Chapter Ten: Dark Horizon

I was silent for the rest of the day.

Not that this was anything new, mind you, but this time... I was silent because I was actually kind of scared.

You see, after lunch had ended, the reality of what I had so stupidly done had actually hit me pretty hard: revealing my strange new abilities to a couple of bullies was stupid, if not utterly crazy, especially considering how badly metahumans were treated by regular people.

And I only knew that much because of the Google search.

A lot of details concerning the present-day metagene crisis were kept under wraps, and since a lot of people liked to pretend nothing out of the ordinary was happening even though it oh-so obviously was, it was practically impossible for me to get info about it.

Trust me, I had tried.

And yet, despite the fact that losing my cool had been a stupid move, it woke me up for the first time.

You see, it wasn't until after I had nearly lost my temper that I'd realized this was all really happening. It hadn't hit me until that very moment, when Lilith and Mandy had turned to walk away, that my 'cool wind powers' or whatever they were could be dangerous. Mostly because it had all felt surreal.

Even when I'd lost my composure with the Queen Bees, I'd been addled with the realization that I had more to me than others. I'd felt empowered in comparison to them, which had given me that boost of confidence.

Which wasn't good at all, since most movies where someone abuses any sort of power in the beginning usually ends with he or she being the bad guy, even if they weren't bad to begin with.

A few hours ago I had been dazed and somewhat elated by my supposed gift.

Now?

Now I was caught in the 'oh, fuck!' stage, since I had absolutely NO clue how to handle it, or even how it worked.

This was a serious situation.

A VERY serious one.

And that's why, by the time school ended and I got on the bus, I was a silently shivering wreck.

Sitting next to Sarah was doing a good job of soothing my panicky worries, and it made me feel glad I'd decided to hang out with her. She was currently engrossed in a book about animals, humming a little song that only she could know. Even though I hadn't spoken, I genuinely wanted to.

She was the most understanding person I knew aside from Amber and Miss Figgins. And I think, out of everyone, she would have understood it the best. She was sitting so close to me, so close that I could almost feel her warmth on my shoulder. And yet... she was so far away.

I'll admit it. The reason I said anything at all was because I was too scared to deal with it alone.

I'm not perfect. I'm not made of stone. I get scared, too, even if I am mean.

"Sarah?" I murmured, swallowing when she glanced up at me. "Hey, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yes?" she asked, smiling a little. "What is it, Sally?"

My mouth opened and closed.

"Do you think the chemistry test coming up will be difficult?" I weakly asked, chickening out with a shiver. "I heard someone say that it's going to be super hard, even when compared to Mrs. Johnson's calculus exams."

"Oh, Gawd, I hope not!" Sarah groaned, eagerly latching onto the opportunity to converse with me; I felt a twinge of guilt flood through me, since I know I'd worried her with my distant behavior. She had been throwing glances at me ever since the lunch hour had ended. "Still, even if it is, there's nothing studying can't accomplish."

"I guess so," I said, looking out the window. "Math and science really hate me. I always get mixed up with the changing letters in algebra."

"Yeah, I do, too," Sarah admitted, looking at her book; then her eyes brightened and she beamed. "Hey! I just got a good idea!"

I glanced at her, quirking an eyebrow.

"Why don't you, me, and Amber form a study group?" she suggested, giving me an eager look. "That way she can catch up on today's work, and we can help you feel confident about the test!"

I blinked, considering it with a thoughtful guise and I was mildly amazed to realize I liked the idea.

"Actually, I'll take you up on that," I noted, giving her a surprised expression. "You had plans to stop by anyway since Amber stayed back sick, right?"

"Yeah, but I honestly think she was playing hooky," Sarah snorted, hooking a strand of platinum hair behind her ear when the bus jolted and made it slide forward. "Or, as she puts it, taking a mental health day."

"We all need a break once in a while," I muttered, shrugging when Sarah giggled and nodded; just before she looked down at her book again, a terrible ache assaulted my heart and I clenched my fists. "Um, hey... today at lunch, when Lilith and Mandy were harassing me... I... um..."

"Yes?" Sarah asked, blinking at me with a smile. "What is it?"

I sat there for a long moment, trying to figure out what I wanted to say in order to make the tightness in my heart go away. I opened my mouth, as if I were going to speak, but then I closed it again and lowered my eyes: not long after, a defeated feeling sank into my core, heavy and unpleasant. Shaking my head, I gave her a long look, and she frowned when I stared at her for several moments of silence.

Trying to convey a message that would most likely never get through.

Then, the sun vanished.

I turned and looked out the window, feeling a surge of panic flooding through me when I realized that, high above, clouds were coming in from out of nowhere, obscuring the beautiful plains of blue with a veil of gray.

"Are you okay?" Sarah finally asked, closing her book with a sigh. "I've wanted to ask multiple times since you look like something's actually bothering you for once, but until this point, I figured you had whatever's going on totally covered. Sally, look... I'm your friend, right? Just tell me what the problem is."

And that right there is what did it.

My shivers increased and I hugged myself, feeling panicky.

"Sarah..." I whispered, swallowing hard. "Help me."

She blinked, not processing the extent of my request.

"Okay," she coaxed, rubbing my shoulder. "Off to a good start. What do you need help with?"

By way of answering, I merely lifted my eyes and looked at her.

While she'd been talking, the blue haze had come back, and I knew without fail that my eyes were glowing.

If this haze was what I thought it was, they were radiating radiating luminescence from the inside out.

I knew my suspicions were true since looking at me startled her enough for her eyes to go buggy.

"What... the heck?" she whispered, staring straight at my eyes. "Ooookay... was NOT expecting that."

"What do I do?" I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut to hide it. "It started happening to me a few days before we first spoke, and now it's getting harder to stop. Please, Sarah, help me! I'm scared!"

"Oh, dear," she murmured, hastily looking around at the other students on the bus before looking at me. "Sally... this is serious. Glowing eyes are a really big sign that you have the metahuman gene."

"And what in the name of God's Green Earth is that supposed to mean?!" I hissed back. "I've gone through over a hundred websites on the internet, but I couldn't find a single shred of information about what a metagene actually is, where it comes from, or what to do when you have it! All that is a total void!"

Sarah bit her lip.

"U-um, okay," she stammered, thinking on it. "Okay, look, have you developed any strange abilities? Like, levitation or maybe just something out of the blue?"

I blinked, feeling my chest tightening.

"I... can control the wind, I think," I hesitantly admitted, sighing in relief when the haze behind my vision began to fade. "The other day in the park, I made a bunch of dust devils spring up out of nowhere, and I've done like a hundred tests just to make sure I'm not going nuts. I'm still tripping over it, but... how is this even possible?! Like, it's cool, but more than cool, its fucking scary! I don't know if I want it."

"The wind?" Sarah asked, eyes widening with wonder. "Wow! I figured it'd be something like ice, since you're always shivering."

I snorted.

"Yeah, no... thank God it's not ice," I muttered, shuddering at the thought. "I'm happy with just the wind, thanks."

"Oh, but Sally, ice is awesome!" Sarah sighed, then gave me a playful look and sang, "do you wanna build a snowman?"

I snorted a second time, then sarcastically sang my retort.

"Girl... let it go... let it go..." I warned, scowling when she burst into laughter. "Ugh... so corny."

"You know you love it," Sarah cackled. "In fact, maybe we should call you Elsa since you seem a little 'frozen' inside."

I gave her a deadpan expression.

"Really?" I drawled, sighing when she laughed even harder. "I'm trying to be serious here."

"Sally, the joking is my way of saying your secret is safe," Sarah said, clasping my hand with firm eyes. "It doesn't really bother me... it's just, I only wish you'd have opened up sooner. Bottling things up isn't good, so if you're having problems, talk to me, okay? We're friends, and trust is a key point in any sort of relationship you might have in the future. So, trust me like I trust you, okay?"

Her words, corny as it sounds, almost warmed me from the inside out.

Almost.

Even so, I felt relief flooding through me when the forming clouds once again began to dissipate.

"Yeah," I sighed, nodding. "Thank you."

"No problem," Sarah sighed, then looked at the ground. "Still, for Amber's sake, I have to ask. Do you want to tell her or not?"

I swallowed, thinking about it.

"I'd rather not," I reluctantly murmured. "It's not that I don't trust her, but the fewer people who know about this, the better. Especially since Lilith and Amanda caught a glimpse of my eyes doing the freaky glowing thing today at lunch."

Sarah's eyes instantly widened.

"No wonder you all looked so tense," she whispered, then clutched my arm. "Okay, we need a plan. Let's come up with something together."

"Um, what are you talking about?" I demanded. "I thought keeping my... whatever it is hidden from everyone was the plan."

"That's not a plan, Sally, and even if it was it wouldn't be a very smart one, especially if we're gonna be thinking about this long-term," Sarah countered, closing her book and giving me a worried expression. "We need a real plan just in case things go wrong."

"Well, if it were that easy to come up with one, I wouldn't be this freaked," I pointed out, huddling down in a futile attempt to get warm. "I have absolutely no idea what to do about this."

Sarah sighed, giving me a disbelieving glance.

"The answer is right in front of you," she murmured. "Don't you remember? Raven herself came to talk to you! She knew you had some sort of power, so she probably came to see if she could help you! Sally, you need to talk to the Teen Titans."

I blinked in surprise when I remembered the encounter I'd had with the hooded girl, but then a shiver ran down my spine. She hadn't come to help me, she'd come because she'd thought I was a threat to her.

I could still see the animosity that had been on her face from within my mind's eye.

"No, no, and no again," I instantly protested. "I'm not going anywhere near that girl!"

"Why not?" Sarah scoffed, mouth dropping open. "They know more about metagenes than anyone else in the whole city! The Titans could help you, Sally!"

"Not if they think I'm a threat," I grimly countered. "I met that Raven girl twice before she showed up at school, but how I met her was weird and now I'm pretty sure she has it out for me."

"What do you mean?" my friend inquired, swaying when the bus jolted. "You met Raven before she came to talk to you at school? When? And where?"

"As strange as this is gonna sound, I think it was in a dream," I hesitantly murmured, swallowing as I thought about it. "The first time I ever saw her was right after I stuck my hand in the kitchen fireplace, but -"

"Hold up, you did WHAT?!" Sarah squealed, eyes widening in horror; she instantly grabbed my hands and looked at them worriedly. "Sally, are you nuts?! Why would you stick your hand in a fireplace?!"

"I was cold," I deadpanned, ignoring how she gawked. "That's not the point, though. The point is, when I stuck my hand in the fire, instead of getting burned, some sort of shadow exploded from it and dragged me into this weird dreamland with a whole bunch of girls who all looked exactly like Raven. It was weird... they all had different-colored cloaks, and they all acted totally different."

"Well, it sounds like a cool dream," Sarah admitted, smiling a little, "but Raven has never been seen wearing anything but blue."

"Even if that's the case, it doesn't change the fact that I saw her," I explained, shaking my head. "There's more, though... the next two times I had that dream, I saw what I think was the real Raven. She told me in the dream that it wasn't a dream at all, and that I... er..."

When I uncomfortably trailed off, Sarah urged me with her eyes.

"Go on," she coaxed. "I'm listening."

"Don't laugh, okay?" I grumbled, letting out a sigh. "She said I had somehow ended up inside her mind."

Sarah stared at me.

"Her mind," she slowly repeated, furrowing her brows. "I don't get it. How does that even work?"

"Beats the hell out of me," I snorted, shrugging. "I still don't know what happened or even how it did, but apparently it might have been a very real experience. After she flipped out on me, she did something that made my head fuzzy, and then she started mumbling something about our school."

"Murakami Academy?" Sarah asked, eyebrows lifting. "What did she say?"

"That something didn't feel right, and that I had better stay out of her mind since she'd be seeing me soon anyway," I replied honestly, shivering. "I would have blown it off as a weird set of dreams or hallucinations, but not long after that she showed up at school. And that is precisely why I can't ask the Titans for help. That Raven girl already hates me, and if I show up, she'll think we lied to her. She might... try to hurt me."

I said that last part only because I remembered the way she'd drawn her fist back before.

Glowing with ringing black energy, the look on her face... she was a dangerous girl.

Sarah swallowed, then looked away.

"Yeah, after taking that into account, maybe it's not such a good idea," Sarah mumbled, "but what'll we do?"

"I have no idea," I sighed, setting my head against the bus window and closing my eyes. "If worst comes to worst, we can always tell Amber about my problem. She'd probably be a big help, but right now, I don't want to say anything just yet."

"Well, okay," Sarah agreed, nodding before she opened her book again. "I've got your back. Don't worry."

Her words made me feel glad I'd opened up.

It was a little less scary knowing that I wasn't dealing with this alone.

I closed my eyes.

I felt relieved in so many ways, and since we were halfway to our stop, I figured a quick catnap wouldn't hurt, especially since the bus to go home was on a different delivery schedule than the one that picked up me and the other orphans. I had just started to relax when a strange feeling swept through my head.

A strange, unfamiliar prickle like a cold finger drawing against skin.

Then a voice, a familiar one at that, rang in my ears... clear as a bell.

'Mommy... help me...'

I froze with my head against the window, eyes snapping open wide.

"Who said that?" I whispered. "What the fuck?"

"What?" Sarah asked, not looking up from her book. "Who said what?"

I sat up and touched my forehead with an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

I swallowed.

'Help me.'

I knew that voice.

"Tyler?" I whispered, looking around in shock. "I swear to God... I hear him! The fuck?"

"Who's Tyler?"

"A little kid I met at the park on the day I created those dust devils," I explained, feeling gooseflesh rising on my arms. "He's a metahuman like me."

I didn't know why, but my stomach was knotting up.

I slowly looked around the bus, trying to figure out why I felt so off even though Sarah looked extremely confused by my actions. Then her gaze shifted past my face and she froze like a marble statue.

"Oh, my God," she whispered, covering her mouth. "Sally, look!"

I immediately turned around, but I wasn't prepared.

My eyes snapped open just as wide.

"What the hell?!" I whispered, straightening up with a horrified expression. "No way!"

I couldn't even believe what I was seeing, and I guessed that neither could Sarah.

Down in the middle of a graveyard's parking lot was a circle of people who were covered in blinding flames: they were all flailing around and obviously in pain, but in the middle of them sat a familiar little boy with black hair. He was holding his head with both hands and repeatedly hitting himself.

I immediately stood up as a jolt of terror seared through my body, and before I even realized what was happening, I bolted out into the isle and sprinting past my classmates.

"Stop the bus!" I shrieked. "Please, stop the bus!"

"We're almost to the next stop," the driver said calmly, not taking his eyes off the road. "Please, return to your seat and wait patiently for the bus to—"

"People are being burned alive over there by a little boy who can't control his metahuman abilities!" I screeched, clutching the man's arm. "We have to help them! Hurry up and pull over!"

"I'm sorry," the man sighed, "but it's not my business, and I can't just—"

Before he could finish the sentence, I angrily grabbed the wheel and jerked it to the side, forcing him to stomp on the brakes. Several of the kids still sitting on the bus screamed. I was practically thrown off my feet and my long hair flew forward when I slammed into the dashboard.

"Are you crazy?!" the driver roared, glaring at me. "You could have caused an accident!"

"Where is your humanity?" I coldly inquired, making him frown. "Open the doors. I'm getting off right here."

"Ditto!" Sarah cried, grabbing her things and hastily running down the aisle. "I'm getting off, too!"

When he angrily opened the doors, I darted down the stairs of the bus, hurrying into the road and sprinting back down the street towards the spot I had seen Tyler losing it. Sarah was close behind me, but when we got to the spot I had seen everything happening in... my blood ran cold.

Tyler Babbowitz was engulfed in blinding white flames, and several people were lying burned and unconscious on the ground around him.

"Tyler!" I cried, eyes huge with horror. "What are you doing?!"

He instantly turned his head, but when he saw me, he stretched out his hands.

"Sally! Help me!" he wailed, bursting into tears. "Help me! I don't know how to make it stop!"

"Oh, my God... oh, God, how?" I muttered, swallowing before I glanced at Sarah, who was staring at the scene with huge eyes. "Any ideas, Sarah?"

"None that would help," she stammered, giving me a serious look. "It'll take more than a bucket of water to put out that fire, trust me."

Biting my lip, I danced from foot to foot, trying to avoid the inevitable.

But that was impossible to do because it was inevitable.

Still, could I pull it off? I had only seen it in a movie, after all...

"HELP ME!" Tyler shrieked, clutching his head in agony. "It hurts! It's too hot! I'm burning!"

"Fuck it," I whispered, closing my eyes with a sigh. "Sarah!"

"Y-yes?" she squeaked, eyes wide and attentive. "What is it?"

"Stay behind me and don't move," I shakily commanded, swallowing hard. "This might be a big mistake."

I took a deep breath to calm my sporadic pulse, then let go and envisioned a whirlwind, mouth trembling when I felt my entire body prickle with a desire to make it happen.

My eyes snapped open and I gasped in shock as the breath rushed out of my lungs, and they widened even further when the sky above exploded with dark clouds that stretched outwards towards the horizon. The frothing clouds obscured every shade of blue across the sky, then the storm began to rotate.

The blue haze took over my vision soon after.

Here we go, I silently whispered, staring up at the sky with what I assumed were glowing eyes. I guess it's time to test my limit... God, if you're there, please give me strength.

I tilted my head back and stared at the epicenter of the storm, feeling my whole body beginning to sway in a circular manner even as my eyes skimmed around in circles. My hair fanned out with static as I lifted my arms, extending my fingers toward the clouds: then, I felt it. That same unbearable pressure that made my ears pop. Behind me, Sarah let out a cry and clamped both hands to her head.

I let out a sigh as warmth seeped into me... then I gave into my power and just... let it go.

With a roar, the sky whirled itself apart and the tempest came down.

"Tyler!" I thundered, making him flinch and look at me in terror. "Cover your eyes and put your head down, right now!"

He did as he was told not a moment too soon.

The second he pressed his flaming forehead against the melted concrete, the twister engulfed him.

Sarah shrieked behind me, but I was too focused on keeping the storm going to pay attention.

Apparently, getting it started was the easy part, but controlling it afterwards was another story entirely. It was like trying to pin down a tiger with my bare hands. The storm was now like an individual power, a force so wild and terrible that it was very nearly impossible for me to reign in.

Regardless, I felt my hopes skyrocketing when the fire surrounding the little boy's body slowly began to recede.

Just a bit more... I silently panted, sweating as the expulsion of energy began to take its toll. Just hold on, kiddo... I'm trying... I can do this.

I fought to keep going, straining the ice inside me to keep control of the storm.

My curly hair and navy blue skirt were violently being tossed around, and the wind was so intense that I could barely keep my eyes open. Behind me, Sarah was sitting on the ground, platinum blonde hair blasted back by the wind. Her sky blue eyes were huge, and she could only stare in sheer awe at the skinny rope of wind that had connected the distant sky above to the ground not even ten feet away from me.

Lightning flashed above us, illuminating the roaring whirlwind from inside out. The tornado was a small one... so small that it probably couldn't even be considered a true F1, and yet, it was still frightening. Standing there, I felt my heart beat slowing down, watching as my attempt to save Tyler took hold.

The fire was going out, revealing that the little boy was nude.

"Almost... there..." I panted, muscles shaking violently; spots obstructed my vision, making me feel lightheaded. "Almost..."

I had it: the fire was finally out.

My knees buckled just as the last of the flames burned out and to my horror, I lost control of the whirlwind.

The twister juddered and twisted in place, sweeping away from the little boy's body, but instead of dissipating, it kept going. I watched with heavy eyelids as it roared off into the city, still struggling to catch it again with my leaden arm outstretched. I could see small debris being thrown around, but for the most part, the little F1 tornado seemed to be dissipating rapidly.

After it finally dissolved, I turned my attention to Tyler.

The little boy still hadn't moved.

Slowly crawling forward with limbs that felt dead, I managed to turn him over and pressed my ear against his small chest when I saw that his eyes were closed. A steady heartbeat throbbed against my temple, making relief flood through me like a cool waterfall. Slowly turning around, I grinned at Sarah with unsteady movements, feeling amazed by my accomplishment despite how weak my body had become.

"He's okay, Sarah!" I croaked: even as I said it, the world spun and I fell over on my side. "He's... okay..."

"Sally!" a muffled voice cried. "Sally, are you all right?!"

I couldn't answer... hell, I could barely even hear past the ringing in my ears.

Everything was going blurry... fading away into meshes of color. Color that soon turned dark like the horizon on a stormy afternoon. Just before I blacked out, though, I could have sworn that I saw a flash of blue that had absolutely nothing to do with the clearing sky.

But hey, not long after that, I was out, so who cared?