Ophelia

prologue

0:1
Camera lights
- 2 years after the incident -

I stand facing the crowd, frozen to my place. There is police tape bordering around the area, a bright, luminous yellow that cuts to your eyes and makes you squint.

It can't be. No, it can't be.

I take a step forward towards the crime scene and the breath gets caught in my throat. People recognise who I am, their daughter, reporters immediately start asking me questions and flashing cameras blind me.

"Lenna! How did you find out about your mothers death?!" One yells, I freeze in my spot as paparazzi swarms around me. My head spins and the one thing I see is the body lying on the ground.

All noise disappears and the only thing I can only concentrate is the body lying on the floor, the milky white car has turned on its side. Bile rises in my throat as I push through the crowd and duck under the tape that reads the words 'crime scene'.

Then my feet bring me to a stop and so does my breath. My stomach drops and my hands begin to shake.

No, it can't be her. It mustn't. Not with dad gone so soon.

I kneel down at the sight and it feels like all of the breath has been knocked out of my chest.

"Mum." I whisper, voice breaking. "Mum." I repeat louder, as if the volume of my voice will wake her up, as if she were asleep.

I fall silent, denial still a strong factor in my emotions.

It can't be her. Maybe she's just fainted, asleep. No, it can't be her it must be someone else posing as her I'll go back home and I'll see her there at the lounge table writing in that notepad of hers.

Lost in my thoughts, I don't feel the person shaking my body.

A blue gloved hand falls on my shoulder and I turn my head around to see the BlueEclipse standing behind me.

BlueEclipse.

Riley.

My brother.

He's frozen in his place. Unmoving. So am I.

What am I going to do?

My head reels back to the last conversation we had. We had fought, I had yelled at her after fighting about not using my powers.

She had wanted me to become a Super, I didn't. Then I threw in that I would become a villain just to insult her.

The thought makes me sick.

It feels like it's all my fault.

"I'm sorry, mum." I whisper.

"Do you know who caused this?" BlueEclipse asks the police officer. The police officer nods, "some SuperVillain turned the car with her in it." I cover my ears like an infant, not wanting to hear the words coming out of her mouth.

I crawl forwards until I'm right next to her lifeless body, my trembling hand touches her soft face. No response. A sob rises in my throat.

An ambulance arrives and I refuse to let her go. I've already lost dad and now mum too.

That one thought pierces into my heart and tears trickle down my face.

"Mum." I whisper, "I promise you that I will work hard. I promise that I will become a Super like you wanted me to."

"It's too late, Lenna. Promising won't bring her back."

"Riley." I whisper.

"Miss, there are no spare seats in the ambulance. You're going to have to make your own way there." The paramedic says.

Camera flashes blind my eyes and I sit back, trembling. Weight in my chest, tears in my throat unable to stop thinking that somehow, this is all my fault.

-

I read the newspaper article. The title reads:

OPHELIA - IS SHE RELIABLE?

Gritting my teeth, I skim though the words again, and again, and again. It discusses whether or not I should be trusted. Since the attack upon my mother and the cause of her death had been so uncharacteristically violent, they link her murder to me.

Me.

Her daughter.

Fury takes hold of my body and I take a deep breath in through my mouth. And then out again.

I'm dangerous. Unpredictable. The loss of my parents changed everything, and according to Riley, are the cause of the violence of my powers.

My eyes zero on the words in front of me.

Ophelia. Our city's favourite controversial character. The question still lies, is she really a SuperHero? Is the safety of our city really her first priority? In December, she caused major outrage in the destruction of Trallinger City's monument, in March, an uncontrollable blast coming straight from her body left many injured in the underground subway.

Whatever it is, it is clear to us that this Super'Hero' must be put under government surveillance.

She is chaos walking.

By the final sentence, I scrunch up the newspaper and launch it into the fireplace. Flames hiss and devour the paper and into watch it tonight satisfaction as it turns into ash.

An envelope lies on the table in front of me, the only piece of mail that came along with the newspaper this morning.

The back of it states my address, the initials T.S.S. are stamped on a golden wax seal that holds the envelope closed. It's tossed to the side, my heart thumps, pounds away in my ears as I theorise what it could be. The letter in my hands trembles from the shake in my hands.

I set it down on the table and unfold it, smoothing it out.

It has to be the results from my training test.

Dear Ophelia.

To our knowledge, you had undertaken the training test in order to receive the seal of approval from the committee and therefore the government. Taken on the 28th of March at exactly 14:03, the session lasted precisely an hour and fifteen minutes.

We regret to inform you that you have failed our test, reviews declare you as unstable, chaotic and shows an abundance to lose sight for what is important that has already grown in your potential to be dangerous to Trallinger City. 

Your file will be terminated and you will be turned into the authorities for further evaluation. If you refuse, charges may be applied.

Best wishes,
T.S.S.
Trallinger Society of SuperHeroes.

A breath escapes my lips, disbelief coats my throat and I light a cigarette to chase it away. The smoke seeps into my lungs as I inhale, holding my breath as I close my eyes before exhaling again. A few of the ashes fall onto the crisp, expensive paper. At my touch, the letter is scorched black.

My catsuit begins to shape and form around my skin as I stand, my mask slides over my eyes as my hair unfurls itself around my shoulders.

I am unstable. Dangerous.

I am chaos walking.

I am Ophelia.