chain with a
delicate wire wrapped white glass heart was pushed across the
table towards me. Her lips curled into a catty sneer as she spoke.
table towards me. Her lips curled into a catty sneer as she spoke.
"He said when you'd see me to give this to you. It was the only
thing your father left me that was pure."
I nodded a numb thanks to her and rose from my seat,
clutching the pendant in my hand. Without looking up I said,
"Guess you were right after al. I guess I realy am monster." She
stayed silent as I brushed past her and left but it wasn't until I was
somewhere on the highway that I could shake off the feeling that
she had been staring at me with a malicious gleefulness. Maybe she
was finaly happy to know I had accepted my own fate.
E L E V E N
"You're not putting in enough effort. Come on, Essalie,
you can do better than this."
I stood in front of Kayden, panting as if I had run the
longest marathon of my life at ful speed. Not even two days had
passed since I had ventured out to see my Mother that Kayden
had started harping on me about controling my abilities. We stood
outside in my backyard amidst snow-soaked branches, the barren
clay earth beneath my feet a welcoming reminder that life wasn't
always filed with the frozen white stuff.
"So what? I don't need to prove anything to you," I
wheezed out between gasps for air. My lungs burned as a sharp
acidic taste lapped against the back of my throat. Roling down
onto the ground I winced and yanked up my sleeves to see fresh
new bruises forming just as the old ones were starting to die off.
Kayden had said it was because I wasn't using my gift more
effectively, or as he put it, 'on a constant basis.' I had told him
some days I just didn't feel like setting things on fire and wondering
if I was going to accidentaly reduce my brother to ashes.
I saw his faint shadow on the ground shake it's head while
he muttered something low in a language I didn't understand. "I'm
trying to help you and this is the thanks I get? Someone's not
getting their World's Favorite Nephilim coffee cup this year."
"You wouldn't know help if it bit you in the-" I stopped and
let out a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for your
let out a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for your
games today, Kayden."
He stood a few feet away, running his hand through his hair
with a bored expression. "Ah, yes, because preparing for the
eventual is a game. Sily me. Let's try a new game. How about
Monopoly?"
I kicked at the dirt and walked past him towards the
house. "Screw your Monopoly."
"What's the matter? Didn't have a good time with Mommy
the other day?"
I knew it was a ruse specificaly meant to set me off. I
shouldn't have reacted, but something within me snapped and
ripped at the seams to welcome every venomous thought front and
center. A raw scream escaped my throat before I realized it, red
coloring everything before me. Something inside of me whispered
in a wild tone and I responded without thought, my arms snaking
out to release two streams of fire that wrapped around Kayden
and sealed him in a constricting grasp. Closing my hands into fists
the bands wrapped tighter, his clothes and skin burning wherever
the fire touched.
Hands locked I brought them to a cross over my chest, the
bands of flame carrying Kayden's dragging frame to stand in front
of me. "Who are you," I spat out, "to say anything to me? You only
want me to figure this out so you can kil me and move on in your
existence as a slimy little leech roaming the plains."
Kayden didn't struggle against the fire; if anything he was
grinning, enjoying my display of unbridled power. "You don't
understand, you haven't been around as long as I have." A new coil
understand, you haven't been around as long as I have." A new coil
of fire wrapped across his cheek and began to scorch the flesh.
"You're a creature created for war. What do you think is going
delicate wire wrapped white glass heart was pushed across the
table towards me. Her lips curled into a catty sneer as she spoke.
table towards me. Her lips curled into a catty sneer as she spoke.
"He said when you'd see me to give this to you. It was the only
thing your father left me that was pure."
I nodded a numb thanks to her and rose from my seat,
clutching the pendant in my hand. Without looking up I said,
"Guess you were right after al. I guess I realy am monster." She
stayed silent as I brushed past her and left but it wasn't until I was
somewhere on the highway that I could shake off the feeling that
she had been staring at me with a malicious gleefulness. Maybe she
was finaly happy to know I had accepted my own fate.
E L E V E N
"You're not putting in enough effort. Come on, Essalie,
you can do better than this."
I stood in front of Kayden, panting as if I had run the
longest marathon of my life at ful speed. Not even two days had
passed since I had ventured out to see my Mother that Kayden
had started harping on me about controling my abilities. We stood
outside in my backyard amidst snow-soaked branches, the barren
clay earth beneath my feet a welcoming reminder that life wasn't
always filed with the frozen white stuff.
"So what? I don't need to prove anything to you," I
wheezed out between gasps for air. My lungs burned as a sharp
acidic taste lapped against the back of my throat. Roling down
onto the ground I winced and yanked up my sleeves to see fresh
new bruises forming just as the old ones were starting to die off.
Kayden had said it was because I wasn't using my gift more
effectively, or as he put it, 'on a constant basis.' I had told him
some days I just didn't feel like setting things on fire and wondering
if I was going to accidentaly reduce my brother to ashes.
I saw his faint shadow on the ground shake it's head while
he muttered something low in a language I didn't understand. "I'm
trying to help you and this is the thanks I get? Someone's not
getting their World's Favorite Nephilim coffee cup this year."
"You wouldn't know help if it bit you in the-" I stopped and
let out a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for your
let out a frustrated sigh. "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for your
games today, Kayden."
He stood a few feet away, running his hand through his hair
with a bored expression. "Ah, yes, because preparing for the
eventual is a game. Sily me. Let's try a new game. How about
Monopoly?"
I kicked at the dirt and walked past him towards the
house. "Screw your Monopoly."
"What's the matter? Didn't have a good time with Mommy
the other day?"
I knew it was a ruse specificaly meant to set me off. I
shouldn't have reacted, but something within me snapped and
ripped at the seams to welcome every venomous thought front and
center. A raw scream escaped my throat before I realized it, red
coloring everything before me. Something inside of me whispered
in a wild tone and I responded without thought, my arms snaking
out to release two streams of fire that wrapped around Kayden
and sealed him in a constricting grasp. Closing my hands into fists
the bands wrapped tighter, his clothes and skin burning wherever
the fire touched.
Hands locked I brought them to a cross over my chest, the
bands of flame carrying Kayden's dragging frame to stand in front
of me. "Who are you," I spat out, "to say anything to me? You only
want me to figure this out so you can kil me and move on in your
existence as a slimy little leech roaming the plains."
Kayden didn't struggle against the fire; if anything he was
grinning, enjoying my display of unbridled power. "You don't
understand, you haven't been around as long as I have." A new coil
understand, you haven't been around as long as I have." A new coil
of fire wrapped across his cheek and began to scorch the flesh.
"You're a creature created for war. What do you think is going
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