With a blinding explosion of white light, Emma and Jesse were thrown backwards to opposite ends of the room. Each of them landed on the floor in an undignified heap. Adam and Brennan rushed into the room just as the two young people began to stir.
Adam was torn between which of his kids to tend to first, but the decision was taken out of his hands as Brennan rushed to Emma's side and helped the stricken woman sit up. While Emma clung to Brennan, Jesse shied away from every attempt Adam made at physical contact.
"Jesse? Jesse, are you alright?" Adam called, reaching a hand out towards the young man's arm. Jesse recoiled at the touch, burrowing further into the corner of the room.
"W-w-what did s-she do to me? W-why?" Jesse's barely audible voice trembled as he mumbled and stuttered through a list of half-asked, heart-wrenching questions.
Temporarily abandoning the idea of physically comforting the young man, Adam turned his attention to Emma. Brennan was kneeling at the young psionic's side with his arms wrapped securely around her torso. Though she was all but sitting in the elemental's lap, it appeared as if that amount of contact wasn't enough for her. She was grabbing at his arms and clothing, trying to pull him closer to her. Tremors of fear rocked her body.
"Emma? Please, tell me what happened." Adam felt a pang of guilt at asking Emma to reveal something that Jesse obviously wanted to keep hidden, but whatever it was, it was adversely affecting both of them.
Emma didn't answer. She and Jesse stared at each other with wide, unblinking eyes, breath coming in short pants, and identical expressions of horror on their faces. Neither of them was looking at their co-worker, friend, or family member. Those people didn't exist to them at that moment. They were each an extremely frightened young person staring at a mutant.
Emma's mouth began to move, but no sound came forth.
"I don't understand. Please, Emma..." Adam pleaded, desperately trying to pull her from her stupor.
Finally, minute traces of sound began to accompany the movement of Emma's lips. Slowly, more and more sound was added until Adam could make out a series of disjointed words that only served to add to his confusion.
"...b-bury...hit...f-f-f...f-f-freak."
The sharp inhalation of breath told Adam that, while the words made little sense to him, they obviously had hit home with Jesse. Adam snapped his attention back to Jesse just in time to see the intense hurt reflected in his sorrowful blue eyes before his molecules began to separate and he slowly descended through the floor.
The trance finally broken, Emma scrambled to her knees and reached an imploring hand out towards her disappearing friend. "No, Jesse! Please! Wait!" Brennan caught her and held her tightly against his chest as she broke down and cried.
Adam stood and turned a full circle, as if expecting Jesse to rematerialize at any moment. Only then did he notice the completely uncharacteristic absence of Shalimar.
Adam was torn between which of his kids to tend to first, but the decision was taken out of his hands as Brennan rushed to Emma's side and helped the stricken woman sit up. While Emma clung to Brennan, Jesse shied away from every attempt Adam made at physical contact.
"Jesse? Jesse, are you alright?" Adam called, reaching a hand out towards the young man's arm. Jesse recoiled at the touch, burrowing further into the corner of the room.
"W-w-what did s-she do to me? W-why?" Jesse's barely audible voice trembled as he mumbled and stuttered through a list of half-asked, heart-wrenching questions.
Temporarily abandoning the idea of physically comforting the young man, Adam turned his attention to Emma. Brennan was kneeling at the young psionic's side with his arms wrapped securely around her torso. Though she was all but sitting in the elemental's lap, it appeared as if that amount of contact wasn't enough for her. She was grabbing at his arms and clothing, trying to pull him closer to her. Tremors of fear rocked her body.
"Emma? Please, tell me what happened." Adam felt a pang of guilt at asking Emma to reveal something that Jesse obviously wanted to keep hidden, but whatever it was, it was adversely affecting both of them.
Emma didn't answer. She and Jesse stared at each other with wide, unblinking eyes, breath coming in short pants, and identical expressions of horror on their faces. Neither of them was looking at their co-worker, friend, or family member. Those people didn't exist to them at that moment. They were each an extremely frightened young person staring at a mutant.
Emma's mouth began to move, but no sound came forth.
"I don't understand. Please, Emma..." Adam pleaded, desperately trying to pull her from her stupor.
Finally, minute traces of sound began to accompany the movement of Emma's lips. Slowly, more and more sound was added until Adam could make out a series of disjointed words that only served to add to his confusion.
"...b-bury...hit...f-f-f...f-f-freak."
The sharp inhalation of breath told Adam that, while the words made little sense to him, they obviously had hit home with Jesse. Adam snapped his attention back to Jesse just in time to see the intense hurt reflected in his sorrowful blue eyes before his molecules began to separate and he slowly descended through the floor.
The trance finally broken, Emma scrambled to her knees and reached an imploring hand out towards her disappearing friend. "No, Jesse! Please! Wait!" Brennan caught her and held her tightly against his chest as she broke down and cried.
Adam stood and turned a full circle, as if expecting Jesse to rematerialize at any moment. Only then did he notice the completely uncharacteristic absence of Shalimar.