CHAPTER TWO
"-ter! Wynter! Oh, please wake up honey! Wynter!" Mom's voice cut through the darkness pulling me back to reality. Opening my eyes, I cringing slightly as the light blinded me for a second.
"Mm okay mom." I muttered trying to calm her frantic hollering as I blinked slowly and pushed myself up into a sitting position.
"You're not okay! Your nose was bleeding like crazy and then you just fell to the floor like you were shot! Tell me honestly are you taking any drugs? I'm going to call an ambulance and-"
I cut mom off by grabbing her frantically moving hands gently holding them as I forced her to look me in the eyes.
"Mom I'm okay. I'm not taking any drugs and you remember how my nose use to bleed like crazy it's gotten better but sometimes it just happens. Also I didn't get a chance to eat in the past twelve hours so my blood sugar's probably low and with my nose bleeding I must have fainted. I just need to eat something and I'll be fine." I said feeling only slightly guilty at lying to her.
"...if your sure that's all then you should come back downstairs and finish eating." Mom said, calming down a little.
"Yeah just let me clean up first." I said motioning towards my once white tank-top that now had blood down the front of it.
Mom helped me stand up and looked worriedly at me but I gave her a small smile and waved her out of the bedroom before I walked into the bathroom again.
Sighing I stared at my image in the mirror, blood was covering my lips and chin and when I fell it had spread out sideways down my face catching my ears and coloring my naturally white hair. The haunting images that it brought to mind had me shaking my head before I focused on the sink in-front of me as I turned on the cold water and began to harshly scrub the blood off of my face.
*Wynter? Wynter are you there?* Andy's voice came through our link as I finished getting rid of the blood on my face and ears and started trying to get it out of my hair.
*Andy! Thank heavens! What happened? Are you okay?* I demanded pausing in my scrubbing as I focused fully on his emotions through our link.
*I'm okay, we're coming home. Wynter I'm a mutant too.* Andy said sounding slightly scared and slightly happy about his new found mutation.
*We always knew that there was a high chance you would be since we're twins. Admittedly it's nice not being the only mutant in the family anymore. I'll tell mom about me so she's prepared for the possibility of you being one as well.* I replied calming down as I realized that Andy was okay and he was coming home.
*We'll be home soon...and Wynter I sort of...accidentally destroyed the school. The guys who were bullying me they saw me do it.* Andy said.
*That means Sentinel Service's will be at our house soon, as soon as you get home pack a bag we're going to have to run. * I told Andy as I abandoned my tank-top I had been scrubbing in the sink. Wiping my hands on my sweats I opened my duffel bag and pulled on the first shirt my hands touched.
*Will we ever be able to visit mom and dad and Lauren and grandma again? * Andy asked.
*If they accept us being mutants and don't attempt to turn us in, yes.* I replied as I pulled on a pair of knee-high socks so my combat boots wouldn't rub my ankles raw, carrying my duffel bag downstairs I pulled on my combat boots that I had left near the front door before heading to the kitchen where mom was waiting for me with a cup of coffee in her hands.
"Your leaving?" Mom asked sounding resigned and like she was choking back tears.
"Not right now." I replied putting my duffel bag down at my feet as I sat back down on the chair I had abandoned and began to eat the spaghetti and garlic bread quickly.
"So... what do they mean?" Mom asked after a few minutes of silence. Swallowing the last bite of garlic bread, I wiped my mouth and carried my plate and fork to the sink before walking back to the table and sitting down.
"Which one do you want to know about first?" I asked trying to be polite.
"That one that looks like a half human half horse?" Mom said pointing to my right arm that was covered from my shoulder to my elbow.
"It's' a centaur, a mythical being that in the Vedic myths were associated with soldiers and meant brave, courageous, strong and wise, it also means a sense of adventure and a thirst for freedom and independence." I replied as I looked down at the half sleeve black, white and gray tattoo as I remembered why I had gotten it in the first place.
"Vedic?" Mom asked curiously with a confused look pulling me out of my memories.
"Ancient Hinduism." I replied.
"Oh. And what about that one there?" Mom asked pointing to the writing on the inside of my right arm starting at the crease of my elbow and ending just above my wrist.
"It's French, Sur les ombres et le feu que je vis, tous les adeptes du mal mourront. Je suis le Reaper. It translates to, on the shadows and fire that I live by, all followers of evil shall die. I am the Reaper." I replied wishing she hadn't picked that tattoo as next.
"That's...dark." She replied looking at me with a slightly judgmental look that caused me to roll my eyes before I realized that it was the perfect way to introduce the fact that I was a mutant.
"Yeah speaking of dark there's something I have to confess mom. Originally, I never planned on telling you and dad but-" Pausing I swallowed and took a deep breath before staring mom straight in her eyes,
-"I'm a mutant." I finished.
For a few seconds mom just blinked like she wasn't comprehending what I had just said I could tell when it started to sink in as her eyes grew large and her mouth fell open slightly.
"What? How? Are you sure?" She managed to get out after several seconds of silence.
"Yeah I'm positive." I replied figuring I might as well show her that I wasn't kidding I held my hand out and snapped creating a flame that floated above my hand burning almost white hot but not burning me.
She nearly fell to the floor in her hurry to shove her chair away from the table, her eyes fixed on the fire that was calmly floating above my hand.
"What-how-when...how long have you known?" She asked as she shakily sat back down.
I let the flame burn out feeling the familiar feeling of resentment rise as I replied,
"Three weeks after my eleventh birthday."
I saw realization hit and mom began to tear up as she stared at me reaching out to clasp my hands in her own,
"Oh, Wynter no! Oh, baby I am so, so sorry. If I had known..." Mom managed to get out before she started crying in earnest. Feeling awkward just sitting there and watching her cry I got up and went around the table pulling her into a hug as I attempted to comfort her.
"I'm okay now." Was all I could think of that was both comforting and the truth. Thankfully not long after that the front door slammed open and mom pulled back wiping her eyes and using a paper towel, she blew her nose as Andy and Lauren came into the kitchen.
*I told her. Give her a minute and go pack only what you can carry in a single backpack or duffel bag. * I told Andy as I gave both him and Lauren a hug. Andy nodded and turned running up the steps to his room.
"Laruen why was Andy with you? And why are you home so early?" Mom asked as she tried to hide the fact that she had been crying.
"That's something that Andy needs to tell you. Why were you crying? Wynter what did you?" Lauren demanded as she crossed her arms and switched her gaze from mom to me and back again.
"Nice to see you too sis." I muttered annoyed with her attitude I picked up my duffel bag and walked out of the kitchen sitting down on the steps as I waited for Andy.
"Well?! What did you do Wynter?" Lauren demanded as she followed me to the steps and stood in-front of me glaring down at me.
Deciding to both show her and maybe shut her up I didn't speak instead I stood up staring down at five foot three inches from my towering height of six feet two inches. Crossing my arms, I willed a fire to life, floating it inches in front of myself, smirking as she gasped and stepped backwards her arms falling to her sides.
"Wynter don't scare your sister. Lauren, Wynter didn't do anything wrong. Now, why are you back so early and why was Andy with you?" Mom said coming out of the kitchen and giving both Lauren and myself a firm 'mother' stare.
Letting the fire go out I plopped back down on the steps to wait for Andy as Lauren finally found her voice again,
"You're a mutant too?"
Mom's eyes nearly popped out of her head,
"What do you mean too? Lauren are you a mutant?"
"Yes, I am and so is Andy. That's why we're home, Andy nearly destroyed the school and several people saw him." Lauren replied. I saw mom start to fall backwards and immediately shot forward catching her.
"Take it easy mom." I said gently leading her to the nearest chair. After making sure she was safely on the chair I turned my attention to Lauren,
"You should go pack a bag. Sentinel Service's will be knocking down the door soon and we shouldn't be here when that happens." I told Lauren who got her attitude back,
"You don't get to tell me what to do! And I'm not leaving!" She hollered angrily. I bit down harshly on my bottom lip to keep myself in check as I wanted to lash out at her and the childish way she was acting,
"Look Lauren, regardless of what you may feel towards me you need to realize that Sentinel Service is going to be coming after all of us. If one child has the X-gene there is a good chance that the other siblings also have it. And when they come they will not treat you like a human being, they're going to treat you like a dangerous cornered animal and put a collar on you and stick you into a deep dark hole where you won't see the light of day again." I explained as I moved away from mom to shoulder my duffel bag as Andy came running down the steps a full backpack on his shoulders.
"A couple Sentinel Service cars just pulled up outside." He said as he came to a stop beside me just as there was a knock on the door.