Cold As Ice

Chapter Two:

Charles, 2021, 14 years:

I pull at the collar around my neck. The more I pull the tighter it gets. So I stop pulling. Instead, I pull at it again with the mist forming in my hands and try to freeze it off. Except when I do, the mist in my hand slowly goes away.

This collar is dampening my powers. I search the room for any way to escape but then stop. I shouldn't try to escape, what if something goes wrong because I do? If I'm as dangerous as they think I am, maybe I should just stay locked up.

I flop back down on the metal bed inside the, cell I think, I'm in. It also has a metal table, and a metal chair. Metal, metal, metal. Nothing in here is meant for comfort, I guess.

I sit on the chair and stare at the table while tipping my head to the side. There isn't much on it. A rubber band, a glass - plastic glass, and a pencil - a very blunt one. They really thought of everything, making sure no one stabs them with a pencil.

I remember a girl in school, Gene Rolands, who once stabbed someone with a pencil so hard, they bled. I forgot the guy's name. But I admire that. He was a jerk...but also, he got stabbed. So I feel bad for him, I guess.

There is no shelf, but books stacked neatly under the table. I bend down and pick one up, then drop it on the table. I flip through the pages. There isn't anything in this book. But it does have a cover and title. "Dandelions and Love At First Sight." I say aloud, reading the cover.

I go back and flip through the pages, nothing at all in here. Not a single word typed in. Jesus. "Enjoying yourself?" I hear a woman's voice, then turn around and see Agent Micheals.

"It would be funner back at home, but this is...fine, I guess." I shrug and she laughs before returning to her serious demeanor. "Yeah, well you're staying here for some time, I'd get used to it if I were you." Shut the front door, well, not really, I'd like to get out of here. Just...how long are we talking...

"I don't know how long I'm going to be in here." I say and she sighs. "Could be more than ten years, if that's how long it takes you to stay in control." She replies while flipping some of her short, grey hair out of her face.

"I'm in control." I strain each word and she chuckles. "Sure." She pulls out a file and hands it to me. "You can tell me if you're interested or not. If not, I'll tell you what will happen." I open the file and she shuts it closed. What a jerk.

"You can read it later. Now, we're going to talk." she says with a stern voice and I flinch.

"Okay. What do you want to talk about." I ask. "Your powers." Like, we haven't been talking about that already. "How do they work?" she asks.

"I don't know if it's safe to show you..." I trail off and she furrows her eyebrows thoughtfully before yelling at the guards.

They come in, holding me by my arm and walking me to a big room with concrete walls, and only one glass wall. They room is pretty much empty. Not a single thing in it except for lights. Lights all over the ceiling.

The guards get out and go behind the glass wall. I see Lyla holding up a remote - looking device and shake it in the air before clicking a button on the remote.

"Ah!" I fall to the ground at the unexpected pain on my neck. "What the hell!" I pull at the collar and it gets even tighter, to the point I can't breathe. "H-help." I choke out and Lyla clicks another button on the remote.

The collar loosens and I catch my breath. "What was that for?" I breathed out, a series of coughs coming from me after. Lyla straightened out her suit.

"To make sure you know exactly who is boss." she answers before turning swiftly and opening the metal door and walking in. She points at the concrete wall in front of me.

"Freeze it." What? "I can't." I snap. This place makes no sense.

"Of course you can." She replied and stepped forward. "Not with this-" I point to the collar at my neck, "-on me." I finish and she smiles. "Smart kid. Well..." She clicks a button on the remote and I flinch, thinking the same thing as last time was going to happen again.

Instead, the temperature in the room went down, and mist came from my hands. I form an icicle in one of my hands, and let the mist flow from another. "This-" I gesture to my hands with my head, "-is all I can do."

She raises her eyebrows before pulling out a gun.

Her fingers go to the trigger and I freeze. I don't think she'll shoot me. I shut my eyes closed and that's when everything went dark. I felt...cold.

I couldn't see, couldn't move. It felt like I was trapped in a tiny space, with no way to get out. I tried screaming. I tried calling for help. But I couldn't, my mouth opened, but nothing came out. I was mute. I felt mute. I couldn't call for help. I couldn't do anything.

My eyes open and Lyla has her finger on the trigger and smirks. "New look?" she asks and I turn around, looking at my reflection.

I don't like what looked back at me.