The Gifted

Change of Heart

Carmen's Flashback***

Before I know it, I'm bawling into my pillow. I can feel my tears wetting the pillow, but I just burrow my face farther in; the baby wolf long forgotten. Maybe Melissa is right, I'm never going to manifest. There was a steady ache in my chest, where my heart was pounding sporadically. Ellie's probably only my friend because she feels bad for me. The thought alone makes me cry even harder.

I stand up hearing a voice from outside, it's Ellie. I can't bear to see her right now, so I decide to slink out the back door and go into the woods. I run without looking back. I need to be alone, maybe forever. For a while, I don't know where I'm heading until I find myself staring at the beautiful lake. I stand staring for so long, I don't notice the thunderstorm begin.

I begin crying again, nothing ever seems to go right for me. I only have one friend whose only friends with me because she feels bad for me, I don't have an ability, and I don't ever get to see my mother anymore. Melissa was right, I am a human. I lean down grabbing a triangular rock and hurl it at the lake.

The rock flies out over the water and gets struck by lightning. I scream falling backward to the ground, covering my head as the rock explodes flying everywhere. A piece glides past my shoulder causing me to scream louder. It leaves a jagged cut the length of half a pencil. I sit up staring with wide eyes where the rock exploded. I don't know when it began raining, but it was pouring down now; and strangely, it still felt hot. The rain sizzles against my skin when I stood up hesitantly.

It was raining so hard I could barely see three feet ahead of me. I don't know if it was the thunder, but the sound of an explosion echoes through my ears. The sound makes me jump and I make an attempt to wipe the rain off my face. A gesture that sends pain rocketing down my whole arm. More thunder strikes louder this time, and I see lightning strike down over the camp. Fear rips through my body when several screams arise from the campground.

Without thinking I run, slipping through the mud until I'm standing under the camp entrance. I stare wide-eyed at the mess before me. There's a whole pack of wolves fighting at least twelve or fifteen people dressed in black. I can't help but think of ninjas when I see them fight, especially with abilities of their own.

One of them is a pyro and with a wave of his left hand, a wall of fire rises from the ground but it quickly dies away in the rain. A dark brown wolf launches itself at him, tearing apart his skin. Suddenly the wolf howls in pain, scrambling off the man. The ninja's arm turns red within seconds, the heat waves wafting from his arm.

I look to my right and see three more wolves standing in front of my classmates, who are cowering down by some trees. The wolves are white, caramel colored, and a reddish chestnut color and I look on in awe as they fight six of the ninjas. Three of the ninjas are using water to attack the wolves, shooting water spikes that are skillfully ducked and jumped over. The other three are using the ground to try to throw the wolves off balance.

On my left are three more wolves fighting together against five ninjas. Two of the five ninjas are using wind to blow away one of the wolves which is working, while the other three are using nature to try and trap the wolves.

The sand-colored wolf keeps rolling away, and the grey wolf becomes trapped under a weaved vine bubble that erupted from the ground. A big black wolf jumps over the vines and sinks his teeth into the neck of the guy in the middle. The ninja lets out a gurgling cry falling to the ground. Almost immediately, the vine bubble cracks and the grey wolf breaks free.

I let out a scream when one of the wolves tears a limb off a man. A long stream of blood sprays out of the arm staining the white wolf red. Suddenly the fighting stops and everyone looks at me. At the sudden attention, I take a step back in fear.