The Awakening

Chapter One

I stared wistfully out the window. It was seven, the time most of the other kids would be walking to school. I watched as they all headed by, talking and laughing. I sighed. This was the closest I'd ever been to outside, the closest that I'd ever been to other people besides my parents, not that I saw them all that much either. The door to my room was locked from the outside...

My name is Leila Uri, and my life is not normal... At least I don't think it is. I didn't see others besides through my thick glass window, I'd never in sixteen years been allowed to leave my room. Why? I'm not at all sure myself. This was just the way it had always been, and I assumed the way I always would be...

One of the kids walking turned and saw me, pointing and tapping his friend. I looked away. That always happened when anyone saw me. I'd noticed after a few years of observing the other people, that I looked little... different. At least I didn't see anyone else who looked the way I did. I looked into the window, seeing my reflection. My skin was creamy pale, which made sense since I didn't get a whole lot of sun. My hair was very dark, reddish brown, and fell in curls around my face. Sounds pretty normal, however the strangest thing, which I'd never seen on anyone was my vivid purple eyes. I was sure that was what caused all of them to stare...

I left the window, and walked over to my bed. For years now, I've been longing for a chance to get out of my bedroom, and live a somewhat normal life, but an opportunity has yet to come. Even though I woke up not too long ago, I laid back down on my bed. My mom would be in soon, to bring me my breakfast. My thoughts haunted me, and I could do nothing to get my mind off them. I was forced to remain in here all day, alone with nothing to do but think.

My parents never told me why they locked me in here. I overheard them talking about me once, calling me dangerous. I'm not dangerous, I can't even bring it upon myself to harm a fly. I can only imagine what I did to make my parents think that way of me.

I heard the bedroom door open, and I looked up. My mom walked in, carrying a tray with a glass of orange juice and a bowl of oatmeal on it. She looked at me solemnly, placed the tray on my bed carefully, and left, locking the door behind her. That's how me and my parent's conversations go nowadays, expressions but no words.

I slowly began to eat my oatmeal, but it tasted bland. I sighed and dropped my spoon, I lost my appetite. I couldn't take much more of this, I had no idea how I was able to put up with it for sixteen years. I took the tray and placed it on my desk, then went back to bed and fell into a restless sleep.

...

I woke up to a hot, bright light. What was this heat? I opened my eyes, and my heart skipped a beat, it was fire. The few pieces of furniture I had were engulfed by flames. I frantically got up and ran over to my door, I tried to open it, but as usual, it was locked.

Panic flooded through me as I began to bang on the door. "MOM! DAD! PLEASE HELP ME! THERE'S A FIRE!" I shouted. There was no reply. I started choking on the smoke, and my eyes began to water. I suddenly felt a strange tingling feeling spreading throughout my body. I never felt this way before, I felt so... powerful.

I hit the door again, there was a blue flash and broke a hole through it. I recoiled back in shock, What just happened? I looked down at my hands, Is that normal? I wondered. The tingling sensation I had felt earlier had stopped. I observed the hole I made in the door, and noticed that it was burned. I was going to investigate further, when the intense heat in the room reminded me that it was on fire.

I tried hitting the door again, but nothing happened. I'm trapped, I realized. I began to back up into the door, when suddenly it opened, and I was grabbed roughly by my arm.

I was shocked, but then realization hit me, I was saved. I looked up, expecting to see either one of my parents, and instead saw the face of a young man. He only looked a year or so older than me. His hair was a light brown. I gasped, when I saw his eyes were a bright yellow. His eyes are different, just like mine...

"Are you Leila Uri?" He asked.

"Y-yes." I replied. It was weird hearing my own voice, since I rarely used it, "Who are y-you?" He didn't reply, but instead said, "Follow me."

I backed up,

"What? No! I have to stay here!" He sighed, and grabbed me, pulling me along side him. I protested, but his grip was too tight, and he was too strong. I could only imagine what was in store for me...

"Where are my parents?" I asked.

"By the looks of it they tried to make their escape a long time ago." He replied. I looked down, my eyes watering both from smoke and tears. They'd left me behind. I supposed I shouldn't be surprised. "They didn't make it far." The boy continued. I looked back up in horror. He hadn't... Had he? He turned, and I noticed there were others in here as well. "I've got her, let's go!" I tried to pull away again, still it was no use. "What are you trying to do, die in the fire?" They boy asked. He started to run out, three others following. I was dragged along the whole way. We burst through the door, into the open. Normally I would have been thrilled, finally seeing the outside world, but right now I was only terrified. The entire house was engulfed in flames.

I looked around at the ones who surrounded me. There was of course the boy, who still held onto my arm. The other was a man, older than him, probably somewhere in his twenties. His hair was a darker shade of brown, almost black, and his eyes were red. The other two were both girls, who looked late teens. Both of them had vivid pink hair, that hung low to their hips, and bright pink eyes. With looks so similar, I assumed they were twins. They all had that one thing in common with me. The strangely colored, vivid eyes. So I wasn't the only one... But what did it mean?

"And just what do you four think you're doing this time?!" Shouted a furious voice. I looked around in confused terror, not seeing a thing. Then finally I spotted something, on the roof of my house. It was a person, standing on the flames like they weren't even there. I couldn't see too much of his appearance from down here. The boy who held my arm shoved me behind him.

"What?! W-Who is that?! What is going on?!" I asked shakily.

"That is the one who started this fire." The boy replied. My wrist was starting to hurt from his grip as he squeezed tighter.

"Go home Aeron!" Shouted the man with the red eyes. "You've lost this time."

"I never lose." Replied the one the roof. Suddenly flames appeared once again, this time in a circle around them all. I screamed in horror. It was complete chaos. I squeezed my eyes shut, utterly terrified. Then suddenly I had that feeling again, that strange feeling of power...

I opened my eyes, gasping as I realized I was wet. Rain had started to pour down suddenly. The boy had let go of my hand, and everyone was looking around with shouts of confusion. Wind was blowing around, swirling in circles everywhere, plastering my sopping wet hair onto my face. I looked around, still feeling scared, and confused.

I was completely overwelmed. My thoughts were all over the place, but one stood out in my mind. I had to get out of here, now. I started to run as fast as I could. The boy saw, shouting my name, but I couldn't think, couldn't listen. I kept running, not looking back...