The Powers I Didn't Want

They taught me to keep my staff close at hand. They taught me to keep it within three feet of me at all times. They taught me to hide it when I wasn't using it. They taught me to never stay anywhere to long. They said if I ever hear voices when no one is around I should run. They said if we ever have a freak rain storm I should run. They said if I ever see a bright light I should run. They taught me to run when faced with any sign of my parents. They taught me to run instead of fighting, or listening. They taught me lies, and I made the mistake of believing them. I realize that now. Why couldn't I realize that then?

The wind blows my hair all around, but I don't mind. I look down at where my staff is buried in the snow next to me, and I want to break it, destroy it, crush the start of my powers, but that would leave me defenseless with a world of gods who want to kill me because of my parents. Just as I crouch down in the snow so I can dig out my staff, and start walking to my next camp site I hear a voice, "Josie,"  the voice bellows out.

I try to shake away the thoughts of my mistakes, but they won't let me, they fight their way back into my brain, and I start thinking those awful thoughts again.

I suddenly realize that this is what they perpared me for. I realize I should run, so I try to dig my staff free. "Stupid snow!" I shout louder then I mean to, but I'm scared, and I just want to go, but this snow is packed well, and refuses to move. It takes me a few moments, but I break my staff free, and I run.

I here another voice, a girl this time, and she sounds exactly like I always imagined my mother would sound like, " Don't worry, Josie, it's just us," she says. Her voice is smooth, confident, and alittle worried sounding. I can tell she can sing well because her voice almost sounds like a song in itself. She talks like a roller coaster goes up, slowly, but surely.

She makes me want to stop in my tracts and just listen, listen to her talk, but I know I have to run, so I do. I run and run until my feet burn with pain only relieved by the icy cold water of a river, because its takes my mind off the pain of running, and onto the pain of the freezing water.

Suddenly my thoughts switch, and I think of where my parents left me, I think of them. They are the people there, the teachers there. My parents left me with them so I could learn about these powers they gave me. My parents left me deep in the woods, with the rest of my kind, the other people whose parents were gods. They left me in a place everyone called the safe zone, because it was soposed to be safe from... well... whatever it was that we needed protection from. I remember the teachers thought very highly of me there because I was one of the few people there who had two parents that were gods. I remember I hated the place though, I just wanted to be normal, I still just want to be normal. The only decent thing about that place was my best friend there, Sam. She was Medusa's daughter, so she always wore hats that made her look like a guy. It didn't help her that her name was Sam, a name that is usually known as a boys name. She was the only one there who didn't want to kill me. Everyone else there wanted me to join thier stupid army, but I didn't want to. They said if they couldn't have me in thier army, no one could. Thats why I left. I hear a noise that takes me back to that day, the day my life changed.

Eventually I run so far I get to the edge of the camp. I stop in my tracks s fast I almost fall over. The last time I was here I almost got killed. Do I really want to risk it? I debate what to do in my mind for a few more minutes before I here my mom's voice again, " Josie, don't go in there. It was our mistake to leave you there when you were born. You fixed our mistake, please don't make the same mistake we made after you've already fixed it!" I really want to stop and listen, but I know I'm sopposed to run. "Please, Josie don't go! We love you. Please don't do it." Should I leave? Should I stay? So many questions are racing through my mind so fast.

I suddenly realize what I have to do, and I start to talk to my parents, "How do I know that if I listen to you again you will just put me in harms way again? I know you think it isn't safe for me anymore, but they tried to kill me when I was 12, I'm older now, I can handle myself now. Mom, Dad, I'm 16, I can handle myself in there. How do I know you won't bring me up there and kill me for yourselves?" I don't give them time to answer before I dash into the woods that hold the place of my nightmares.