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Description
My eyes snapped open as a shock of hot, thick air burst into my mouth. For some reason, I felt as if somebody had thrown me into a tub of boiling frying oil. I was breathing heavily; my head was pulsing in a fiery pain. My entire body felt feverish and sticky. The sheets clung to my arms and legs. Thick brown hair glued itself to my forehead and neck. I felt absolutely disgusting.
I sat up, buried my face in my hands, and panted like a dog. I sat still for several minutes, hoping to cool down a bit. I looked at the clock and groaned. It was 6:27. Outside my window, the sun was just barely starting to come up through a clouded sky. I had school today. That meant it was time to get up.
I grappled with the sheets and rolled out of bed. Standing up made me feel dizzy, so I wobbled slightly. Rubbing my head, I lumbered toward the bathroom. I washed my face off with cold water. My hair released its prisoner. The headache melted away. I could feel the sweat on my skin drying up. I looked up into the mirror. My flushed cheeks were returning to their normal skin tone.
Whoa, that dream was really freaky! I thought about it while I got dressed for school. I wanted to learn more about what happened. Why was that baby so important? Who were the hooded figures? Why was the lady…?
I toddled down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. My mom was hovering over a stack of papers for work. Her blonde hair dangled in front of her face. She was absentmindedly sipping a cup of hazelnut coffee. Only when I got my breakfast and sat down in front of her did she look up. She looked tired. There were purple shadows under her eyes to prove it. She smiled weakly and yawned, “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” She looked back down at her papers.
“Eh, I could’ve slept better.” I began to munch on my cereal. I looked out the window and noticed that it was raining. It wasn’t just a light drizzle either. I mean it was pouring out there! Ugh, I have to walk in that? Then I smiled at my mom. With a hint of sarcasm, I commented, “I see you slept like a baby!”
She glanced up at me with a sheepish grin. “Mr. Rochester has been working me to the bone! I don’t see why he can’t read these business contracts himself!” She threw her head against the table and moaned something quietly. I took that as a sign to leave her in peace for a bit.
My mom’s usually very sweet and patient. She’s practically my best friend. But this Mr. Rochester, her new boss, has been pushing her beyond reasonable limits. So yeah, my mom has been a tad bit stressed lately.
I finished my breakfast and packed my backpack for school. When I tried to put it on my back, I almost fell over because of the weight. However, I managed to heave it on my back and I walk back into the kitchen where our back door was. I had my hand on the door and was just about to say goodbye when my mom beat me to it. “Bye, Ben! Have a good day, and remember- no powers!” She gave me a stern look with those last few words. I gritted my teeth rolled my eyes.
“I know, I know. You tell me that every time I leave the house! I get the point!” I reassured her that I wouldn’t use my “powers.” She chuckled lightly at my reply. She waved her hand as she went back to reading the papers. I ran out the door before she could decide to say anything else.
As I sprinted down the streets, I contemplated my mother’s level of trust. Why doesn’t she trust me? I’ve never used my “gifts” intentionally! I was a little bit frustrated that she had to bring that up constantly. Seriously, the last time I used my powers was an accident in kindergarten. I don’t really want to go into that a whole lot.
The rain became more ferocious and started to pelt me like paintballs. As soon as I reached the school’s property, I raced toward the door. That probably wasn’t such a good idea. Carl, the best wrestler in the eighth grade, just happened to take a step backwards to pick up a penny. I ended up sprawling over his foot and landed what had to be the largest puddle I’d ever seen.
Carl and his buddies began to laugh hysterically at me as soon as I fell. “Nice job, Ben!” Carl was practically falling over from laughing so hard. His gang sneered harshly and followed him to the door. They continued to walk inside as I struggled to get up. The schoolbag was still on my back, making me lift an extra twenty pounds. I was forced to stop and look at the puddle for a moment. I saw my reflection in the rippling water. I saw my shaggy brown hair hanging loosely around my face. It was glistening faintly, thanks to the relentless downpour. My face was muddied-up with dirty water from the puddle. Unfortunately, my gaze fell upon my eyes. It sent a sting up my spine. My eyes are different from others’. They remind me of the bad guys in science fiction movies. Instead of the usual eye colors, such as blue, green, brown, and hazel, mine are an intense, steely black. They have a faint shimmer to them, which I don’t quite understand, seeing that they are simply darkness.
I forced myself to look away from the water and got up. I tried to dry myself the best I could before I entered the building. That was kind of hard, considering the fact that it was still pouring rain.
I walked down the corridors as quickly as I could. I wanted to avoid any commentary from the people whose faces weren’t buried in history books. Mr. Veranza’s history test was today, and I guess that no one studied for it. I sped into room 302, where my first class would be. I still had fifteen minutes until math class started, but I wanted to get a seat in the back. The more I blended in, the better.
After about three minutes of sitting alone in the classroom, I started to shiver. Being soaked to the bone is not the greatest feeling in the world. I looked for anything that would dry me quickly. Nothing seemed available. Then I got an idea. I don’t know if it sparked from a desire to be dry or if I simply wanted to be rebellious. I’d never tried it before, but I was desperate for warm clothing. I scanned the room for any other people. After I made sure I was all alone, I closed my eyes. I cleared my mind and focused all of my energy on one thing: heat. I thought of dry deserts, fire, anything hot. Within seconds, I began to feel warmth radiating inside my body. The warmth then changed to heat. The heat engulfed my body like a flame on dry tinder. My waterlogged clothes began to dry. Actually, they began to sizzle. The water within my clothing was, quite literally, boiling away.
After a few moments, I stopped thinking about heat. I opened my eyes to see if my idea worked. Sure enough, my clothes were drier than the desert. Steam was gently rolling off of my clothes. I may have taken my focus to a bit of an extreme. The heat was violently radiating off of me, creating the blurry mirage that you see on the streets in the middle of the summer. Strangely enough, the heat did not blister my skin. I was confused by that, but I didn’t spend time to worry. I was warm and it felt good.
However, that feeling disappeared in seconds. I heard someone clear his throat in that way when someone wants others’ attention. I bolted upright in my seat and looked. It was Mr. Veranza. His arms were folded across his chest, but I couldn’t make out what his expression was. His eyes were hidden behind his tinted glasses as usual, and the rest of his face seemed like it was made of stone. I sat there and gaped at him. If he was good at making connections, I was going to have to move again.

Description
My eyes snapped open as a shock of hot, thick air burst into my mouth. For some reason, I felt as if somebody had thrown me into a tub of boiling frying oil. I was breathing heavily; my head was pulsing in a fiery pain. My entire body felt feverish and sticky. The sheets clung to my arms and legs. Thick brown hair glued itself to my forehead and neck. I felt absolutely disgusting.
I sat up, buried my face in my hands, and panted like a dog. I sat still for several minutes, hoping to cool down a bit. I looked at the clock and groaned. It was 6:27. Outside my window, the sun was just barely starting to come up through a clouded sky. I had school today. That meant it was time to get up.
I grappled with the sheets and rolled out of bed. Standing up made me feel dizzy, so I wobbled slightly. Rubbing my head, I lumbered toward the bathroom. I washed my face off with cold water. My hair released its prisoner. The headache melted away. I could feel the sweat on my skin drying up. I looked up into the mirror. My flushed cheeks were returning to their normal skin tone.
Whoa, that dream was really freaky! I thought about it while I got dressed for school. I wanted to learn more about what happened. Why was that baby so important? Who were the hooded figures? Why was the lady…?
I toddled down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. My mom was hovering over a stack of papers for work. Her blonde hair dangled in front of her face. She was absentmindedly sipping a cup of hazelnut coffee. Only when I got my breakfast and sat down in front of her did she look up. She looked tired. There were purple shadows under her eyes to prove it. She smiled weakly and yawned, “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” She looked back down at her papers.
“Eh, I could’ve slept better.” I began to munch on my cereal. I looked out the window and noticed that it was raining. It wasn’t just a light drizzle either. I mean it was pouring out there! Ugh, I have to walk in that? Then I smiled at my mom. With a hint of sarcasm, I commented, “I see you slept like a baby!”
She glanced up at me with a sheepish grin. “Mr. Rochester has been working me to the bone! I don’t see why he can’t read these business contracts himself!” She threw her head against the table and moaned something quietly. I took that as a sign to leave her in peace for a bit.
My mom’s usually very sweet and patient. She’s practically my best friend. But this Mr. Rochester, her new boss, has been pushing her beyond reasonable limits. So yeah, my mom has been a tad bit stressed lately.
I finished my breakfast and packed my backpack for school. When I tried to put it on my back, I almost fell over because of the weight. However, I managed to heave it on my back and I walk back into the kitchen where our back door was. I had my hand on the door and was just about to say goodbye when my mom beat me to it. “Bye, Ben! Have a good day, and remember- no powers!” She gave me a stern look with those last few words. I gritted my teeth rolled my eyes.
“I know, I know. You tell me that every time I leave the house! I get the point!” I reassured her that I wouldn’t use my “powers.” She chuckled lightly at my reply. She waved her hand as she went back to reading the papers. I ran out the door before she could decide to say anything else.
As I sprinted down the streets, I contemplated my mother’s level of trust. Why doesn’t she trust me? I’ve never used my “gifts” intentionally! I was a little bit frustrated that she had to bring that up constantly. Seriously, the last time I used my powers was an accident in kindergarten. I don’t really want to go into that a whole lot.
The rain became more ferocious and started to pelt me like paintballs. As soon as I reached the school’s property, I raced toward the door. That probably wasn’t such a good idea. Carl, the best wrestler in the eighth grade, just happened to take a step backwards to pick up a penny. I ended up sprawling over his foot and landed what had to be the largest puddle I’d ever seen.
Carl and his buddies began to laugh hysterically at me as soon as I fell. “Nice job, Ben!” Carl was practically falling over from laughing so hard. His gang sneered harshly and followed him to the door. They continued to walk inside as I struggled to get up. The schoolbag was still on my back, making me lift an extra twenty pounds. I was forced to stop and look at the puddle for a moment. I saw my reflection in the rippling water. I saw my shaggy brown hair hanging loosely around my face. It was glistening faintly, thanks to the relentless downpour. My face was muddied-up with dirty water from the puddle. Unfortunately, my gaze fell upon my eyes. It sent a sting up my spine. My eyes are different from others’. They remind me of the bad guys in science fiction movies. Instead of the usual eye colors, such as blue, green, brown, and hazel, mine are an intense, steely black. They have a faint shimmer to them, which I don’t quite understand, seeing that they are simply darkness.
I forced myself to look away from the water and got up. I tried to dry myself the best I could before I entered the building. That was kind of hard, considering the fact that it was still pouring rain.
I walked down the corridors as quickly as I could. I wanted to avoid any commentary from the people whose faces weren’t buried in history books. Mr. Veranza’s history test was today, and I guess that no one studied for it. I sped into room 302, where my first class would be. I still had fifteen minutes until math class started, but I wanted to get a seat in the back. The more I blended in, the better.
After about three minutes of sitting alone in the classroom, I started to shiver. Being soaked to the bone is not the greatest feeling in the world. I looked for anything that would dry me quickly. Nothing seemed available. Then I got an idea. I don’t know if it sparked from a desire to be dry or if I simply wanted to be rebellious. I’d never tried it before, but I was desperate for warm clothing. I scanned the room for any other people. After I made sure I was all alone, I closed my eyes. I cleared my mind and focused all of my energy on one thing: heat. I thought of dry deserts, fire, anything hot. Within seconds, I began to feel warmth radiating inside my body. The warmth then changed to heat. The heat engulfed my body like a flame on dry tinder. My waterlogged clothes began to dry. Actually, they began to sizzle. The water within my clothing was, quite literally, boiling away.
After a few moments, I stopped thinking about heat. I opened my eyes to see if my idea worked. Sure enough, my clothes were drier than the desert. Steam was gently rolling off of my clothes. I may have taken my focus to a bit of an extreme. The heat was violently radiating off of me, creating the blurry mirage that you see on the streets in the middle of the summer. Strangely enough, the heat did not blister my skin. I was confused by that, but I didn’t spend time to worry. I was warm and it felt good.
However, that feeling disappeared in seconds. I heard someone clear his throat in that way when someone wants others’ attention. I bolted upright in my seat and looked. It was Mr. Veranza. His arms were folded across his chest, but I couldn’t make out what his expression was. His eyes were hidden behind his tinted glasses as usual, and the rest of his face seemed like it was made of stone. I sat there and gaped at him. If he was good at making connections, I was going to have to move again.