012- Insanity

012 – Insanity

In a world where everyone has a unique ability, one that defines them and shapes their image towards others, to have no power is strange and frowned upon. In other words, those who are normal are seen as the freaks of society.

The majority of people realise their ability at age five, yet I was ten years old and still nothing. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out my powers, if I had any at all. It was pure gold for the other children; they were vultures just waiting for an opportunity to make someone else inferior to them.

I had only just turned ten when it happened. I was enjoying my time alone during the morning break, even though humans are social I knew my place wasn't among them. As usual, the local kids had found my hiding place among the trees in the school grounds and decided it was about time for them to feel superior again. I froze as the footsteps slowly became louder and quicker, how many were they this time? There were too many footfalls to tell from sound alone. I waited until their shadows covered me in shade, my eyes never leaving the grassy floor.

"Still searching for your non-existent powers Aero?" A voice came above me, followed by a group snickering loudly. If I had to guess there were maybe a dozen or more people surrounding me. The few faithful friends I had spoke up in my defence, saying how there were better things to do during break time and how it wasn't fair to single me out.

However, majority always rules in the playground.

I bolted, scrambling up to my feet as fast as the damp ground would allow me. I could hear them calling over to me snidely before giving chase. Maybe I could outrun them in the trees, providing that none of their powers could stop me…

"-Ah!" My arm froze. No matter how hard I willed it, it felt like my body was moving on its own… almost as if someone was controlling it.

"We haven't finished talking with you yet" A voice came from behind me, before my body was forcefully twisted to face my pursuers. The boy in front sneered at me before bringing me to my knees with a flick of his wrist. "Aren't you gonna fight back? That's not like you, Air."

Many of the group feared the boy was going too far by now and didn't want to be associated with him, punishments were severe for misusing abilities to bully others and they didn't want to risk their skins for him. A few attempted to stop him, but the puppet master boy simply forced them down as well. He had the most powerful ability in the school by far and many people believed that he'd be in trouble with the law at an older age and maybe he would even be sent away, like all the law breakers with dangerous powers or 'curses' as we called them. Soon the numbers began to overpower him and he pushed them all away with a single hand motion, myself included.

It felt like I was punched in the stomach, yet not a finger was laid against me. The force sent me flying right into a bramble bush several metres away; I cried out in pain and looked over to my left arm where an excruciating pain tore through it. My eyes widened in shock as the crimson fluid stained my arm and dress, white clothing tarnished deep red.

"Bl-b-blo…od…?" The pain shot right through me and my entire world was turning red. "N-no…n-not blo-od! No it hurts! GET AWAY FROM ME!" The last thing I saw before forcing my eyes shut was the terrified faces of the children crawling in front of me, most likely to see what caused my somewhat strange reaction. From then on I could only hear and, somehow that made it worse.

"What's happening?! She's glowing red!"

"Everything around her is disappearing! We need to get out of here!"

"Aero?! Stop it, this isn't funny!"

Then all I could hear were screams. Desperate cries of agony as they too began to disappear from the world. Sounds that I can still remember vividly to this day.

When I woke, there was nothing: no people, no trees, no grass and no blood. Nothing. Just dust and the whispers of those who were there previously, the ones whose lives were suddenly ripped away from them. I could hear them crying to me, muttering apologies and asking for help…never ceasing with their words in my ears.

-X-

"I'm sorry ma'am but your daughter is a danger to our society, she killed so many children and claims to hear their voices in her head constantly. She's insane and needs to be sent away."

"I know, I'll tell her sister that she's a Curse, she'll eventually understand that this is for the best." My own mother agreed to send me away; she disowned her own child like an old unwanted toy. She didn't even act like it was a difficult decision.

That was the last thing I remember before waking up in the prison camp. The voices never ceased to haunt me after that event.

I'm not insane, they're really there…the voices of the lives I cut short forever circling around my head.

They're so loud, why can no one else hear them?