Elemental Power
What Did I Just Do?
The tank slows and stops in front of the base. An older man and a younger man--about my age--climb out of the tank.
“Humans?” the older man asks.
“Of course,” Carrick lies.
A wave of relief washes over the younger man’s face. He smiles when he notices me.
“I’m Bo and this is my son Vince,” the older man says, “we’ve been running from those psycho aliens.”
“Elementals?” I ask.
Both men look at me, inquisitively.
“Aliens,” Bo corrects, furrowing his eyebrows, “I don’t care when they call themselves, they’re foreigners.”
“I suppose,” I mumble, staring at my hands; my freakish powerful hands.
Carrick looks at me, “My name is Carrick and this is Leo. Leo is more of a pacifist. He… believes they should maybe have rights. I don’t know. Young guys, ya know.”
“Even I think they’re freaks,” Vince says. Pangs of pain hit the muscles in my sides. Freaks.
“Well, I think we should stick together. I’m a doctor and I’m doing autopsies on some of our fellow men currently,” Carrick chimes.
“Any idea what it is?” Bo asks.
“No,” Carrick replies, “but I know they have weapons. One of the girls we found was stabbed by some sort of blade.”
Bo nods, “well, one of ‘em had a sword for an arm.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it was disturbing.”
“Tell me more. I’ll make some coffee,” Carrick says leading Bo inside.
I look at Vince as we stand alone outside. I kick the dirt sending a cloud of dust into the air.
“I hate them,” Vince mutters.
“The Ele- aliens?” I look up.
“Yeah, they killed my momma,” Vince frowns.
“I’m so sorry,” I look at his face. It’s a rugged face with a short-haired beard. Vince has dark eyes, dark and pained.
“Me too, but I feel like she’ll be avenged if… if I can kill at least one. Hopefully, the one who killed her,” Vince explains, “I was only nine.”
A shotgun is heard inside the house. Vince and I both jump at the sound.
Carrick runs out of the house with Bo close behind lugging a shotgun.
“He’s a freak! He heated the coffee with his hands!” Bo shouts.
“Run, Leo, now!” Carrick commands.
I look at Carrick and then look at Vince who is now pointing a gun at my chest.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I tell him and watch his body sway. I close my eyes, knowing that I am warming his blood.
“I… I don’t feel so good…” Vince mutters and drops to his knees. I begin to boil the blood in his brain. It’s melting…
“Leo! No!” Carrick’s voice is faint. I only focus on Vince, watching his life slip from his eyes.
Vince falls over. I can see Bo gaping at me.
What did I just do?
“Humans?” the older man asks.
“Of course,” Carrick lies.
A wave of relief washes over the younger man’s face. He smiles when he notices me.
“I’m Bo and this is my son Vince,” the older man says, “we’ve been running from those psycho aliens.”
“Elementals?” I ask.
Both men look at me, inquisitively.
“Aliens,” Bo corrects, furrowing his eyebrows, “I don’t care when they call themselves, they’re foreigners.”
“I suppose,” I mumble, staring at my hands; my freakish powerful hands.
Carrick looks at me, “My name is Carrick and this is Leo. Leo is more of a pacifist. He… believes they should maybe have rights. I don’t know. Young guys, ya know.”
“Even I think they’re freaks,” Vince says. Pangs of pain hit the muscles in my sides. Freaks.
“Well, I think we should stick together. I’m a doctor and I’m doing autopsies on some of our fellow men currently,” Carrick chimes.
“Any idea what it is?” Bo asks.
“No,” Carrick replies, “but I know they have weapons. One of the girls we found was stabbed by some sort of blade.”
Bo nods, “well, one of ‘em had a sword for an arm.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, it was disturbing.”
“Tell me more. I’ll make some coffee,” Carrick says leading Bo inside.
I look at Vince as we stand alone outside. I kick the dirt sending a cloud of dust into the air.
“I hate them,” Vince mutters.
“The Ele- aliens?” I look up.
“Yeah, they killed my momma,” Vince frowns.
“I’m so sorry,” I look at his face. It’s a rugged face with a short-haired beard. Vince has dark eyes, dark and pained.
“Me too, but I feel like she’ll be avenged if… if I can kill at least one. Hopefully, the one who killed her,” Vince explains, “I was only nine.”
A shotgun is heard inside the house. Vince and I both jump at the sound.
Carrick runs out of the house with Bo close behind lugging a shotgun.
“He’s a freak! He heated the coffee with his hands!” Bo shouts.
“Run, Leo, now!” Carrick commands.
I look at Carrick and then look at Vince who is now pointing a gun at my chest.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I tell him and watch his body sway. I close my eyes, knowing that I am warming his blood.
“I… I don’t feel so good…” Vince mutters and drops to his knees. I begin to boil the blood in his brain. It’s melting…
“Leo! No!” Carrick’s voice is faint. I only focus on Vince, watching his life slip from his eyes.
Vince falls over. I can see Bo gaping at me.
What did I just do?
♠ ♠ ♠
Leo has special powers.