X-Men, Tym-fic Prolog
They were fighting again, right over my head. I was slumped on the couch, trying to watch the news. They were talking about the Mutant Registration Act.
"With Senator Kelly's change of heart," the anchor said before my mother's voice rose above his.
"Are you listening to me?!" she yelled at my father, who was playing his latest computer game. "We're broke and you're playing a fucking game!"
I wished for the zillionth time that Sally had taken me with her when she'd run away years ago. I wished that she'd offered to take me where ever she'd gone.
The only reason I was staying now was the new baby, only six months old. My sweet, adorable, little brother. I longed to run, but I couldn't just leave poor Jake here. Not alone with those two.
"You asshole!" my mother's voice caught my attention again and I began flipping channels. "Go get another job and quit fucking around with that stupid computer!"
My father finally turned around to look at her. "Honey, I know things are tight," he said calmly. I loved him for putting up with my mom, but how long would it last? "Why don't you go take a nap?" With that, his headphones went back on and his mind vanished back into his game.
Muttering, she got up just as Jake began to cry. She swore and rushed out of the room towards the nursery. I suddenly got a weird chill down my spine. I slapped the power button on the television just as my mom started yelling again.
"Shut up!" she screamed over Jake's wailing. "I said, SHUT UP!! You miserable little brat, SHUT UP!!"
The crying stopped suddenly, so did the yelling. Something in me turned into brittle ice. I leapt up and ran from the room into the hallway and skidded to a halt at the nursery's doorway.
My mom stood frozen, stiffly holding her arms in front of her. Her face was pale and her eyes wide. Jake hung limply in her hands, his tiny neck bulged to one side.
"No," I whispered as I took in the scene before me. "No... NO!" I screamed, reaching towards the lifeless body of my only reason to stay.
That ice shattered inside of me, freeing something that both scared me and assured me.
Jake's body wrenched out of my mother's hands and flew into mine.
I touched my white lips to his cooling forehead and I felt his residual baby thoughts of wet and fear. I looked at her and something in my green eyes must have scared her. She backed up into the wall behind her, her thoughts invading my mind.
::Mutant! She's a fucking MUTANT, just like...::
"Shut up, you bitch," I hissed, cradling Jake against my chest as his body began to stiffen. "You just killed Jake, my only reason to put up with you. I'm taking him and leaving."
She squeaked, then slid down the wall in a faint.
I gently wrapped Jake's tiny body in a blanket and carried his corpse to my room. Holding him in one arm, I packed my backpack with some jeans, tees, underwear, and all the money I'd saved up. I shrugged my full-length, black leather trench coat over my blue jeans and purple tee. Placing the pack on my back, I headed out, pausing long enough in my parents' room to grab up the $300 emergency fund that dad kept hidden under the loose board.
With $878 to my name, I headed out to find a place of peace to bury the body of my beloved little brother. Then I would find Sally and tell her that she'd had a little brother that she'd never know.
They were fighting again, right over my head. I was slumped on the couch, trying to watch the news. They were talking about the Mutant Registration Act.
"With Senator Kelly's change of heart," the anchor said before my mother's voice rose above his.
"Are you listening to me?!" she yelled at my father, who was playing his latest computer game. "We're broke and you're playing a fucking game!"
I wished for the zillionth time that Sally had taken me with her when she'd run away years ago. I wished that she'd offered to take me where ever she'd gone.
The only reason I was staying now was the new baby, only six months old. My sweet, adorable, little brother. I longed to run, but I couldn't just leave poor Jake here. Not alone with those two.
"You asshole!" my mother's voice caught my attention again and I began flipping channels. "Go get another job and quit fucking around with that stupid computer!"
My father finally turned around to look at her. "Honey, I know things are tight," he said calmly. I loved him for putting up with my mom, but how long would it last? "Why don't you go take a nap?" With that, his headphones went back on and his mind vanished back into his game.
Muttering, she got up just as Jake began to cry. She swore and rushed out of the room towards the nursery. I suddenly got a weird chill down my spine. I slapped the power button on the television just as my mom started yelling again.
"Shut up!" she screamed over Jake's wailing. "I said, SHUT UP!! You miserable little brat, SHUT UP!!"
The crying stopped suddenly, so did the yelling. Something in me turned into brittle ice. I leapt up and ran from the room into the hallway and skidded to a halt at the nursery's doorway.
My mom stood frozen, stiffly holding her arms in front of her. Her face was pale and her eyes wide. Jake hung limply in her hands, his tiny neck bulged to one side.
"No," I whispered as I took in the scene before me. "No... NO!" I screamed, reaching towards the lifeless body of my only reason to stay.
That ice shattered inside of me, freeing something that both scared me and assured me.
Jake's body wrenched out of my mother's hands and flew into mine.
I touched my white lips to his cooling forehead and I felt his residual baby thoughts of wet and fear. I looked at her and something in my green eyes must have scared her. She backed up into the wall behind her, her thoughts invading my mind.
::Mutant! She's a fucking MUTANT, just like...::
"Shut up, you bitch," I hissed, cradling Jake against my chest as his body began to stiffen. "You just killed Jake, my only reason to put up with you. I'm taking him and leaving."
She squeaked, then slid down the wall in a faint.
I gently wrapped Jake's tiny body in a blanket and carried his corpse to my room. Holding him in one arm, I packed my backpack with some jeans, tees, underwear, and all the money I'd saved up. I shrugged my full-length, black leather trench coat over my blue jeans and purple tee. Placing the pack on my back, I headed out, pausing long enough in my parents' room to grab up the $300 emergency fund that dad kept hidden under the loose board.
With $878 to my name, I headed out to find a place of peace to bury the body of my beloved little brother. Then I would find Sally and tell her that she'd had a little brother that she'd never know.