Peaked -Bellamy Blake¹

prologue

11 months before earth

"They floated him"

Three words I heard all too often, but had only ever mattered one time before, that is until right now.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Jake was gone and I couldn't help but think this was all my fault.

"Aspen please just hear me out you cant-" I didn't let her finish, I just didn't care what she had to say. I ran all the way to jake's office as soon as the words left Abby's mouth.

I've never been the type to handle emotions the right way, partly to blame on my past, but also partly to blame on myself. I wanted to scream and cry, but all I could see was red.

Jake was the only real father I'd ever known since I was 12. I wasn't very close with Abby, his wife, and I wasn't even sure if Jake told his daughter, Clarke, about me in the 4 years I've known him but he really cared about me, and I really needed someone like that in my life.

I was born with a gift that the people of the ark hadn't seen since the ground. No, nothing super natural or telekinetic but something that our leaders believed was more valuable up in space, than any of the cool "gifts" people are born with in movies.

A very high IQ. 165 to be exact, though I haven't had it tested since I was 9.

My parents never wanted that for me. My mother knew I was special since the day I started talking, my dad I think just wanted to believe I was normal, so they both just treated me that way. They did their best to hide my ablities, until one of my teachers in the fourth grade forced my mother to have my IQ tested.

My mother always wanted what was best for me, she was good. The kind of good that came so purely. Good in a place that demanded deception and cruelty. The Ark needed more people like her.

Inevitably, just like in every novel anyones read ever, the good ones never live long enough to share their legacy, and my mother was no outlier in this concept.

She was floated just before my tenth birthday.

When my fourth grade teacher had my IQ tested, my mother did everything she could to keep that number from getting out. She knew what it meant. It meant a life long devotion to tests, labs and the worst thing to a kid growing up being the only known genius alive, the constant stares and lack of a normal childhood.

Not only did she not want that life for me, she believed that it was dangerous. When people like me have natural abilities like I do, it can also be seen as a threat to some people. At least that's what my mother said.

She hid documents, bribed, and blackmailed. Anything to keep it a secret to the council. Of course, her lies caught up to her. She was arrested shortly after. 

It was that three letter phrase that still haunts me to this day "They floated her".

Everyone has perfect storm moments in their lives, I think we all can agree to that. This was my life altering, perfect storm moment that I was all but prepared for.

My mother was able to strike a deal with the council before she was floated that allowed my gift to be kept a secret to the Ark. I was allowed to remain as I was, but once I turn 18 the council wanted me to do work with them.