Short Stories by Bri

Four

"It's your choice." I said looking at the boy sitting across from me at the table.

"you can continue with your worthless life, pretending to be a mindless fool like the rest of these poor people'

He opened his mouth to retort but I beat him to the punch.

'Or you can become someone who matters."

He shut his mouth and stared at me, confusion set into his features.

"What would I have to give up? Where are we supposed to go?" he whispered, unsure if the question was for himself or if he actually expected an answer, I decided to answer anyway.

"Everything, and we will go to Rosfell as soon as possible. We go where we can make a difference, we aren't supposed to exist here on this side. You're lucky we found you before they did."

"Do I even have a choice then?" he says anger making the sentence sharp.

"You do,' I take a confident sip of coffee. 'it just depends on who you want to be, and whether or not you can control yourself. I'm honestly pretty surprised they haven't found you yet."

"I was just messing around I didn't think you guys actually existed, I just thought that it was more of my Grandpa's crazy ramblings." He said rubbing the green stone between his fingers, his grandfathers beacon I still don't think the boy knew what he was holding.

I grab the the necklace from his hand, and pocket it. I can't risk him flaring it again. He opens his mouth to protest but I shake my head 'no'. I continue on with the conversation.

"He never should have left,' I replied. "We tried to warn him. Our kind never really does fade into humanity very well." I bite back the 'but he didn't have a choice he was chased out by his own people.'

"He was always so angry saying he didn't have the gene? That they wouldn't let him back, what does that mean?

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. How does one go about telling an unknowing super-powered boy that his grandfather was the most villainous leader in our history? I had to fight with the commander to ever get the chance to ask the boy to come to Rosfell and hopefully join our team. I was only successful because the number of people with active abilities was so small that every single one of us was needed. Rosfell continued to be challenged by it's neighbors abilities or not we needed to defend our country.

I cough to clear my throat, and try to forge a path ahead in my mind. There is no sugarcoating this.

"You grandfather was kind of a crazy guy, always had to be the hero. There was a virus that was going around. Of course your grandfather had to be a hero and took the human version of the vaccine. He was well respected and one of our leaders then.' Our high king I say mentally. 'So others followed his footsteps, and although they were safe from the virus it took their abilities less than a week after." An entire generation. I again leave that bit out though.

"Abilities?"

"Yeah, like yours.'

"I don't have 'abilities'" he said using air quotations to emphasize the word.

We don't have time for this.

"What do you call the disappearing act then? The one where you tie yourself to your bed at night but wake up outside?" I raise and eyebrow and let the slightest hint of anger into my voice.

"What? H-how did you know?" He whispered across the table. Genuine fear taking over his features.

"We have been watching you for weeks, we needed to confirm.' To be honest that was a bluff, it is what most Jumpers experience when they first come into their abilities, we have only been watching him for today, I couldn't risk my team here for weeks on the the human-side.