Beautiful Colors

A Boy of Many Colors

 I stood in the middle of a large room that reminded me of any ordinary principle's office, minus the skeletons of mutated creatures and countless books on magic and myths. The whole room had a dark blue tint to it with various gold trims here and there. It looked expensive. What caught my eye the most was the large elegant fire place to our left, it was a black frame with gold designs in it. The fire light flickered along those designs gracefully.

 "Now, Todd. This is a Reading Crystal." Mrs. Roxe held up an iridescent ball, it was about the size of a bowling ball if not a little larger. "Its like a computer that reads and processes an individual's level and type of power. I really hate to use it because of the side effects but I fear if we do not then you will be here far longer than you would like to be."

 I narrowed my eyes at her, "Side effects?" She nodded grimly at me, "It varies from one to another. Its impossible to tell how it will effect you, even for a Reader such as myself." She paused and waved her hand causing a wooden stand to grow from the floor. The vines twisted and weaved together before hardening, she placed the orb on the top and motioned for me to step forward.

 I did and she told David and Benson to step back, she placed one hand on the ball then looked at me "Place both hands on it, you'll know when it starts." I frowned and tentatively slid my hands onto the smooth warm surface.

 I waited, nothing happened. I looked up at Mrs. Roxe to tell her I don't think it was working but my jaw clamped shut as electric shocks locked my arms into place. A painful feeling touched the back of my head and seemed to crawl along my scalp.

 My eyes widened, every emotion I had ever felt washed over me every feeling I could possibly think of hit me at once. I felt my hair whip around in the wind that had picked up, water flooded the room, the fire in the fire place exploded and the flames were pulled toward my body. The air around me was a blizzard of hot and icy air. My back itched painfully as I felt my skin ripping but no real pain to go along with the feeling.

 Tears filled my eyes as I tried to pull away from the ball that was now pulsing under my touch, I gasped loudly as my sight failed me and mist formed pictures before my eyes.

 "Okay Todd, blow out the candles!" I smiled up at my father, I was 3 years old. My front two teeth were already missing. His kind smile dropped from his face as the candle fire was blown out by my huge puff of air. I smiled up at him again, only to have him frown and growl under his breath at me. The next thing I knew mama and him were fighting, mama yelling bad words and dad packing his bags. Pain erupted from my small stomach as dad's suit case connected with my body, the heavy suit case was thrown off me. The front door slammed shut.

Something was missing though, a figure was next to me the entire time and when dad left he took the figure with him. What have I forgotten? I feel its important, what was it that father took when he left us? Yelling that I would do no good in his plans. What did he take from me?!

 "NO! Don't touch him. Its not done!" I was pulled back to the present, I was crying my body was shaking. The pain from my father throwing his suit case at me seemed to come back with me only much harder. The wind was knocked out of me, my hands were ripped from the pulsing surface of the ball as I was thrown backward.

 I gasped and coughed as my back connected with a wall, I felt myself fall to the ground landing on my knees before falling onto my elbows. I wheezed painfully at the horrible throbbing in my stomach, I opened my eyes to see the room completely thrashed. Books lay scattered and soaked with water, others lay burning and even on fire. I looked at my hands, my skin was red and tingling.

 I wrapped an arm around my hurting stomach and flinched pulling away when a new wave of pain blossomed from that area. I looked down, my stomach had the dark colors of a suit case shaped bruise marking it.