The Underground Palace

Chapter Five - Fire Starter

All of a sudden Oliver leapt to his feet, fists clenched and raging.

'Of course you know what they want from us!' he screamed at the top of his voice.    

Alex shook her head and quickly backed away.  This boy had serious anger issues.  His emotions could turn like a light switch.

'No, I don't,' she started to explain.  'My father?  He turned his back on me when I was two years old and I never saw him again.'  Oliver paused and studied the girl.  She was lying, Oliver was sure of it, nobody these days told the truth. 

'You lie!  You and your father for years have known where I live and what I have been through.  Guntur always told me to watch out for people like you!  You use us.  You run us through and leave nothing but our bones!' he yelled.  Alex couldn't believe it, a moment ago the boy was sad and now he had completely lost it.  'It was fake, wasn't it?  Those men, the kids, that beast – you were all acting.  Trying to make my life even more messed up.'  Alex felt anger growing inside her.  She wanted to scream at this boy and shake him until he saw sense, but Alex knew she couldn't be angry.  This boy had been through things worse than her, he had been kidnapped from his home, locked in here for four days and forced to watch five children burn alive.

'Oliver, please, you need to calm down-' 

'Calm down?  Calm down!' screamed Oliver in response.  'How can I?  I have been a prisoner here for days now!  And all you have ever done is watch and laugh behind my back for what an idiot I've been.  I wonder what you have gotten out of it.  A few jokes and laughs?  Is that what I am worth?' 

And that was when everything changed.

Fire erupted from Oliver's bed.  Fire which swayed and licked the ceiling in hunger. 

'Can't you see?' screamed Oliver, yelling out with frustration.  'This is what I can do!'

Alex shook her head and backed away.  This was wrong.  Impossible.  Those had flames appeared out of nowhere!  How had he done it?  Not a match or lighter was in sight.

Then slowly everything started to come together.

 Alex knew the dream last night was definitely real, the boy in front of her was proof of that.  But if it was real, then that meant that beast and fire had been real too.  Everything seemed unbelievable but Alex had no choice but to believe.  But just the idea of it made Alex cringe.  Magic – it did not exist!  Her mother had always told her so for as long as she could remember, but then again, lately her mother wasn't known for telling the truth.  

This fire, Holly managing to create duplicates of herself, the way that beast forced Kirsty's body to move through the air and the lock on Glen's attic door mysteriously movig by itself – they were all related through the use of one word.  Magic.  Alex looked up and stared at Oliver and the fire. 

'Got it now have you?' laughed Oliver.  'This power of mine, I cannot control it.  I'm a fire starter.  I don't need matches or lighters!  I start fire with my bare hands.  I can even throw balls of fire too so you better watch what you say.'  Alex shook her head, this was wrong.  Completely wrong.

'Oliver, this isn't right-'

'Are you calling me a freak?'

'No!' Alex protested, then whispered, 'I think I understand now.'

And she did.  For some strange reason it all made sense, it was the only explanation.  The Seven Children weren't just a bunch of useless children.  Oliver was sheer proof of that.  The Seven Children were children who each possessed a gift.  A power.  A curse.  It didn't matter.  Each child possessed magic.  It was bizarre but true!  Oliver was a fire starter, the evidence was burning the bed.  Holly could create doubles of herself.  The twins could – what?  Alex could only guess.  Telepathic.  It was the only reasonable answer.  It was obvious too.  The way one twin knew what the other was about to do before they actually did it.  And although Alex had never seen Neo's power at work, Alex somehow already knew what it was - telekinesis.  He had the power to move things through his mind, no matter what the size.  Five children who each held incredible power, it must be one of the reasons why that beast, wanted them dead.  But Oliver had said Seven Children, not five.  That left Glen and herself.  Glen had a power.  Years ago Alex thought she had hallucinated, but looking back, there was no denying it.  Glen had definitely teleported that day when she was nearly hit by a car and he saved her life.  Afterwards, she questioned him for days about it but Glen always got angry and told her to be quiet.  Alex had forgotten about, until now that was.