Pairs

Eight

Above is Ivory

I was paralyzed. Carmen was right, my world had changed. Then I realized something. No, it hadn't. The world had always been like this. I had walked on oblivious to everything. Maybe I should feel relieved to know the truth, or maybe angry at the world I lived in, and yeah, a part of me was, but I just wanted to go back. I wanted to go back to the girl I was, the recessive working at a gym: lonely, but secure in her way. I no longer had that. It was like being dropped in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight. Just the water and the unseen forces below.

I sat down slowly on the couch, and it barely dipped under my weight. I felt my eyes look around, but I didn't take in anything. What was I going to do? I couldn't run away without facing the burn of Atticus's brand on my body, but staying here sounded terrifying. Not to mention I didn't even know how to get out. I bring my knees to my chest. How did this happen? I don't know how long I sat there. It felt like time had stopped before I heard the bedroom door open and Atticus stepped back into the living room. I couldn't pay him any mind though, my mind had felt like it shut down.

"Kitten?" He asked softly, noticing my state. He approached, slowly as if not to freak me out. I felt the couch dip beside me.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, but I'm here. It can be a lot to take in, but you'll get through this. Here you can defend other recessives, protect them," he said soothingly, gently stroking my hair. I couldn't help but be  calmed by his touch, he was my pair. We have a connection that goes beyond skin deep, and maybe my life would be easier without him, but for now I'm grateful.

"How did you become... Wrapped up in this?" I asked, my voice quiet.

"It was Carmen who introduced me. She thought it might help me cope."

"Cope? With what?"

I saw a sharpness come to Attie's eyes before he answered. Something that sent goosebumps down my spine.

"They killed my parents, Ivory."

I couldn't help it. The desire to comfort him was overwhelming. I quickly latched on to Atticus, holding him close as if I could squeeze out his anger. He relaxed almost instantiously, his arms circling around me.

"I'm sorry, Attie," I murmur against his muscularly hard shoulder.

He just held on tightly, like he was soaking in the moment.

"It happened five years ago. My dad was a recessive working his ass off to help mom pay bills. Mom was a really powerful dominant. I was still a teenager, when Carmen and I had come home early from hanging out with our friends. I heard them threaten mom..."

Flashback to five years ago...

Attie's POV

Carmen shoved me playfully as I laughed at her own expense. Carmen blushed furiously under my gaze at my constant teasing.

"I do not like Tristen Fields, Atticus! Stop being ridiculous," She looked away.

"Well, he likes you. I can tell. There's a rumor that your his pair," I whispered as we came in to our home quietly. Carmen and I had been at the football game, and we were going to go to the after party but Morgan Tuck brought speed and I was not sticking around when all those high schoolers started tripping. It was already late though, and my parents liked it quiet after nine. I shut the door softly and looked at Carmen for an answer, but she was stopped when we heard a strange noise from the living room. Carmen pulled me upstairs, where we could get a better view of what was going on.

"What are you-"

"Shh!" She hushed me, tugging me down where we couldn't be easily spotted by the mantel.

I saw my mom, a short woman with tanned, Honduran skin and dark hair, as well as her curvy figure and stubborn stance. There was a stranger in front of her, a man I'd never seen before. He had strawberry blonde hair and naturally pale skin. His eyes were black in his head, a sharp contrast to the rest of him. He was around my age, and only a few inches taller than her stature.

"Now, I'm only going to ask one more time, Clara," The man warned, his tone light, almost child-like.

"Surrender your services to us, and we'll let your husband and kids go."

My mom's hazel eyes, identical to my own, narrowed.

"I've heard what you guys do, over in your branch of the government," Mom hissed, her voice steely. "I know the evil you make powerful dominants do, in exchange you might not kill their families."

"So, is that a no?" The man asked, bored.

"My husband and kids aren't here, and I already texted Alejandro. He and the kids are long gone," Mom said smugly. Carmen and I looked at each other, wide eyed.

The man chuckled, and let out a whistle. I heard the front door slam open and footsteps made their way across the wooden floors. Mom gasped and I struggled to see what she did. I felt Carmen grab my arm in alarm, and I felt panic hit my system. My dad was pushed roughly into the room, his browned skin was bruised and blood smeared dark red across his face.

"Aly!" My mom cried, trying to rush towards him.

That's when my father's head just combusted. It was like a bomb went off in his skull, and pieces went flying. Blood splattered across the walls, across the floor, across my mother and his body collapsed, his knees simply folding beneath him. I couldn't make a sound, but Carmen jerked sharply, like she'd been slapped. The sudden movement caused my mother's eyes to flicker to us. The look in her eyes.... it was terrifying. It was like my mother wasn't there anymore, like she had died along with my father in that moment. Her eyes flickered back to the man, who was smiling gleefully. I knew then that he was a powerful dominant, and that he had killed my father with his mind.

"Well, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh? You should've seen me when I was eight and I found out what I could do. Blew my dog's head clean off!" He laughed heartedly. My stomach turned sour and I could feel my mouth start salivating, as I tried to hold in my vomit. My mom had no emotion on her face anymore. All of her stubborn anger gone, and I thought she would go with them.

"Callado. Corre cuando puedas y no mires atras."

"I don't speak Spanish," The man hissed, some annoyance finally coming to his face.

But I understood.

Be quiet. Run when you can and never look back.

I felt something warm on my face, and for a moment I thought it was my father's blood, but no. They were tears. The last I ever cried. Then my mom, a strong telekinetic, hurled a knife into her hand. I thought that she would stab him, but before she could, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed there.

"You're breaking my heart Clara," The man said in a plastically distraught voice. "Oh wait." He said suddenly, like he just remembered something.

"No, that was me breaking yours."

He laughed, and left, footsteps once again echoing out the door. I heard a car leave, and I used my powers to scan the area for any thoughts. The only one I could hear was Carmen, who kept replaying my father's head just.... I quickly stopped looking in her mind and ran down stairs. I checked my mom's pulse, but I already knew there would be silence under my fingertips. I jerked away from her corpse,  and my stomach heaved, emptying itself on mom's prized white couch. I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Carmen, tears running down her face.

"What are we going to do, Atticus?" She asked quietly.

"Run," I said. "And never look back."