Title: The Calmer
Summary: When Perdido Beach, California became the FAYZ, kids developed powers. There were the "freaks" that everyone knew about: Sam, Caine, Lana...but one girl decided to remain hidden, keep her power a secret. She was known by those she told of her power as the Calmer.
Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters, settings, events, objects, and concepts do not belong to me. I am claiming no ownership of them, and am writing this story for fun, not for profit.
Warnings: None
Notes: I had the idea for this story and it wouldn't leave me alone, so here we go.
Chapter One
Her name was Claire. She was fourteen years old.
She was actually thirteen when the adults disappeared. She had turned fourteen five weeks later.
The adults had disappeared right in the middle of her eighth-grade English class. Mr. Sparks had been giving her a lecture about correct business letter formatting when...poof. Gone. He had disappeared into thin air.
Connor James slowly put his hand down. It was silent for a minute or two, the students wondering what had just happened, before girl at the back of the class asked, "What the hell just happened?"
Rigel Carter stood from his desk to peer out the door. "I can't see him anywhere."
From her desk, Claire could see kids in other classrooms poking their heads out of their classroom doors, confused. A sixth-grade girl across the hall looked half-worried, half-excited.
This hadn't just happened to them. This hadn't just happened to Mr. Sparks.
All the teachers in the school were gone.
She discovered her power a while later. Claire had become especially nervous while wondering—again—what would happen if the adults didn't reappear.
She had sat down on the couch in her old home, hugging herself tightly. Her hand had rested on her arm and she suddenly felt a strange calmness wash over her, almost like a waterfall.
She knew it had to be a power. People didn't just feel sudden calmness like that. Not normal people.
She didn't want to tell anyone. People would be flocking to her like sheep to a shepherd whenever they felt the slightest bit of nervousness if she did.
She just couldn't.
When the Human Crew started going after and attacking the "freaks", it was even more of a reason to stay hidden. To keep her power a secret.
She hadn't been planning to tell anyone. But her nine-year-old brother had made his way to their old house, limping and with a painful-looking scar on his shin.
When she asked Jamie what happened, he just shrugged and said, "Human Crew."
"They started chasing me," he told her later, when she pressed for more information. "They thought I was one of the freaks. They cut me really bad. Knife. I don't know where they found it. Lana healed the cut, though."
Jamie had later become anxious, worried that the Human Crew would come looking for him again. There wasn't really a way to prove that he didn't have any powers.
Claire had placed a hand on her brother's shoulder, not meaning to use her power. But as she helped him control his breathing, she felt herself using the power. Jamie noticed too. She had to tell him.
Judging by his casual use of the word "freaks" earlier, Claire had thought that her brother would shun her for having a power. But he had merely grinned and said, "I'll call you the Calmer."
