Hellbound - 001/Henry Creel/Peter Ballard

002

I turn my head away from the doors and walk into the room with my head facing the floor. I do not want to attract unnecessary attention to myself that will lead to me having more broken bones. If I act invincible, if I am a ghost walking amongst them they will leave me alone.

"Hey, Five. Did your friend abandon you?" Three calls out, the rest snickering at his snarky remark. So much for being a ghost.

I bite my tongue. I must not respond to their teasing, it will only get worse.

I keep my head down and continue walking to my designated table. It's a small table with marbles in the furthest corner of the room away from everyone.

"Aw, how sad little Five is all on her own now." Four raises from her chair and walks towards me.

I recoil and take a step away. I must not get into trouble. I should not inflict harm upon others. I should not act out on my anger. I repeat Papa's advice over and over in my head and regulate my breathing.

Four continues walking towards me and suddenly I meet a wall on my back. I'm cornered.

They're younger than me. They should not terrorize me so. I'm stronger than this. I try to reassure myself but that all goes out the window when I see their hands twitching as if they are holding their powers back at this moment.

Not again.

The last time they attacked me I broke my leg but had to hide it from Papa, having to walk on a broken leg for weeks before Henry took me to the infirmary to patch me up. They get in trouble, I get in worse trouble.

"Now that your little friend is not here to protect you I think we should talk." They all circle me like starved sharks and I'm their prey.

I close my eyes, I wait for the hit, for the first gush of wind that will raise me to the ceiling and smack me back down to the ground. It doesn't come and when I open my eyes again they are all staring down at me.

I feel like a lab rat, like a small creature that they are intrigued to pick apart and explore.

"Leave me alone," I whisper as a last resort to protecting myself.

"What was that?" Two stands in front of me, towering over me with his tall but frail body.

"I said leave me alone." I raise my eyes off the ground and speak louder.

An act of newfound courage blooms in me and for a second I can stand my ground. But it disappears as soon as it came.

"But where's the fun in that?" He says laughing at me as if I'm a circus attraction.

"Papa will see this and will punish you like last time." I point to the cameras, the red light blinking, my only savior if things get ugly.

"Let him see it. I had fun in the infirmary." His hand slowly raises before he points it at me, a devilish look in his eyes.

The first push is always the lightest one. A starter for the rest, some teasing before the actual fight begins. I await the next one and pray that this time I won't break my bones like I did last time.

"Come on Five, fight us back." He awaits for my powers to kick in and I wish he would tease me physically instead. This is worse than a broken arm. "I'm sorry, I forgot, you cant."

Another snicker. Another push, but this time the air leaves my lungs.

Anger builds up in me, flashes of all the times I was ruthlessly teased for being different.

I search myself for any hint of power, any switch in me but there is nothing there. Nothing to grasp onto and nothing powerful enough to fight all of them at once.