XT34

Prologue

The sounds of the party carried up to the room at the very top of the large grey house. A little girl sat by the window, watching the reflection of the multi-color lights from downstairs flash out onto the street. Her nightgown lay loosely around her shoulders, and her bright yellow hair was messy and unkempt. She scanned the street with her almost neon green eyes, and a tear slipped down her cheek. 

Flash

"You aren't like them."

Flash

"How dare you disgrace the other children with your presence!"

Flash

"You can't possibly think we'd ever allow you downstairs, with what you are!"

The girl clutched her black sheep stuffed animal tightly to her chest, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes as every flash of light reminded her of her father's words. As the music pulsed downstairs, her veins throbbed with an energy that she couldn't explain. She was used to it by now, the silent rushing of her blood through her veins, the pulsating of her heart. Her parents were throwing a party, but they had probably forgotten that it was her seventh birthday. Or they just didn't want to acknowledge that she existed. She didn't understand why her siblings were allowed downstairs during the party when she wasn't.

She felt a prickling along her back, the skin squirming as if it had a mind of its own. She had never felt this sensation before. She felt terrified as the skin seemed to move on its own accord, and for once she was more afraid of this than of what her father would do to her if she came out of her room. If she could find her mother before her father saw her, then maybe everything would be alright.

The little girl opened the door to her room, the noises of the party much louder as they blasted into her doorway. The sounds were so loud that she had to cover her ears as she climbed down the stairs to see if she could find her mother. She weaved in and out of a sea of legs, her mind set on one thing. As she saw her mother's unmistakable form between a pair of other ladies, giggling and chatting, she rushed forwards with her hands outstretched.

"Mommy I'm scared!" She said, as she latched onto her mother's leg and buried her face in the soft fabric of her mother's skirt. At once, all the conversations in the room went silent, and all eyes were on her.

"Blaeyde, why aren't you in your room?"Her mother asked in an uncomfortable tone of voice.

"Because my back is acting funny, and I'm scared." Blaeyde whimpered.

"Honey, this isn't a time to be out of your room." Her mother replied.

"But mommy, It's my birthday. And Katie and Nero are downstairs. Why can't I..." she said, as a cold hard hand grabbed her around her wrist. Blaeyde felt the skin squirming around her hand, before it solidified and her father released his grip with a howl of pain. She looked over at her hand to see that rows and rows of tiny spikes had erupted from her hand, made somehow out of her skin. The spikes sank back into her flesh, and her hand was normal once again.

"Why you little miscreant!" Her father howled. He looked over at her mother and growled, "I let you keep it, and look at what IT has done!"

"Nathaniel, she's my daughter!" her mother cried in defense. At that, her father struck her mother across the face, and Blaeyde screamed.

"Mommy, Daddy! Please don't fight! I'll be a good girl! I promise! I'll go back to my room!" Blaeyde sobbed.

"I am NOT your father!" Nathaniel roared in fury. "You're the hell spawn of some slimy alien slug. You have no right to talk to me like that!"