The lights of Jump City showed brightly around me. I had finally made it. The trip had been long and grueling, but here I am.
What if I really am alone?
What if there are no other kids like me?
What if there are, but I'm too different for them?
What if…
What if…
What if…
I pushed back the blur of worries but in slipped another slew of thoughts: hundreds of miles away in my hometown of Greenhill my foster parents would be arriving home from their relentless jobs and find their daughter to be missing. They'd be filled with grief, anger, regret, and briefly, they'd be filled with sheer joy for being removed of the burden that I had been on them for the past fourteen years I've been alive.
The scents from a nearby food vender tugged at my senses. I hadn't had a decent meal in two days, if you don't count the half box of stale graham crackers I found while camping in a tree house in someone's back yard. I was incredibly thirsty, too. My last drink had been from a water-fountain in a rest station two hours ago. It's not that I didn't bring any money; it was that I wanted to save it in case I couldn't find them right away. I tugged out a crumpled five dollar bill and headed for the tantalizing smell.
The vendor was quiet and melancholy as he gave me my sweet tea and my chicken strips. I would have asked him what was wrong, but I had the feeling that sort of thing didn't go over well in the big city—well, that, and I already knew what was wrong. It was a part of my powers. I could hear people's thoughts, jump into their minds, implant ideas, and I've even controlled someone before. I'm a monster.
I walked toward a small bench on the side of the road, most likely an old bus stop. I hungrily scarfed down my meal and sucked down my tea. It was all gone in a matter of minutes. A slur of anxious thoughts entered my mind as a large man walked toward me. To avoid the stranger, I hopped off the bench and on to the road, hurrying across the street to the other side.
"Hey, cutie, where are you going?" He called out to me. I chanced a glance back at the man drawing nearer. I hurried my pace slightly and headed down the street. I could hear some rancid thoughts from the man as he became equally as fast as me.
Faster. Faster. Faster. I did not come all this way to become this man's entertainment of the night.
Shifting directions, I walked toward a darker street, hoping he wouldn't see me. I dashed quickly and ran to the alley. Upon entering the street I found another opportunity to look back at my pursuer. He had followed me in and was grinning deviously. I turned quickly and ran faster into the darkness—then I hit it. A wall.
"Nowhere to go now, sweetie." His voice drawling out, hard liquor dripping off of his slurred vowels.
I backed against the wall,"J-just leave m-me alone! I d-don't want to h-hurt you!"
"Please, what would a pretty little thing like you be able to do to me?" He laughed.
"Hopefully y-you won't have t-to find out!" due to a nervous stutter, my threats sounded empty.
"Don't worry, doll, I just want to play." I suddenly felt cool fingers on my cheek.
"Then come play." The voice entered the alley. It was strong and loud, yet its owner couldn't be much older than me.
Confusion gripped the man as he turned his head and saw the boy. Once again he chuckled as if this was all a silly game.
"Oh no, a little boy! What am I going to do?" The man said in a mock-scared voice.
"You're going to go to jail." The boy jumped up and landed softly in front of me, blocking the way of the man.
A look of shock slid onto his face as he saw the boy clearly, but was quickly replaced with his grin, "Now, now, Robin, just go and leave me to my prey." I winced at the word 'prey'.
Robin? As in the leader of them? The others like me?
Robin moved swiftly and suddenly had a long silver staff. He wacked the man hard in the head and he stumbled backward, obviously having a headache from his already drunken mind. The man stood back up and grabbed his head, but lashed back surprisingly fast and grabbed Robin around his legs before punching him in the gut. Robin let out a low moan.
Think, Salem! Think!
I focused directly on the man's mind. Slipping down to my knees as my temples throbbed.
'Stop fighting. You don't want to do this.'
He instantly got off of Robin. I looked warily at his eyes. They were now glowing silver, which was a side effect of my mind powers. A new wave of pain shot over my head with each look into the man's head.
'Now sit in the corner.'
My commands were strong yet sounded as if I were scolding a child. Still, the man listened and sat in the corner of the alley. Robin brushed himself off and looked warily at the guy.
"What just happened?" He mumbled.
I carefully raised my hand as if in trouble. I expected Robin to give the look, you know the one that everyone gives me when they first experience my powers? But he didn't, he stuck his staff back in his belt and walked over to me.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Yeah, I guess so." I brushed off my jeans as I stood. My head felt light from focusing so hard.
"How'd you do that?" He held me up by underarms when I waivered standing.
"I'm—unique—you could say. I have these abilities." I explained.