The misfits

18: Emma

Liars will lose their teeth. Isn't that what her mother used to tell her when she was young?

As Emma stomped home in the rain, trudging on the wet mud, she couldn't help but think that even if what her mother did was to protect her, she still felt a flame tickling her knuckles as she clenched her fist. Without her permission, her mother just took away her ability, and erased her memories.

First thing, how did her mother even know about her pyrokinesis?

Emma's head pondered over the possibilities before ruling out all of them, as the same thought kept coming back to her. Mom isn't that cruel. However, after this, she wondered, did she really know her mom at all?

꧁꧂

As Emma walked into the house, ready to go hunt down her mother, she was greeted with silence. Will was glued to the television, jamming the buttons as he jumped up and screamed, "I GOT PURIFIED IN THE FACE. WHAT THE ACTUAL-"

Emma raised her eyebrows as she jabbed Will in the ribs from behind, saying, "Really, Will? Now, where's Mom and Dad?" Will didn't turn as he shrugged and replied, "Not home. Mum probably got held up at the hospital. She's usually busy on late nights like that."

Emma crossed the kitchen and saw a note on the island counter, with a note and money. For dinner. Might be home late. Dugos, MUM

"Pizza, the usual?" Emma called out to Will. Will nodded distractedly, and went back to rifling through his textbook. As Emma began to pick up the phone and punch in the pizza hotline, the phone began to ring and vibrate violently.

"Why, the pizza man calling you before you can call him?" Will giggled like a girl as he glanced at Emma. Emma shook her head in disgust as she turned her head and answered, "Stop acting like you're drunk."

Emma picked up the phone and pressed it to her ear, automatically saying, "Who is thi-"

"Emma? Is that you?" Her father's voice filled her ears, with an urgent plea to them. "Y-yeah. Dad, what's up？"

"Your mother...something happened at the hospital. I don't know what, but I'm caught up at work. Are you and Will able to hail a cab? I'll meet you guys there soon. Bye." Her father hung up before she had the chance to get a word in.

"What did the pizza guy say? He's trying to hit you up?" Will drawled, looking over his shoulder at her. "No, that was Dad. We need to get to the hospital. Now." Emma said quickly, before grabbing the money on the table and walking out of the front door, Will followed suit.

꧁꧂

As the cab bounced across the highway, the smell of the driver's perfume filled the car and Emma soon began to feel nauseous. It was not helping as her thoughts were mostly about why her father sounded so urgent on the phone. She was also trying to control herself as she couldn't believe her father wasn't planning to even stop work to go see her mother.

As Emma and Will leapt out of the cab, after hurriedly stashing the money into the driver's hands, they ran into the hospital and were greeted by the pungent smell of antiseptic. Emma wrinkled her nose as she dragged Will towards the counter.

"Emma! Will!" Sally, the receptionist greeted them cheerfully. "Hey, Sally. Where's mom?" Will asked. Sally was a work colleague of their mother's, and used to help look after them when they were younger. Sally said quickly, "Oh! Room 301. Level 8. You guys need to sign in fir—"

"Okay, thanks Sally! Bye!" Emma said hurriedly, just as Will was about to pick up the pen, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away. "First." Sally faltered, as she looked at them run towards the lift.