She stood up, feeling the lightness of her body. It felt hot, not like she were on fire hot, but a different kind of sharp hotness that wasn’t burning her. She walked over to the hose, still getting used to how fast her body could move when she felt like she didn’t weigh anything. Then she had an idea … a stupid, dumb idea. She should have been hosing off, then creeping past her dad, naked, running to her room. Instead she looked around again, she was alone …
She walked back over to the balance beam and stepped onto it. She didn’t quite understand why sometimes she went through things and other times she didn’t. She went down into a back walkover. Her body felt almost not there, not like the gravity was different, but like she didn’t even feel the stretch. As she flipped back up, she moved so fast and felt so light that she almost fell and lost her balance. Yet the beam didn’t even shake or feel unstable to her.
Then she took a deep breath. Even breathing was different. She didn’t even feel the air go inside her yet she felt rejuvenated. She stepped toward the edge of the beam, then jumped back into the air, doing a back handspring and then a double back tuck. Her body felt so light. Even as she landed perfectly in a split, she knew she could have done another back tuck or so.
She smiled in amazement. For the first time she wasn’t completely panicked when she was in what ever this was state. If only she could feel this way during tryouts. She looked at her hands; they were still transparent and a little more purplish blue. She held them up and looked through them, it really was like looking at pure glowing lightning at night during a thunderstorm. Only it was in the shape of her body.
She held her right hand out in the air and moved it back and forth. It looked just like if you ran a sparkler through the air. Her hand’s light moved so fast it could spell out words or shapes. She made a couple of circles and squares. Then she spelled out her name, feeling like a small child again. A couple of minuets later, she saw a truck go down the road. Even though it was probably to far away to see her, she ran over to the hose.
All her feelings of nervousness and fear rushed back to her, and she needed water again. Now. She went to grab the hose’s nozzle but her hand went right through it, making crackling noises; the nozzle must have still been a little damp. Then, in a panic, she grabbed the nozzle again, and this time she was able to touch it. She saw her hands glowed a little less, still transparent but a little more solid looking.
She turned the nozzle and felt the water spurt on her hands, and then that feeling of the water soaking into her, feeding her skin and bringing her back. This time it was faster then normal. In seconds her hands were back to human looking, and she could feel her body was too.
She paused, staring at her hands in half relief and half questioning. She still had the fear that the water wouldn’t work and she’d be stuck like that forever, even though this time it wasn’t as scary as usual. She wondered, examining what had happened, if had she made herself turn partly back into a human to turn the nozzle. Was she actually getting used to this now?
* * *
Brook
Brook sat with Randy at the movie. He had his arm around her comfortably. They were watching some old southwestern film. She didn’t know there were old movie theaters like this that actually showed old movies. Everything in this town was so ancient. If Randy hadn’t had the new iPhone she would have questioned if she had gone back in time. Especially the way everyone dressed here. So plain and hickish, even the snotty girls who thought they were hot stuff. Their clothes were probably from Wal-Mart. Not that it was below her. She was the queen of cheap, but she could make hot fashionable clothes for the same prices they probably paid for theirs.
She looked at her nails, feeling very bored, but noticing how Randy’s hand kept sinking lower and lower on her thigh. Finally! She looked up at his handsome bad boy face, his body felt hard behind hers. She curled closer feeling his muscles. His body made her feel so warm.
She looked up at him and he kissed her, hard, his other hand sinking down behind her back.
“Lets get out of here,” she whispered. Why should they fake their way through anymore of his idea of a date? They were both here for the same reason.
* * *
Donna
Donna got dressed and walked back downstairs. It hadn’t been hard to sneak past her dad. He slept like a bear. But he was awake now, reading some novel about runaways.
“Another book, Dad?” she asked him gently, sitting in the La-Z-Boy chair across from him, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She usually only really talked with her dad on long drives to New York or New Jersey, wherever her dad’s PI thought her brother was. Even then they were both pretty much silent. He’d ask her about school, and she’d give him a couple of answers and that was that. Or he’d lecture her on bits and pieces about his father.
“The son of a woman in South Applegate went missing today. The case is very similar to your brother’s, so I thought I’d help. The first three days a child goes missing are very crucial,” he told her, his eyes still glued to his book.
Donna stared into the TV; he always left it on when he was reading. They had it rigged to a used satellite dish her dad had bought at a garage sale. It was always picking up different channels. An old episode of Roswell was on the Syfy Channel at the moment. Randy was kind of like the character Michael, only more cruel. Thinking about it made her think about Brook on her date. It was 10:40 now. She wondered what they were doing. Wondered what she and Ryan would be doing if she was on a date right now … I wish.
“Dad, do you think Mom could have been adopted?” she asked him out of the blue.
He put his book down. “Now what gives you a crazy idea like that?”
“Grandma and Grandpa just seem so normal.”
They were both super old; they’d had her mom when they were older. She’d been a change of life baby, but Donna had been thinking maybe she was adopted. Maybe she was … Well Donna didn’t exactly know, but something like what Donna was becoming. After all, she had to be turning into this somehow. Maybe her mom could turn into electricity too. Maybe this whole thing was happening because of something she didn’t know about her mom.
“Who else would you like them to be?” her dad asked her.
“Well, I don’t know, was there anything strange about Mom? Ya know, something unexplainable?”
Her dad laughed a little bit, clearly not getting what she was asking. “She had the most beautiful eyes. They were so damn blue they almost looked purple, but then that’s why I called her by her middle name, Violet,” her dad started. “She always saw the good in people, even when I didn’t understand it, and she was very ambitious, your mother. The town was too small for her imagination.”
Donna stopped herself from drifting away in imagining her mom. She did it often, picturing what she would be like if she were alive. How different Donna’s life would be. Her brother would not have run away, her dad would still be running the farm. Maybe Donna would be more like Lynn, know more about makeup and all that stuff right from the get go instead of having to figure it out herself. How different everyone’s lives would be if she had never been born …
“Oh, well thanks, Dad,” she told him, ending the conversation. She was sure if her mom had the ability to turn into some kind of lightning ghost her dad would have mentioned that.
As he picked up his book and continued reading, Donna stared into the television set. Roswell was just ending and Isabel, a character on the show, was changing a bottle of ketchup into mustard with the flick of her hand like magic. Is that the answer? Am I some kind of alien? Donna thought. Maybe some ship abducted the real Donna Young and dropped me off because they didn’t want me. Maybe I was abducted a month ago, and when that car came, the side effects they gave me kicked in. If not, then what am I? Why is my body doing things that are not possible? Maybe I’m just crazy … Or maybe I’m cursed.
* * *
Lynn
Lynn and Ryan were at Lynn’s house, in her room. After a d
ay of arguing and training, Lynn was very much looking forward to the making up part of the night. Ryan took off Lynn’s shirt, and she kissed his neck. As much as she hated Ryan sometimes, his kisses somehow made her want to surrender to him every night. She took his shirt off, almost ripping it she was in so much of a hurry. His muscles were unreal, and his bright bluish green eyes seemed to almost glow.
Then the alarm on her phone from the power plant started ringing, loudly, and Ryan’s cell phone started to go off too. Lynn pulled away. “Damn it!”
She’d been wanting to hear that alarm, but not tonight. In a second Ryan was fully dressed and at the door. She grabbed her shirt as they bolted down the stairs. He took off, going way ahead of her. She ran to her car, pulled her shirt completely on and took off. Ryan would no doubt almost be to the power plant by now.
Lynn grunted, then turned her music on as loud as it could go. Whoever has caused this disturbance is going to pay! Lynn thought, deciding already that she was going to show no mercy. Her cell phone rang; she clicked it on, knowing it was going to be Ryan, Randy, or that short annoying Kent.
“It’s a code nine, but Kent said we can’t go without Randy,” Ryan told her over the phone.
“Let me guess, he’s not answering his phone!” Lynn said, even more annoyed.
By the time they could get him and go after whatever idiot thought he could escape, it would probably be five or six in the morning.
“I’m like one minute away from your guest house, I’ll handle this!” Lynn told Ryan, and hung up the phone. Then she slammed her foot on the gas and rushed over there, knowing Ryan would probably speed over once he got the full debriefing. She parked in the driveway and practically ran toward the door. Ryan sped up to her, meeting her there.
“I told you I would handle this!” she barked.
He didn’t say anything, making her even more furious. He unlocked the door and they went in. The TV was on in the living room, some sports show. They walked over to his room, and before Ryan could knock, Lynn opened the door. The lights were off, and Randy stood facing them with a girl in his arms. The girl’s back was to them, and they were kissing.
Randy opened his eyes and motioned with the hand not holding the girl to go away. The girl, that slutty friend of Donna’s, still didn’t even notice they were there. She kept slobbering on Randy like he was a piece of meat or something. Not that Randy would ever mind; his pants were practically off. He gave Lynn and Ryan mean looks to leave them alone. Before a flame of fire could burst up and block them at the door, Lynn walked over to whatever her name was and pulled her off of him.
“Excuse me!” Brook half screamed, pulling her arms away from Lynn in a twisted self defense motion. Lynn looked the girl up and down. The slut actually knew how to defend herself. Bravo!
“Sorry to interrupt, but Randy has something called a commitment he needs to do right now! If you can’t grasp the meaning of that word, then there’s an eighth grade teacher who lives five houses away who can explain it to you.”
* * *
Ryan
Ryan watched as his very pissed off girlfriend ranted. Lynn had been PMSing all day. He was hoping a nice night would make them better, but apparently that night wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.
“Actually, little girl, he already made a commitment to me tonight. Whatever kinky things you and your boyfriend are into, you’ll have to take a number!” Brook told Lynn.
Ryan couldn’t help but laugh under his breath. This Brook girl was much taller than Lynn had decided to be tonight, and she had a mouth on her too. Maybe Lynn had finally met her match.
“Wow, you just went from a dirty slut, to a disgusting one in ten seconds. Congratulations!” Lynn screamed at Brook, furious.
Randy walked over to Ryan. “Sounds like Lynn seriously needs to get some.”
“We’ve gotten called, Randy,” Ryan told him.
“No, I’m sure you two just need a baby sitter, and Dad thought, why not bother me? After all, it’s not like I’m good for anything else,” Randy spat bitterly.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Ryan told his older brother, not in the mood to argue. Sometimes he felt like he should be the older sibling. Though he couldn’t blame a guy for being upset for being interrupted, but that was the price they all paid to be what they were.
“Whatever. Just learn how to control your girlfriend,” Randy said, turning to the two girls throwing insults at each other. “Hey,” Randy yelled next. “If we’re going let’s go.”
“Don’t think I’m done with you yet!” Lynn yelled to Brook as she walked away.
Ryan walked out the door and Randy and Lynn followed, Randy leaving Brook in his bedroom alone. Sometimes Ryan couldn’t believe how blunt his brother was with girls. He always just took what he wanted and left it at that. Ryan wondered if he’d ever be like that one day. Sure Lynn could be a pain, but not only was she the most attractive girl at school, she was also his team member. In just three years, they’d been through so much training and small mission work together. Would he really break up with her and let another guy touch her?
Then there was Donna, the first girl he had ever liked but given up, who naturally was getting more attractive everyday. The girl he’d almost gotten killed when they were children. Would he ever have to watch her be with another guy, when he knew if he had just been born normal he’d be that guy? Walking her home instead of that annoying creep Spencer?
Would they still be friends right now, or would they be together? He pushed the thoughts away as he sped ahead of Lynn and Randy to the plant. He’d never be normal, so there was no chance of imagining life as if he was.
* * *
Rebecca
Rebecca woke up bright and early and began to get dressed. She tried on two different outfits; a white blouse and black pants, then her sunflower dress with a pink blouse. Either way I still look like a little girl, she thought to herself. She was so petite she still could fit into children sizes. She pulled back her brownish red hair, feeling defeated, wondering why she cared about this anyway. For all she knew the world could be ending tomorrow. The FBI could come and take her away. Or like she had dreamed, maybe she was really in a crazy house and drugged up on medication. With all these thoughts and fears, she wanted to look nice … For Paul.
Before a month ago, Paul had just been a very smart upperclassmen who occasionally reveled some of his computer tricks and research. Now he was the only person in the world she thought she could trust. When she wasn’t with him she wished she was. As weird as everything was becoming, she couldn’t help but smile at his ways of organizing and taking things apart to build super cameras, and advanced computer tablets, that sparkle in his eyes when he explained things to her.
For years she’d liked Spencer. Wishing all those attempts he made with other girls could have been with her, but now it was getting harder and harder to talk to him about anything. Even though Spencer was taller and had more muscle than Paul, she felt safer with Paul and confused with Spencer.
She missed having another girl she could talk to about this. Donna had been her best friend, but now she feared Donna might be the one to end all their lives. She still argued this in her head. Donna had told her she was a different person when she went to the city. What if she was on one of these teams Paul talked about, along with her friend with the long legs who was like three or four years older then her? Was it a coincidence she was staying with Donna now?
Rebecca headed out the door, locking it and setting the alarm. She usually never bothered, but now that alarm was what got her through each day. Paul had spent the night a week ago, until her parents had gotten back. They were on the edge of showing their recent findings to a TV network. They had so much going on and were always in their office working. If all this went through, they might be going to Egypt next month for filming. Which meant she would be alone …
Rebecca practically ran in her sunflower dress and blouse over to Paul’s, taking the sho
rtcut through the walking trail. When she arrived, Paul’s mom’s car wasn’t in the driveway. She knocked at the door, but there was no answer. Her heart started beating and she started to sweat even though it was cloudy this morning.
She knocked again and there was still no answer. Oh Gosh! Paul, please be ok! She walked around the house, and ducked down to the small window leading into his basement. The lights were off but it looked the same. Goose bumps went down her arms and up her spine. Paul was always here in the early morning. Where was he?
* * *
Donna
Donna got back from jogging late. Ryan hadn’t been there which had given her the freedom to run wild. She was so worried she’d turn in front of him one day. She dreamt about him and her father, looking at her the way Spencer had. Her father was at Mrs. Taylor’s, helping her with her missing daughter. Her dad always dropped everything when a child went missing, even if it meant him not working for months at a time and them going without power. Donna used to be bitter at her father for it. He never came to any of her gymnastics shows or anything like the things he did for the missing kids, but she knew her father’s heartbreak. How could she be selfish enough to be angry about that?
Donna went upstairs and jumped in the shower, being careful not to wake Brook up who was sleeping in her bed. Afterward, when Donna heard the rain outside, she felt comforted by the sounds of the falling water. It was magical, made her feel safe.
She opened the trap door to the attic, and climbed up the ladder inside with a flashlight. Dust from opening the door puffed up all over her, sticking to her wet post-showered body. There were cobwebs everywhere and Donna hoped she wouldn’t run into any rats or worse. Living in the country made rats, raccoons, and foxes a normal thing. Especially with all the uncut fields surrounding their house. She pushed a few boxes she knew were full of her mom’s things toward the entrance, and looked through some of her dad’s boxes. Hoping to find some kind of clue to the mystery of herself.