THE WRAITH CHRONICLES

Needing Control

Wraith walked slowly away from the professor's room. She dragged her feet slightly and frustratedly ran a hand through her violet/blue streaked hair. She felt close to tears when she remembered why she needed private lessons with the professor in the first place.

Don't worry Wraith. You are making progress, even if it isn't as much as you would like. It will be all right. You're safe here. Now I suggest you go to your room and relax for a while. Give you mind and powers a chance to recover. , Professor Xavier called telepathically as she continued away from him.

She felt so angry at herself, if only she could get proper control so she could call her power when she needed it and know it wouln't just pop up. She got to her room and put on a long warm knit jersey, then she curled up in a ball and against the professor's advice, she floated up into the corner of the ceiling. He was wrong, she thought, he didn't know that her power didn't wear out that easily. That was why she always had to be careful. Then again, she thought ,sobbing slightly, he probably did know and that was why he'd said not to use them. Maybe he thought that they would get out of control. Wraith didn't want that to happen. Then she would have to go. She would be alone again with all the thoughts in her head, the only things to keep her company. A particularly loud sob escaped her lips.

Rogue happened to be walking past at that moment and was startled by the sound. She knew it must be Wraith because it was coming from her room but she couldn't see her through the open door. Come to think of it, Rogue realised, Wraith had been keeping to herself a lot lately and she hadn't seen her for about four days now. Ever since their mall trip.

"Wraith are you in there?" Rogue asked softly.

There came a muffled noise and then a 'look up'. Rogue did , she saw Wraith huddled in the corner of the room by the ceiling. Apparantly she had been crying because she kept sniffing and her eyes were a little red. Her skin was paler than usual and her hair was quite ruffled. A blue lock of hair was in her face and she had pulled her rather large jersey over her hands and close around her.

"What's wrong... do you wanna talk about it?" Rogue asked uncertainly.

Very slowly Wraith floated down to the bed and then grabbed her light blue fuzzy bear, the one she'd brought from home, named Emma. Rogue came and sat on Wraith's bed with her, shutting the door behind her.

"Where you ben these last few days? Anyone would think you'd left the manor." Rogue said.

" I've been doing training with the professor. To help me control my power." Wraith said slowly.

" Private trainin, why? That is, if you don't mind my askin"

" To stop people from getting hurt. I can use my power but it also pops up when I'm feeling particularly strongly about something. Professor Xavier is trying to see if I can get it to come only when called, so to speak." Wraith replied.

There was silence for a while and Rogue was just starting to wonder if she should leave when Wraith spoke again.

" When your power manafested itself, were you scared?" Wraith asked hugging her bear tightly as if it were a life line.

"Yes I was......I was at a dance when it happened. A guy asked me ta dance and then accidentally bumped inta me. I got his memories and skills and everythin. It was really frightenin and I got very confused. Thinkin I was him and all. I was lucky compaired to him though. He ended up in a coma for a week. It was a good thing I eventually got myself sorted out and joined the X-men instead of stayin with Mistique. I 'spose you know about her from the elf and the prof?" Rogue finished.

"Yeah. The professor filled me in on who's who.....," again Wraith paused, " I nearly killed someone before I came here. No one knew I was a mutant except me. I kept it to myself. It was a special secret and I had fun with it before I realized all that I could do." Wraith said now rocking back and forth.

"I was working on a school project with a partner, at my house. I didn't hate her, but I didn't really like her either. She was just telling me what our topic should be (telling me ,not asking or suggesting, telling me) when our cat jumped over our fence into our back yard.

I loved my cat more than life itself. I had rescued her from the SPCA and death, tamed her and taken care of her. She was my best friend, well, more of an only friend actually. The girl from school took one look at her and screamed at me to 'make it go away!' She got up and reached for a stone from our garden to hit Paws with. She had been getting on my nerves all afternoon but when I saw what she was going to do my heart froze. I thought that if the stone hit my cat, she would die. I couldn't lose her! I was filled with an all encompasing rage, it was cold fire racing through my blood and suddenly, something snapped.

I know what happened now but I didn't then. I solidified the air all around the girl and my cat. Paws was too close to the girl and I didn't have any control. The girl nearly died but somehow the professor got there before she did. But the very thing I had been trying to save, died. I had killed her. The professor talked to my parents and told them that Paws had died of fright, but I had hurt the girl accidentally with my power. He told them I was a mutant and they agreed I should come here. So I did. Although it was a week before they could coax me down from the ceiling to come. Do you hate me?" Wraith finished by asking. She was crying openly now. Clutching Emma and rocking backwards and forwards. She obviously thought that acidentally killing an animal was somehow an unforgivable evil.

Before Rogue could answer Wraith stopped her by continuing.

"I do. Don't tell anyone. Please. Especially not Kurt. Not yet. It's been nice to have friends again."

Rogue felt so sorry for her. She pulled her into an awkward hug and and tried to comfort her.

"Ah know how you feel. It's alright. Everythin's gonna be okay."