X-Men: A New Beginning
Chapter 1 The Fateful Day
The sky illuminated in all hues of purple and red as the sun rose atop the eastern horizon. Its rays peered through a pair of crème glass windows allowing warmth and light to gather in the tiny room. A cool breeze rustled the curtains against the sill. The sweet sound of music filled the air as birds chirped atop the branches and sang to the morning dew. It was the sound of perfection. Taking in every ounce of the last days of freedom were vital. It was the end of summer and that meant only one thing. The beginning of a new school year.
Isabelle opened her eyes to the sun beaming in her direction. A soft sigh erupted from her lips and she pulled her pillow over her head. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was waking up to blinding brightness each and every morning. Dealing with reality was hard enough. The same old room, same old friends, same old life. Boring. To add to it all, school was right around the corner. In two hours her senior year at Mountain Valley High School would begin and her life would carry on behind bars.
A knock sounded from her bedroom door and a tall, slender woman protruded into the room. "Come on Isabelle, it's your first day of school. You can't be late. Get up." She threw open the curtains allowing the sun's rays to engulf her room to Isabelle's dismay. "You have one hour to get ready. Move it." This was the racket only a mother could make. Most definitely not a welcoming spirit in the least. Reluctantly the sheets were thrown down and the young girl swung herself out of bed. This was reality.
"Mom I had my alarm set. I'm a big girl you know," she groaned. Her mother shook her head as she picked up her daughters laundry that was diligently tossed across the floor. "Uh huh. Well breakfast will be done in a few minutes. Come down when you're ready." She slammed the door, leaving with a heaping pile of clothes in her arms. Isabelle staggered to the bathroom with a towel in tow. She glimpsed in the mirror above the sink and sighed. Her eyes were swollen and dark and her hair was tangled in knots. What a great morning already.
After getting herself ready, Isabelle grabbed her purse and book bag and headed downstairs. The scent of pancakes lingered in the air and her stomach grumbled in hunger. She sat at the dining room table and downed 2 large fluffy pancakes with a glass of apple juice. The sweet taste of freshly made breakfast perked her up a bit. Her mother tries her best to provide for them both, but it is always a hassle. Being a single parent is not easy and this common knowledge reflects her inner feelings of her mother's behavior. Unnecessary. "Thanks mom. See you after school. Have a good day at work." Isabelle closed the door behind her and sprinted to her car. It was nothing special. A pacific blue hatchback that she has come to realize is her lifeline. Without it, freedom was out of the question. With a quick start and lead foot, Isabelle sped out of the driveway and made her way towards school.
After waiting in traffic and dealing with ridiculous drivers, Isabelle finally made it to her school parking lot. She pulled into an open space and turned off the ignition. She glanced into her rear view mirror to apply moisturizer to her lips and tousle her hair. Even with products, her luscious blonde locks still remained frizzy. Humidity was to blame. With a sigh of surrender, Isabelle got out of her car and headed in for class. The bell rang just as she walked into the classroom and she sat down at an available desk. The teacher performed roll call and all the students were present. Skipping on the first day wasn't the brightest idea in this district. The teachers somehow manage to cover enough material for homework assignments to be given.
As the day lapsed, Isabelle found it harder and harder to avoid watching the clock. So far she learned how to spell her name six times and what she wanted to do when she grew up. A few assignments were given, but most of the material was already covered the year before. The bell rang and it was time for lunch. At this school, seniors had the choice of eating off of school grounds which Isabelle had looked forward to anxiously. She rounded up a few friends and they all decided to hitch a ride in her car to the nearest diner. "Ok, now tell me did anyone see how cute Aaron looked today? Ughh what a hottie. He was totally staring at you in Algebra Isabelle!" Isabelle chuckled at her friend Amanda and a deep red color rose to her cheeks. Aaron Russell used to be the man of the school. He played every sport there was and dated only the prettiest girls. He was known for his agility and speed, not to mention all around good looks. He was a transfer student from some school out in the far west.
"I heard he dumped Cassie after that freak accident he was in. Totally traumatizing. I don't know how you come back from that," uttered her other friend Nicole. Aaron was hit by a drunk driver at the end of the last school year. A few of his friends saw what happened and of course within a few hours everyone else knew too. It was a man who just ended his relationship with his wife after finding out she was cheating on him. A couple drinks at the bar and the next thing you know you have a 17 year old kid smashed in your windshield. The sad part is after learning of his twenty year sentence to prison, he committed suicide. The freaky part about the accident is that Aaron didn't only survive, but he left the incident without a scratch on him. He changed completely after that day.
"How could you still like him after he turned into a total jerk?" Isabelle's friend Nicole stated.
"I don't know, hmmm, maybe it's because he is still good looking? He just gained a badass streak. Nothing wrong with that," Amanda sighed with a goofy grin. The girls chuckled and shook their heads as Isabelle pulled into the diner. She parked next to a jet black sport and immediately recognized the design. It was Aaron's! The girls frantically searched for him through the windows of the diner and found him sitting with a group of odd looking people near the entrance. The girls jumped out of the car and headed into the diner. They were seated at the table right behind them. Isabelle sat facing away from the boys and her two friends immediately opted for the seats facing them. The girls quickly ordered their meals and caught up with their summer experiences.
As their conversation became more involved, Isabelle had this unnerving sensation that someone was staring in her direction. It felt as though someone intended to bore a hole in the back of her head. She turned around to see who the culprit was. It was Aaron. She quickly jerked her head back with an embarrassed expression. He really was staring at her.
"Oh my god, he totally has it for you," Amanda ranted. Isabelle threw her face in her hands and groaned in dislike. The last thing she needed was a boy, let alone Aaron Russell, to take an interest in her. He was a troublemaker. His crowd went from sport jocks to misfits. His attitude changed for the worse and it seemed as if he was angry at the world. She didn't know what caused this change, but she didn't want anything to do with it that's for sure. Isabelle felt a nudge on her foot and she peeked at her friend through her fingers.
"What?" She looked up from her hands and came into contact with Aaron's eyes as he stood over their table. They were as dark as night and the sun reflected off of them making them appear as if they were glowing.
"Hey. You're Isabelle right?"
"Yeah. What's up?" She replied nervously.
"I was just talking about you. Is that your car out there next to mine?" Aaron inquired.
"Yeah…" Isabelle wondered where he was going with this. Did she scratch his car or something? Aaron smirked and reached into the back pocket of his jeans. He pulled out his wallet and laid a twenty dollar bill down on their table. "Cool. See you later." Aaron turned around and walked out to his car where his group of friends stood waiting. Isabelle didn't recognize them from her school.
"Wow. That wasn't awkward," Nicole blurted in surprise.
"Why would he ask you about your car?" Nicole asked with a raised brow.
"I don't know." Amanda sneered and took towards the exit. Nicole and Isabelle followed her thanking their waitress for her service on their way out. The girls jumped in the car and drove back to school reveling in their short conversation.
Isabelle sat in her English class thinking of why Aaron would take an interest in her. Nothing stood out about her. Standing five foot four, one hundred thirty pounds, straight blonde hair, fierce sky blue eyes, and no fashion sense. Why would he be interested in an average person? Isabelle glanced to her side where Aaron sat near the door. He was texting under his desktop. He glimpsed over in her direction and threw her a smile. Isabelle quickly averted her vision to the other side of the room and blushed. Maybe he really was into her.
The bell rang signaling the end of the school day. 'Finally!' Isabelle thought. She sprang from her seat and left for her car. She plopped into the driver's seat, turned on the car, and was on her way. The music blared through the speakers and Isabelle moved to the beat. She turned off the main highway onto a side road and sped towards her home. Back roads were always quicker than the main roads. No traffic and no cops. She shifted gears and accelerated around the windy turns. Fast approaching was the power factory on her left. It fed energy to the whole city and was one of the largest employed facilities in her town.
Isabelle slowed down as she took a sharp turn around the factory when all of a sudden her car began to accelerate. She slammed on the brakes but the car did not react. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel as she frantically held on for dear life. The car veered off the road and headed in the direction of the power grid. Her eyes widened as she pulled on the door handle, but it did not budge. The car flew through the gated fence and sparks erupted on all sides of the vehicle. Every hair on her body began to rise and she felt an overwhelming sense of power begin to grow inside of her. As she glanced up, she saw a figure move in her rear view mirror, but it moved so fast she couldn't depict what it was. That was the last thing she recalled before plummeting into the super circuitry of high voltage equipment.
A huge jolt of energy rushed through her bones and a cry of pain released into the air. Her body felt as though it was forcefully breaking into tiny pieces. Her heart pumped so roughly, she thought it would burst through her chest. Never in her life did she feel such pain over her entire body. Tiny needles pricked at her skin and numbness overcame her. She couldn't move her limbs and fear overwhelmed her. This was it. This was how her life was to end. No more dreams of what the future would hold for her. No more seeing her mother. No more of anything. Darkness took her and her lifeless body sprawled in the wreckage.
The voltage equipment was shattered and an explosion of fire erupted from the power lines. The power plant staff quickly dispersed to the scene. Fire raged uncontrollably and the workers darted for their fire extinguishers. Sirens sounded as emergency personnel arrived to the location and scattered searching for any survivors in the rubble. There were none to be found. Just a totaled car beyond recognition and a heap of torn metal and coiled prongs from the voltage machines.
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.
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