Discovering Elements

Kalyn's Story (1 year earlier)

An ordinary day, or so it seemed. I woke to the smell of eggs and bacon. I threw on some clothes, grey sweatpants and a loose black shirt. My blonde hair contrasted with the dark colors, but no need to look good for breakfast. I ran downstairs to my dad watching the news. Some idiot escaped for the insane asylum. He yelled a greeting as I rushed by. I had to get ready for school, but first breakfast. My plate was already set down with a glass of orange juice.

"No need to wake you today, huh? Finish your food and then get dressing in something other than goth-central." I rolled my eyes at my mother and scarfed down the heaping pile of eggs. A knock on the door drew my mom through the ornate hallway. I smiled at the memory of putting the scratches on it. The door opened and some guy stood there, his black eyes hardened with concentration.

"Do you have a Kalyn Wisemer here?"

"That's my daughter, why?"

"We have reason to believe she assisted in the escape of a psychopath, who is still at large."

"My daughter would never do such a thing, so get out of my house! Don't come into my house telling me a lie about my own family!" Her voice rose sharply, resonating through the house.

"I hoped it would never come to this" The confusion barely had enough time to cross her face when wrinkles appeared on her face. I watched as she turned to dust, a pile of bones and some dust. I jumped from the table, my fathering rushing to the door. I ran upstairs and threw all my books on the floor. I loaded my backpack with clothes, and some snacks I had hid in my closet. A scream from downstairs alerted me I was out of time. I snuck out of my window and closed it as the steps creaked. I jumped off the back roof, twisting my ankle in the process. I dashed through town, a crowd of people in my wake. I finally made it to the woods when several people in uniforms surrounded me.

"So you think you could escape? Think again. When we want something, we get it." I attempted to run through them, but they closed the gap too quickly. I punched the one in the face and they all flinched. I noticed they all looked similar. No, not similar. Completely identical. I hit the guy again and they all fell to the floor. I leaped over the person, blood dripping from his nose. I was in mid-air when his hand reached up and gripped my ankle. Since I already expected pain from landing on my twisted ankle, I was prepared. He still knocked my down to the ground. I hit my head on the ground with a loud thunk, but otherwise unharmed. I started standing up, but the person-people had already clustered around me in uniform movement. Their hands moved in sync to hit me when I felt a shift.

I closed my eyes, ready for the hit when I heard ten deep screams. I opened them again, to find my attempted captors writhing on the ground. Screams erupted in harmony from each of them. My vision split, and two worlds lived in the same space. I could see a bear tearing into them, blood spouting from their mostly eaten bodies. On the other side of the worldly veil, they were simply whimpering on the ground. The two worlds, they made the same movements. I could tell the one without the bears was real. My vision merged, the one without bears coming to front. The gory side faded quickly, leaving a bunch of same-people whimpering in a most undignified way. I dashed into the underbrush, feeling as if I had done it. Had I? Could I? My mind was crashing through dozens of ideas when a sharp pain hit the back of my skull. A light wave of pain washed through me, but my mind was already to dim to feel it.

Light flooded my eyes as cold concrete chilled my back. I sat up, my eyes open. My outfit had been changed, but was so much worse. A pair of grey of scrubs covered my top, and a pair of grey shorts. The walls and floor were the same color as my clothes, making everything gloomy. A solid sheet of glass stood in front of my door, on the other side a hallway. I ran into the glass to break it and bounces off. My twisted ankle screamed in pain as I landed on it again. One of the person-things came into the hallway in front of my cell, talking on a phone. I tried listening to him, but the plexiglass must be sound-proof. I felt around the walls for something different, only to find a camera. It was in the corner centered on the center of my room. The guy turned around and gleamed at me.

*****11 months later*****

I woke up to the sharp smell of what my diet has consisted of for months. I forgot how much time has passed, I just know that my birthday is gone and past. Since arriving I have discovered almost nothing, and the sheer nothingness was driving me insane. I sat in the corner to where my water bowl was. The little paw prints rising anger in me again. I was treated worse than a dog, given a water bowl that was only filled my a leak in the roof and fed dry, expired kibble. I left a few inches of water in the bowl, not knowing when the next rain would come. The same guy from however long ago it was came to check on me again, as he has done since I had arrived. Instead of him leaving as normal he got close to the glass. I have found it was truly unbreakable. Thinking about it made my fist hurt. I summoned visions for him. He jumped back, but smiled. My power-or whatever it was- did not reach far through the glass. Maybe a foot or so. He got close again and pressed a button. The glass opened up, sliding into the ceiling. I walked out, confused. I was barely able to walk, as I haven't needed them in the cell. I tripped and he caught me, then put me on a bench.

"We need you for something"

"What's in it for me?"

"Freedom" My mouth began watering at the word. I was worried of not being let into society, but the need to be free overpowered it.

"What do I need to do?"

"Four people with powers have escaped, each being very-special. We need you to recover them"

"What are my resources?"

"Your powers and a knapsack of food"

"What can they do"

"One can control electricity, one fire, one water, and another controls plants"

"Point me to the exit"

"Just know there is no room for failure. If you run away we will hunt and kill you" He warned as he brought me to the exit. He shoved me out and I looked back. A mountain side was there, no sign of a door or exit. I was out.