Fire's Grace (Being Edited)

Chapter 1

     "Emma, I must have told you a thousand times now. You must stay hidden and out of sight. You have seen what happens if the other girls are seen."
     "All I have seen is the girls being dragged from their houses by the police. I don't know what happens after that. Mom and dad never let me see."
     "And they were right for it."
     I was looking out the closed window. I was never allowed outside to play with the other kids. I was always so jealous of my brother. He has taught me the "evils of man" as he called it. Since mom and dad can't. Orphans killed, girls sold, it is just my world. It is where I grew up. I can't do anything about it. I close the curtains again.
     "Do you remember the stories I told you about dad?"
     "The ones where he had magic to control fire? Or the one's where he took you to the market to buy food?" I ask my brother.
     "The ones about his powers. There is something I have to tell you. Something that I swore I would never tell anyone again after the accident."

     "Susan I have an issue."
     "What is your issue dear?"
     "Ben is of age and never got the powers like he was supposed to. Does that mean Emma will get them?"
     "I don't know. I have been thinking of that quite a bit lately."
     "If Emma gets the powers, then won't that mean more people will try to kill her? That it will put her and the entire family in danger?"
     "If she gets them, then that is a likely possibility. We just have to hope she doesn't get the powers."

     "I was the first born child. I was supposed to get the powers. I never awoke to them. Even after I came of age. You are coming of age where, if you have the powers, you will get them. If you do, you will have to run and never look back. It would put you in too much danger."
     "Are you saying that I may be in even more danger than I thought?"
     "That is exactly what I am saying. I am the reason mom and dad aren't here. I told my friends about it, thinking it was the best thing in the world."

     Dad was playing with the fire from the fire place. He was making it float up and dance. He made the fire a bright blue that I would reach for. Mom was in the kitchen making dinner and holding my new baby sister. I had to make a promise to never let anyone know she was my sister. Mom came in and scolded my dad for playing with fire in front of me.
     "What if Ben tells someone you can control fire like that? I could lose you and Emma." I would hear mom yell things like that when I was supposed to be asleep. In the morning, dad would act like the conversation never happened.

     There were some times during the day when Ben would zone off. He would be unresponsive. When he came back it was as if nothing ever happened. He would just look sad. When I ask him what's wrong he would just dismiss me. That won't stop me now.
     "Ben, you ask me not to ask you but, I am going to. When you zone off, you look sad after. What is wrong? What happens?"
     "I don't want to talk about it."
     "You may not want to talk about it, but I still want to know. You never want to talk to me about anything other than 'you need to stay hidden.' You used to talk to me about mom and dad, but no more."
     "Fine. You really want to know? I'll tell you. When I 'zone out', I look back on memories from when mom and dad were still alive. When you were a baby and not an issue."
     "Oh. I didn't realize it was so personal to you. But you don't have to make it sound like I am the reason mom and dad died. You know it wasn't me."
     "No, I'm sure you didn't. Now, can you please leave me alone so I can go finish making dinner."
     I stood staring for what felt like an eternity, but I know it was only a few seconds. A few minutes at most. When I finally was able to collect my thoughts, Ben was still standing where he was, but now there are silent tears streaming down his face.