Gifted #Wattys2015

Chapter 1

Apryl

My name is Apryl, Apryl Sawyer. Well, I never use my last name, so that's not important. What is important is that I'm an enhanced human. The founder of The Gifted.

I have what has been identified as a level 5 enhancement. The highest and rarest form of enhancement. During the war, the government rated all the enhancements that every person had been given on their 16th birthday, dividing them in to 5 categories:

Level 1 was no risk, these were all the people that refused to receive an enhancement.

Level 2 was low risk, those with powers only helpful for work related or recreational activists. Something like the ability not to forget any tasks they needed to complete.

Level 3 was medium risk, enhanced humans with powers that could be dangerous, but not necessarily damaging, such as the ability to fly.

Level 4 was high risk, those who had dangerous abilities, those who were likely to be the ones causing the most devastation in the wars.

Finally, Level 5 was simply unclassified. These people had powers far more dangerous the high risk, but at the same time, they weren't really a risk at all. These specific abilities weren't given by the clinics, but a handful had been active in the wars, presumably artificially created or stolen from the clinic. All the Level 5's from the war had died now. To our knowledge, only 4 remained in existence, 1 being me.

I am telekinetic. Doesn't sound dangerous, does it? I can cause avalanches, send an entire army backwards, or bring an arsenal of planes flying towards me crashing down, all with the flick of my hand. Sounds a lot worse now. Of course, I'm not that destructive, and have never done those things, but I have the ability to. That's not the full extent of my powers anyway. If I hold a piece of ice, a lit match, or have access to an electric current, I can create and manipulate ice, fire and electricity.

I first realised I was an enhanced when I was 12. I remember it perfectly. Not being particularly strong at that point, as I was more intellectually based, I was picked on. A group of boys came towards me, for the second time that lunch. I was already bruised; I had the beginning of a black eye, a cut on my cheek and a very painful shoulder where it had been hit against a wall. The largest of the boys, Jack, walked confidently, towering over my smaller frame that lay on the ground. As his fist came down to hit my face, I flung both my arms out to deflect the hit.

It worked, just not in the way I thought it would. Jack was shot backwards before he hit me, flying into the wall. The others, suddenly scared, backed away, before turning and fleeing. My eyes were wide with shock, staring at the palms of my hands in utter amazement. Everyone else around began to stare, and shout. Shouting at me, shouting for their friends, for the teachers. Names like freak, mutant and monster rang out from the crowd that formed around me. A teacher appeared, and behind him, the headmistress, Mrs Peyton.

"What happened?" Mrs Peyton demanded icily.

"I don't know," I spluttered, "one minute Jack was right in front of me, and then he just flew backwards."

"Go, go home now," she instructed, and only I gaped at her, without moving. "You know what you are, don't you?" Mrs Peyton inquired slowly.

"No, it can't have been me, I can't do that." I replied.

"You're an enhanced. You're dangerous. The world hates you, hates your kind. I'm not blaming you, it wasn't your fault. But that's who you are."

"I don't understand, I thought they were all extinct?" I had naively asked.

"No, you're rare, but it's not impossible for you to exist. You have to leave, find a place that doesn't know what you are, or you'll be captured. You understand that, right?"

Slowly, I nodded, whispering "Yes, I understand, I'll go now." Without another word being spoken by either of us, I left. I never belonged anywhere else afterwards. That was the changing point in my life.

From then, it became harder to ignore or hide my powers, and impossible to forget about them. They only seemed to grow stronger the more I denied their existence. I knew, even at 12, that I wouldn't be able to hide them forever, at some point I would have to run. When I that time came, I knew I'd need to be ready.

My family, of course, found out about my powers, and mostly accepted it, except my brother. A politics fanatic, he hated the enhanced, hated anyone that violated government law, despised the people that were different. He promised not to say anything, not to turn me on, although I could tell that even my presence annoyed him. My parents, on the other hand, were quite supportive, promising to try and keep me safe. I knew better, I knew when the time came, they couldn't really help me.

I begged for karate and combat training lessons, with my parents, luckily, conceding. After hours of research, I was also able to purchase gloves that prevented, mostly, my telekinetic abilities. This meant I was able to fight without my powers affecting me. They worked too, I climbed the ranks as my fighting abilities grew, not needing anything special to beat them.

By 15, I knew I needed to go. I wasn't safe anywhere anymore. Not even in my home. The government had been requesting more people for random testing, and it was only a short matter of time before i would be called. Apparently though, I didn't need to worry about that, because before I could be called or testing, a member of the authority appeared at our door. I opened the door carefully.

"We've received information that suggests that's Apryl Sawyer is enhanced, is she here?" He inquired.

"That's me." I replied firmly and swiftly, subtlety looking behind him to notice the two guards stationed by our house.

"We would like to take you in for questioning, and if you have nothing to hide, it shouldn't be a problem, will it now, Miss Sawyer."

Before I could find my voice, my mum was by my side. "Why of course sir, just give her a moment." She said. I quickly jogged up the stairs and grabbed the rucksack I had had packed for weeks. In it contained the essentials for surviving on the run - a small sleeping bag, an assortment of food, a 2L drinks bottles, pre filled with a bottle of iodine in case buying water was too difficult, and then a rope and a knife, simple requirements for protection should I need them. I came back down the stairs.

"Come with me now miss." The authority member commanded. I smiled and nodded, first giving my mother a hug, and whispering "Goodbye mum, I love you both." I saw my brother out my eye corner, and from the expression on his face, it was obviously him that had turned me in. I glared at him for a moment, before turning and walking out of my house. For the last time.

As I stepped out the doorway, the two guards grabbed me, each taking hold of my arms. The second they did this, I spun as best I could to face them, kicking the one on the right in the chest. As he stumbled and his grip loosened, I freed my arm, curling it into a fist and punching the other guard. He too stumbled and fell back. Without losing pacing, i advanced onto the authority member, punching his in the nose, feeling the satisfying crunch as it broke, and the kicked him hard in his chest. With that, I took off running.

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Chapter 2, I hope this was a better chapter, it was longer but I'm aiming for the next chapter to be even longer and better. How was it?? Please like, comment and share, as well as follow me, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!