UNTAMED

Revelations

The room was dark. A laboratory. A bed surrounded by machines, wires and tubes stood in the middle. Big white tables rested near the walls. A pen, a notebook, a whiteboard. Scribbles, equations and scientific formulas. Test tubes and funnels filled with unknown mixtures.

A voice. Laughing. Aggressive. Horrid. Chilling. A little girl. A scream ripping through the night.

Flames woke up in sweat. Heart pounding. This was the fifth time she had this nightmare this week. She used to have it as a kid, but growing up it became less recurrent until it stopped. Closing her eyes, she tried to forget the girl's cries still echoing in her mind. Minutes later she drifted back to sleep. Back to the haunted world that was her mind.

                               ———-

Flames ducked down as her opponent's kick passed just inches above her head. Closing her fists, she launched towards him. Throwing punches and kicks in all directions. She was fast and her opponent was having a bad time matching her pace. She was excellent too. There was no wind ups, no wasted motion; each movement was designed to roll naturally into the next. She anticipated all of her opponent's next moves. She was lost in the fight. Loving every second of it. Each punch, each kick. She enjoyed them all.

"OK guys. It was excellent." Coach Martin's voice snapped Flames back to reality. "Adam, you should be more concentrated. The competition is in two weeks and you have to be at your best level! Flames, it was perfect, just remember you're not fighting for your life or anything, no need to get all aggressive" He joked as Adam collapsed on the ground, groaning in pain.

"You're such a baby Adam." Flames poked him playfully in the ribs. Adam was her childhood friend. She knew him since forever. He was her closest friend, the only one who knew everything about her and who she trusted.

"I'm not. It's you who are so cruel. You could have killed me." He dramatized, pretending to die." By the way Flames, you ready for your big party tonight?" he continued, sitting up.

"A party?" asked Coach Martin

"Oh it's just my birthday party. Nothing great. Just a little thing with my family and the baby here." Flames explained, sticking her tongue out at Adam.

"Happy birthday to you then Champion!" Coach Martin greeted. "Anyway, I'll be going. Don't forget to close the windows and turn off the lights." He added as he walked away.

Flames sat down next to Adam, as they continued bickering on.

                         —————

"OH MY GOD! You look so pretty Flames!" exclaimed Mrs. Ahmed as Flames came out of her room in an emerald green maxi dress. She twirled around for her mom to see her better. She thought she looked great too. The dress fitted her curves perfectly, leaving her back bare. Her golden curls cascaded down her bare shoulders. Her golden eyes, this night appeared more mysterious, dangerously attractive.

After what seemed like the hundredth twirl and yet another exclamation from Mrs. Ahmed, they finally left for the restaurant where Adam was already waiting for them.

After dinner and a walk down the park, they finally decided to return home. Flames was tired; she barely slept last night. Still she dreaded sleep. She knew once asleep the nightmares will start over once again. Once home, however, she was called by her dad to her parents' room. They had something to tell her now that she was big enough, or so they said. She did feel a little hesitant though; it was the first time she was summoned by her parents.

Heart in her hand, she knocked on their door. Her mom opened the door and smiling reassuringly, invited her in. This only made Flames more anxious.

"Sit down Flames." Mr. Ahmed pointed at the bed.

Flames sat down reluctantly, wondering what might have happened.

"Flames. Your mother and I have to divulge something to you. Something we've hidden from you all your life. Of course, it was not necessarily for the better, but it was what we were ordered to do."

Flames look at her mother questioningly but she turned away, ashamed.

"You...are...not...our...daughter." He paused after each word letting them sink in. "Neither were you adopted. Unlike what you thought, your mother and I work for the government's secret forces." He paused and looked at Flames.

She looked bewildered, betrayed, hurt, but he knew better of her and anyway, it was time for her to learn the truth.

"Twenty years ago, one of our best scientist mysteriously disappeared into nature. Unpaired biochemist but also highly unstable and delirious, he argued that by changing the DNA structure of children, carefully chosen children, he could make mutants. Human beings capable of doing things normal people could not. Of course, nobody believed this was possible and even if it was, the government would have never agreed to his project. If something did not go well, he could have killed those kids or worse created creatures, that would be so powerful that we won't be able to stop them may they deviate from the good side."

Flames was clearly confused. Twenty years ago, she was not even born. She could not understand what all this had to do with her.

"Four years later, we manage to discover his hideout." He carried on. "A laboratory in the deepest part of a forest. Our men attacked some months later. Unfortunately he had disappeared but during the raid, we found a little girl, hiding under one of the tables. She was paralyzed with fear, terror could be read in her eyes. She was most certainly one of his experiments. Our guess is that she was left behind on purpose. This was confirmed later when we found this in the girl's pocket." He handed an old, crumpled paper to Flames.

Hands trembling, she slowly opened it.

"Sixteen years from now, when she'll turn eighteen, she'll wake up and destroy every single one of you." Was furiously scribbled on it.

Flames looked up to face Mr. Ahmed. She was trembling but she wouldn't let it show.

"Yes Flames. That little girl was you! Killing you was the best solution but in the end we all agreed to let you grow up until you are eighteen. If you turn out to be as powerful as we thought, then having you on our side will be very...useful. But if...we discover that you are too dangerous, then we will have to kill you."

 
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