Against the World

Chapter 2

We walk, Eric jumping every crack he sees. As the Hall comes up ahead, time slows down. The sky above me is light blue, and the sun shines it's rays at my face. I close my eyes, and continue walking without my scent of sight. I take a deep breath, and smell the Bakery just a few blocks down... Chocolate chip.. they're baking chocolate chip cookies... I open my eyes, and wipe my mouth, realizing that I was drooling.

"Sooo attractive." Eric says under his breath. I punch him playfully, as he continues to jump the cracks. Mother has a serious face, not cracking a smile. She continues walking towards the Hall, almost like she's in a trance. I put my serious face back on, and we finally reach the sign in tent. Mom and Eric depart left, while I depart right, thus leading me into a tent.

I have a full body scan just to make sure I am not holding any weaponry. They made this new rule just a few years ago when a kid, Jennings Aurth, was going up to the stage and stabbed a kid several times until he was dead. It wasnt his lucky day.. The Council judged him, and soon had him on a trial. Without anyone knowing it, one day he was just... gone. Nobody knew what the Council did to him, or to his corpses.

Once I exit the tent, I walk towards the girls line backstage. I hear a loud scream, and small but fragile hands wrap around me. "Jonna!!!" I remember the scream. Angie, my best friend. "Angie!" I scream in a girly voice along with her. She bursts our laughing, and lets go. We stand next to eachother. Everyone goes silent as we hear the sounds of steps walking across the stage. Jessie J, a former Council member, announces the names one by one, in alphabetic order. I am in the middle of the list, because my name is Jonna Allen.

"Angie Zayas." Calls Jessie through the microphone. I look at Angie, and her face is full of fear. She walks through the curtain, and I hear a loud crunch. I know it's the flower pedal in her hand, being crushed... I wonder what her power is.. I wait a few minutes in silence, and sudenly the crowd goes wild. Whatever Allison was doing, she is so keeping hers. A bit of happiness fills me. The curtains open slightly, and Angie walks backstage.

I look at her up and down, and see no difference. The power must be inside of her. "I see they accepted you.." I finally say. She ignores me, and stares into my eyes. "Guess my power.." I hear inside my head. The weird thing is that it's not my voice.. It's Angie's. "Jonna Allen." I hear from behind the curtain. I jump as my name is called, and I feel Angie spiritually leave my brain.

I push past the curtain, and the time goes in slow motion. The birds slow down, and the people shift their eyes towards me. "Come on.. Dont be shy.." Says Jessie through the mic, bringing me back to life. My shoes tap against the wall, and the silence makes me walk faster. I see my target.. The plant.

I look around the audience at my mother and her now worried eyes. I know that this choice will weigh life and death for me... I grab a pedal, and crunch it in my hand roughly, while thinking of the power I have always dreamed to posses. The Council looks at me with their bored faces. I look around, and call over a guard.

I ask for a few trusses of metal. In a few minutes, the trusses are on the stage in front of me. The Council is now drawn closer, waiting for my next move. I have them right in my hands.. I stare at the longest truss, and move my eyes left slowly. The metal shrieks against itself, as it is lifted. It falls left, to where I told it to go.

The Council stares at me with shocked eyes... I am one of the only ones who have ever thought of telekinesis. The last person who tried it was killed on the spot, trying to bend a few long nails together.. Let's just say a few people were injured..

I get back to work, moving truss on top of truss. When I am finally finished, I step back, and the crowd goes wild. I have built a small hut made of truss.. It's perfectly balanced, and I have shaped most of the edges of the metal. I put all the trusses back on the ground carefully, and stand before the Council.

My heart skips a beat as all of them nod their heads into agreement. The oldest one to the left, Mond, smiles at me and gives me a thumbs up. He says one last thing before I leave.. "It's a strong power.. Strong enough to do lots and lots for us.." A shiver runs down my back as he extends the last few words for us...

Author's Note: Hehe.. The council is evil.. Arent they? They have like.. Nooo manners ._. Yay for Jonna! She got her power! Hip hip. Horrayy! ._. Well.. bye now.