glitched | ✔️

t h i r t y e i g h t

Amara POV

I closed my eyes, directing the green tendril towards the minuscule hole in the device before me.

My heart pounded in my head and my finger was quivering slightly.

"Envision the energy. Remember, you control it- it doesn't control you." Doctor Levine spoke softly.

I focused harder. Almost there.....
my hand shook harder and my head felt like it was being crushed.
With a yell of frustration my eyes flew open and the green light flickered away into nothing.
"I can't do it."

I got to my feet and stormed out of the room, running up the stairs and emerging into the outdoors where a light rain fell.
I tilted my face up towards the sky, letting the drops gather on my face.

Some sizzled as they hit my skin, turning to steam.

I moved through the trees, sprinting towards the ocean.
Branches slapped at my face and clothes, leaving minuscule scratches, but I ignored it.

I burst out of the thickness of the forest and stumbled onto the beach, practically crawling to the sea water and sitting in it, letting the freezing water wash around my body.

"Why'd it have to be me?" I whispered softly, burying my hands in the sand.

I thought of the look in Chelsie's eyes as her fist had collided with my head, and I remembered all the times we laughed and played together as ignorant children.

I remembered the cold look in Peter's eyes as his knife pierced my skin, and I remembered the kiss we had shared by the college that one night.

And I remembered my little siblings, even though I had been trying to forget about them ever since the day I was taken from my family. I remembered how whenever they were sad they came to me, because our parents had taught us to always push bad emotions down, never to let them show.

Well I was done pushing them down.

My body shook with sobs as I kneeled over, my knife wound aching, but the pain minor in contrast to the emotions that poured from my soul.
Emotions that had been trapped in there my whole life.

The pain, the anger, the sadness, loneliness, the feeling of ultimate helplessness.
A scream escaped my mouth as lightning shot from my body, electrifying every drop of rain, running through the ocean in glowing green paths.

I stumbled back, the tongues of green light vanishing just as quickly as they had appeared.

My hair was soaked with ocean water and hung limply over my shoulders.

Green sparks filled the air, falling to the ground where they disappeared in tiny bursts of steam.

I laughed, holding out the palm of my hand and summoning a small green flame.
It danced lightly.

I pulled the feeling of betrayal I had experienced on the boat and the flame grew into a violent, cracking beast.

Than I remembered how gently Peter had held me all those nights ago- the night he asked me to the winter dance.

The light calmed once again, and I sent it morphing into a shapes and designs.
Swirls, speckles, sparks.
A knife, a lighting bolt, a heart.
Than I closed my hand, making it vanish.

I had to embrace the flame.
Doctor Levine was wrong, I didn't control it, yet she was also right; it didn't control me.

It was symbiotic, we had to work together.

•••

Peter POV

I bolted awake, covered in sweat; chest heaving.

I tore the blankets off my body and peeled out of bed, pulling a shirt over my head and stepping over to my window, the one that looked over fake scenery.
Even though I knew it was just a screen it gave me a sense of calm to see the rain falling lightly.

She had been in my dreams again.

This time was different, though. She had been in a glass case, the familiar electric lime light crackling all around her, yet she had been in pain. So much pain.
She had been screaming, and her eyes were orbs of pure leaf green light, cheeks streaked with tears.

And in my dream I had actually wanted to help her. I had wanted to badly to break through the glass, and run to her, taking her in my arms and never letting her go.

"Get out of my head." I growled, splashing cold water on my face.

Yulia had informed me she had gotten me under some sort of trance, tricked me into loving her, and that every memory I thought I had with her were all fabricated. She had told me they had tried to restore my real memories, but the procedure hadn't gone as smoothly as hoped and it might be hazy.

I looked into the mirror, seeing Mother's eyes staring back at me as they always did.
But at the same time they weren't hers.

Her eyes had always been filled with kindness and compassion, and... sadness.
My eyes were blank and empty.

Knowing I would be unable to fall asleep again I grabbed a quick ride to the gym, going straight to the punching bags.

She was the enemy.
Punch.
She manipulated me.
Punch.
She wasn't the girl I remembered her to be.
Punch.
I didn't love her.
Punch.
She didn't love me.
Pu— my fist faltered and I stepped back.

"I had begun to fall for you... I had begun to love you..." I vaguely remembered the words I had heard before slipping into the void of unconsciousness- that day on the ship after kissing her.

Yulia had told me that if all else failed to act like I was her friend, and than kiss her.

But why had she kissed me back?
And why had it felt so right?

•••

Whooooh.
I was planning to update only once today but eh, here you go! The chapters a little short but I hope you enjoyed!

'Dr. Levine'