Target : Prodigy (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 1 Stress, Anxiety and A Room With No Air

The summer air had never been this dry at the little town in Phoenix, Arizona. The sun seemed to shine brightly in the clear sky above, creating visible heat waves that mingle around in the noon air. The ground was sizzling hot and nothing alive dared to go out on this horrible heat wave. I stayed home, lingering in my not so pristine front porch. I sat on an old but comfortable bench and stared particularly at the sizzling desert in front of me. The high temperature made my face sweat and my eyes hurt. The heat took most of the moisture out of me as well as for the poor trees around my home. I didn't dare look out at the noon sky. The light blinded my eyes and the might as well was killing me slowly, but I stayed outside anyway. I needed a particular place where my parents and sibling wouldn't bother me. A quiet sanctuary. And with the great heat wave on go, no one wanted to go out.

I was thinking about the test. The aptitude test that I wasn't supposed to get a perfect score in. The school joined a test to compete against other schools. The smart ones were excited but others complained for this unnecessary course of action. I didn't think at all, I just knew that for this test, I had to hide everything again. So I did, and the results surprised not only myself but other people too.

Nobody else got close to a 90 and I got a perfect score. I was asked to retry my aptitude test and yet the same result came up. They kept saying it's impossible and I myself didn't expect in getting a perfect score. I was surprised since I held back when doing the test but no matter what I did, my true self was printed and everyone kept an eye on me. Some of my friends congratulated me, others didn't reply to the situation well. They stayed as far away as possible from me since they thought I wasn't normal. The smart ones kept me under their radar and apparently all of the teachers held an interrogation for me to spill out my way on getting a perfect score in the impossible test. They called my parents in and was told about what happened and that's how I got here. I went home straight away, avoiding more chaotic moments of questioning from most of the people at school.

So in the matter of hours, I became a prodigy. And nobody liked that.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that when my mother called me in, I didn't heard it. My mother shouted once more and I snapped out of my daze and quickly ran in.

The temperature inside wasn't as high as outside's but I could still feel the heat wave lingering. My mother and my father sat on the living room with all of the rooms AC turned on. Their faces were wet with sweat but they didn't seem to be bothered by it. Their faces showed no single expression and that made me anxious. I knew I was in trouble for the test but I didn't see how it is a great big problem. I walked over to the living room, already preparing an argument.

"Mom, dad. I swear I held back in doing that test." I started as I reached the living room. I looked at my parents and then I sat down across them. "I don't know how, but I held back and still got a perfect score."

No answer. They looked at me for more explanation so I continued. "I tried the test the second time and I messed things up a bit but it didn't affect my score! I-I mean how'd that happen?"

My father looked up and finally said something. "I don't know, Iris. I don't know." His expression looked grim.

All of us were confused but then I realized, the main question haven't been answered because I never questioned it before.

"Mom. Dad. I know this may not be the right time to ask." I said nervously. My parents responded with a stare. "Why did you ask me to hide my talents from when I was a kid?"

The silence made frustration. "Why? I need to know!" I shouted.

"Don't shout Iris." My father said. I responded with a nod and an apology.

"But I still need to know." I said.

My parents looked at each other and at last my father sighed. His expression relaxed but still a bit tense and somehow it made me nervous. "Tell her Quinn." He told my mother.

My mother nodded and turned to me as I waited a revealing of a secret.

"You. You were born to be a prodigy from the start. We accidentally altered your genes so that you would come out as a great prodigy. A genius." She said with a smile.

"That's not bad." I replied. Her smile went upside down. "Right?"

She then continued the story as I listened confused. "At first it was delightful. Having a daughter who is surely to become great. We entered you in various competitions and tests and you would always ace it." Her smile came back. "Until one day, we met a few people that is searching for young prodigies to train in a certain school for the use of the country someday. They wanted you." She stopped for a bit and then continued. "Me and your father would never turn you in but they kept insisting until a fight was made and we barely walked away. After the incident we moved around the country to get off their radar until finally we end up here, Phoenix, where nobody bothered us. We ask you to keep your genius mind a secret so something like this would never happened again." She finished.

"But it did." My father continued.

I didn't answered anything. My mind was spinning, thinking about the possibilities that they would catch up with me. I didn't want to go. I never want to leave my family.

"And they would come. And when they come, you have to join them."

My father said what I think he said. I turned with surprised towards him, hoping that what I heard was wrong, but his face showed no expression on humor. He really said it.

"What?"

The state of disbelief is full of tension and confusion. Disbelief may lead to anger and arguments or a good old fashioned sick to the stomach feeling. Point is, I hated it. But I'm a human being so I had to go through it like everybody else did. Like right now.

My father ended the conversation that we had before without any explanation on what he just said to me, about me having to join the so called academy and it left me at the state of disbelief. I asked my mother about his decision and she didn't answer as well. All she had given me after the conversation was an apology that I did not understand what for. I was so shocked at his answer that I stormed to my room and locked myself. I just figured out my secret and he is going to hand me over to the person who had always wanted me. In any situation, that is never good.

I had never been stressed before, not with school work, not with social life, not with any normal problem. My head felt as if it were to split into two. My heartbeat rise and my breathing shortened as if the oxygen inside my room is decreasing. My eyes got blurry and I couldn't see straight anymore. Is this what being stressed feel like? I went over to the door and clicked open the lock but the door wouldn't move. Something is wrong, I don't think this is what stressed is suppose to feel like. I turned to the window but it's stuck too. My vision worsen and my lungs burned for air. I went back to the door hoping that at least somebody from the outside can help me. I gasped and coughed, gathered all my strength to bang the door and tried to shout but only a whimper came out.

I needed to find the cause so I looked around the room and found out that the Air conditioning was on. I didn't turn it on and I would never forget to turn off the Air conditioner.

I walked over across the room, leaning against the walls for support and then climbed on my desk and reached for the plug. I knew I wasn't tall enough so I had to jump and I'd only have one chance. I could feel my legs starting to wobble and arms starting to lose grip on the window bars. It's now or never. I focused every power I had left to my feet and jumped, reaching the plug, I didn't let go. I let gravity do the rest and fell down, pulling the plug with me. The Air conditioner beeped off and I could feel no air was being sucked out again. I took deep breaths and I could feel something painful around my leg, probably something sprained but I didn't care. Air was the only thing I cared about that time.

I stayed on the floor gulping air and tried to steady my breathing.

"What.. what the hell just happened?"