Thread: The Other Me

Prologue When I think about puzzle games, I think of pieces of various but related parts fitting together perfectly to form a sight that pleases the eyes. When I look in the mirror, I see the missing pierces that should make up a perfect picture. There is an incompleteness here as if someone had shaken the puzzle box and lost some of the pieces that formed me. And I'm not just unable to see myself as others might I am strange. Some would call me pretty, having smooth clear skin, long dark hair, and pretty blue eyes. But there is still a strangeness. My eyes see everything that others turn away from due to their ignorance. Due to being not strange, to being normal something I have never been. In one sense, I am me , the day-to-day student that is never late to class, has good friends, and smokes a cigarette every so often like most kids. But then there is someone else that is me someone different. A someone that no one normal can see. The Other Me. I wander through the life that I have been given like a wolf in sheep's skin. I have what others desperately want power, magic, and words to change the word. I am a Silver Tongue. Every word, every phrase, every sentence has to be exact and preciously chosen lest something disastrous occurs. My mother once told me, in my anger, I screamed for my brother to disappear and he was invisible for a week straight. My words have more weight than most, literally. When I first started to discover this ability, I experimented, like any curious child would. But unlike most curious children, they weren't disasters waiting to happen like I was- and am. I told a girl I disliked that she was two-faced and nasty. You know those stories about two-headed calves? Try picturing that on a young girl. I finally fixed her and my mother erased the girl's memory, because that was her major ability an Eraser. We're a family of Freaks, but we're all we've got. Anyhow, I learned my lesson to stop playing with fire, or at least, I tried to. It couldn't be helped that I wove spells with my words and Saw through time. I thought at first that the visions were just prickles of sharp intuition, but I don't believe in coincidence anymore. They were too vivid to simply explain away. As I walked down the street with friends in tow, Darla and Lucille, Also freaks and twins nonetheless, I contemplated my existence. What purpose did I serve? I was known as the only Silver Tongue and had been told that only one was born per century . I was alone with my terrible gift, though it didn't seem so terrible when I walked with the twins. Darla could take life with a simple touch or kiss and Lucille could give it back. They were the epitome of the Angel and the Devil, in ability and looks. But not in the way you might think. Darla was the innocent-looking blond savior, while her twin was the Devil's Daughter with her ink-black hair and fiery eyes of coppery brown that looks red in the bright sunshine. But it is said that trouble comes in threes. I couldn't have agreed more. It was a miracle we hadn't killed anyone yet. It was what I feared the most. We made our way to campus, careful to step around the Norms, or muggles, or whatever you might call them. We kept to ourselves mostly, minus Lucille's boyfriend who was a Norm, but on the inside. He was part of a magical family, but it had skipped him, though he had been blessed with magical immunities that no other human could ever boast. He could never be harmed by magic - except mine. Why? Because words could never be stopped. We ate together, soon being joined by Toni, a short girl with the cutest face and large almond eyes. We called her Tinkerbelle. Can you figure out why? But despite how many Freaks I had as friends, there were very few of us around, even on such a large campus. Most kids our age were hunted down or died because of a power overdose. Not that all people with gifts were uber-powerful- just some people were frickin' stupid and didn't bother learning control. They usually blew themselves up or something. There was also the fact that Freaks didn't always stick together. Some were natural loners or didn't want to be reminded of their strangeness. I had several Norm friends, but I kept them at a distance and showed them the Me that was normal, quiet, and reserved with a spark or sarcastic wit. They could never know my Other self. But today, the gods were against me. Some o f my Norm friends came over to our table and singled me out, telling me they were surprised to be seeing me sitting with the goth kids. My Norm friends weren't normally so hostile or judgmental. Besides, my Freaks weren't Goths. They were just different. Jennifer, what's up? I asked. I kept calm, my voice measure. There was obviously something wrong. They never found me at lunch. It was when the Freaks and I discussed magical community stuff and if there had been any mishaps at school. Jennifer was tall and blond, too thin for her height, but pretty in her own right. She tilted her head at me and said with a certain flair of jealousy Selene, why didn't you tell me that Jayden was your boyfriend? Michelle and Carla hung back as was normal. They weren't meek in the least, just neutral like I was most days. And they chose to never get involved with our fights. But at her question, I had to pause and blink in confusion. Jayden was another Freak and a Fire Starter, one of the few and far between. He also had some other ability, but I didn't know what it was. I never bothered to speak to him, much less ask. He could light shit up with his mind or channel fire into his hands. Pretty much the Ultimate Pyro and attractive to boot. But he wasn't mine. Jennifer, I don't even talk to Jayden. How the hell am I dating him? I inquired, feeling like my world was going to start sliding out from under me. If he was going around saying that I was his, that he had staked a claim on me, it was big. In the magical community, staking a claim meant mates, which equaled marriage. Had something happened amongst our parents? Some agreement I wasn't aware of? I swallowed as I cast a glance at my other friends, who only shook their heads or shrugged. They didn't know either. I overheard him say to some freshman girl that he couldn't date her because he was already...promised to you or something. So I figured I would ask you about it. I also knew that she liked Jayden, so her asking me was null. This was not going to be fun. I sighed as I combed my fingers through my hair. Listen, Jen. He's not my boyfriend. But if it will make you feel better, I'll talk to him about his lies and see if he'll go out with you. That last part slipped out on accident and Jennifer's face paled. For all her haughtiness and confidence, she was quite shy. And I knew that Jayden couldn't and wouldn't date her. Fire Starters don't date Norms unless they wanted them extra cripsy. Anywys! I muttered, running away before anything more stupid slipped from my mouther. I'll see you after class! I grabbed my things and said good bye to everyone, avoiding Jen's questions and the protests. I had to find Jayden and fast. I had class pretty damn soon and there would be hell to pay if I was late. I went down stairs and took corriders, trying to feel him out. Freaks could locate each other since we produce a different sort of energy than humans do. It didn't take long before I felt the strong and burning energy leading to an empty hallway. Jayden soon stood before me. He was tall with reddish black hair, green eyes, and tan skin. More or less, he was eye-candy for the hormonal. I made sure not to stare too long because I was on a mission and didn't need any more distractions. He seemed surprised to see me, but shrugged as he adjusted some of the buttons on his white shirt. I rolled my eyes at the silent dismissal, but I wouldn't be bothered. Have you been telling people we are together? I asked. It took him a moment to respond. The jerk. I'm only speaking the truth. His voice was like liquid velvet. Steeling myself against him, I murmured with heat, It is not the truth. I wasn't told about this nor did the others know. I demand that you- Carter Saw it. He said simply. Carter was his younger brother, a Seer, much like me, only his power was much stronger than mine. I clamped my mouth shut as a multitude of questions assaulted my now feverish mind. Carter Saw that Jayden and I would be together. Just what else had he seen? Where had we been? What about the vision concluded this? I bit my lip as I kept my mouth shut. Jayden didn't waste any time in answering. He said he Saw us together and that someone was trying to kill you. Yup, life couldn't have gotten any worse than that. First, my own brother almost gets killed by slayers, my dad accidentally set part of the house on fire with his cooking, and now Jayden and I were apparently fated to be mated as I was stalked by a crazy killer. Can't a Freak catch a break?