The Missing Piece || Sam Guthrie

• Prologue •

"Alec! Wake up!" My fathers voice startles me from my slumber. "There's someone here to see you."

I'm too tired to fully process this information but I nod at him anyway and get out of bed.

I look out my window and I'm unpleasantly not surprised by the sun not shining on my face as it should be.

The sky has been covered in dark shadows for about a week now.

My best friend, Sam, thinks it's some weird weather thing.

I think it's one of those mutants I heard about on the news. My father says they're evil.

Sam's dad works in the mines along side mine. They expect us to live up to their hopes and someday join them in the mines.

I'll do it if I have to but that's not what I'm worried about. I'm more so worried for Sam's sake, as he's extremely claustrophobic.

"Hurry up!" My father shouts at me while I'm getting dressed.

"I'll be there in a second." I reply before quickly pulling a shirt over my head and going down stairs.

When I reach the living room I see a lady in a white lab coat sitting on our couch beside my parents.

"Alec!" My mother cries out from beside my father. "Alec, don't listen to a thing these people tell you, you are perfect the way you are and I will not let them take y-"

She interrupts herself with a sharp inhale before she starts coughing up blood.

I stare in horror at the bloodied knife that rests in my fathers hands.

"What have you done?" I breathe out in shock.

He ignores me as he glares down at my mothers lifeless body. "How could you defend a freak like him; a mutant." He spits at her even though she can't hear.

Is he talking about me?

He suddenly spins around to face me, waving his knife in the air like a lunatic.

"Mr. Taylor, you mustn't harm the subject." The lady on the couch speaks up. "We need him for research purposes."

My blood goes cold.

I'm a mutant? They want to experiment on me? What do I do??

I do the only think I can think of; I run.

I bolt in to the forest with tears in my eyes, thinking of all that I have lost: my mom, my dad, Sam.

Oh my god. Sam!!!

What will he think of me when he hears the news? Will he hate me? I think about what he said yesterday about the weather.

"It's probably one of those mutants the news is always talking about." I tell him indifferently.

"Don't say that!" He scolds. "They're not all bad. They just have a hard time controlling their powers. The weathers probably just some weird storm that'll go away in a couple of weeks, and even if it was a mutant, it was probably an accident."

I scoff at him, annoyed. How could he defend them? After everything they've done?

Looking back on it now, I feel like such an idiot.

Sam was right; he always is.

•••••

4 Years Later

Ever since I ran away from home, there hasn't been a single day where Sam hasn't been on my mind.

I always wonder about him but curiously enough, now that I've ran away from my obligations at home, I feel a lot lighter; I've been way less grumpy.

I met another mutant three months after I ran way. She offered me food, training, and a place to stay. Thanks to her, whose name is Maiya, I now have complete control over my powers.

Have I mastered them? No. Maiya says there's still a lot of potential to be unlocked but at least now I won't accidentally cast a shadow over an entire town.

Maiya and I were practicing our powers together just like every other day. She was using her invisibility to sneak up on me while I tried to dodge her attacks by moving through the shadows.

It was very difficult considering both of our powers were more defensive than offensive.

We both hear a van pull up to the cottage and look to see who would possibly venture this far. That's when Maiya's father comes over to us and tells me to run.

I immediately knew then that it was the same doctor who tried to take me away last name.

I told Maiya to be safe before taking off through the woods.

I was almost out of sight when I heard Maiya scream.

They must've found out about her being a mutant. Shit.

I don't have time to think, so I charge through the branches I came in through to get to Maiya, but before the cottage is even in sight, my vision blurs and everything turns black.