Chapter 7: Remembering An Old Dream

Crystal stood on the roof with a man about six foot six. He had broad shoulders with a muscular build. His hair was blonde with red streaks and blue eyes. The sun shined down on his rough tan skin. "Okay honey you ready?" said the man smiling down at her.

"I am ready Daddy," she told him softly. Taking a step off the roof he levitated and stood before her.

"Okay honey you know how to move objects with your mind. Now let's see if you can levitate. The trick is to relax your body. Feel light like a feather like I told Morgan when she learned to fly. Just relax and jump," he told her.

"What if I fall?" Crystal asked hiding her fear.

"I will always catch you honey now come on jump," he said softly. His blue eyes locking with hers and Crystal breathed gently. Relaxing her body and closed her eyes and leaped off the roof. For the first 10 seconds she felt free. But fear took her and she felt herself falling.

"Ahhh, Daddy help!" Crystal screamed as she fell.

"Crystal!" her father yelled and used his hands to pull her back onto the roof. She landed safely and he floated over to her. Placing his hands on her he looked down at her. "You okay honey?" he asked calmly.

"Yes, sorry I failed you Daddy," Crystal sniffed. She was eleven years old and still couldn't levitate like her dad. In her mind she was beginning to think she was a failure and would never be a hero. In their game Hero World a hero masters their powers and has to do a great act of heroism to get their super power name. Her dad's name was Mega Man. It was corny but he loved it and Crystal wanted to be just like him.

"Never say that Crystal you will never fail me," he told her firmly. "You will master your powers it will just take some time you are still young have no fear," he said and kissed her forehead. "Now come on I think your mom is cooking breakfast," he said smiling.

"Okay Daddy," she said and they went inside their house. In their house an elderly man that had silver gray hair and gray eyes was watching a football game. He wore a pair of blue overalls and a white t-shirt and sat in a red chair.

"Come on boys get the ball yeah," he said happily as he punched a hole in the couch.

"Dad, please mind the super strength, we can't afford to fix another couch," Crystal's dad said.

"Sorry son, just forget my strength sometimes," Crystal's grandfather said. "So, how did the levitating go girl?" he asked Crystal. He always called Crystal girl or young lady it was cute.

"I fell again," she said frowning.

"Oh don't frown girl you will get it, it took your Daddy till he was fourteen to levitate trust me you will get it," her grandfather said. Crystal smiled and went into the kitchen. Her little brother Daniel was helping their mother make plates and Morgan who was six was helping their grandmother cook breakfast. While their mom was giving a four year old Rose her food.

Their mom was five foot two with black curly hair with light tan skin. Her eyes were storm gray and she wore a white blouse and jeans. Their grandmother was an older version of their mom with green eyes and black hair with gray streaks. "Hey Julie," her father said kissing his wife.

"Oh Rick you are back how did the levitating go?" her mom asked.

"I fell," Crystal said.

"Oh don't worry honey you will get it," her mom said hugging her.

"So, I see my little man is helping his grandmother. That is good how is my sweetie Morgan and my baby Rose?" asked their father. He gave them all individual nicknames to show how much he respected their different personalities and to make them each feel special.

"They are doing just fine," Crystal's grandmother said and Rose began to pout.

"Grandma eggie too hot," she said sadly.

"Oh I can cool it off," the grandmother said and breathed a small bit of cold air on the eggs and Rose ate them happily. Soon the entire family was eating and talking happily. Her dad was holding onto his coffee cup when it slipped and a bit of hot coffee was going to land on Daniel. Their mother used her hands and a purple force field that covered Daniel so the coffee wouldn't touch him.

"You okay Danny Boy?" their mom asked.

"Yes, mama," he said gently. Each of the children inherited different powers but since Crystal was the first born she would inherit two of her parents' powers. She was able to move things with her mind, like her dad. And Crystal was able to form force fields like her mom. Her brother and sisters got combinations of powers from their relatives. And some powers of their own. Since super hero children could have many powers they honestly didn't know what powers they would get. Morgan could read minds like grandma but could fly and Daniel inherited the screech power from granddad but could also run fast. Rose got the invisible power from mom but a new gift to create illusions.

Later in the afternoon Morgan wanted to go to a new ice cream shop outside their game. It was a new game where the player had to make the right sundae under a time limit as fast as possible.

"Crystal dear could you take Morgan to this ice cream shop?" their mom asked.

"Yes, ma'am" Crystal said.

"I want to go too," Daniel said.

"Me too! And Kitty!" Rose exclaimed holding her black panther in her arms.

"Okay come on guys let's go," Crystal said.

"Be careful kids," their mom said. Their dad and mom hugged them and their grandparents kissed them good bye. That was the way they also said goodbye whenever one of them left somewhere. Unbeknown to the young children that would be the last time they would ever see their parents again and grandparents again.

An hour later they returned Crystal saw a huge crowd around their game. "Daniel watch Morgan and Rose I will be right back," Crystal said as she moved towards the crowd. "What is going on?" she asked a character.

"It was horrible the game was unplugged suddenly everyone in there was trapped no one could get out in time. Everything is just gone so horrible," the character cried. Crystal's eyes went wide and she pushed forward and came upon the scene that made her heart break. The place where her game was now, stood an empty black room. She ran inside to see if her mom and dad were okay. Crying out for her grandparents but nothing remained.

Soon the crowd dispersed for they couldn't do anything. Crystal came out and fell to her knees as her brother and sisters raced over to her. "Crystal what is wrong where is mama and dad? Or granddad and grandma?" Daniel asked.

"They are gone everyone is gone," she sobbed. Morgan and Daniel may have been young but they knew what Crystal met. Rose was too young to understand and just cried for her sisters and brother were crying. The four orphaned children held each other for now they were all each other had.

Crystal awoke with a jerk as tears fell from her face. She hadn't dreamt about that day in two years. During their time running away from the bad man she went in search of their parents. Thinking they or their grandparents got out but she never found anything. They were gone and Crystal had to step up and be a mom and dad to her siblings. It was painful and Specks seeing her distress licked her hand and nuzzled up to her.

"Watch them Specks I am going to get some water," Crystal said and left the room. She walked into the kitchen and chugged some water but the tears fell from her face. Her life was filled with fear and sadness. Sooner or later the Bad Man would find her and her siblings. Crystal felt so alone and scared. She was only 13 and she was supposed to be drooling over boys or whatever 13 years old did. Instead she was making sure her sibs had food and were safe. Sometimes she wished she would wake up and her parents would be alive. That her grandparents were alive and they still lived in their game.

"I am so tired," she sobbed as she sank to the floor.

"Crystal," came a soft voice. She looked up and saw Felix staring at her. He heard her crying and went to investigate. "Are you okay?" he asked. She looked at him and saw nothing but concern for her. Morgan said she could trust him but Crystal couldn't trust anyone. For every time she did they stabbed her in the back or left her. Still he seemed different and Crystal was tired of being brave. "Look Crystal I know you don't trust people but no one here will harm you or your siblings. This is a safe place and you may not trust me but if you ever need to talk. My ears are always welcome to you and I won't tell anyone. I know you told my wife some stuff and that is okay. But you can trust me too, and I will prove that to you," he said. His voice sounded so soft and kind that it reminded Crystal of her father. Crystal stood up and did something she hadn't done in two years.

She rushed into Felix's arms picking him up but soon fell to her knees. He was shocked but held her trembling body as she held onto him. "I am so scared Mr. Felix I am so afraid," she sobbed.

"It is okay Crystal just let it out," Felix said as he rubbed her back. Then Crystal told him what she told Mrs. Calhoun but added the part about her and her having powers. Told him what game they came from and Felix heard of that game. In the real world a robbery took place and the thief pushed Crystal's game to the ground breaking it and thereby destroying her family. Litwick couldn't buy a new one for it was a rare game and soon was off the shelf. So, for forty dollars Crystal and her siblings lost their family and world for forty dollars.

Crystal told Felix everything except about the Bad Man. That was one thing she couldn't tell anyone yet all she told Felix was that he was after them and Felix didn't push it. After her confession Crystal felt for the first time in her life happy again. Maybe trusting Felix wouldn't be so bad and when she went to bed she for the first time in two years had a peaceful night.

Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please review.