Overpowered

Luci

"So do we have a deal, Ms. Grey?" He asked me.

            "No," I replied to him. "I am not going to help you. These are your problems. Not mine." I turned away from him and began to walk into the darkness.

            "This is your problem, Luci. Without me, you will kill somebody." He said to me.

            I stopped and turned around. "Already have and nothing you do will change that."

            "I realize that, but I can keep it from happening again. Just do this one thing for me, and I will train you on how to hold in the poisons inside of you."

            "Already done that. Being by yourself for ten years, you get bored. Again, thank you for the offer, but no. You're on your own. Enjoy your search for finding them all."

            "When you change your mind," he added quickly as he pressed a small phone into my hand, "call me." I reluctantly took the phone and shoved it into my pocket. I turned back toward the darkness and returned to the shadows' familiar embrace.

            As I walked home, I thought about the offer some more. All I had to do was help him track down a whole bunch of powerful teenagers and he would give me a family. Honestly though, I know the only true reason he wants me helping is that he is scared. He fears what he has created and doesn't know how to clean up his own mess. So what if a couple of the teens could be over-powering and super dangerous. That's his problem to fix.

            I walked down on Pike Street and then made a left at Owens Avenue, which was the road I lived on. Owens Avenue only had one building on the road. A hospital that was left to wither away ten years ago. The town had run out of money to destroy the place so it was left deserted and forgotten. No one ever came to the deserted building, except for me. The hospital is certainly not perfect, but for a stray like me, it is a place to call home. The cafeteria is where I spend most of my days, it is the only part of the building that still has a ceiling and windows. Due to a tornado last fall, little of the building is still intact.

I walked into the cafeteria and went to the darkest corner, where there was no light shining in. I laid down on my mattress, which I had taken out of one of the rooms. I began to close my eyes and fall asleep. I began to dream about having a family and friends who cared about me. A life where I was happy and normal. Of course, my dream had to come to an end.

            I woke up to light shining down on me. As I looked around the building, I saw just how empty it was. There could have been children in here that were cured of diseases and were just starting their new lives. Parents would be joyfully smiling as they watched their kids eat food on their own for the first time and laugh and smile. But that was not so. Instead, there was a mattress, a book bag full of clothes, and a screwed up teenage girl who was dangerous to anyone that came near her.

I laid in my bed for a few minutes, comparing the imaginary world to reality, but finally came to realize that a world of happiness wasn't possible for a person like me. I stood up out of my bed and changed into my jeans and a black flannel shirt. I was just about to step outside the cafeteria door when I heard a noise outside.

I quickly ducked down and peered out the window to the outside. Two men were walking towards the hospital having a conversation. One wore a black suit with a purple tie. The other had on khaki pants and a red polo shirt. As they stepped closer, I was able to hear their conversation.

"It would cost more to tear down the building than to rebuild the hospital, but this place is in awful condition." Said the man in khakis.

"When I bought this land, I planned to build a hotel, so I don't care how much it costs. Tear this rickety, old place down and put the hotel right over there." He said as he pointed in my direction.

"Before we destroy the building, the area needs to be surveyed. Do you see the footprints right there and there? Someone has been here recently."

"If anybody is found, I want them arrested for trespassing. I don't want anyone vandalizing my hotel when it is being built."

Then the two men began heading directly towards the cafeteria door. Fun fact about the café: there is only one way in and out. I formulated a plan in my head then quickly ran over to my bag and grabbed it. I pushed the mattress to the middle of the room, then darted to the corner of the room closest to the door.

When I heard the door swing open, I quickly ducked down into the shadows. As I hoped, both men headed straight towards my distraction.

"Someone has been here. They are living in this place." Said the guy in khakis.

"Get the police out here. I want an investigation. This is my land and no one better screw it up." Replied the man in the fancy suit.

Before I had a chance to run, they turned around and their attention went directly towards me. The man with the suit reached in his pocket for his phone. The other man began running towards me. I could have just ran out the door and hoped he didn't chase me too far, but of course, that is not what I did. I wasn't just going to leave my home that easy.

I stood up out of the corner and walked towards the man. The room darkened significantly. I could feel my blood rushing through my veins. My hands tingled. I directed all my attention to the man who was only two feet away from me. We looked eye to eye. Then, he began coughing and his legs gave out. He plummeted to the ground and passed out.

Then, I started towards the man in the suit. He was on the phone, panicking to the police about his dilemma. A great shadow cast over him. His body weakened, dropping the phone. As he looked at me, I could see the fear in his eyes. I could have just left at this point, but my body would not let me. My powers were now in control.

He began to feel dizzy but resisted the urge to fall over. My brain raced with different ways to hurt the man who wanted to destroy my home. No illness seemed just right, so I made my own. Shadows circled around him. He began wheezing and his skin turned green. His whole body went limp and he fell onto the mattress.

"Never come back." I bellowed at him. "This is my home and no one can destroy it."

I let 15 years' worth of anger out on this man who threatened me and my home. 

The room was almost pitch black now. I could barely see the man in front of me, but I could sense the pain he was enduring. I was about to finish him when a burst of light came in from the door. I turned around and saw a boy who only looked to be six years old. He looked at me, then at the man on the mattress.

As he yelled "Daddy" at the top of his lungs, everything around us became lighter and all my pain I held down the men with went away. I had control of my mind once more. Both men laid still on the floor. I could sense they were alive and had only passed out.

The boy came running towards me, but instead passed me, and jumped onto the mattress. He looked up at me, tears streaming down his eyes. "Is daddy okay?" He asked me. All I could say was "sorry" as I ran out of the cafeteria to the outside.

I had done all of that to save my home, but now I knew I could never return. They would be looking for me here. Soon enough they would realize Luci Grey isn't dead and that I am a great threat. I would have to get out of town and find a place to hide for a while. There was only one place I could think of to go, but I didn't like it one bit.

I ran into the woods behind the hospital. When I was far enough into the trees where I could not be found, I pulled out my phone. With one last thought, I dialed the phone number and I heard it ring four times, then a man's voice answered.

"Hello, Ms. Grey."

I had a moment of hesitation then spoke: "We have a deal."