The Child of Sparks

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

I awoke with a jump. I fell off the red velvet couch I had been laying on. What happened? I tried recollecting the earlier events. Everything was blurry. I remember fighting a woman with steel hands. Whoa! I looked down at my hands and arms. I wasn't on fire anymore. I patted my legs trying to find scorch marks. Nothing was there. Someone chuckled from across the room. It was the woman from before. 

"You are fine my dear." She said. 

I just looked at her dumbfounded. 

"I am Ms.Ligons. You are not burnt. You will find nothing on you out of the ordinary. You my dear are quite extraordinary though. You can wield fire... The first of your generation, in fact. No one has been able to control and manipulate fire for over 100 years. Your great grandmother was actually the last known individual with the ability. It is quite peculiar that you have attained this great gift after it skipped two generations. It is said that the one who possesses the heart of fire is both cursed and destined for greatness. Do you understand what I'm telling you?" She said. Her chubby grandma cheeks tinged pink with growing excitement. I closed my eyes trying to let the shocking discovery sink in. Why, must I be cursed? I've been cursed all my life and now this... I thought I was cursed before. Many questions ran through my mind. The most important one was screaming at me inside my head. Did I kill my mother? Was I the one who set that fire when I was a little kid... Oh God, please don't let it be true! 

"I can manipulate fire? How can I manipulate it?" I asked. 

"In your case you seem to use your skill when you're under duress. After a little training here you will be able to control fire with a simple thought." 

"Training? What do you mean, training? What is this place?" 

"This is a private university of higher learning. This is where you'll attend school after you graduate. Actually I believe the professors are willing to start working with you once we get your living arrangements sorted. You can start attending classes in the next week once we have your diploma in hand. There is no need for you to continue the next two months at South Boundary. Your grades show you are far beyond high school learning levels. We are very excited to have you here." 

"This is a college? I'm not going here. I've been accepted to the Brown University. My best friend and I are both going there this fall. We're renting a flat together up there. It's all set. My tuition has already been paid. I'm going there for comparative literature and Egyptology. For some reason I don't think you offer that here... Thank you for the offer, but no thank you." I said in an even tone. 

"It is not a choice Ms.Hughes. You will be attending here as soon as next week. We have intercepted your tuition and your signed admission papers. In their stead we have sent a letter of decline notifying the college you will be attending elsewhere. I must admit this is a little soon for you to joining us but, once Zeke notified us that you were in trouble we quickly made arrangements to fit you in this summer. What I'm trying to say is, this is your new home for the next four years. Welcome." She said finalizing the argument. 

I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry in front of this woman. I am stronger than this. This is not over. I thought to myself. My eyes started to hurt as I held back the tears that wanted to break free. I looked at my hands that were intertwined in my lap. If I just concentrated on my hands maybe I'll calm down enough to reason with her. She was basically kidnapping me. What will they tell my friends and family? 

"Zinger will show you to your loft. You will find everything you need there." Ms.Ligons said shuffling papers around on her desk. 

I looked up at her and said, "This is far from over." 

"I expected nothing less from you Adena. Oh, do go easy on Zeke. He had no idea that we were going to test your abilities so soon. We've had to restrain him the moment we took him from your company on the doorstep." 

I pliantly followed the Asian man now known as Zinger through the hallway into an elevator. Zinger pressed the number 5 button. I expected to go up but the elevator jarred to a start and began to descend. After several moments the elevator opened to a dusky blue hallway. White doors 

with numbers on it were placed periodically throughout the hallway. We walked down to the end of the hallway finally stopping at door number 321. There was no door handle to the door. Only a small pad was centered underneath the gold numerals. 

"Place your right pointer finger there please." Zinger said. 

I jerked my hand back because; as soon as my finger touched the pad the door slid open. We entered a small living room the color of a ripe pomegranate. A cream colored paisley couch and love seat were positioned on an oriental rug in front of a medium size flat screen TV. Twin stain glass lamps set on deep Chestnut end tables situated next to the arms of the couch. The whole room was unreal. I'd never been in such a decorated loft before. Paintings of Egyptian goddesses were placed all around the room. A picture of me and my mom sat on one of the end tables. A picture of Megan and me at the park sat on the other end table. How did they get the pictures I wondered? 

"This is your loft. Enjoy." Zinger said walking toward the door. 

The door made a soft swoosh as it slid open and shut. Zinger was gone. I felt like I was dreaming. Three doors were situated down a hallway from the living room. I opened the first door I came to. It was a bathroom painted a deep orange. A claw foot bathtub was placed in front of a window... A window? We're underground there should be no windows. I'd have to ask... I don't know who I would ask about the window. I knew no one other than Zeke and he was nowhere to be found. A small petite toilet sat to the right of the window. A large cabinet across from the tub held fluffy towels and wash clothes. Tubs of every type of girly supply imaginable were in storage bins above the towels. It seems every product produced by Clinique in my color palette was stuffed in the bins as well. A hair dryer, and straightening iron hung on the wall beside a small bathroom vanity. The bathroom was amazing. I never had this much stuff at home. The bathroom was almost bigger than the loft's living room. I walked to the next door from the bathroom. This room was a bedroom painted a soft yet vibrant yellow. A white bedroom suite set in the room. A canopy bed sat across from bay windows overlooking a small garden. More impossible windows it seemed. The bed was made of a white iron decorated with sculpted roses. The same white paisley material that decorated the couch was made into a comforter that covered the bed. I spotted a large lump slowly increasing and decreasing under the covers in the middle of the bed. I pulled the covers back and gasped...