Prologue: Sacrifice

“How difficult are you planning to make this for yourself?”

After the subtle click of a pistol, a scream of terror followed.

“I just want my questions answered and I know you can help me...I don’t really feel like resorting to violence so if you co-operate, we can help each other,”

He cleared his throat before crouching down.

“I just want to know where they’re hiding, I know you’re involved because your husband is one of...them,”

The woman shook her head, making muffled screams due to the cloth in her mouth.

“I’m gonna remove this cloth one more time...and if you don’t answer my question, I’m afraid I’ll have to resort to...drastic measures,”

He pulled the cloth out of her mouth, allowing her to breathe clearly and also speak. Tears continued to stream down her face.

“Why are you doing this! He didn’t do anything to any of you! Why does he have to die just because he was cursed with potential!” she cried.

The man rolled his eyes and sighed.

“My job is to prevent any sort of illegal activity committed by potentials and considering the fact that your husband is a part of a group of rebels who robbed a bank...”

He raised the gun to her head.

“He definitely needs to be brought to justice,”

“The only reason he’s a part of that group is because you killed his brother!”

The man chuckled.

“And you think that potentials haven’t done horrible things to others? I watched two of my men die at the hands of those...things,”

He lowered his head and sighed deeply.

“One was burned alive and the other was thrown into a wall with so much force, his spine was shattered...so yes I want to know where they are, so that innocent people don’t die because they can’t control themselves,”

“You’re a hypocrite...because you’re just like them,”

He smiled and shook his head.

“I don’t use my ability to steal from others...I use it to get the job done and right now, my patience is running out,′

He pressed the gun to her forehead.

“Talk, or your pretty face is gonna get really messy,”

The woman closed her eyes and screamed. Mere moments later, the man shrugged.

“Guess we’ll have to hunt them down the old fashioned way,”

He prepared to pull the trigger...only for a chunk of rock to come hurtling at him. He reacted almost instantly, rolling backwards to dodge the oncoming mass before pointing his gun towards its source.

“Get your filthy hands off of my wife,”

A man stepped out from the shadows.

“Well if it isn’t the infamous Tremor, one of the most well known members of that disgusting band of terrorists,”

“Without people like me out there, all potentials would be kept on a leash...you’re a traitor to your own kind,”

“I chose the sensible way and I fight for the winning side,”

Another chunk of rock flew at the man but he once again rolled out of the way, this time firing a shot. Tremor managed to duck behind a car to avoid the bullet. After taking a deep breath, he reached out for another rock and once he found it, he kept it suspended in the air. He then charged towards the man, using the floating mass to block the bullets from the gun until he closed the distance. He threw it aside before tackling the man to the ground.

“Gina! Get the kids out of here now!” he screamed.

He removed a knife from his belt before throwing it with great accuracy, severing the rope holding the woman to the chair. She sprang to her feet before running inside of the house as her husband attempted to hold the man off.

The door slammed and I felt my heart rate quadruple. I raised the baseball bat in my hands as I saw the door open. I sighed in relief to see that it was my mother. She immediately grabbed me in a hug.

“Where’s dad?” I asked.

“We don’t have much time...you have to get out of here,” she cried.

“What about you two?” I replied.

“We can’t come with you my son...that man will hunt all of us to the ends of the Earth...all because you were unfortunate enough to be born with a gift,” she replied.

She handed me a bag.

“Take this and find your uncle...he’ll get you out of the state and someplace safe...remember everything I taught you,” she cried.

I shook my head vigorously.

“I can’t leave you two here...you’re my parents,”

“You’re our future...and it’s my duty as your mother to protect you,”

She placed a hand on my head.

“Don’t allow yourself to feel the sorrow that’s going to follow this night..."

"W-W-What do you mean?"

She smiled at me before placing a finger on my forehead.

"My gift will only last as long as I'm still alive...now go..."

"What about Carolyn?"

She closed her eyes.

"Your sister chose a different path...but I know that if you go to her, she will do everything she can to protect you; she loves you just as much as your father and I,"

I was reluctant...and terrified. My parents raised me to be strong in any situation and to not let my emotions get the better of me...else I risked becoming just like one of those supposed monsters I've been seeing on the news.

"Go Leon...now,"

She closed her eyes and hugged me once more. Once she let me go, I knew that she had placed her gift of invisibility over me.

"I'll make things better for our kind...mark my words,"

She turned her back to me.

"I have no doubt that you will...but don't do anything rash until the time is right,"

She left the room as I turned to the back door. Gripping the bag on my shoulder tightly, I sprinted outside.

"Wake up! You're having a nightmare!"

The voice sounded ever so faint...but I managed to open my eyes. I let out a heavy sigh and sat up, wiping the sweat from my forehead. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see that it was my sister.

"Same dream again?" she asked.
"Yeah...where mom and dad had me leave them," I replied.

She shook her head.

"I'm amazed that you didn't awaken your potential after that night," she said.
"They raised me to not allow emotions to get the better of me, else I risked becoming one of those people that the police are herding into prisons and so called correctional facilities," I replied.
"You've been having that same dream for the past two weeks...something's going on that you're not telling me,"

I sighed once more; it was just like my older sister to be so observant. Considering that she worked two jobs and somehow managed to keep herself in great shape with her constant practice of dance, I had no idea how she was able to know so much about me.

"...It's been very difficult to keep myself from feeling too much and I guess part of me is curious as to why our mother was so against me awakening," I replied.
"It's a burden to bear because in the current state of society, it's not at all a benefit to have an ability; regular people are terrified of things they cannot understand,"
"How do you do it sis? Keep your power a secret from everyone?" I asked.

She smiled and shrugged.

"I made a lot of friends before I awakened mine...so they support me and understand that I had no idea that I had something like that deep inside of me,"
"How did yours awaken?" I asked.
"When Paul died in that car accident all those years ago,"

I shook my head and closed my eyes.

"I forgot about him...you two were together for six years right?" I asked.
"That's right,"

She smiled, even though eyes betrayed her feelings.

"Paul brought out the best in me and even though he didn't have potential...he made me feel like a normal person and even though he knew that I couldn't control it, he wasn't scared of me,"

I held her hand.

"Things are going to change someday...where we can finally stop living in fear and not be seen as terrorists or livestock to herd into pens,"

It was twelve years since I left my parents, nine years since I found my uncle and five years since I moved in with my sister. After all of the suffering I witnessed with each place I went, I knew in my heart that I had to do something about this.

Something to close this divide between those with the gift and those without.