Lyrissa's Sparkles II

The next day Lyrissa woke up face down in her pillow, to the sounds of two kids arguing, an older boy pleading with them to be quiet so they didn’t wake her by fighting outside her door, and Logan backing him up. For a second, she thought she was back at the mansion in New York, until she heard her grandmother announcing pancakes.

She rolled over, and crawled to her bag for some clothes, and quickly got dressed. Sadly for her, someone had taken almost all of her clothes out of her bag, and she was left with a white pair of pants, and pink Hello Kitty shirt.

“Well you look cute.” Logan smirked after she finally found her way to the huge dining room that was filled with her family. “Shut up.” She laughed, sitting down next to him. Looking around her, it looked like he was the only one who didn’t have sparkling hair. All of the women had it for sure, and about half the men as well. It was as if her entire bloodline had glittery hair; pretty much the only people who weren’t sparkling, were the ones who married into the family, or were adopted, with the exception of a handful who just didn’t inherit the hair.

Just like at home, when the food was served, the laughter, jokes, and almost food fight began. Her hair dulled as she was hit with a strong wave of homesickness suddenly, when her newfound family started to act so much like her family in New York. She was brought out of it by a combination of Logan’s hand gently rubbing her knee, and a sausage patty flying in her direction. She teleported right before it hit her, but since she was so startled, she teleported out of the building completely.

“I am so sorry, I really wasn’t aiming at her. I swear!” Mitchell, the boy who first dragged Logan and Lyrissa into the house, said quickly, hoping Logan wasn’t angry with him. “It’s alright kid, she does this all the time. Havin’ food flyin’ everywhere’s kinda normal where we live.” He smirked. “She teleports when she’s startled, doesn’t she?” Anette asked with a smile. “Yeah, she’s been gettin’ better at controlling it, but if she’s distracted there ain’t a way of stoppin’ her.” He answered.

“She really is part of the Carson family! Everyone who got the teleportation, did, and does that. One time I teleported myself right off the edge of the Grand Canyon!” Eliza laughed. “Yeah, try explaining to the other families on the tour, why your niece just disappeared in a cloud of sparkling wisps, after seeing a snake, and off the edge of the canyon, and why you had to disappear in a cloud of your own to save her.” Charlie sighed, flipping a small piece of toast at his niece. “Lyrissa teleported off the cliff behind where we live once, after teleporting into the fountain. The cold water scared her, and she said it reminded her of the water at the bottom of the cliffs, so she teleported there too.” Logan smirked. “That’s nothing, my son teleported naked into the middle of the freeway from our hotel last vacation.” Rick laughed.

“What’s going on?” Lyrissa asked once she finally found her way back into the house, and to the kitchen. “We’re talking about the teleportation troubles we’ve all had to face. Standing nude in the center of the highway, jumping into the Grand Canyon, teleporting into a fountain, and then off a cliff, things like that.” Eliza laughed. Lyrissa started blushing as soon as she mentioned the cliffs, and sat back down next to Logan. “Hey now, don’t you go getting bashful on us, do you understand me young lady? I can guarantee you, that anything embarrassing you’ve done, I myself have done worse.” An old woman ordered from the end of the table. She was actually very old, but still sparkling.

“Granny, did you meet Lyrissa yet?” Anette asked curiously. “No I have not, I was asleep when she got here and you didn’t wake me up Anette Rose.” She answered. “I’m sorry, I forgot.” She sighed. “Forgot your own grandmother!” Granny shook her head and turned her attention to Lyrissa. “I’m your great, great, granny Rosemary. Most just call me Rose, Granny, or both.” She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you Granny Rose.” Lyrissa smiled shyly, once again feeling Logan’s hand on her leg to comfort her.

“Alright ladies, it’s time to move out. Those of you staying here, do not destroy this house, do you understand me? I will show you what it means to fear the dark.” Anette ordered harshly. “You think Nettie’s frightening; I’m almost one-hundred years old, I’ve learned how to truly inspire fear over the years.” Granny Rose warned before Lyrissa and the other women left the house.

They all piled into six vans, since there were over thirty women. Anyone under twenty years old had to stay at the house. “All right Lyrissa, I know you’re wanting to know where we’re all going, so I’m going to explain it now.” Anette said as she drove; Lyrissa was in the passenger seat, just watching the scenery go by. “Okay.” She nodded.

“It’s tradition to visit the family members who are no longer with us physically, we’ve been doing it for years and years. Our family has our own cemetery tucked away out here. The first one I’m taking you to is your mother.”

Lyrissa stayed silent, only half wanting to see her gave.

“You don’t have to worry about fighting back your tears sweetheart, we all cry when we do this. The women all go out to visit our family, and honor the dead, while the men fix up the house, yard, and do manly things like that, and the children all play around. In this family, you’re not grown up until you’re twenty years old.” She continued.

“Taillights mom!” one of the women yelled from the first row of the van. “I know Carolyn!” she sighed; stopping the van behind the other van they took out to the cemetery. Carolyn was one of the adopted family members that Anette had taken in, and had been living with her since she was thirteen after being abandoned by her own family for being a mutant.

Outside the van each woman took one rose per grave they were to visit. Lyrissa was given one for every year she was unable to visit her mother. They had to hike to the cemetery, which took roughly fifteen minutes.

The gates were worn, but well kept, as was the entire cemetery. There were graves that dated back to the first settlers in that area, their markers were so warn it was impossible to read who buried there, but the family knew. The cemetery was very large, and had mausoleums, a couple cave tombs, marble statues, wooden crosses, limestone grave markers, and not a single dead flower within the gates.

“What do you think you’re doing in here?” Granny Rose demanded suddenly, glaring dead ahead of her to someone no one could see. “Is she seeing ghosts again?” Carolyn asked. “Ghosts?” Lyrissa questioned. “Yes, Granny Rose has a rare gift in our family. She can also see spirits of people. Living and dead; it goes with her telepathy. Your mother probably would have developed it eventually as well.” Anette answered.

Before Lyrissa could reply, she heard something that made her heart stop, and blood turn to ice. “Well, look at you Jen. Come to visit mommy dearest?” a voice all to familiar asked from a dark corner of the cemetery, right where Granny Rose was looking. Several women looked around at a read headed woman who was standing behind Rose. “Jennifer, who did you tell about this place?” Carolyn demanded. “No one… I swear.” She breathed. “He’s not talking to her.” Lyrissa explained coldly, before walking up to stand next to Granny Rose, who had silver wisps around her feet almost like smoke.

“What do you want Jack?” she demanded. “Well, let’s see… this is your last chance to join up with us. And don’t say no, because we wouldn’t want Allie getting hurt. If you say no, then our big, furry friend just might hurt her.” He smirked. “Where is she, what the hell did you do Jack?” she demanded, releasing wisps of her own. “Nothing, yet.” He shrugged.

“Now wait just one second, who the hell is this, how does he know you, and why in the names of the gods is he in our cemetery?” Carolyn demanded harshly. “His name is Jack, I used to race for him until I found out who he really was. I don’t know why he’s here.” Lyrissa answered quietly. “I’m here for you, now come quietly, or you’ll hear Allie scream from miles away.” Jack smiled. “Like hell she’s going with you!” Carolyn barked, creating fireballs in both of her hands, and aiming at his head.

“No one fights here, it is a place of peace! Do you understand young man, what a cemetery is?” Granny Rose demanded. “A place full of dead people?” he smirked.

“A place where they rest! A place for honoring them! A place that I will not allow be tainted by your violent actions. Carolyn, dissipate your fire, and let him leave.”

Carolyn sighed heavily, and let her fires burn out before stepping away from the gate. Jack walked up to Lyrissa, and hit her as hard as he could in the face, knocking her out for a few seconds. As soon as his fist met her face, Granny Rose grabbed his arm, and pulled him back from her. “What, you think you can kick my ass granny?” he laughed. “Watch your language young man.” She spat, smacking him hard across the face with the back of her hand. He went to hit her, but got tangled in her wisps and lifted off the ground. “Anette, take Lyrissa back to the house, and make sure Logan’s there before you come back. If he isn’t, I want you to stay with her. Do you understand?” she ordered while Jack fought against her wisps. “Yeah.” She nodded before helping Lyrissa up, and teleporting away.

Rose’s eyes changed to a smoky gray color, and would have looked like Lyrissa’s when she lost control if they were black; they had the same eerie light. “If you do anything stupid, someone very close to Lyrissa’s gonna die.” He warned. “Oh no she won’t neither, ya think you’re so tough? Oh honey, Granny Rose is one of the strongest mutants I’ve ever seen, she’ll rip you apart before you have time to scream!” one of the women laughed, with a thick southern accent. “Not in the cemetery she won’t.” he smirked. Rose nodded, and teleported just outside the gate.

“I won’t kill you, because I have no reason to. I don’t know what business you have with my granddaughter, or what fight is going between you. What I do know is you are threatening my family, and defiling a sacred place of ours. Now leave us be, leave her be, and if I hear one thing, about that little girl getting hurt, I’ll have a reason for killing you. Do you understand young man?” she asked calmly. He smirked, and flipped her off before taking two of Carolyn’s fireballs to the back of the head.

Back at the Carson house, Lyrissa was sitting on the couch in Logan’s arms, while Anette explained to the men what was happening. She ordered that the kids under fifteen play outside while she did so, so she didn’t worry them. “But who is he?” Charlie asked impatiently. “He was a friend of mine. I used to race for him, and we ended up being pretty close, but then I found out who he was with, and what he did, and our friendship ended. He’s not a good person, and he would have Allie killed if we don’t do something!” Lyrissa answered, nearing tears. “Well, don’t worry. We’ll kick his ass before he gets a chance to hurt her.” George smiled as he put his arm around Anette’s waist. “He ain’t the one who’s got her.” Logan explained.

One of Lyrissa’s cousins teleported into the living room suddenly, in a swirl of red wisps, with gold shimmers, holding what looked like a bundle of coats. “What’s wrong Rose?” Charlie demanded. “Where’s Mitchell? We need him in here now!” She answered sharply, putting the bundle on the ground and unwrapping it to reveal a small, bloody, blonde little girl. Lyrissa would have started crying hysterically as soon as she saw her, if she could breathe at the time; the second she saw her, it was like Lyrissa’s entire body shut down.