Betrayed
A small town in the southwest
'I got a power, I got a power yes I got one' I sang to myself as I went to the stairs, not caring if my family saw me be-bopping on stairs. I was at the top making sure no one was in sight; I jumped onto the banister balancing lightly on the highly polished smooth wood I could feel the groves of the designs through my socks. Doing another swept of the area for any members of my esteem family that was lurking about. Content that here was no one in sight. I closed my eyes holding my arms out at my side and jumped actually floated to the ground to make it more interesting in mid-air I twisted into a half gainer and landed lightly on my feet, like a gymnast already done with her route.
I stood there, 'And the crowd goes wild, YEAH, WOOP WOOP!' I was waving to the imaginary crowd. Not caring if my youngest brother was staring with an odd look in his eyes.
He huffed at me, "You are such a retard!"
I stuck my tongue out at him; he ran yelling into the kitchen, "Mom! Xian is being mean to me. She stuck out her tongue!" I rolled my eyes.
"XIAN!"
"Yes Mom?" I sighed.
"What did you do to your brother?"
"I didn't do a DAMN thing to him."
"Watch your language young lady! Did you or did you NOT do something mean to your baby brother?"
"All I did was stick my tongue out at the little creep."
"That's it young lady you are grounded for a month, doing his chores and your own!"
"But mom…" It would do no good if I argued; I would get in more trouble, so I shut my mouth. At the corner of my eye I saw my brother's smug look. I clenched my hands, angry that he got away with it, again!
But if they found out what I have, shit was going to hit the fan, figuratively speaking. Hell it will even make my parents hate me more…
My name is Xian, I am short about 5'3, standing 3 inches taller than my mom, I was so happy about looking down at her, instead of the other way around. I have dirty dishwater colored hair, according to my dad, and just plain brown eyes, according to my mom.
But to me I didn't see myself like that, in my own eyes I saw myself at the perfect height, light brown hair with blonde streaks and almond shaped beautiful brown eyes with green and golden flecks dancing in them. I am very elf-like, well to me I was, sensitive, loyal to a fault; I was a diamond in the rough.
It, meaning my specialness, started when I turned fifteen, I was scared and lonely, and it felt like I was the only one in the world that was going threw these changes, but it wasn't the normal teenage growing pains, this was worse.
It happened a week ago, one of my powers came into being, I woke up that morning two feet above the covers, at first it scared me to death, I gave a little shriek, but after I calmed down, I never felt so free before, nothing was holding me down, hasn't anyone dreamt of flight? Flying in dreams meant absolute freedom and that is what I was feeling. No brothers making fun of you; no parents breathing down your neck; just me and my bedroom ceiling. It was a very good thing my door was closed, thank God. I soared up higher off of my bed and drifted from corner to corner, squealing with excitement, I giggled, 'I'm free!' I thought.
Then like a black cloak a depressed thought overcame my giddiness, my family. I had forgotten about them. I floated to the carpeted floor of my room, a feeling of fear and disappointment swept over my heart. Shaking my head, 'My parents will never accept this, hell they barely accept me.' I thought with despair. My feeling of happiness and freedom was shut tight in a small box next to my heart.
It was bad enough that I was the oldest and a girl, well besides my mom, but that's not the point, my parents are very religious and set in their ways, how can you explain to them that you have a power they don't understand?
As the weeks progressed, I got my flying-floaty-thingy under control. Oh what fun that little adventure was…I noticed when you have your mind set on one thing you forget where you are and how high you have soared. That's what happen I had to pick the tallest tree in the area! I leaped upwards from branch to branch, until I practically jumped above the tree, realizing pretty quickly where I was too caught up with the freedom of it all I had forgotten where I was going. My heart did a triple beat as I came down. I wrapped myself around the trunk of the tree. I was shaking so hard the whole tree was vibrating. It brought a memory from my childhood, when Tigger was stuck up in a tree in Winnie the Pooh©. But I had no narrator to help me down from my predicament. I cracked open one eye and looked down to my shock and my embarrassment the ground was only two feet below me! I was just glad that no one was in sight to witness my humiliation.
If that wasn't enough a month later another just popped out of the blue, it happened on the football field at P.E. My class was playing soccer, and I was playing defense, which is a player that defends the goal. You see I have a crush on this guy and he is in this class with me. His name was Brian, his blonde hair shined in the sun; I could almost see his sparkling blue eyes from where I was. I know with his athletic ability he would be granted a scholarship to a university
My eyes followed his athletic form around the field, not caring about what is going on around me; my eyes were only on him.
"Xian!"
I snapped around at the sound of my name being yelled. I saw my teacher making hand gestures and yelling, "Pay attention, Xian!!"
I blew my hair out of my face and mumbled, 'yeah, yeah I'm going,' I walked back to my spot on the field. I stood trying to pay attention but my eyes always strayed to him, the boy I had a crush on.
As I watched him, I noticed something that he didn't see and my eyes widen at the incoming terror. Brian was paying more attention to the ball that what was ahead of him, I screamed until I couldn't scream anymore, trying to warn him of the upcoming danger. But he was too far away to hear me. I started running; I could hear my teacher yelling at me to get back to my position, but I ignored her.
It happened in slow motion, he jumped to avoid two defenders that were rushing him, but somehow he tripped and the three of them collided in mid-air. He landed with a loud crack onto his right knee; his body fell to the side, holding that knee he cried out in agony. I slid to a stop, I was too late. He will have to have surgery to repair the damage done; I knew that deep down in my heart I know if he did he would never be right in that knee again no matter how good the doctor was.
I couldn't stand to watch him move around in agony as the stupid teachers tried to ease his pain. So I took that first step towards his prown body on the ground. I pushed my P.E. teacher out of my way, she turned to yell at me but stopped and moved aside, what I didn't know was I had started to glow a light green.
I knelt down on my knees beside Brian, I barely heard the loud whispers behind me, and all my attention was on the male laying in front of me. Closing my eyes I placed my cool hands on his warm skin just above his wounded knee.
I focused all my energy into his knee, seeking out his pain, what I didn't know I was talking to him telepathically, **Its going to be okay Brian, I promise, just trust me.**
**How are you doing this? **
**I don't know. I wanted to do something to help you. **
**I trust you Xian. **
A warm spread through me at his words, as I mended his ligaments together, a relaxing heat spread through his body as; I gave him an extra boost of strength for him to recover.
**There Brian, you'll be able to fully use your knees, just be careful with them.**
**Thank you Xian for healing me. **
Before I could even say or think I fell into blackness, exhausted.
When I woke up, I looked around in a daze, I was in my room with my mother standing over me, with her arms crossed, and she looked pissed. In her eyes was a mix of pain, anger, and hate. I thought she would explode right here. With a noise of distaste she whirled around and left my room, slamming the door behind her. 'Parents are SO weird,' thinking that as I dropped off to sleep.
But in the morning was the explosion that I was waiting for, the one thing I was trying to avoid, hoping my parents would just accept what I have and who I am. So I sat there, trying to be like ice, unfeeling as they ripped me apart piece by piece, yelling at me from both side, like they were tag-teaming. The words that I really heard made my heart contract with bitter hurt, 'Abomination,' with each word spoken the knife was twisted viciously in my heart and soul, 'Freak,' I visibly cringed, 'Embarrassment.' I was crying inside as my heart bled, but gathering the determination and the will-power, I confronted my parents, "If I hadn't helped Brian, no doctors would have!" I practically screamed at them to be heard.
"Well young lady, you don't yell at me!" My mom screamed back at me.
"You do NOT yell at us in that tone of voice!" My father barked.
"MOM, DAD you don't hear me anyway!" I was beginning to get tears in my eyes, but I rapidly blinked them away.
"How could you do this to us? You have destroyed the very foundations of this family! You are a FREAK! We have seen the news you are one of those! Did you take some drug to make you like this? Or did you disobey God and he is punishing you?" I got that one in stereo
"First of all I am NOT taking drugs! Why don't you ask our precious SONS about that! Second God is NOT punishing me for being this way!"
But as usual my parents only heard one thing I said and that was something against my brothers, "How dare you accuse your brothers of that horrendous crime when you probably do it yourself!" My mom screamed out turning red in the face.
That was it, I received all I could take, no matter if I explain until I was blue in the face, they would never listen to me, it was NOT my fault they would still blame me and consider my brothers angels, but no more I was DONE with this family! Without a word I turned away and ran to my room.
Shutting the door I took my large duffle bag out of my closet and started filling it with my clothes and necessities. I desperately opened my window, pushing out the screen; throwing my bag out the window. I quickly shut the window when I heard heavy foot steps coming up the stairs. My door was suddenly slammed open, there stood my dad, he was very angry, the vein in his throat was pulsing wildly, His hand against my door and his eyes seem to be blazing red. I knew I was in deeper trouble now than I was earlier, which seemed impossible. I took one more step forward, like an animal my dad watched me I could almost see him snarl, as his breathe huffed out like red smoke, but only in my imagination did I see that, I shook my head to clear it, "Get out of my room," I hissed out, "NOW!" My eye narrowed.
"This is still MY house."
"And this is STILL my room!" I yelled back.
His hands clenched, if he had claws there would have been five grooves deep in the wooden door.
This was my sanctuary, not his. I took a threatening step forward to let him know I meant business, "Get out of my room!"
It was then he made his biggest mistake, his big form towered over me as he reached to grab me, his big hands clamping down on my forearms. I could feel the bruises forming as he started shaking me, hard. For a split second my neck snapped back and forth, the pain in my head and neck became unbearable as I glazed into my fathers hate filled eyes, this was it.
My father never loved me, no one did in this family, and no matter what I did or tried to do I could never be anything but a burden for them I could never make them proud of me that was saved for my brothers. But no more, my heart turned bitter. My healing power became a weapon as my eyes snapped to his, I smirked, as my hands went underneath his and between thrusting, forcing his hands from my arms. Anger fueled threw me as my power that was a positive to me turned into a negative, with three words my powers were unleashed, "I hate you!"
I was in a daze as I remember vaguely my father fall to the floor and seeing my mom come in and falling on her knees beside him. As I was hauled away my mothers tear filled eyes locked with mine a brief second, "I am pressing charges; Take her away officers, I NEVER want to see that bitch again! That THING is not my child!"
Pain ripped through me as the mother I once knew turned away from me, her own child, her only girl, the one person who was suppose to protect me and be the most precious thing to her abandoned me. My hands clenched digging my fingernails into my palm. I was practically pushed down the stairs but I didn't care my heart cried in denial.
At their rough handling I was pushed out the back door and was slammed onto the hood of the squad car, I huffed watching unseeingly into the shiny black hood watching my breathe pool and then fade away, wishing I would fade or wake up from this nightmare, it was only yesterday I was a hero and now I am a pariah.
I barely recall them searching me for weapons, before they hauled me up by the handcuffs and pulled me by the arm to the back seat of the squad car, I tripped over my own feet as they opened the door and started pushing the top of my head, I glance up to see both of my brothers standing there in the big bay windows watching without expression or emotions in their faces.
That was the last straw as I relaxed and let them guide me into the car and to my awaiting fate. I bet your wondering why I didn't just fly away…I couldn't it would be against my better nature, deep in my heart I know I did wrong of hurting my father. But my soul had a deeper scar and I should have flown when I had the chance.
I was alone in a 9 x 12 cell staring at the wall, I was on suicide watch. I don't even remember how long I have been here it feels like eternity. The lines on the wall blurred, I have stopped counting the holes in the ceiling a long time ago. They were afraid of me, the whole entire police force was afraid of little ole me, I realized that when I was brought in and booked, their eyes were full of fear, in this small town, it was a rarity to find an honest-to-goodness 'freak' here, it was unheard of in this small perfect town.
'Perfect, my ass.' I scoffed. The ride over was brief but it put a lot of things into perspective this was a fork in the road for me, should I go left or right, good or bad, hero or villain, the choice was mine…
As I stared at the wall a weird sensation swept threw me, warmth spread through every part of my body.
**Child? **
My eyes looked up and around, no one was in here, have I finally snapped?
**No child you haven't, you are completely sane. **
**What do you want? ** I was getting agitated.
**You child are a special breed. **
**Breed? What am I a dog? **
A deep chuckle echoed in my mind, ** No child, you have a special gift that you are not aware of. **
** What is it? **
** It is an ability that could bend time and space, you have that power. **
I became suspicious, ** Why do I have this power and why should I believe you? **
** I know your heart has been torn little one but you must believe me, you have the power to change your outcome, to change this situation, to bend back time to where you are still apart of your family! **
** Why should I? Should I have not helped Brian when he got hurt? Should I have not healed him? Knowing I could have, but being selfish living my life to the fullest? While knowing his life is miserable? It made me see that no matter what I did or helped it only accomplished making me parents hate me more! **
There was a moment of silence…then. **You passed the test child. No matter what optical were put in your way you have put another well-beings in front of your own. For that your hidden ability will be unlocked for you. **
I sat there in shock as something in my mind was knocked free, as I saw a bubble appear in front of my eyes. I saw my life going in reverse. As I watched the term, 'As your life flashes before your eyes,' took on a new meaning for me, the flashes of my life, the good, the very bad, and the happiness of my younger years shined past my face, as if waving to me. I know what I was doing was the right thing to do.
I had to do this the guilt was pressing against my heart, my dad didn't deserve what I did to him, I had to…I have to do this. The last image was the beginning of my life, my conception; I took all the memories of me, everything that happened, my birth, my childhood, and my teen years, wiping them from their memory, forever. It was the final breath, the silence before the plunge. It was moment of hesitation and the moment of truth for me, as I snapped my fingers, my mom handed my father the condom, "Just in case, Hun." She smile up at him, I shivered as I snapped my eyes shut, 'Ewwwww.' Then there was darkness…
**Where am I? **
**At the beginning. ** It was that voice again.
** Why is it so dark? **
** It is always dark in the beginning…**