Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you, dear
I do not own the music or lyrics to this song. I have an idea though. All the Chapters of this story are/will be named after lyrics from songs. They might be songs that are relevant in tone/theme to the chapter, or they might not, but they're lyrics I think fit. My idea is that you guys guess what song the lyric is from. I might have a longer excerpt like this before the chapter, or I might not. I hope you have fun with my little game! I will not own the songs. I might own mp3s or CDs of them though. They could be from anything, I know a lot of different music. There aren't prizes or anything, I just thought it might be a bit of fun.
I do not own the X-men.
'Italics in speech marks' = telepathic speech
Just italics = Thoughts/things Fliss wants to say out loud
That's all I can think of to say at this time so on with the chapter.
SuperminionXD
I cried and cried and cried, until all of a sudden an eerie sense of calm washed over me. I slowly opened my stinging eyes. The white light was back. The only problem was, this time I was deep under my covers, I should be in a warm 'cave' of darkness. But I wasn't the folds of my flowery duvet cover were lit up by the soft glow. Had I laid on top of my torch by accident? No, that didn't seem right, I'd have noticed. I blinked several times over, the light was still there, soft and white just like in my white haven place.
I pulled my duvet off my face, there was still no sign of the light's source. I brushed a few pale strands from in front of my eyes, in the glow they seemed almost luminescent themselves, so did my hand. Wait… my breath caught, as something truly crazy popped into my head. Shakily I pushed the duvet slowly down my body. The rest of my body seemed to shine too, even through my nightdress. For ages I just stared, not sure how to react. If my voice had worked, I might have screamed. But it didn't, so I couldn't.
I sat up and slipped my glowing feet into my slippers and tiptoed over to my wardrobe. Inside the door the full-length mirror showed a glowing figure, like an animated ghost only more solid. The eyes scared me the most, the iris glowed brighter than the rest, an almost bluish silver. It made the pupils stand out like ink, they were the only things that didn't seem to be glowing. With a jerk I ran and jolted the curtains shut. No one could see her like this. She looked like a monster from a horror film. My hair shimmered and lit up like optic fibres.
I curled up on the floor, staring at my reflection in the wardrobe mirror. I didn't know what to do, thoughts raced and swirled round my head.
What was I?
Why was I like this?
What happened?
Was it connected to my White Haven?
Why did this have to happen to me?
Why now?
Those questions and so many more churned about, all trying to compete for time. My head hurt from everything. Pearlescent tears trailed down my cheeks. I couldn't even cry without looking like I belonged on top of a Christmas tree. That thought made my chest ache. Would I always be like this? My head swirled and swirled, I don't know when but I must have fallen asleep.
It seemed like I only blinked and the room switched from dim to bright. Sunlight streamed through the chink in the curtain bathing both me and the wardrobe mirror. I stared in shock and confusion. My reflection was back to normal? My skin still looked pale, with the thin pink scratches, my hair its usual platinum blonde and my eyes watery blue. But… had it been a dream?
Experimentally I stuck out my arm, out of the sunbeam. In the stark contrast, the skin the light didn't touch took on a slight silver-white hue. It wasn't as bright as it had been in the completely dark room, but still there if you knew to look for it. It was like I was some sort of glow-in-the-dark star, except a living person not a plastic star. I shuffled across the floor so that I all of me was in the light. Somehow it was comforting that I could look normal still.
I couldn't believe any of this at all.
According to the flashing red numbers on my CD player it was 9:57. I could hear the normal bumps and clatters of Dad in the kitchen and the low murmur of the TV told me where David and Sammy were.
They were still acting like normal.
I sat there, not knowing what to do.
I couldn't do normal.
Nothing would ever be normal again.
Even I wasn't normal.
I was a freak.
A weird glowing freak.
… I didn't want to be dissected…
A sharp ding cut through my thoughts. The doorbell? There was the distinctive clunk as Dad opened the door. Two voices, two men and a woman, I couldn't hear what they said but the woman had an accent I didn't recognise. For a while I heard only incomprehensible murmurs from the sitting room, interrupted occasionally by yelps and squeaks from David and Sammy, who had been evicted from the living room.
"Flissie! Could you come down here?" Dad yelled up the stairs. I instinctively opened my mouth to reply. Then closed it again, choking back yet more tears. I stood up and opened the curtains fully, using the new light to find myself the first clothes that came. Black leggings and a long rose-coloured jumper. I stared once more at my reflection. In the total light I looked almost normal, though my red-raw eyes still had eerily bright irises. I put on a pair of black and silver sunglasses I found under the bookshelf to cover them. I didn't want to take any chances. I hurriedly took my brush to my hair then took a deep breath and ventured out into the hallway.
I peeked through the slit in the living room door, on the sofa next to Dad, was a professional-looking black woman with white hair and pulled up next to the TV was a bald man in a wheelchair. I had never seen either of them before. As for the other man, he seemed to be standing by the door, I could only see part of his hairy arm.
"As you can see" the wheelchair-man was saying "The Institute would provide, I believe, the best support for Felicity in her current… shall we say unique situation"
"I see. And how did you come to be aware of Fliss?" Dad asked, seemingly examining some sort of leaflet with interest and confusion, "I have yet to fill out any of the appropriate paperwork"
"At the Xavier Institute we are always on the lookout for any new students we may be able to help" The woman spoke this time. Her white hair contrasted greatly with her dark skin, which was weird because I thought black people tended to have brown or black hair and she didn't seem old or anything. She looked nice though, I decided I might like her.
Suddenly Sammy came running in, his arms wide pretending to be an Aeroplane. He ran around the room like a whirlwind and managed to knock off a pile of paperwork from the coffee table. The Hairy-man let out what I could only describe as a growl. Even though I couldn't see him, I could tell he was glaring daggers. The woman gracefully got up from the sofa and began to pick up the papers.
"Please Logan!" the Wheelchair man reprimanded the Hairy man.
"It's fine" Dad said nervously "David, why don't you take your brother upstairs, while you're at it you can see where Fliss is at. And don't fight."
"Ok Daddy" David's voice replied, he soon came into frame, grabbed the Aeroplane by the arm. "Come on, Moron"
Dad frowned at that, but didn't end up saying anything. My breath hitched as I realised that in order for them to go upstairs they would have to open the door and reveal me.
"Felicity, you can come in now" the Wheelchair man announced. I almost gasped, how did he know I was here? The door swung open and I was exposed. I automatically opened my mouth to justify myself. Then I closed it. Why did I keep doing that?
Tears threatened.
I felt so visible, they all stared at me. Had they noticed? Did they see me glowing? No! They couldn't know! No-one could know! David trotted indignantly past me, dragging Sammy by the elbow. Sammy looked shocked and confused.
"Mr Cadbury, if my associates may discuss our offer with Felicity in private?" The wheelchair-man asked calmly.
"Certainly, Professor" Dad nodded sedately, "But her communication is limited right now"
"I'm sure we can work past that" the woman smiled warmly.
"Of course" Dad replied, he turned to leave, "Let me know when you're finished"
I stepped awkwardly sideways into the room to allow him to pass. I was left completely alone with the three strangers.
"Hello, Felicity, would you like to take a seat" The Wheelchair-man (…Professor?) suggested, gesturing to the arm chair across from him.
Mummy's chair.
I shook my head. I'd rather stand than sit there.
'Don't worry, you are among friends'
I looked around wildly, none of the three had moved their mouths, where had the voice come from?
"Felicity, my name is Professor Charles Xavier. I run an institute for gifted children in America. I would like to invite you to join, if you wish" the Wheelchair-professor, I put my head on one side in confusion, why would a private school in America want me? How was I 'gifted'? Unless…? Professor Xavier nodded slowly. "It is an institute for Mutants, people who, like yourself, have unique gifts which they themselves may not entirely understand. At the Institute we can help you control your gifts and use them for the betterment of mankind"
My mouth hung open in shock.
They knew about my glowing?
There were other people like me? Well I knew there were superheroes in America, but there were hardly any in England!
Why would…?
Could they help me stop glowing?
Or find out why it happened to start with?
"Well, Chuck, what's she think?" the wild-man asked gruffly. What did he mean by that?
"Logan!" the Lady snapped.
"It's ok" the Professor said calmly, "Felicity, as I previously mentioned, there are people who are able to do things that normal people cannot. You are one of those people, as are we. As I said before, you are among friends"
The Voice!
The voice from earlier was him?
Now that I thought about it, it was almost like the words had been in my head… but also not… the whole thing made my head hurt.
"I know this is rather shocking for you, especially with all your other circumstances, but I assure you, we only want to help" the Professor stated comfortingly, it seemed almost as if he had… read my mind…? Wait…
I looked at the man suddenly in a new light. He gave a small smile, as if acknowledging my realisation. I turned to look at the Woman who sat next to him, my head on one side in curiosity. Was she the same?
The Professor gave her a small nod.
"My name is Ororo Munroe, but at the Institute I am known more commonly as Storm" She again smiled her warm smile, "I am able to control the weather"
I looked at her with wide eyes. Show me, I want to see! I thought, intrigued.
"Not inside, I'm afraid Felicity" Professor Xavier said with a chuckle. I looked at him, this time with only mild shock, I had kind of expected it that time. "Why don't you show us?"
I looked around nervously. I still wasn't sure about all this, but these people were like me, weren't they? They wouldn't want to hurt me if they were the same, would they? The Professor and Storm I kind of trusted, but the wild-man in the corner I knew nothing about. But if they trusted him, maybe I could too? I slowly walked to the window and pulled the curtains closed. I took off my sunglasses and showed them all my silver-white self.
I stood there for a few seconds, then tugged the curtains quickly open again and replaced my glasses, just in case anyone came in unannounced. I had no idea how Daddy would react. I just wanted it to be normal, for him to treat me normal. If he found out about this then that would never happen.
"Very interesting" the Professor commented. Their reactions weren't anything like I'd though, neither scared or in awe, just like it was normal. As if I'd just drawn a particularly good picture or something.
"So, she's a glowstick" the wild-man grunted.
"That is a rather blunt way of putting it, Logan" The professor looked disapproving, "I'm sure there's more to Felicity's mutation we have yet to discover. After all, this is all very new to her"
More? What could be more than glowing? Would I glow so bright it would be seen in daylight? No! That couldn't happen! I just want everything to be normal again!
"I'm very sorry about that, Felicity, but that is beyond our control. All we can do is help with what is happening now" The Professor answered my string of thoughts.
Fliss.
I corrected I my head. Somehow it felt better knowing I could keep something the same.
The Professor let out a small chuckle.
"I'm sorry. Fliss."
I returned a small smile. It felt weird after everything that had happened.
"Ororo" he continued, "Would you kindly let Fliss's father know we are done here?"
The dark-skinned woman stood up, straitened the paperwork and left the room. A moment later she returned with Daddy.
"So, Flissy, what do you think?" He sounded falsely cheerful. I shrugged awkwardly.
"Well, we must be going now" the Professor announced, as Logan began manoeuvring his wheelchair towards the front door.
"We look forward to hearing your answer, Fliss" the Storm-lady smiled warmly as she collected up the papers and handed the appropriate ones to Dad.
When they were gone, I sat cross-legged on the floor running my fingers across the raised glossy letters on the cover of the prospectus. The picture was of a large brick mansion, the kind that looked like it could've been in England, only it wasn't. It was in America. It may as well be a billion miles away. Did I really want to go that far? Even if it was to find out what was happening to me…
I needed to think about this. That was the only thing I could be certain of. I left the shiny leaflet open on the floor and snuck silently out of my bedroom, downstairs and out the door. I couldn't think properly inside, all the emotions and memories mixed up inside me like churning butter. But out in the fresh air I felt somehow cleaner, and the bright spring sunlight comforted me.
I skirted the edge of town, cutting through several wide tree-lined lanes. If it stayed this bright then no-one would ever find out about me. I'd have to hide at night though, like a reverse Vampire, and it would get harder towards winter with the days shortening… No, it wouldn't work, someone was bound to notice… this was all so CONFUSING!
"Hey, Girlie, what's a little thing like you doing alone round here? Shouldn't you be in school" I was so lost in thought I hadn't noticed the three burly teens that now approached me until it was too late. If I'd had my voice still, I'd have screamed, but I didn't. So I couldn't. I hated all this SO much. I turned at tried to run, but they suddenly had me cornered. "Trying to run home to Mummy, are we?"
NOOO! I wanted to scream and cry, but all that happened were tears welling in my eyes.
"Crybaby" one of the two shadow-bullies sneered, "What do you have to say about that?"
I wanted the yell at them to shut up and go away. But I couldn't. I was completely helpless, fear filled me from head to toe.
"You're at the wrooong place at the wroong time" the leader spoke slowly and menacingly, drawing out the vowels like he was imitating a gangster from a film. He drew back his fist, aimed straight at my chest.
NOO! STOP IT! I wanted to yell at the top of my voice, someone would hear and come help. But I couldn't. The tears ran hot down my face. On instinct I threw my arm up to try and block the punch.
There was a silver-white flash.
The three bullies were sprawled on the tarmac path. They skittered away without even getting up properly.
"Girl's a freak!"
"We're outta here!"
"Quick, before she fries our brains or sum'in'!"
They were gone.
I stared as the glow of my arm faded back to its original barely-there state.
I stood in a state of shock.
I had to find out about this, control this.
I had to go to the Xavier Institute.
So, that's it for this week. Next I plan to do a chapter for Voices which should be in the next week or two. As I said over there, I plan to alternate updates on both stories usually every one-two weeks. That is my plan at the moment anyway.
Leave any guesses for the song the lyric comes from as a review, any other reviews are also much appreciated XD (fyi the answer for the first chapter was 'This isn't the End' by Owl City, I thought I'd do that one as an example) I do not own the songs.
Bye for now,
SuperminionXD
