Human?

Human

Sophie stepped away from the machine, unable to comprehend what she just saw, “Oh my God.”

“You weren’t supposed to see that.” Sophie turned around to find her uncle Ben standing calmly by the doorway.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Sophie demanded as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

“No,” Sophie’s uncle stayed calm; aggravating Sophie even more. “Your parents wanted you to have a normal human life. That wouldn’t have been possible if you knew.”

“So you took away my memories,” tears began to fall down Sophie’s face as she shook with rage. “Those were my memories! My experiences! You had no right.” Her voice broke at the end as the betrayal set in. She ran from the room without a glance behind her. 

Once Sophie was free of the suffocating lab she continued to run to the only place that ever felt like home: the lake. She ran along the trail in the woods, a trail that was made from the many walks to her spot throughout the years, not paying attention to where her feet took her, even on the darkest night she could find her way.

Once Sophie made it to the lake she fell to her knees and cried for hours, losing track of time as she allowed herself to go through her once stolen memories. 

“Close your eyes and picture the pencil being lifted by the air,” her father instructed. Sophie listened as she shut her eyes and visualized the air picking up the pencil, just like she would with her own hand. It took only a second before her father exclaimed, “You did it Soph! Look!”

Sophie opened her eyes to see the pencil floating in the air; she gasped, her excitement taking over her control and flung the pencil across the room, landing in the with a bang as half of it is forced into the wall.

Sophie sat on the kitchen counter swinging her legs back and forth as she impatiently watched her mother make dinner. “Mama, how long until we can eat?” Sophie whined.

“When your father and uncle Ben get back from town we can eat,” Sophie’s mother stated as she moved swiftly around the kitchen, barely giving Sophie a glance as she prepared their meal. 

“But I’m hungry now,” Sophie’s stomach growled it’s protest as she watched her mother move through the kitchen. Her mother always moved so gracefully, more gracefully than any dancer Sophie has ever seen. She wondered if all of the people from the Wind Planet moved the same way, or if her mother was just one of a kind like herself. 

Sophie watched her mother for awhile more, entranced by her thoughts and questions. “Mama, why haven’t I met anyone from yours and daddy’s planets?” Sophie finally asked, causing her mother to pause and take a deep breath.

“Because your father and I were not allowed to be together.” Sophie’s mother finally told her daughter, turning towards her as she explained, “You see the Wind Planet and the Water Planet were always enemies, and it was forbidden to even speak to a person from that world. But then when your father and I met while visiting Earth we fell in love before either of us knew of the other’s heritage. When we learned that we were supposed enemies we decided to run away together. Because of this we can never contact anyone from our home planets.”

“But mama we contact uncle Ben,” Sophie said with confusion laced in her voice.

“Your uncle Ben isn’t related to us by blood but by heart. He is your father’s best friend who protected us for many years. Uncle Ben is from Earth which is why he doesn’t have abilities.” Sophie’s mother slowly explained. Sophie’s nod in response, indicating that she understood, was the verification her mother needed before she turned around and continued her cooking.