Altered

Chapter 39

I let my eyes close and almost fell asleep, that was until the door flew open and hit the wall downstairs. I knew who is was as soon as my name was called.

Forgetting all about sleep, I bounded out my room and practically jumped down the entire flight of stairs at once. Mom was standing in the foyer with her arms open. I ran into them and hugged her so hard that she had to tap my shoulder in order to get me to ease up on my grip.

"Oh honey! What happened?" I must of been showing how hurt I actually was because her happy sobs stopped and she asked me seriously.

I shuddered and my collarbone tingled where they were shocking me from. I drew in a deep breath, preparing to tell her what scars those monsters had caused.

"As soon as I woke up, I was in some concrete cell. They fed me all the right stuff and didn't ever starve me. There was a bathroom that I was welcome to use and I even had a stand up shower."

"The real problem was when they were trying to get me to use my powers. The first two days, I had refused. The first time I did, they gave me a warning. The second time, they waited a few second before they shocked me with a chip I had in my shoulder," I pointed to my left collarbone.

"I still wouldn't cooperate so they started zapping me with more electricity and for so long that I passed out once," my eyes were stinging with unshed tears but I ignored the feeling.

"The next day, some intern opened my cell thinking they were doing the right thing and I tried to escape. As soon as they saw me go after him, they gave me such a high powered shock that I passed out immediately," there were goosebumps all over my arms just rethinking the pain I was put through.

"I started listening to them and showed them the full extent of my powers. Then today, they showed me a new power, calokinesis, the ability to generate and manipulate heat," I said it just how they had recited it to me, monotone.

"It was worse than any other pain I had felt and it got so out of control that I started melting the concrete. When I did finally get it under control, I tried to use it again. I found something weird in my mind and thought that was it, except this happened," a little puff of carbon dioxide shot out of my upturned palm.

"Something keeps telling me venokinesis," I said idly as I spiralled the smoke into a swirly pattern.

"So in summary, you were hurt and then got two new powers?" I nodded my head slowly.

"And where did your clothes come from? Wouldn't they give you something more... prison-y?" I stared at the ground awkwardly. I know they wouldn't approve of stealing.

"I kinda, sorta," I was extremely quiet. "Stole them from Old Navy, but it was that or I run around looking like an escaped convict!" I added quickly.

My mom had opened her mouth to yell at me but closed it when dad elbowed her. She sighed. I smiled at dad a bit for saving me from an earful of scolding.

"Where is she?" Before I could even turn fully around, someone had their arms wrapped around me in a bone crushing hug. I laughed and hugged whoever grabbed me.

"I need to know who this is," though I didn't need any confirmation when a clump of curly brown hair fell in my eyes.

"Austin, you can let me go now. I'm not leaving again!" He didn't listen and kept his vice-grip on me.

I blew his hair out of my eyes to see that there was easily 15 guys in my hallway staring at me. Mitch had a guilty expression on his face. Instantly, I knew he did something bad and I narrowed my eyes.

I pried Austin off of me stood up. Mitch could tell that my glare was directed at him and he seemed to shrink back into his friends even more. The guys all looked warily at me and shuffled back a bit.

"What did you do?" I questioned him lowly. Austin went to speak but I held an arm up in a 'shut up or I will punch you' gesture. He got the memo and snapped his mouth shut, giving an apologetic look to his buddies and Mitch.

"Answer me. I can see it on your face Mitch. What. Did. You. Do?" I took an intimidating step forward and someone pushed Mitch.

He glared at the pusher and then gave me a look that reminded me of a puppy that was kicked for something it didn't do.

"I told them," he said it so quietly that I thought I didn't hear them.

"Told them what," I paused between each word to scare him more. Whatever he told them must of been bad.

"About," he exhaled rather loudly. "Your powers," he finished and held up his hands to protect his face.

I clenched my fists and exhaled shakily, hiding my anger way better than I thought I ever could. How could he be so stupid?! What if one tells!?

I gazed to the guys in the hallway.

"Any one of you who says a word about this," I paused and made my hand start spitting smoke. "I will not hesitate to make sure you don't do it again. Got it?"

They all nodded quickly and I turned back to Mitch's cowering figure.

"Now explain to me why you did that?"

"I needed someone to help get you back and who better than the people I trust most?" By now, he had gotten more confident and was standing back up straight and not cowering.

"So you lie. It's not that hard to say that I ran away again and my parents asked for help to find me," it was like lying was some foreign concept to him.

"First off, I'm not the best liar and second, what happens when someone calls the police about your so called 'running away'?" I don't think he knew what he was doing, but slowly, he had gotten right up in my face. I growled. I was slightly surprised because it was more animalistic then I had ever heard myself make.

"I suggest you get out of my face, before I do something I really regret Mitch," I was clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to fight the familiar feeling of the voice in my head taking over.

Thankfully, Austin had grabbed and pulled Mitch away from me and I took it as my chance to storm out of the house. I pushed past the group of boys who parted like the Red Sea in the hall and burst out the back door.

How could he be so stupid!? This was the biggest secret anyone has ever and most likely will ever know about me! What did he think would benefit by telling everyone?!

I didn't know where my feet were taking me but as soon as I set foot on the grass, I took off. I could barely process my thoughts until I slowed to a stop. I must have used my super speed because when I really focused on where I was, I could see a small pond with overgrown grass all around it. I had never seen this place before but it looked like something you'd see in movies.

All around me were trees, so I guess I had gotten far enough into the cornfield that I hit the seemingly endless forest.

"I'll find my way back after," I muttered to the water and long grass.

I sat down at the edge of the pond and started playing with the water. I swirled some of it up, into the shape of a bird cage.

That song, The Scientist by Coldplay, one of my personal favourites, started playing in my head for some reason. I hummed it softly, content with how peaceful everything was with no one but myself here.

I don't recall how long I stayed there, using my powers to calm myself down, but I also don't care because it made this twisted and messed up world of mine seem calm and about as normal as I could ever classify my life as.

Something I had wanted more than nearly anything else.