It looked like it would be a cold day in the city of Chicago as Dr. Tantum sipped at a mug of hot coffee to wake himself up. His eyes briefly glanced over at the clock hanging on his wall, taking notice that it was about nine thirty in the morning.
"She'll be here any minute…" Tantum muttered to no one in particular as he stood up, pushing his chair in so that he wouldn't trip over it. Just as he was about to set his empty coffee mug into the sink, a small knocking sound was heard.
"I'm coming! Just one minute, please!" He said loudly as he wiped his hands on a dish towel as he straightened his tie. Placing one hand on the doorknob, he opened the door and looked down.
Peering up at him with piercing green eyes was a small girl dressed mostly in earth tone colors. She was silently observing him as a woman gently pushed her into the small apartment.
"Good morning, Mr. Tantum." She said as she closed the door behind herself. Her hair was the color of an Irish Setter, her eyes a strange purplish color as she too stared at him. The girl was busy walking around the apartment, obviously taking in her surroundings. Her hair was a dark brown color with just a few green streaks running through her hair.
"Good morning, Ms. Amalia." Tantum said politely, shaking her hand. Ms. Amalia looked around at the small apartment, frowning lightly.
"As you may know, Sarah Evergreen is a…" She leaned in to whisper in Tantum's ear, obviously not wanting Sarah to hear what she had to say.
"Special mutant. So, you must be sure to not upset her in any shape or form. She has…A bit of a hard time keeping her abilities under control, as I'm sure you are aware of." She leaned up, knowing that it was alright for Sarah to hear the rest of the conversation. Tantum smiled at the small child who had walked to the side of Ms. Amalia, not taking her eyes off of Tantum.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. And I have the number that the agency left for me if I have any more questions. I'm sure that me and Sarah will have a nice time." He said, his smile genuine. He really was looking forward to taking care of her. This would also give him the chance to see a child mutant in action.
"But there is one more thing that I must inform you of…" The woman said, grabbing Tantum by his shirt collar and pulled him forward, her nose touching his. Her eyes seemed to be on fire.
"If you do anything strange or weird to Sarah, I swear to God, I will make you regret ever being born. She's only eight years old! She had some…Problems with the man in her last home, so I will find out if you do anything to her. Do I make myself clear?" She said in a dangerous tone. Tantum managed a nervous smile as the woman snarled.
"O-of course! I wouldn't do anything strange to a child!" He said as Ms. Amalia let him go, stooping down to Sarah's level, all smiles at the child. Either this woman was bi-polar or she was just overprotective of the small girl.
"Now, Sarah. You behave for Mr. Tantum, okay? And if he does anything to you, do you remember where I taught you to kick him?" She asked as she handed a back-pack to Sarah. The girl said nothing, but nodded her head quickly.
"Now remember, call if you have any concerns about Mr. Tantum. I'll come get you when we find a home for you, okay?" Once again, Sarah nodded as she hugged the woman. As she was leaving, however, she looked back at Dr. Tantum, her eyes in all seriousness.
"Remember…You will regret being born if you do anything to her. And…Try not to startle her when she's practicing. Call if you have any questions or concerns." She said, leaving the two alone as she walked down the hallway. Tantum hadn't noticed that Sarah had made her way to the houseplant in the living room.
"Your plant says that you don't give her enough sunlight." Sarah said quietly from across the room, startling Tantum. He turned around and watched the small child holding a withering leaf in her small hands.
"Oh! Can you…Talk to plants, Sarah?" He asked carefully, not wanting to insult her. Sarah looked at him, a small smile on her face.
"Yeah. I can also make them feel better, too. Your plant says that she likes it when you give her water, but she needs sunlight. The city doesn't have enough because of all the tall buildings. They block out the sun. She says that she would feel better if you put her up on the roof where she can get more sun." She said simply as she stared at the plant intently.
"Well, we can try that. But I don't think that it'll last much longer…" He said, kneeling down next to Sarah. Her eyes…They seemed to be glowing. His eyes traveled down to the plant. It was actually perking up, getting greener and bigger.
"Oh, are you making it feel better, Sarah?" He asked suddenly. Sarah jerked up, her eyes wide as a small gasp escaped her mouth. The plant was growing big. Too big.
"No! No no no! Stop!" Sarah shouted as the plant rumbled, its stems shooting out towards the wall that surrounded Dr. Tantum's room. With a loud crash, the plant shot right through the wall, the air filled with drywall dust and paint chips. Both Dr. Tantum and Sarah coughed as the plant settled down, growing back down to a more normal size, though still considerably perky and green. It even had a few flowers.
"Oh my…" Tantum whispered, staring at the gaping hole in the wall. He could see his bedroom quite easily, which was also covered in dust from the wall.
"…I'm sorry…" Sarah whispered, staring down at her feet in shame. Tantum leaned down to her level, a small smile on his face.
"No, no! It's alright. I shouldn't have startled you like that. Are you hurt, Sarah?" He asked, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. She shook her head no, and he stood up. With a very small sigh, he smiled at her and went to the telephone.
"Well, after I call the contractor, do you want to see where I work?" He asked as he looked up the number for the contractor in the Yellow Pages. She looked at him and smiled.
"Yes please."