Jonathan Kent heard his wife scream. He looked at his son in the shower,
whome he had been helping wash off all the meteor dust. "Stay here," he
ordered forcefully. He ran down the hall, stopping only to grab his rifle
from his bedroom. He could only think the worst: That the robed intruder
was back to harm more of his family.
He rushed into Redd's room and nearly dropped his gun in pure shock.
Martha could do nothing but stare in happiness at the sight before her.
She trembled. She was cold and in severe pain. Her eyes were large with fear and confusion. She looked around at her surroundings, remebering her dream, what had happened when she woke up and how she felt before everything went dark. Tears fell from her face as her violet orbs shifted between a gun-toting Jon and a happily tear-shedding Martha. "I--Is.H--He g--gone?"
Martha embraced the cold, blue-tinted girl with all the warmth, strength and joy she could muster, shushing her and rocking her back and forth in an attempt to comfort the child, all the while telling her that "he" was gone and everything was going to be alright. The redhead wished she could believe her.
Suddenly, Redd pulled away, still shivering. She looked Martha square in the eye. "Where's Clark? Is he okay?" Panic filled her voice. She remembered hearing him confort her killer before she slipped into darkness.
Martha looked at her husband, knowing he'd have a better answer. "He's washing up from that meteor dust that low-life threw on him. He should be fine."
"'Meteor dust?'" Redd's eyes grew larger. "That dust isn't made from meteors! It's a ritual crystal from the Carribean that's been crushed and then enchanted by evil and powerful magicks!"
Jon furrowed his brows in confusion. "Then why is Clark reacting to it like he would to a meteor rock?"
"The magicks that enchant the dust produce nightmarish illusions upon whomever the dust is cast upon.Clark only thinks he's being affected by meteor rocks," Redd explained. "My bet is that isn't the only illusions he's experiencing."
"Clark was able to resist that Nicodemus flower we told you about," Martha said. "He should be able to resist regular crystals."
"No! You don't understand.The flower you speak of affects one physically, whereas the magically enchanted crystals affect one's soul. Clark may physically be alien, but all forms of life-alien or not-have souls."
Martha and Jon took a moment to soak up the information. "But washing the dust off will get these illusions to go away?"
"Yes." Redd then added as an afterthought, "Unless he ingested or inhaled it, then it could last for a very long time or however long the spell was specified for."
The two adults echanged wide-eyed glances, remembering at how much Clark had been sneezing.
Redd caught the exchange and a worried expression crossed her own oxygen- deprivated face. "He didn't inhale it.did he?"
"We could just let it wear off," Martha suggested.
"But if Clark thinks he's being affected by the meteor rocks, he could die if we wait!" Redd exclaimed.
"But they're not really affecting him," Jon said. "It's all in his head."
Redd spoke slowly, softly and gravely. "Where the mind goes, the body follows."
The two adults understood what she was saying now. If Clark thinks he's dying, he'll die.Just like with what happened to Lana after the tornado.
"What do we do?!" Martha screamed in panic.
"Is there anything we can do, Martha? Not unless we have nose vacuum!"
"We have to do something!"
While Martha and Jon were debating over what could and couldn't be done, Redd had thrown the blankets off of her and climbed out of bed. She was weak, and hurt every nerve in her body to move, but she had to. It wasn't until she was half-way down the hallway going towards the bathroom did the adults notice what Redd was doing.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Jon shouted.
"You shouldn't be out of bed," Martha chimed. "You were dead for a few minutes, remember?"
"And Clark will be for far longer if I don't act now." Redd was unusually calm, considering the circumstances. She didn't have the energy to be freaked out. However, the sight of Clark collapsed on the shower floor, veins bulging green and his breath just shallow gasps was enough to make her want to cry. This was her big brother.He wasn't allowed to get hurt.
Redd took deep breaths, her body giving her thanks. The most important thing she needed to do was remain calm. It was as cliched as one could get, but she wouldn't be able to concentrate if she wasn't calm.
If Clark were any other normal human being, she would have used her telepathic powers to stabilize Clark's mentality, freeing him from the illusions. But because Clark's physiology and brain chemistry was different from the average person, her telepathic powers would prove fruitless. She had but one choice: Use her telekinetic abilities to remove each grain of dust from Clark's body.
In theory, it was possible. However, it would take telekinetic powers that matched only a god's to perform such a task. Once Redd had learned of her psionic abilities, she delved into as much literature on the topic as she could possibly find. She utilised her powers in the safety of her own home before her grandmother--and legal gaurdian--was killed. She had mastered her skills quite efficiently and was very powerful, but she was unsure if she would be able to strecth her powers that far.
Best case scenario: She saves her big brother.
Worst case scenario: She died trying.
Dying wasn't something she wanted to experience.again.
Having gained some serenity, Redd closed her eyes and focused. She drew her fingers up to her temples and bit down on her bottom lip. Her body ached, but she couldn't pay any attention to that. Martha and Jon moved to stand beside the young girl, their gazes shifting between Redd and a worsening Clark. After what seemed like an eternity, Clark's breathing resumed regularity. He opened his eyes, water threatened to spill from them. He reminded his parents of how he looked when he was just a todder waking up from a bad dream.
"M-Mom.D-Dad."
Martha rushed to her little boy, but before Jon could do the same, Redd let out a groan and collapsed. Jon caught her frail and weakened body in his arms. Fearing the worst yet, again, Jon examined her. She was still breathing. She had just passed out from exhaustion.
He rushed into Redd's room and nearly dropped his gun in pure shock.
Martha could do nothing but stare in happiness at the sight before her.
She trembled. She was cold and in severe pain. Her eyes were large with fear and confusion. She looked around at her surroundings, remebering her dream, what had happened when she woke up and how she felt before everything went dark. Tears fell from her face as her violet orbs shifted between a gun-toting Jon and a happily tear-shedding Martha. "I--Is.H--He g--gone?"
Martha embraced the cold, blue-tinted girl with all the warmth, strength and joy she could muster, shushing her and rocking her back and forth in an attempt to comfort the child, all the while telling her that "he" was gone and everything was going to be alright. The redhead wished she could believe her.
Suddenly, Redd pulled away, still shivering. She looked Martha square in the eye. "Where's Clark? Is he okay?" Panic filled her voice. She remembered hearing him confort her killer before she slipped into darkness.
Martha looked at her husband, knowing he'd have a better answer. "He's washing up from that meteor dust that low-life threw on him. He should be fine."
"'Meteor dust?'" Redd's eyes grew larger. "That dust isn't made from meteors! It's a ritual crystal from the Carribean that's been crushed and then enchanted by evil and powerful magicks!"
Jon furrowed his brows in confusion. "Then why is Clark reacting to it like he would to a meteor rock?"
"The magicks that enchant the dust produce nightmarish illusions upon whomever the dust is cast upon.Clark only thinks he's being affected by meteor rocks," Redd explained. "My bet is that isn't the only illusions he's experiencing."
"Clark was able to resist that Nicodemus flower we told you about," Martha said. "He should be able to resist regular crystals."
"No! You don't understand.The flower you speak of affects one physically, whereas the magically enchanted crystals affect one's soul. Clark may physically be alien, but all forms of life-alien or not-have souls."
Martha and Jon took a moment to soak up the information. "But washing the dust off will get these illusions to go away?"
"Yes." Redd then added as an afterthought, "Unless he ingested or inhaled it, then it could last for a very long time or however long the spell was specified for."
The two adults echanged wide-eyed glances, remembering at how much Clark had been sneezing.
Redd caught the exchange and a worried expression crossed her own oxygen- deprivated face. "He didn't inhale it.did he?"
"We could just let it wear off," Martha suggested.
"But if Clark thinks he's being affected by the meteor rocks, he could die if we wait!" Redd exclaimed.
"But they're not really affecting him," Jon said. "It's all in his head."
Redd spoke slowly, softly and gravely. "Where the mind goes, the body follows."
The two adults understood what she was saying now. If Clark thinks he's dying, he'll die.Just like with what happened to Lana after the tornado.
"What do we do?!" Martha screamed in panic.
"Is there anything we can do, Martha? Not unless we have nose vacuum!"
"We have to do something!"
While Martha and Jon were debating over what could and couldn't be done, Redd had thrown the blankets off of her and climbed out of bed. She was weak, and hurt every nerve in her body to move, but she had to. It wasn't until she was half-way down the hallway going towards the bathroom did the adults notice what Redd was doing.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Jon shouted.
"You shouldn't be out of bed," Martha chimed. "You were dead for a few minutes, remember?"
"And Clark will be for far longer if I don't act now." Redd was unusually calm, considering the circumstances. She didn't have the energy to be freaked out. However, the sight of Clark collapsed on the shower floor, veins bulging green and his breath just shallow gasps was enough to make her want to cry. This was her big brother.He wasn't allowed to get hurt.
Redd took deep breaths, her body giving her thanks. The most important thing she needed to do was remain calm. It was as cliched as one could get, but she wouldn't be able to concentrate if she wasn't calm.
If Clark were any other normal human being, she would have used her telepathic powers to stabilize Clark's mentality, freeing him from the illusions. But because Clark's physiology and brain chemistry was different from the average person, her telepathic powers would prove fruitless. She had but one choice: Use her telekinetic abilities to remove each grain of dust from Clark's body.
In theory, it was possible. However, it would take telekinetic powers that matched only a god's to perform such a task. Once Redd had learned of her psionic abilities, she delved into as much literature on the topic as she could possibly find. She utilised her powers in the safety of her own home before her grandmother--and legal gaurdian--was killed. She had mastered her skills quite efficiently and was very powerful, but she was unsure if she would be able to strecth her powers that far.
Best case scenario: She saves her big brother.
Worst case scenario: She died trying.
Dying wasn't something she wanted to experience.again.
Having gained some serenity, Redd closed her eyes and focused. She drew her fingers up to her temples and bit down on her bottom lip. Her body ached, but she couldn't pay any attention to that. Martha and Jon moved to stand beside the young girl, their gazes shifting between Redd and a worsening Clark. After what seemed like an eternity, Clark's breathing resumed regularity. He opened his eyes, water threatened to spill from them. He reminded his parents of how he looked when he was just a todder waking up from a bad dream.
"M-Mom.D-Dad."
Martha rushed to her little boy, but before Jon could do the same, Redd let out a groan and collapsed. Jon caught her frail and weakened body in his arms. Fearing the worst yet, again, Jon examined her. She was still breathing. She had just passed out from exhaustion.