Fire

Mom?

  I spent a total of three nights in the hospital even though there was no sign of my combustion. They were running all sorts of tests on me and didn't find anything. I figured it was time to tell my parents what was going on, but not until we got home.

     The doctors finally released me after the results of my last test came back normal. On the way back home not a word was spoken from any of us. I was to busy trying to gather the words to explain everything without sounding like I watch to much t.v., and judging by the looks of my parents faces I could tell they were over welmed and possibly afraid of the answers to any questions they had.

We pulled into the driveway, I jumped out of the car, and ran for the door before my dad could even get the car into park. I slipped the key into the door knob, threw the door open, ran to my room, and slammed the door behind me.

     I needed more time, I wasn't ready. There was no way I could expalin this without sounding stupid or like im making everything up.

     I peaked out of my bedroom window and I could see both my parents still sitting in the car. Apparantly they weren't ready to talk either, but it was okay. Perfect actually, because with them not ready I had time to practice my speech.

     Two hours ticked by quicker than expected. A soft knock on my door told me they were ready to talk. My mom opened the door.

" Tatiana? I think we are ready to talk now."

     I took a deep breath and nodded while letting my breath or slowly.

" I don't really know what to say. could you please include us in on whatever is going on, and we promise to hear you out without interruption, and try our best to understand.

This is obviously not a medical thing. So if you know what's going on, we would like to be informed."

     I sat there for a moment watching their expressions. It was a constant look of worry and fear mixed together.

" Okay, I have thought a lot about how to tell you without sounding rediculous, but I can't think of anything, so here it is."

I took another breath and let it out.

" I was pulled to the side at school friday by one of the students. He told me to follow him so I did, and he took me to this building behind the school. It's so weird though, it looked all old and broken down from the outside but when you walk in it's big and luxurious, fasinating really."

     Staring off into space I could picture it all in my mind not noticing I had stopped talking.

"Tatiana?" my mom said, I snapped back into reality and continued.

"Oh sorry, anyways, when we got there I seen about ten other kids there including my friend Jessie. Well, apparantly we aren't friends anymore, but thats besides the point."

I took a long pause before continuing.

" This old guy just appeared out of no where and, well, long story short he said everyone there has a skill or power if you will, and mine is fire. That's why there is no trace. I just have to learn to control it."

My parents sat there in shock. I guess they needed a minute to absorb the information I just blurted out. My dad looked at me.

" Is that why you and your books were on fire? "

" Yes."

" Show me."

     I held my hand out and made a small ball of fire form in the middle of my palm. I watched his face closely trying to read his reaction. It looked as if he was in disbelief and tried to see where the fire was coming from like I was doing some sort of magic trick.

" So what do you think?"

" How?"

" I dont know. That's why my grades are falling. I  have been spending all my time trying to learn about this and palying with it trying to get it right because this girl Jessie that I called my friend told me she is my opponent. I don't understand what that means really and we all meet in that building every friday so I can tell you more as I find out, but as for now this is all I know."

     My mom had no words, she just sat there in total shock, she couldn't believe her eyes. My dad on the other hand took to it very well and seemed just as interested as I was.

      He stayed by my side through the course of all the training and exercises when he wasn't working.

     Mom didn't speak much after I told her what was happening to me, but she was always there to listen to my stories from the fridays I had meetings and she watched me and dad play with my skill.

     Months had passed quickly and I was growing stronger everyday with the help of my dad. Although, I tryed really hard to talk to mom and understand why she had distenced herself from me, but she never told me why. I began to worry about her, it seemed as if everyday that I grew stronger, she grew weaker.

     Finally, my dad had enough of trying to understand and he convenced her to see a doctor. We sat in the waiting room for an hour and a half and mom was finally called to the back.

She had to go alone because the doctor wouldn't let us go with her. We sat impatiantly in the waiting room biting our nails and trying to distract ourselves with those crappy magazines waiting for her to return.

     Thirty long minutes later she came through the door. She turned politly shaking the doctors hand and walked away back towards the car without giving the slightest glance towards me and dad. We looked at eachother for a mere second and rushed after her.

     We sat in the car quietly staring at mom waiting for answers. She managed enough strength to tell us the doctor did blood work and a body scan. He will call when the results come in. We would have to wait two or three days.