A Sea of Red

Chapter 2

This man was huge. He had to be over six and a half feet tall, and he wasn't skinny either. I think his arms were the size of my waist.

"You're not going anywhere, cupcake," the man said, and chuckled.

"Oh yeah," I said, with my hand on my waist. "Who's going to stop me?"

The man looked at me with a shocked expression, and to be honest, I was a little shocked myself. I suppose he thought he was going to intimidate with with his guns and his muscles. Actually, I thought it was kind of gross.

The man stepped forward to grab me, and I punched him in the face. Then I kneed him in the groin, and front flipped over him, kicking him in the head as I went.

I stood there I shock. I couldn't even do a pull-up. How could I beat a six foot tall, three hundred pound jock with a gun? My shock didn't last for long, though, because the man was getting back up.

"Bye!" I said, and ran out the door.

Juliet and Wesley were outside waiting for me.

"What are you doing?" I yelled. "Keep running, and follow me; we're going to my house."

At my house, we have an emergency safety kit. There's first aid, food, water, some sleeping bags, you know, the basic survival pack. It pays to have overprotective, paranoid parents. Although, what a gun has to do with safety, I had no idea.

By the time we got to my house, it felt like we had run a marathon. Except, Juliet looked just fine. I need to get into shape.

"Wait," Wesley said. "What just happened?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"What do I mean? We just ran away from our school in the middle of the day, because our school has been hijacked by a group of trained soldiers and a freaky lady. We were almost shot to death!"

"Oh," was all I said. I shrugged my shoulders.

I walked up to our front door, but was shocked to find it wide open. When I entered our three story victorian house, I was immediately barraged with the scent of smoke, and the house was a mess.

Papers were scattered all around the living room, and the cushions were all torn open. The end tables were turned over on their sides, and the drawers were pulled out and had somehow ended up on the opposite side of the room.

The kitchen and dining room weren't much better. But, the office was the worst.

It looked like somebody had blowtorched the whole room, but had put out the fire when the whole office was up.

Even with the mess of the whole house, it was blatantly obvious that we were missing something. My parents.

They were nowhere to be found. It was as if they vanished with the smoke that had once filled the room.

Lastly, I went in my room. My closet was all over the floor, and my bed was torn apart. The drawers were all pulled out of my vanity, but on the mirror, there was a note.

Dear Alex,

It was addressed to me, and in my mother's handwriting. I read on, hoping to find some clue as to where my parents could have gone.

' If you got this note, we are no longer with you.

I froze. My parents couldn't be dead, could they? It felt like I was punched in the gut and stabbed in the chest at the same time. I could barely force myself to keep reading.

We're so sorry, honey, and we love you. But we need to tell you something. You are special. You were meant for greater things than a normal life. You have abilities that are unlike anything anyone had ever seen, and the fate of the world rests on your shoulders.

Oh, nice. Now I get to save the world. How cliche. I was bawling like a baby, and laughing at the same time. I couldn't control my emotions. My hands were shaking, which made it hard to read the rest of the note.

Being who you are is a good thing, and we love you for who you are. But you also have to understand that with your powers comes great danger, and an even greater responsibility.

Really, Mom? Are you quoting Spiderman right now? I was in hysterics. My broken sobs were interrupted by the occasional burst of maniacal laughter.

You are going to have to constantly watch your back. They will not stop until you are dead. You are going to have to survive on your own for a while. Well, maybe not. In the chaos that you had encountered, there should have been some other kids with you. They are your allies, and they have powers as well. You will all need to work together to survive. Remember, the whole word is counting on you. So, don't let them down.

In your wall is a hidden compartment. This compartment contains three fake I.D's, three passports, and enough money for ten people to live comfortably for their entire lives. You will also need the survival kit. You know where that is. Use your resources wisely, and live. Live for us, and live for the world.

Never forget that we love you, and that we will always remember you, no matter where we are.

Love,

Mom and Dad