Talented

C. Blackburn

Talented. Chapter 1.

Blackburn.

"And just yesterday, the police apprehended and executed another public menace. A Talent, running wild and wreaking havoc, had been reported by a citizen of honorable mention- Ike Silvers. After-"

The radio seemed to silently explode outwards before crumbling back in upon itself until it was all but gone. No one was surprised, but Devin asked mildly, "Was that really necessary, Zach?"

Zacharias didn't answer, but instead glared at where the radio had been as if it had done him grave injustice.

Zoe patted his head as if it would help and smiled in her obliviousness. The young girl questioned, in her childishly marred speech, "What's wrong, Zach-y? Do you need to use the bathroom?"

Zach quickly wiped the anger from his face and replaced it with mock-indignation as he turned to face his baby sister, "Of course not! Why do you have to be so silly?"

Zoe giggled as Zach scooped her up and lay her down gently back inside the makeshift crib Devin had constructed years ago. He shot a pleading look at Harold.

The child fell asleep within seconds after Harold nodded. A brief moment of silence followed in which we all just watched Zoe's breath slow. In the silence, the quiet clinking of the thin metal chain in my hand seemed abnormally loud.

"Now," Zach finally tore his eyes away from his sleeping sibling and sighed, "Ike Silvers."

Devin commented mildly, as he did almost everything, "He's a traitorous bastard, but we already knew that. Is anyone really surprised?"

Harold met my eyes with sadness and told us quietly, "I never thought it would be like this."

My gaze flitted from Harold, to Devin, to Zacharias, then back to the necklace in my hands. It was a simple depiction of a flame strung on a very thin, sturdy, black chain.

"He always did have his own agenda, right from the start," Kei mused aloud, "Always the loner, in his own words." Ah, I'd nearly forgotten that Kei was even there, sitting in the corner with his constant companion- a laptop.

"We've been over this so many times, and I'm bored of it. Let's move on to something interesting, like who might have been killed," Devin affected a yawn, but I'd known him long enough to perceive his slight anxiety.

"Kei," Harold murmured, "Can you find out?"

He answered irritably, "Of course. I'm already on it."

A few seconds later, Kei glanced away from the screen.

We all waited tensely for minutes. A loaded silence descended upon us that no one wanted to break, and the only sound was that of Kei's keyboard. I played idly with the black chain and sentimental insignia that hung from it.

Suddenly, a gasp shattered the stiff atmosphere and Zacharias was the first to demand, "Well, who was it?"

Kei spun away from the laptop to face four of us and we just stared at his ashen features for agonizing moments. Then the blonde fifteen year old flung his glasses at the wall in a burst of emotion and bawled in what sounded like pure agony, "It was Keilani! My sister! That damn bastard f-"

Harold swiftly caught his eyes and Kei abruptly slumped back into his chair, fast asleep.

"Thank you," Zach murmured, casting a glance toward his sleeping sister.

"I thought you might appreciate that," Harold replied, equally quietly.

I stood and retrieved Kei's shattered spectacles with trembling hands. No one commented on it.