Lost Mind

Chapter 1: Cue Dummy Fight

Mellohi grunted, a smile dancing on her crooked face. The young boy who stood before her panted heavily, determination in his dark eyes.

"You're getting a lot better, Matthew," she commented, raising out of her defensive position. "Practice being more subtle in your movements. If you do a big wind-up, the enemy will see it coming and find a way to parry."

"Thank you, Mellohi," Matthew replied with a curt nod. He jogged over to one of the open punching bags on the other side of the courtyard.

Mellohi's day camp was flourishing nicely. With all the funding from Pepper, it was easy to get it up and running. It was near Long Island Sound, which piqued many kids' interests because of a book series they'd read. Training these kids to fight was fun, and it meant there would be more heroes in the world. She was doing it to inspire them.

"Gather 'round, everyone!" she hollered. The twenty-some kids made a circle around her, awaiting her orders. "Your parents will be here shortly. Make sure all the equipment is in order, then grab a snack from the dining hall and meet me on the Log."

The children complied, dashing over to the last station they were at. She lead a day camp, because overnight was too difficult. They started at eight in the morning and ended at three in the afternoon. Lunch was provided.

A few stragglers had already gathered on the Log, a three-tier set of bleachers made out of furnished oak wood. Mellohi whistled as she strolled over.

"What do you guys want to be when you get older?" she asked as she waited for everyone else.

"A hero!" a few of them exclaimed.

"Like you," Kaileigh—one of the little girls—mumbled.

"Like me?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because you're so pretty and good at fighting and drawing."

"Thank you, Kai!" Mellohi felt her heart swell with pride.

"Mellohi, what do your eyes look like?" Jason—an older boy—asked.

"If I show you, I would go to prison."

"For what?"

"Murder," she said with a crooked grin. Jason paled, and she burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding, Jason. My eyes are all purple. My pupils are a darker violet."

"Can you show us!?" Laurie asked excitedly.

"Sadly, no."

"How can you see with a blindfold on?" Michael questioned.

"I don't exactly need my eyes to see. Call it a sixth sense, if you will. I have all of your human senses, plus an extra one that allows me to see without my eyes. It kind of works like night vision."

Ooh's echoed off the children as the rest took their seats. Mellohi chuckled. Her ears twitched as the sound of tires against gravel reached her heightened hearing.

"Sounds like your parents are here."

"How can you hear that?"

"I have really good ears."

As she said that, however, the sound approached faster than she expected. Her brow furrowed. There were only two cars. Alarm shot through her body when the crack of a gunshot went off.

"Everyone get inside the dining hall immediately!"

"Why!?" they cried. A few were already in tears.

"I'll tell you why later. Just get inside! Now!"