Jean Grey's Legacy

"Jean touched so many lives. We must remember and honour her memory - "

My mother squeezed my hand as the Eulogist continued to paint a picture of my Aunt's life that couldn't have been further from the truth. Grandpa Samuel had banned all mention of Jean's dedicated lifetime of work fighting for mutant rights from the eulogy, all because my Aunt had been born different, she had abilities as Grandma Kathy used to call it. They'd sent her away when she was ten, to a special school in Westchester and subsequently my Aunt never came back home, she stayed on at the school and became a teacher. I'd been fourteen when my own abilities had started to manifest and Mom had hid it from the rest of the family save for Jean. My Aunt had wanted me to come down to the school but Mom had point blank refused to let me go. It wasn't that she was ashamed that I was a mutant but more so she was scared for what that word meant for my future. As the Eulogist wrapped up the speech, we all rose to her feet as Eva Cassidy's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" blared from the speakers and Jean's casket was carried outside. I clutched Mom's hand tighter as we followed Grandpa and Uncle Mark, the rain lashing down against the casket as it was carefully loaded into the back of the hearse. I looked off to my left and saw a dozen parked cars, several people of all ages standing out in the open watching us. They were all dressed in black and all wore solemn expressions but there was an overwhelming sense of respect amongst them and my attention was drawn to one man in particular that stood off on his own. His dark hair was stuck against his forehead, his eyes were narrowed like slits as the rain got heavier but it was the expression that he wore on his face that struck me the hardest. He looked lost. I wondered if they were from the school, since Grandpa had deliberately stopped them all from coming to the funeral, stating it was for family and family only, seeing all of these people gathered together, I felt terribly sad as the truth was they were Jean's family, not us. My Aunt had been estranged from her parents for years, she hadn't come to Grandma's funeral & she loathed Grandpa. She spoke to Mom occasionally on the phone, mostly to talk about my telekinesis as I shared my Aunt's mutation. She never called me though, something that had bothered me for years, I started to wonder if Mom had asked her not to. There was a stillness as we watched the hearse slowly drive off towards the crematorium and I held Mom in my arms as she broke down in tears. As everyone started to make preparations to leave, I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to go over and speak to the people that had been robbed of paying their respects to my Aunt. I waited until my Uncle led my Mom towards the family car and I weaved my way through the labyrinth of headstones, the ground soft underneath my black pumps. The rain was getting heavier, my long dark hair stuck against my face as I pushed it back, the raindrops dripping down my face.

"We're jus' leaving ma'am, we won't be any trouble" a man around my age came towards me. "We jus' wanted to say goodbye."

"No, no, I'm not here to ask you to leave" I wiped the rain off my face. "Jean was my Aunt and she told me about your school, I - "

"Jennifer, get away from these people" Grandfather's voice called behind me and I turned around, feeling my mood deflate further. "You freaks aren't welcome here!" he shouted at them and I glanced back at the man that had spoken to me before trudging through the graves, back to my family, feeling dead inside.

"Jen, look at this" Mom called me over and I crouched down beside her as she showed me a photo of Aunt Jean when she was younger. "I think you look just like her here." I cocked my head to the side and squinted, I could see the family resemblance but I was hardly her double. Mom had always joked that she always thought Jean should've been a model and I could see why. She was tall and slender with great bone structure. I, on the other hand, was not. I'd struggled with how I looked all my life, I had really thick eyebrows that Mom refused to let me pluck as a teenager and I had been teased badly because of them throughout high school. I had rabbit teeth and pale skin. Pale eyes as well. I'd often stare at them in the mirror having never seen another person with the same shade of green that I had.

"Mom, do you think Jean ever wished she was normal?"

"Normal? What's normal nowadays?"

"You know what I mean" I looked right at her then. "It would be nice to just feel like a regular person for once."

"You shouldn't feel like you have to hide what you are."

"But I still have to hide it when Grandpa or Uncle Mark visit."

"That's different. There are reasons which I won't go into. Mark only comes by with your Grandpa is to show face, he can't stand being around me because I went against his wishes and married your Dad as soon as I turned eighteen, when your Grandpa passes, all this nonsense will stop I promise."

A few nights after my Aunt's funeral, I had a terrifying dream. I could see Jean standing on the edge of a great precipice, a tunnel of water spiraling like a tornado behind her. She turned around and her eyes turned black, her auburn hair changing into a fiery red as her mouth turned into a snarl. I woke with a jolt in my bed, experiencing that feeling you get when you feel like you are falling and suddenly awaken. I turned on my bedside lamp and felt the breath catch in my chest as I stared at my room. It was completely trashed, the dresser was turned on its side, soft toys were scattered everywhere and the wardrobe doors had been ripped from the hinges. The next morning my mother sat me down at the dining table, her lips pursed tightly together as she tucked red strands of hair behind her ears.

"There was no earthquake last night Jennifer."

"Are you sure?"

"Mr Kowalski next door didn't feel a thing & there was nothing on the news about it."

"Well maybe we have a poltergeist – " I started to laugh when she grabbed my hand across the table and grasped onto me tightly.

"This is not a joke!" she shouted and the blood rushed to my ears as I stared at her. "I was scared this day would come and it has."

"Mom - " I tried to pull my hand away but she held on.

"It started off just like this with Jean, then it got worse and worse until she couldn't control it anymore. That's when Pappy sent her away. Jennifer, my Jenny - " I watched in shock as her face crumpled and she started to cry. " - all I ever wanted to do was to protect you and I can't anymore. I should've been more honest with you."

"Ma, what are you talkin' about? You're scaring me" my eyes started to brim with tears.

"Charles Xavier is coming for you, he'll be here soon. You need to leave with him you understand. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry my darling girl but you can't come home until he's caged the beast. It's for your own good, do you understand?"

"I'm not going anymore" I backed up and the chair scraped horribly behind me. "This is crazy talk, this is all crazy talk, you sound just like Grandpa!"