Extraordinary Mistakes II - Blood Ties

Death

December 2004

A 7-year-old Megan wakes up from her nap drowning in sweat. She's in her one-bedroom shack in the capital's poorest neighborhood. Her parents are out working and she's by herself. Her right hand trembles and she grabs it with the other, trying to make it stop. It slowly turns blue.

No, no, no, stop, stop.

She fires the blue light against her mother's pot, breaking it immediately into a thousand pieces.

No!

She grabs the broom and cleans it up. Her heart races and she scratches her tangled, short, broken hair. It's cold outside, the house doesn't have any isolation and Megan only has a layer of clothes.

Her parents return later that day for dinner. They share one bread and Megan pours a bland soup on their plates. Megan's mom looks at where the plant was supposed to be and Megan looks away.

"Where's me plant, Megan?"

"What now, ma?" Megan sits down and starts eating.

"Ya heard me. Where's me plant?" She gets up and goes to the corner, "it was there this morning. What did ya do?"

"Nothing, ma," Megan avoids looking at her mom and scoffs, "know nothing 'bout no plant."

"You destroyed it, didn't ya? With that devilish hand," she adds.

"Leana!" Megan's father raises his voice.

"What now? She did it. Again!" Her mom grabs a knife from the table and points it in her direction, "I should cut that hand off!"

Megan's eyes fill with water and tears fall on her plate.

"Dear, did ya break it?" her father asks and Megan nods this time.

"I knew ya lying!" Her mother shouts and slaps her.

"Leana!" Her father pushes her mother away from her.

"You'll never change, Megan. Never!" Her mother pushes her father away and sits again. Slurping her food.

"She's a child, Leana! Tomorrow, we'll see the future teller. He'll know if Megan changes, no?" He removes Megan's plate and tells her to go to bed.

On the next morning, they take Megan to a clairvoyance. He asks for a generous fee for a brief glimpse of the person's future.

Megan's father gently pushes her in the direction of the man. He asks for her hand.

"Pa." She looks back to him and he smiles.

"It's okay, little girl. You'll see it too. Let's see your future together!" The man smiles.

Megan closes her right fist at first, but eventually slowly gives in. She shows him her palm and as soon as he touches it, her eyes turn white, everything is black for a moment, and then it turns clearer, a blue right hand slowly rises, the light turns brighter and brighter until it fires in every direction. Megan regains conscious, and the man slaps her hand and takes several steps back.

"This child is death! Death! Get her away from me!"

"Please, sir!" Megan's father falls to the ground with his hands covering his face.

I knew it. Leana grabs Megan, her husband, and they leave.

Megan home. The fifteen-minute walk back to their house is filled with silence. Their unspoken thoughts fill their minds.

We're not safe around ya. Her father avoids looking at her.

You'll kill us any day now. I knew it. Leana looks at her husband and tells him we have to get rid of her. He nods.