Gifted *Editing*

Chapter 4: Explanation

I stood there, my mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"What-What ...Why? How?" I stammered looking at Talia and back Christian at least a dozen times.
Christian looked over at his mother, trying to communicate her with his worried honey eyes.
Talia slowly nodded her head and ran her dainty fingers through her thin hair.

"There's no simple way to put this.." he started.
I looked at him quizzically.

"We're... not from here.." he started slowly.
I just stared at him not saying a word, I raised my eyebrow only the slightest.

"We're from.... another dimension." He continued and held his breath, awaiting my reaction.
My furrowed eyebrows, knitted forehead and my pressed lips was all he needed to know that he needed to elaborate.
He let out a heavy sigh and sunk down onto the course floor.

"I am what you call a, Fire Breather. I can create and manipulate fire."
I looked at him for a long time, trying to figure out whether he was being serious or if he was on some sort of drug I wasn't aware of.
I then came to the conclusion that he was being serious. Considering that I witnessed him slice a man's arm off by hurling FIRE at him.

"Okaayy...I'm having trouble registering all of this.."

"That's not all..." he continued, " I can turn myself into a dragon...." he stopped to see my mouth agape, my eyebrows nearly touching my hairline and my eyes bulging out of my skull.

"You're joking?" I asked while I sat in front of him," You must be joking..." I stated firmly.
Christian gave me a Why-Would-I-Joke-About-This frown.
"Oh gosh..... You're not joking." I said letting out a deep breath.

"There's more..."

"More! How can there be more than turning into a freakin' DRAGON!" I cried out, Throwing my hands in the air.

"There's no easy way to say this...." He said, ignoring my so called reasoning, " You... You're..." he stammered, trying to find the right words.

"Come on, spit it out!" I pushed.

"You're gifted too...." He finished his sentence with a heavy intake of breath. Relieved to have finally got it off his chest.

"I'm gifted.." I repeated slowly, " But how...

I thought for a moment and another question popped in my head.
"Wait a minute, how do you know that I am 'gifted'".

Talia walked over to me and answered for him, "We were sent from the Realm's Elders to find you. They know where all the gifted beings are located."
I let her words sink in.

"So you guys moved here in the start of this year to find me?"

"We actually didn't know that you were here yet, the elders only sent your location 2 months after we moved into your town." She interjected, " So naturally after we found out we were relieved to know that you lived right next door, so we could keep and eye on you."

I turned to Christian, " So you were only my friend to 'keep an eye on me', huh?" I asked, my heart began to sink.
Christian looked offended at the mere hint that I would think that.

"No Andy, we became friends way before we found out that you were in fact gifted."
I gave a sigh of relief.

"So what kind of ... gifts do I so called have?"

Talia once again answered for him, " We're not certain, it could be Ice, Fire, Mind , or even all three."

"There are many more gifts but, we don't have time to mention all of them," Christian gave me a comforting smile.
"You think you could do something about Andy's leg? I managed to soak the heat and ash out of her but I need you to do the rest." He said showing my leg to his mother.
I had forgotten about my leg and the overbearing pain, the adrenaline had worn off and I was trying hard not to screech out in agony.

Talia leaned over and examined my leg for a moment before gliding her thin fingers over my burn, letting a trail of ice form over the wound.
It tingled and was extremely cold, I gritted my teeth as the wound started to get freeze-burned.
After she lifted her hands and the ice melted away, all that was left was a light scar running from my knee till my ankle.

"That was... Wow," those were the only words I could utter.
Talia gave me a thin yet warm smile before turning to Christian.

" I trust you will take, Andy back to her house safely." She was half asking, half commanding. You never knew with that woman.
"Get some rest, Andy," was all Talia had left to say before turning around and gracefully exiting the mildly destroyed room.

Christian helped me up and walked me to his window.
"I can carry you there if you want," he offered getting ready to pick me up Bridal style.

"No need I'll be fine," I said giving him a smile.

Christian grinned, " Okay then, get some sleep and we'll carry on talking tomorrow. You must be tired."
A wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over me and I nodded in agreement.

"Goodnight, Christian," I yawned before climbing on top of the window ledge and leaped onto the tree trunk.

"Goodnight, Andy," he whispered before closing his window and heading to his bed.

When I crawled through my window I immediately closed it and climbed in bed.
"I'm gifted... I'm a ... super being?" I thought to myself. I never in my life expected something like this to happen to me or anyone in fact.

But here I am being an 'all powerful super human.'
" Does that make me the actual wonder woman?" I chuckled at the thought.

I turned over to my lamp shade and turned off the light.
I didn't even bother moving my Shakespeare play-write.
As I slowly dozed off, I thought about how Christian could turn into a dragon.

Of all the people in the world.
I'm living next door to a dragon.