Don't apologize, just learn the powers." I repeated, and Tommy's face fell. "T-Tommy, w-what is it?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Nothing, I just thought your bloody stutter was gone for a second there," Tommy said, sighing. "Does it ever annoy you?"

"Oh, all the time. I c-can't complete any g-given thought. I c-can't say w-what I w-want to say, I c-can't b-be l-loud or d-daring, n-nevertheless b-bold. I c-can't have a voice to be proud of, to call m-mine. I c-can't compare-m-myself to anyone n-normal, n-not my family, n-not my friends, n-not y-you. and I c-can't d-do it." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I c-can't d-do it at all."

"C, G, W, L, D, N, B, M, Y, and I'm assuming K." Tommy said, and I turned to face him.

"W-what?"