The Savages

Chapter 8: Tully

He knew he was different to everyone else as soon as he was cloned in the fall of two-thousand and three. No normal human could project sparks from their body, or create shields so thick not even the sharpest weapon could pierce them.

Revealist, he was called by Caspian - a being with immense power stronger than the greatest angel God had in his line-up. Revealists had the unique and rare ability to expose people for what they really were when no one else could see it for themselves. In most instances, Tully found, they were blinded by their love for them and so their desire to condemn them for any wrongdoing wilted, blown away in the wind like the dead petals of a once blooming rose.

The only drawback was no other Revealists existed in the world, leaving Tully the only candidate gifted of helping those unable to let go of their toxic relationships with other people. He had once managed to save a young woman from the verge of suicide, showing to her the memories and inner thoughts of a certain boy she once considered her best friend. Only with his unyielding help did she finally summon the courage to eradicate him entirely from her life, not sparing him the tiniest bit of sympathy as she turned her back on him and walked away forever.

He still thought of her now and again, often wondering where she was presently and what she was accomplishing with the life he spared her. When he closed his eyes, he could still see her ebullient smile lighting up his vision, always there as a constant reminder of the good he brought to the world in times of self-doubt.

"Don't relax too much, you might forget the age you're supposed to be," an annoyingly familiar voice teased him, disrupting the flow of his thoughts.

Tully breathed a sigh through his vaguely parted lips, opening his eyes to be met with a pair of dark green irises.

"Don't you have anyone else to annoy, Gary?" He sighed dejectedly, shifting along the railing of their back porch to create some distance between them.

His brother swung one leg over the vacated space, effortlessly pulling himself up. The light blue jeans he wore scraped harshly against the wood, slipping fractionally as the hem of his thick black jumper rode up, revealing the black band of his boxer shorts.

"Not really," Gary shrugged, the trace of a smile flickering across his face. "You're more fun to antagonise."

Tully rolled his eyes, gazing out across their vast backyard to where Rebel was practicing techniques for his controlling his element. Flames leapt through the air as he lifted his palms up toward the sky, watching the curls of smoke drift toward the heavens like spirits finding their way home.

The sky overhead was clear, offering Rebel as much visibility as he required. That shouldn't have been a problem, if he knew how to properly harness his power. Tully had noticed him struggling with his aim over the past few months, observing him from the sidelines like a responsible older brother should. Teemu was rarely ever home, working as a cement mason five days a week. Only on weekends could he take time out from his work life and relax, often too preoccupied with the others to pay much attention to one singular brother. As a result, Tully was Rebel's assigned mentor, taking notes on his strong points and areas he was lacking in.

"Ah!" Shannon shrieked, ducking just in time. A blaze of intense proportion sailed past his head, narrowly missing the top of his blonde curly hair.

Stephen and Clarence halted by either side of him, steering clear of the fire shooting through the yard in desultory directions. Tully could see the fear glistening in Shannon's eyes from where he sat, reflecting the quivering flames from the night Rebel's temper had gotten the better of him, resulting in burnt fur and weeks of recovery in a hospital amongst humans.