THE END

Chapter 4

"Some days I'm the ocean. Some days I'm the the ship. Tonight, I'm the lighthouse: at the edge, alone, and burning."
                -Vasiliki.

I watch in horror as mom sinks to her knees silently, then falls onto her back in what seems like slow motion, her eyes shining with water.

Bekah kneels beside her, holding her tightly. Dad moves to stand in front of mom but doesn't take his eyes away from them.

Trembling, I turn to face the woman and her monster. Her lips are moving but I can't hear what she's saying over the loud whooshing in my ears, the pounding of my heart, my continuously churning stomach.

Nick hunches down again his eyes on my family. He's going to go to them. Hurt my family.

Something inside me snaps. No, something stirs inside, breaks free from a chain. A huge ball of energy hums from the pit of my stomach and rises up swiftly as I march towards the murderous duo.

"How dare you come here and hurt my family? My Mother?!" The energy is like a tsunami inside me, twirling, waiting for me to manipulate it, unleash it.

The monster turns its head towards me and blinks glowing empty eyes at me slowly.

I don't hesitate, I don't even think as I push my hands forcefully forwards and direct that energy towards it with all the fury I feel. A bright light explodes from my hands and hits it straight in the chest.

The monster howls painfully for a second, the sound grating on the ears, then it detonates like a bomb. It's torn into several pieces which splashes everywhere, my clothes, my hair, eyelids. There's brain matter on the body of the woman controlling it.

For a moment in time, there's a deafening quiet, then she lets out a loud shriek, "No! Nick!"

My head lists to the left as I slowly lift up my right hand towards her. The energy inside me hums happily in response, ready to be unleashed.

The woman's eyes go wide for a split second before she disappears in a whirl of purple clouds.

What the hell?

I spin around trying to find her but I can't see her. She's gone.

A low whimper has me turning back to my family.

I rush towards my mother only to stop when dad and Bekah shrinks away. Away from me.

Bekah tightens her grip on mom and says "Don't come any closer."

The energy inside me is chaotic, and wails to be let out as my heart shrivels in my chest.

"De...boo..rah"

I fall to my knees a few feet from my family as mom tries to talk to me.

"Don't say anything darling, you're okay. We're going to take you inside the bunker in a minute and you're going to be okay" dad tells mom, running a shaking hand over her hair.

"Get...a...hold of...yourself...Bee." Mom says, groaning with each word.

I glance down and see my hands are glowing a hypnotising blue. The ball of energy is right at my fingertips ready to be directed anywhere.

I shudder.

No wonder my family shrank away from me.

Mom wheezes and my hand balls into fists at her pale skin. She's not going to make it.

Oh God. She's going to die.

My breathing grows erratic, the energy grows wilder. The ground below me starts to hiss, steam slowly rising up.