Out Of The Dark

pt. Three

Part Three

Rumour?

Curiosity took over my rational thinking, and I sat on one of the stairs, trying to listen in.

"Rumour?" I heard Mum ask. "Jack, what's going on?"

There was a long, awkward silence and I wondered what was happening.

Finally, Dad spoke. "We moved here four months ago, Els," he started. "We moved because of the people, they talk about our powers and what we're capable of."

"And how is that a reason to move?" Mum burst out, obviously getting angry. "I don't conceal my powers! I've had them all my life and I'm not ashamed-"

"We know," my uncle spoke softly. "It's not you or Jack that suffer because of it."

"It's Layla." Dad's voice cracked slightly and it sounded like he wanted to cry.

Me?

My mind raced in confusion and I tried to keep my breathing as silent as I could, to keep listening.

"The rumour is that Layla isn't ours."

My breath caught in my throat and I tried not to cry.

"What?" My mother almost yelled, quickly hushed by both my father and uncle. "Of course she's ours!"

"We know!" Dad sounding like he was losing his temper. "But that's not what people say-"

"I don't give a flying fu-" Mum started.

"You will when Layla hears it!" Dad whsiper-shouted. This shut Mum up. "If she hears the rumour, it'll hurt her," Dad said, calmer. "Kids will pick on her...it happened when she was younger."

I pushed away the memory, willing to remind me of that time.

"What do we do?" Mum asked in a weaker voice.

"We have to move to the city, away from the coasts. We have to conceal our powers, so she can live her life," Dad said. "Or we could move again and wait for her to get hurt."

Silence.

"I'll do it," Mum said. "For Layla."

No.

Tears sprang to my eyes and I got up from where I was sat. I ran to my room and shut the door carefully behind me, sliding down it.

Why couldn't I just be like them?

Tears streaked down my face, and I cuddled my knees to my chest. I rested my head against my door and sighed.

Why did I have to be so different?

A burst of cold air whipped into my room and I stood up and noticed my window had flew open.

I wiped my tears and walked to it, shutting it quickly. I shivered, the cold air still inside. I sniffled and rubbed my bare arms for some warmth.

"Lucky your window didn't rip off."

I screamed and put my back against the window as I stared at the tall, dark figure stood on the other side of my bed. In my room.

"What are you doing in my room!?"

"Trying to help you," the figure replied smoothly. "Tell them everything's okay."