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Chapter
1
"The Kids"
It was a warm summer day. The kids were outside but they
weren't playing. Instead they waited attentively their eyes shinning. For
what I couldn't tell. This bothered me. Sure they were different or else they
wouldn't be here. I mean each of them had there own type of power. Yet they
always seemed to remain the same. Like they all shared one mind.
Most of the people who worked in this research facility were afraid of them,
but not me. I saw them as normal run-of-the-mill children… Well with
super human powers.
Jillina (Jilli) was sixteen. She was the oldest of the group. At the age of
five she could move objects with her mind. Her father had her enrolled here
and hasn't spoken to her since.
Johan (Jo) was thirteen. He could manipulate peoples minds to believe anything
he told them. I've never heard him speak, but that was all out of respect.
If he wanted he could have me jump off a bridge. He and his twin sister Janice
had been exported here from Mexico after their parents mysteriously disappeared.
Janice (Jan) could read minds. She acted as Johan's translator. They made
a very powerful team.
Josephine (Jose) is eight. She can induce out-of-body-experiences (or O.B.E.'s)
for her and anyone who touched her. After the divorce both her parents agreed
that she should be enrolled here instead of her choosing which one she wanted
to live with.
Jackson (Jack) is the youngest being only four years old. He couldn't talk
well yet, but he can understand every word said to or around him. He's a whiz
in calculus, and yes of course he can fit the round peg into the round hole.
There were much more than five kids in the S.S.C. (School for Special Children),
but these were the only ones who have touched me as much as they say I touched
them.
They weren't like the others. Sure everyone here had special powers all their
own, but they didn't act snobby or higher powered as the rest tend to do.
You could turn them loose in public and no one would know the difference.
Except for rare occasions (such as today) they acted completely normal. Not
human normal but normal for themselves.
I could write more about how strongly I feel towards them but all the trees
in the world wouldn't make enough paper to hold the words.
Like I said before it was a warm summer day, but the kids were not playing.
Just waiting. Could they be waiting for me? I wondered making another check
on my clipboard. No, they never waited for me while I was on duty.
I stood at the test room window and watched. What were they doing?
Jilli stood up now as the four surrounded her making a large square. She slowly
lifted her arms into the air. The four began to levitate with the movement
of her hands. I put down my clipboard and rushed outside.
The minute Jilli noticed me she lost concentration and the others fell to
the ground. I ran to the fallen angels.
"Are you OK?" I asked all of them. They all said yes. "Jilli."
I crowed. She blushed.
"You're not mad are you Miss Stacy?" she asked in a timid voice.
My heart began to burn as my ice cold expression melted away into a warm smile.
"On the contrary I've never been so proud," I beamed. Jilli smiled.
"Let's all go get some ice cream!" I exclaimed. The five cheered
as we ran to the van in the parking lot. Jilli in the front seat her being
the guest of honor. After buckling ourselves I began to drive to the school
gate.
Almost immediately I was stopped before I could go through. I rolled down
the window and began searching for my drivers license.
"Where ya taken em taday Stac'?" came a cheery voice. I looked up.
It was Mitchel.
Mitch and I had been friends ever since I first started working here. I had
gotten lost and he showed me to the Deans office. Of course that was his job.
I couldn't help but notice that ever since then he's been trying to get up
the nerve to ask me out. I'd ask him first if I didn't think it would make
him nervous. He has very low self-esteem and sometimes tends to be a little
paranoid. For some strange reason that's what attracted me to him. Well, it
and his puppy brown eyes, slightly mused indian red hair, and smooth baby
soft face.
I looked at him and smiled.
"Jilli just levitated her biggest loud. I'm taking them all for ice cream,"
I answered.
"Sorry Stac but I can't let you do that," he said in a low tone
his eyes fluttering to the ground.
"What! Why?"
"Some pretty weird stuff's been goin on lately and the said we can't
let anyone in or out," he answered.
"Well that's not unusual. This is a pretty strange place weird things
happen all the time." Mitch motioned for me to get out of the car. I
did. We stood at the check out box. Supposedly out of Jan's brain length.
"Some of the visitors and other people who've been roaming around here
are disappearing at random. First it was just items and pieces of jewelry.
Now it's whole people," he answered.
"Mitch, your kidding," I quietly exasperated.
"No."
"Well why wasn't I informed?"
"You were. Remember that conference meeting thingy we had yesterday."
"Oh yeah. Jose took me on one of her O.B.E.'s. It was the longest time
she projected herself and someone else at the same time.