• sweatdrop Chapter 1

    I was at school in the soothingly green playground, watching all of the other children run around and enjoy their recess. The sun was shining brilliantly; the dew sparkled on the slightly yellow grass. All the children where very relaxed today. I sat under a nice shaded tree, while the wind fought through my hair. Then I felt a pat on my back. I turned to obviously see my little sister, Maria, behind me. No other people in the whole school talked to my sister and I, they all thought we where freaks, although Maria prefers the term “different”.
    Her striking chestnut hair was also blowing in the wind, and I must admit, she looked very elegant with her long hair flowing from her head all the way down her back. She’s so young, I though to myself. She’s so peaceful.
    “M..mom wants us home Brendan.” said Maria, her quite voice shaking. Even though she was calm, she always seemed to be nervous. While she spoke, she would stare at the other students and gasp in shock. Probably because of what she could see. Well, she basically describes it as the people about to make a good choice have a thin yellow glowing layer on the outside of them, their eyes shining a golden yellow, and people about to make a bad choice a layer of smoke seeming to smear slowly out of them, with cold, lifeless black eyes, depending on how the choice will effect their lives in their point of view, determines if it is a bad choice or not. I describe it as seeing heaven and hell, but that really offends her.
    “Alright, but do you think the teacher will notice if we leave?” I said to her, even though we both knew the answer.
    She looked at the other children before speaking and gasped. “N..nah, nobody ever s..seems to notice us.”
    She was definitely speaking the truth with that. We could skip school every day for the next month, and nobody would even notice. Sister and I where mostly invisible to the other students, and most teachers. We never really socialized with them, because they always seem to not be able to know what to say. They hear all of these stories about us being many crazy things, and being able to do insane things. Basically, we cut ourselves off from society.
    Sister and I walked home in silence down Moshiem street, passing many small cozy appearing houses and elegent evergreen trees, and I knew she would try to strike up a conversation, to break the silence, no matter what it took.
    “What is it like brother? To feel everyone’s e..motions?” she asked me, question in her gray, nearly colorless eyes. Our eyes had a slim color, and there is a good chance it has something to do with our abilities.
    Like my sister, I am also very advanced. I can feel people’s emotions, simply by looking into their eyes. When they are happy, I feel like I have just been completely refreshed, when angry or frightened, I feel burning through my whole body, as if I was on fire.
    “Hah! Well Maria, what is it like to see heaven and hell? I don’t get why you would ask this now, we could do this our whole lives!” I said to her.
    “B..brother! I’m serious… what would happen if one day we both lost our abilities? We wouldn’t know how to live! It’s like…a rich child suddenly on the streets, a..abandoned!”
    I laughed at the idea. She got frustrated. That burned me inside the fire went up through my body and up into my teeth, which I clenched in pain.
    “Please Maria! Would you stop? That…hurts you know!”
    “Oh. Sorry. Heh.” She chuckled. Her relaxation came back.
    Once we where finally back home, a mother greeted us with a charming smile. “Ah your home my darlings! Thank you for walking… driving really is a pain.” said mother. Her hair was just as dashing as Maria’s and her faded gray eyes also sparkled when she spoke.
    “Why did you ask us to return home mother?” I asked..
    “Suddenly someone spoke to me today, my children. Strange woman, dark violet eyes, long waved maroon hair, and a very expensive looking yet elegant dress. She seemed somewhat… cruel. Well, anyway, I don’t think it was anything of importance. So you might as well stay home today…” mother stammered.
    Her mood didn’t match what she was saying though. She was very concerned about this woman. It burned.
    Mother realized my sudden flinch of pain, and Maria’s gasp (she was probably not making a good choice by not telling us) then she scurried off into her study.
    The house was quite small, only one floor, I have to say I loved it. Mother’s decorative skills where exquisite. It was a darkly furnished house, the main theme throughout was dark brown. Mother had also kept it pretty tropical, with the pictures of tigers, bamboo shoots, and its beautiful hardwood flooring.
    I poured myself some lemonade then slid into my room.
    My room has always been very plain, because I have never let Mother get a hold of it. The bed always neatly made with its plaid blue blanket and white pillow, my computer desk neat with my notebook open on the side, and the walls framed with bookshelves, all of them neat, but full.
    I sat down at the computer desk and began typing in names of websites that barely interested me. I sat the for a few minutes than began reading one of my favorite books. I liked it because I could really feel the author’s emotions that where put into the book. Then, I slowly drifted to sleep, book in hand.

    Chapter 2

    I awoke the next morning, and decided to go to my favorite place, Katharine beach, to finally be alone once again. When there are only about two people you socialize with in your entire lifetime, you need some time alone.
    I walked up to the water and took my sandals off. The water was mostly clear, reflecting the cloudless sky. Behind me near the back of the beach, was a small flower garden where some ceremonies where held. I stood with the water up to my ankles for most likely a few hours, the world around me astounded me so much, I could stare at it forever. I always tried to convince myself that this lake was magic, but not even mother could persuade me. It is a good thing that not many people come here, most humans can’t bear to stand in one place for so long.
    I thought about what it must be like for normal humans, to be… able to socialize, talk to others calmly, not have to lie about strange inhuman talents… would I ever be able to have that? What would I give for just one more living thing to be able to talk to without being treated like a freak?
    Then I felt someone’s emotions approaching me. Maybe someone was watching and wondering why I was standing there for so long.
    I turned and realized the girl was still a few meters away from me. Her hair was a brilliant orange blond, and her eyes sparkled a dark violet. Her skin was very pale, and freckles armored her face. She was blushing, and it was so strong it almost looked like crimson. She was wearing a black sundress, and a golden ribbon through her hair. She seemed to be about my age, 15.
    “Uhm… excuse me…?” she said slowly, cautiously, like she was trying to tame a wild lion. “I’m L..lyn. I was wondering what you where doing here… alone.” She wasn’t wondering why I was standing there, she was wondering why I was doing it, alone. I noticed her emotions where different than any I had ever felt. She seemed scared, excited, worried, angered, confused, ecstatic, and…glad, all at once. This burned more than any emotion I had felt before… I could have fell to the ground, and ripped my hair out, but strangely, I liked it. What was it? She seemed to have more than most humans had.
    “Oh, I just need to be alone. Please go, Lyn.” I said to her, anxious to get her away from me. When I said that sentence to her, the mysterious emotion I was reading off of her vanished, and nothing was left in it’s place. Almost as if there was no emotion to read. She seemed like a threat. Someone who could damage my… well, I wouldn’t call it happiness, but she could change my life.
    “…al..lright then… I’ll leave you be.” She almost whispered and ran off the beach.
    I returned home after that, hoping Maria hadn’t been spying on me again. But, why did Lyn speak to me? Was she new in town, and not know I was a freak? And why where her eyes… purple? Excuse me, I don’t think that’s normal! Then, Maria appeared in my room. Oh, she can take herself out of a persons sight, almost like invisibility. “Brother! That g…girl! By talking to you, she w…was…” Maria paused. She seemed utterly terrified. I flinched in pain. “Just spit it out Maria! Why did you spy on us?” It felt weird to say “us” in terms of that vial person. “Well Brendan, I spied on you because my abilities are way better than yours.” She chuckled. She didn’t stammer when she spoke for there weren’t any bad choices around for her to see. Her relaxation came back. I sighed in relief. But it didn’t last long, her tenseness returned. “The girl you where talking to… uhg! The choice she was making by talking to you… it was… good!” She pretty much spit out the words in disgust.
    I sat there in shock. I thought it wasn’t possible for any human being to ever speak to anyone in my family and be making the right choice. It had never happened before, according to Lyn.
    “Brother! This could ruin our… normal lives!” cried Maria. I tried to calm her, simply for my sake. “Well Maria, we can’t be certain this is bad, maybe she had a question to ask me but didn’t spit it out.” I said smoothly. Maria didn’t buy it, was she even stubborn!
    “But Brendan! Her eyes! They sparkled like a shinned amethyst! Haven’t you read mother’s books?!” she yelped in her shaken voice. “No, I don’t spy on mother.” I chuckled. Maria’s rage became worse, burning me.
    “Brother I’m serious! The books described a violet eyed devil coming to take away everything we love, desire, and need!” she looked at me her gray eyes shining with tears. “Sister, seriously. Lyn is not a hell maker.” I could feel the fire caused by her slowly dimming into sadness, then back into rage.
    A tear slipped down her cheek. “We don’t know that for sure Brendan. So you have a name for this menis? Lyn is it? Well, tell her to back off!” she yelped at me furiously. I clenched my head in pain. “Oh..” her fury was replaced with concern. “Telling her off wont do you any good… maybe we should just let go.” She said in her shaky voice.
    She was more nervous than usual, I could always read that she was, but it was so often I grew to ignore it. Now it was standing out.
    “Finally!” I snapped at her, playfully. She pouted and swiftly walked out the door.

    Chapter 3