Altered

Chapter 13

We got in the car and I put the keys in the ignition. The engine roared to life and I pulled out onto the road.

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen," he was watching the corn field get farther and farther away through the back window.

"... I'm really happy that you don't hate me. I was expecting you to never want to talk to me again. So, thanks for having an open mind I guess," I didn't take my eyes off the road for my entire speech.

"No problem," I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye. "I almost expected you to be the girl in that video. It's kind of crazy how people haven't put the puzzle together."

"Well, someone figured me out. So looks like I won't be doing my locker combo with speed anymore," I smacked the wheel with one hand and frowned in fake disappointment. I might as well of said 'oh man!' in a Swiper the Fox voice.

"Yeah, I guess not," he paused for a second. "How did you get those powers? If you don't mind me asking," he turned to face me now.

I sighed. "It's such a long story. If you really must know I'll keep it short and sweet," I took a deep breath preparing to try and say the entire story with one breath. Which wouldn't be so hard because I was recorded to hold my breath for over seven minutes back at the facility.

"The night that I left the party because of Natalie, I was kidnapped. These people took me to somewhere near Windsor and grafted other kinds of DNA to my existing kinds. I was chosen for this because of my rare genes."

"They told me slowly of all the things I now possessed. Every time I was told I had a new power, I could use it. Otherwise it just stays unused in my mind."

"I trained with them for the year I was gone, slowly getting stronger but never showing them my full power. I broke out only a few weeks ago and I think they'll be looking for me soon." I finished and took my eyes off the road for a second to look at him.

"That's... horrible... How could someone, just... do that? Take you from your family and keep you there for a year?" His expression flashed anger for a second but it was covered up by pity. I got this feeling of disgust in myself. I didn't want pity.

"I'll never know how they could do it, but they never treated me bad while I was there. Actually, I was treated like a queen. They practically bowed down to me, partly out of fear but it was their problem because they made me a monster," my grip tightened on the steering wheel. I jumped and eased up when I heard it crack. I like this car and breaking the wheel won't help with my current situation.

"Oh well. Let's put this behind us and be happy for what's here now," he swivelled back to face the passenger window.

"Okay Mr. Optimism," I laughed at the nickname I gave him. I just snorted and made a 'psssh' gesture with his hand.

"Okay, were back," I stopped the car and got out. He took a little longer but got out eventually. While walking up to the house I saw mom and dad's cars in the driveway. Oh. No. Please don't embarrass me. Please don't. Please.

I opened the now unlocked door of the house and stepped inside. Austin wasn't far behind.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home! I brought my friend," I heard a muffled 'hello' from the kitchen. When I walked in, mom was making cookies and dad was writing stuff down in a small log-book, probably work related.

"Oh! Is this that new friend that your talking about?" Mom pointed at Austin using the spoon she was mixing with.

"Yes mom. This is Austin," I gestured to him with my hands. "And these are my parents."

He held out his hand for my parents to shake. "Mr and Mrs Waters," he greeted them formally.

"None of that please, I'm Cassandra and this is Richard. Our last names are different from Charisma's though. She wanted to change it when she came back from Win- her trip," she nearly let it slip! Even though he already knows I can't just let her nearly say it! That could draw suspicion!

"It's fine mom, he already knows. He practically demanded to know how I did my locker combination so fast so I just cut to the chase. He didn't even faint!" I gave him a pat on the back like he was doing something good. he laughed and swatted my hands away.

"Oh. Ummm, alright then. Someone else we don't need to be careful around is good too I guess," dad looked hesitant. Then he snapped his fingers and jumped up from his seat. "She must not of shown you this," and he ran off to the other room. I chuckled and shook my head when he brought a battery back.

"This doesn't work right now but watch," he handed it to me and I charged it back up and put it into the television remote.

"Woah! That's so cool!" Austin grabbed the battery and examined it like it was some kind of trick.

"I'm not sure what else I can charge but I'd rather not try a phone. Unless someone want to volunteer a tribute," I looked between the three people in the kitchen.

"Nah,"

"No thanks,"

"I'd rather not blow my phone up,"

Were the responses I got. I burst out laughing at the last statement I was given. Austin laughed too because it was him who said he'd rather not blow up his phone.

"I'm going to go watch some tv. You're welcome to join me," I walked into the living room and say down in my normal seat. The cushion was all flat compared to the others because of all the sitting I did.

I flipped through the guide hoping to find anything good when I spotted a show that intrigued me on the Discovery Channel. The name was 'Kinesis'. I put it as Austin flopped down on the opposite end of the couch.

"Whatcha watchin'?"

"Some random show about kinesis."

"Hmm. Cool."

I shushed him when the commercials had finished and the real show came on.

"In this show, we teach you about supposed kinetic powers and show you videos from around the world of people 'using' them. So far on this episode we have shown you telekinesis and terrakinesis. Now we plan to show you Ferrokinesis, or metal manipulation," I didn't hear the rest because I had to clutch my head.

A piercing ring resounded through my brain and I let out a cry of pain... okay, more like a scream of pain. I knew that ringing and it was not at a good time. This could go good or it could go bad.

Mom and dad came rushing into the room and Austin had gotten up to come and sit in front of me, asking me what was wrong. I pushed my hands over my ears, trying to block out the sound. Nothing was helping and I felt like my ears were bleeding.

After a minute the ringing had died down and it was more of a steady pulse of pain. Once I had collected myself enough to talk I told them what had just happened.

"I think I just figured out a new power..."