Thank you for all the lovely reviews and support! Always appreciated! Hope you all like this chapter, it's a back story chapter! Please read and review!
When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
- Fix You, Coldplay, X&Y
Chapter Five
"Mum! Robbie won't give me back my sheet music!" Lyndsey shouted. The twelve year old ran after the fifteen year old, who had a wide smirk on his face. She chased him down the stairs, through the foyer and into the living room where eleven year old Jemima sat with and eight year old Tora, playing a game of Scrabble on the floor.
"Mum's in the garden, Lynds," Jemima said, pushing her blonde hair out of her face. Tora nodded.
Lyndsey did not look much like her two sisters. While they both had long, golden blonde hair like their mother, Lyndsey had light brown hair. Lyndsey and Jemima both had the same blue eyes, but Tora had chocolate brown eyes, like Aiden and John. Robbie looked a lot like Lyndsey, with the same brown hair and blue eyes. The only major difference was that Robbie was a lot taller than Lyndsey, mostly due to his age. However, this meant Lyndsey was at a disadvantage, especially at a time like this.
"Try and get it then, Lyndsey!" Robbie grinned, holding the sheet music high above his head, where Lyndsey could not get it. She jumped up and down to try and reach it but Robbie kept holding his hand up higher.
Tora, the youngest Pryde child, got up and walked over to where Robbie and Lyndsey stood.
"Robbie, give Lyndsey her sheet music back," She said sweetly.
Robbie's eyes glazed over and his arm slowly fell down to where Lyndsey was stood, releasing the sheets of paper. Lyndsey grabbed them and pressed them to her chest tightly while Tora just grinned, showing the gaps where her baby teeth had fallen out. She turned on her heel and sat back down. Robbie suddenly shook his head, like he had just woken up. His eyes went from his hand, to Lyndsey, and then to Tora.
"Tora! Dad said you weren't allowed to use your power on me anymore!" He said angrily.
"Well, Dad's not going to find out," A voice from the doorframe behind them said. All the children turned to look at John, the eldest child, who was leaning against the frame. "Unless you want me to tell him about how you used your powers at school the other day to win that game of football."
Robbie scowled but the girls simply grinned.
"John!" Tora exclaimed, running over to the seventeen year old. He picked her up and swung her round while she giggled.
"And how's my favourite sister?" He grinned.
"Hey!" Lyndsey and Jemima cried. John laughed.
"Okay, then, my favourite eight year old then?"
Tora began to talk to John about school, while Robbie sat down in the armchair and flipped open a book. Lyndsey walked through the living room, into the sunroom. Light filtered in from the many windows in the room and Lyndsey ran up the screen door which lead into the garden.
"Mum!" She called. Victoria Pryde knelt in the vegetable patch, tending to the carrots that were growing.
"Yes, Lyndsey?" She said, looking up from the patch. Her blonde hair was pinned back into a pretty bun, with a few strands framing her face. She wore a battered old apron over her blue patterned house dress, protecting the clothes from the dirt.
"It's nearly five o'clock," Lyndsey said, looking at her watch.
"Is it? I must have lost track of the time," Victoria said, getting up and brushing the dirt off her knees. "Come on then, your father will be home soon."
She held out her hand for Lyndsey, who took it straight away. They walked towards the screen door but Victoria stopped just before they reached it. She turned and looked at Lyndsey.
"Is everything alright, Lyndsey?" She asked.
"Everything's fine, Mum," Lyndsey said, a bit unsurely though. Victoria, however, knew something was wrong. She sat down on the steps and patted the step for Lyndsey to sit down.
"Sweetheart, I know something's wrong," She said.
"Because of your power," Lyndsey mumbled. Victoria frowned.
"No, because I know my children. I know you. What are you worried about?"
"What if, what if Robbie's right? What if I just embarrass myself at the recital?"
"Lyndsey, you know Robbie only says those things to annoy you. You will be fine. You've played the piano longer than you've been able to let anything Robbie says get to you. You will be great in the recital," Victoria said. Lyndsey looked up uncertainly.
"Really?"
"Really," Victoria smiled. "Now, go organise your siblings. It's nearly supper time."
Lyndsey smiled and ran into the house. She faintly heard a 'no running inside' come from her mother but she ignored it. It wasn't like she was running that fast. She went upstairs first, and ran in to Aiden's room, throwing the door open and jumping on to his bed.
"Come on, Aiden! Mum says its suppertime!" She cried.
Aiden was sat on the other side of the room, reading a book. Her nine year old brother was the identical image of John, dark hair with a reddish tint, dark brown eyes and a tall stature. Although he was not as tall as Lyndsey yet, he was catching up.
Aiden's room, one of the smaller rooms, was at the front of the house. Light filtered in from the wide windows, Aiden's bed sat in the middle of the room, with his wardrobe and large bookshelf pushed against the wall. Aiden sat in the comfy armchair by the window, book resting on his lap. He smiled at Lyndsey as she belly flopped onto the bed.
"Okay, Lynds. What was all the noise about?" He asked.
"Robbie, being the usual idiot he is, stole my sheet music when I was going to go practice," Lyndsey explained, looking up at the cream painted ceiling.
"So, it was just Robbie being Robbie?"
"Yep."
"How'd you get the sheet music back?"
"Tora used her power on him. Then John came home and did the whole 'I'll tell Dad what you did thing' to home."
Aiden nodded.
"I feel sorry for John, having to share a room with Robb," He said.
"John and Robbie actually get on most of the time. And Robbie can actually be alright sometimes. Remember that time he all bought us ice cream?"
"Yeah, you've got a point."
"Anyway," Lyndsey said, standing up. "I have to go put my sheet music away. Don't want to lose it before next week."
Aiden nodded again and he too rose to his feet.
"I'll tell Mum you'll be five minutes," He said. Lyndsey nodded and left the room.
She walked across the landing to her room, passing her mother and father's room, and John and Robbie's room, as well as one of the bathrooms. Lyndsey shared a bedroom with Jemima, while Tora had the bedroom on the third floor in the attic, along with their father's study and a small playroom. Lyndsey and Jemima's room was at the back of the house, looking out over the garden. The walls were painted a pastel yellow colour, with large white curtains hanging either side of the window. The two beds, side by side against the wall, had the same colour bedding as the curtains did. The large wardrobe stood opposite it, with shelves and drawers for the two girls either side. Toys scattered the room, ranging from the doll house in the corner, the rocking horse by the window, to the various dolls and teddies on the beds.
Lyndsey made her way to her bed, which was closest to the wide window. She placed the sheet music at the foot of her bed, picked up her favourite doll and sat on the window seat. She knew she was getting too old for toys and dolls but she wanted to make the most of her youth while she could. Outside, it was quickly getting dark, the nights were setting in earlier as winter was coming. This October was strange though. It was unusually cold and rainy, as well as darker throughout the day.
Lyndsey looked over her shoulder at the door, and turned back to the window. She closed her eyes, focusing on the future. Her parents did not like their children using their powers in public, but at home, they were free to be themselves. However, there was a strict rule that the children were not to use their powers on each other, but in circumstances like before, their parents did overlook it. Lyndsey screwed up her face in concentration, but could not see anything. While her siblings' powers were mostly physical, Lyndsey's was mental and harder to use.
"Mum says you shouldn't try so hard," Jemima's voice said from behind her. Lyndsey's eyes snapped open and she spun round to face the blonde.
"You know, it's rude to sneak up on people," Lyndsey said.
Jemima shrugged, her blonde plait swaying as she did.
"It's also rude to ignore your sister," She grinned. Jemima came and sat opposite Lyndsey, bring her knees up to her chest. "So, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Lyndsey replied quickly, avoiding eye contact. Jemima raised an eyebrow.
"Right, and I can't ride a bike," She said sarcastically. Jemima reached over and took Lyndsey's hand. The two girls had always been close, mostly because of their ages. "You can tell me"
Lyndsey sighed.
"Something….dark's coming. Something bad. But I can't see what. I'm….I'm scared," She said, looking down at her hands.
"Listen," Jemima said, making Lyndsey look up at her. "Whatever happens, happens for a reason. We can't change that. Everything….always works out the way it's supposed to."
Lyndsey still looked a bit unsure. Jemima smiled reassuringly and looked out the window.
"Look at the flowers, Lyndsey," She said. She twirled her hand and the flowers in the garden grew, twisting up the side of the house, up to the window. Jemima reached out, picked a flower and pushed it into Lyndsey's hair. She smiled, making Lyndsey smile too. "Now come on, Dad will be home soon."
Taking Lyndsey's hand, the two girls walked out of the room, Lyndsey still holding her doll. They walked down the staircase, past the sitting room door and through into the centre room of the house. Lyndsey let her hand slide over the keys of the piano, the two girls laughing at the sound the notes made. They walked into the dining room, where most of the family were already sat.
Jack Pryde sat at the head of the table, back to the window. He was dressed smartly, having just returned from work. The seat to his left was empty, but in the seat to his right, sat John. Robbie sat next to John, talking with his brother and father about the recent football game at school. Aiden sat on the other side of Robbie, flicking through a book. Lyndsey went to sit in the seat to the right of her father, Jemima sitting in the seat next to her.
"Hello girls," Jack said as the two sat down. "How was school?"
"Fine, Dad," Lyndsey smiled.
"I learnt about the war today, Dad," Jemima said. "We're supposed to do a project about it, will you help me?"
Jack smiled solemnly
"Of course. What do you need to know?" He asked. Jemima flew in to talking about what her teacher had told her, talking animatedly about her ideas so far. Lyndsey smiled, but did not listen. Just as she was about to talk to John, Victoria appeared, carrying a large dish, with little Tora behind her who carried the bread board.
"Smell's lovely, dear," Jack commented, making Victoria smile.
"Well, I hope everyone's hungry, I made plenty. I know how much you all like lamb hotpot."
Tora sat down next to Jemima while Victoria sat at the bottom of the table. They said grace, and all began to eat. When Robbie went back for his fourth helping, Victoria sighed.
"Honestly, I don't know where you put it all. You certainly didn't get that from me,"
They all laughed as Robbie grinned.
"Don't listen to her son, there's nothing wrong with having a big appetite. Get that from my side of the family, you do," Jack said.
"As well as never being able to fetch the newspaper in," Victoria smiled. Jack pretended look shocked while all the children giggled. Lyndsey looked from her mother to her father. Their love for one another was evident and everlasting. They had met each other, both being scared of their powers at the time. Though the war had meant they had to grow up quickly, they had never once stopped loving each other.
A sharp rapping at the front door halted the conversations. All the children and Victoria looked up at Jack, who was frowning.
"Expecting anyone, dear?" He asked Victoria.
"No one. Are you?" She said. Jack shook his head. "Maybe we should leave it? We're in the middle of supper."
Another loud knock at the door caused Jack to stand up.
"No, it sounds urgent. I'll go see who it is," He said, leaving the room. The children all exchanged confused glances. No one ever came round this late. They heard Jack open the door, a lot of shouting, followed by the slamming of the door and Jack running back into the room.
"We have to get out of here!" He exclaimed.
"What's going on?" Victoria said, rising to her feet. Jack ignored her.
"John! Take Jem and Tora! Robbie, Lyndsey and Aiden are your responsibility!" He said, grabbing Victoria's hand. "They've found us…"
The breaking of glass spurred the Prdye's into action. John took Jemima's hand and picked up Tora, while Robbie grabbed Aiden's hand and, using his power of super speed, ran round the table, grabbing Lyndsey's hand. Loud footsteps echoed across the wooden floors of the foyer and shouting could be heard.
"Let's go!" Jack exclaimed, ushering John and the younger girls out into the next room. Before he could do the same to the other children, a gunshot was fired, followed by an ear-piercing scream.
"Victoria!" Jack shouted, falling to his knees. Victoria lay on the floor, blood flowing from the wound on her chest. Her eyes were vacant and a ghost of a smile was on her face.
"Jack…." She moaned, before her hand dropped to the ground. Jack let out a wailing scream, which was quickly followed by Lyndsey's and Aiden's screams.
"Mum!" Lyndsey cried.
"Mummy!"
"We have to get out of here," Robbie said, with tears in his eyes. He pulled the two away, out of the dining room. They ran into the kitchen when Robbie stopped. "This way!" He exclaimed, dragging them towards the door that lead to the cellar. He led them down the dark stairs, careful not to trip over. Upstairs, the gunfire and screams could still me heard. Lyndsey whimpered and pulled Aiden closer to her.
In the basement, Robbie led the two over to the far end, pushing old furniture out of the way. He pushed his younger siblings into the small alcove, before moving the furniture back into place.
"Wait!" Lyndsey cried, pulling a crying Aiden closer to her. "Don't go!"
"Lyndsey, I promise, I'll be right back. We're going to get out of here, I just have to get the others."
"But-"
"Lyndsey! Please! Take care of Aiden! Don't leave this spot for any reason! Please!" Robbie exclaimed. "Please. I love you both," He said, kissing both of their foreheads before running back upstairs.
Aiden sobbed harder, and although Lyndsey too wanted to cry, she knew she had to be strong for Aiden.
"Shh…Aiden, shhh," She whispered, trying to calm the nine year old down.
"They killed Mum!" He cried, burying his face in her hair. Lyndsey stoked his back, and looked up towards where Robbie had ran to.
"Everything's going to be okay, Aiden," Lyndsey said softly. "Robbie will come back with Dad and John and Jem and Tora and we'll go somewhere nice and warm and safe-"
She was cut off by more gunfire and the sound of a large blast. Tears swelled in her eyes and she heard a splitting scream that shook her to the core. Aiden wailed even more.
"Aid, we have to be quiet. It's like…It's like hide and seek. We can't be found," Lyndsey said quickly.
Footsteps echoed on the wooden floors above and Lyndsey heard the vague mumble of a voice. The door to the basement flew open and men with guns ran down the stairs. Lyndsey gasped silently, and both she and Aiden edge further into the alcove. A single set of footsteps came up to where the alcove was and both siblings held their breath.
"I know you're in there. Come out now and I'll let you live," A cold, harsh voice said. "Both of you."
Lyndsey and Aiden exchange looks and slowly Lyndsey rose to her feet, as did Aiden. They never let go of each other's hands. The man, clearly the leader, looked down at them, smiling wickedly. His hair was jet black, his skin a powdery white shade and his eyes like an abyss, endless and dark.
"Hello, children. My name is Mr Atkinson. Now, you're going to come with me. If you do not come willingly, we will use force." At this, one of the men cocked his gun and aimed it at the two children. They gasped, clinging to one another.
"Now, now, Millstone, we don't want to scare the children. Come now and I'll even let you pack a bag. It's going to be a long journey."
He walked towards the stairs, beckoning for them to follow. They clung to each other like glue, scared to let go. They walked up the stairs, and into the kitchen. Lyndsey walked in first and tried to shield Aiden from the sight which met her.
Robbie, their older brother Robbie, lay dead on the kitchen floor. Blood flowed from the multiple bullet wounds on his body and his head was rolled to the side, with sticky blood covering his face. Mr Atkinson stood next to the children and grinned.
"His mutation meant that it was harder to contain him. So, he had to go. He had to choice, but choose death instead. But we got him, didn't we Thompson?" He said to one of the thugs but Lyndsey and Aiden did not listen. Their brother lay dead on the floor. Their brother, who just an hour previous was teasing Lyndsey over sheet music.
They shuffled past the body, trying not to step in the blood. In the dining room, their mother lay, still riddled with bullets. But this time, little Tora and Jemima lay next to her. Tora was sprawled over their mother's corpse, as though she was protecting her. A single bullet wound to her head was what killed her. Next to her, Jemima lay. The little blonde haired girl lay on the floor, the crimson blood from her chest wound staining the floor a horrid colour.
"Those two," Atkinson said, "Tried to fight back. Thought their filthy mother was still alive. The little one tried to use her mind games on us but we got her."
Again, Lyndsey and Aiden said nothing. Both were weeping now, at the sight of half their family massacred. Atkinson seemed unmoved by the siblings' sorrow, instead just pushed them on. In the living room, John was eagle spread in a pool of his own blood that flowed from his head wound. Again, Atkinson commented on him and again the siblings ignored him.
The foyer was the hardest room to face.
Bloody footprints stained the floor an awful crimson, leading to different parts of the house. But that wasn't the worst part of it. At the foot of the stairs, lay Jack Pryde. Only he was not quite dead yet.
"Lyndsey…." He gasped. "Aiden….."
"Dad!" Lyndsey wailed. The two remaining Pryde siblings ran over to their father.
"Daddy…" Aiden cried, tears streaming down his face.
"Be strong, children…." Jack moaned. "Don't…waste your lives…."
He reached in to his pocket, his palms bloody, and pulled out his arm dog tags. He pressed them into Lyndsey's hand. "Take care of your brother…."
"I will, Daddy," She said through tears.
"Aiden….my son….Remember what I told you?"
"Our family is our pride," Aiden recited, tears dropping onto the ground. Jack smiled.
"I love you both…."
Atkinson stalked over.
"Come on now, Jack. Even in death, you take forever," He said darkly. Jack chuckled slightly.
"You know, Nathaniel? I never did like you. You were always a cowardly little man."
Atkinson's face turned sour.
"You know what, children?" He said, pulling out a handgun. "I don't think I'll let you pack a bag now."
He aimed the gun and Jack's head, and although the children shrieked and screamed for him not to, he pulled the trigger.
Lyndsey awoke with a start. It took a minute for her to properly wake up, and another minute to work out where she was. The back of the army truck was very squashed, with four other mutants packed in as well as Lyndsey. She was pressed up against Raven, with Sean on the other side of her. All of the mutants were asleep.
Lyndsey sighed with relief. It was just a dream.
"Bad dream?" A voice asked, startling her. She looked up to see Alex staring at her, arms folded across his chest.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to scare people?" Lyndsey asked, rubbing her eyes. Alex shrugged.
"Maybe. But you didn't answer my question. Did you have a nightmare?"
Lyndsey laughed bitterly.
"Yes, you could say that. Only, I have yet to wake up from this nightmare."
Please Review!