"words" means thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men I only claim ownership of Tara.

TARA:

I curled by self in the corner wincing as I tried to get over the new wound inflicted on me by my father. He thinks I did this to myself. I didn't! I moved my chain in a weak attempt. I was so hungry. I could hear my father thinking how he was going to convince mother not to feed me. It wasn't like I was allowed much food anyway. All of a sudden though the doorbell rang. I picked my head up. Who could be calling now?

CHARLES:

I got out of the car with Erik surveying the house in front of us. It was a small house but homey. As I was about to walk to the door something stopped me.

"Help me…"

I stopped dead in my tracks making Erik bump into me.

"Something wrong Charles," I heard Erik ask.

"Please try not to kill them Erik" I said in almost daze.

This voice sounded so lost. Erik looked to me in confusion but nodded anyway. We walked up the steps and I rang the doorbell. A stern woman came to the door along with a man who was fairly youngish but going slightly bald. These two were Mr. and Mrs. Johnson or Skip and Clara.

"Are you the two who wanted to rent the guest rooms?" Clara asked with a sweet voice.

" Yes we are Mrs. Johnson. I am Charles and this is my friend Erik." I said with a smile.

They invited us in and showed us upstairs towards the guestrooms. As we were walking I heard it again.

"Please help me…"

I stopped again in shock and turned to where I could feel the mind signature was coming from. This must be the one I had seen in Cerebro but all I was looking at was a bookcase.

"Something must be wrong Charles, what is it?" Erik asked walking towards me.

I pointed to the bookcase and looked to the couple.

"Someone is in there" I said as they looked at me in fear. "Don't try and lie…I'll know."

They gasped and Clara looked at me in shock and fear while Skip looked at me in disgust.

"Erik if you will-" but I was interrupted when he made the bookcase fly out along with a metal door. There was a secret room. "Thank you" I said and walked in but stopping in shock. Erik came in.

"What the hell!" he shouted to the parents of the small child before me. She was chained to a wall, in a windowless room, backed in a corner and looking at me in fear.

She was wearing a black tanktop that did nothing to hide the bruises covering her. She was also wearing grey sweatpants that barely held onto her. She was so skinny. She was like Raven but so different. Her skin was hot pink with dark pink swirling birthmarks covering her. Her hair was very short and dark pink with hot pink streaks. Her eyes were sapphire blue. She had pointed ears and fangs.

"Hello." I said softly to her, inching closer. She backed away from me.

"It's okay…You don't have to be afraid of me Tara" I said to her softly as she looked at me wide-eyed.

TARA:

It's okay…You don't have to be afraid of me Tara" I looked at the man in awe.

"You're like me" I said in a shaky voice. The man next to the man in my mind was glaring at my mother and father.

"My name is Charles Xavier, Tara," the kind man said to me with a smile. "…and this is my friend Erik Lensharr." He said pointing towards the man.

"Is he like us too?" I asked.

"Yes he is. Just like us and so many more out there." I swung my head as he said this.

"There's more?...I-I'm not alone…" I said to hi inching forward. Please don't let this be a dream!

"You will never be alone again Tara. This isn't a dream." He said with a small smile.

I went to run over to him but my foot got stuck on the chain and I fell to the ground. Charles ran over to of a sudden Erik pointed his hand to the chain and it broke. Charles picked me up and stood up. He turned to my parents.

"sleep…" he said. All of a sudden my parents collapsed to the ground.

"wow…" I said looking to Charles. He patted my head. Erik went over to us as we walked out of the room and out of the house.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked looking to my two saviors.

"Some place that is safe. Go to sleep." Charles said and soon I saw black.