mother wanted you.”
Shawn snorted in disbelief. “Oh yeah, she wanted us so much that she left as soon as we started changing and looking like a freak show.”
“You know she loved you,” Dad protested.
He’d heard that before, but actions spoke a whole hell of a lot louder than words. “Oh, yeah? Then why hasn’t she come back? She can’t even stand to look at us.”
His father stood, then paced as if trying to control his temper. “That’s her issue, not yours. You and your sister have to be strong to survive in this world.”
“I’m tired of it,” Shawn practically yelled. “Don’t you get that? I’m tired of watching the world through the television and the Internet. I want to experience it first-hand like everyone else. Why can’t we?”
“Damn it, you know why.”
“Please, stop, both of you,” Sharra begged.
Shawn ignored her. “Yeah, but we wouldn’t be monsters in the Demon Underground,” he said, trying to sound reasonable. “Why can’t we at least try it out?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t like how they’re run,” his father bit out.
“So you condemn us to a life of eternal boredom?”
“Stop it,” Dad said, almost yelling now. “You have no idea what the world is like, how cruel it can be.”
“How can we ever learn if you keep us trapped here?” Shawn spat back. As soon as he turned eighteen, he was so out of here.
“Shawn, stop it now,” Sharra said, grabbing his arm. “You shouldn’t get so angry.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
Yeah, their father insisted that anger made them lose control of the inter-dimensional energies. But Dad never said why that was bad. He mouthed vague warnings about something awful happening, then kept them constantly drilling, cycling through the dimensions to identify each one by how it felt, showing them which dimensions would allow them to pull different abilities to use. Too bad they never got to actually practice using those abilities.
“I don’t care,” Shawn said, pulling roughly away from his sister. “He’s always warning us about some mythical, horrible thing that will happen, but it never does. Maybe he’s lying to keep us quiet.”
His father took a step toward him. “You fool, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His sister grabbed his arm again. “Shawn, stop it. Can’t you see what’s happening?” She pointed to the space between him and his father where a bilious green cloud had formed.
“So what? A fluffy green cloud? Big whoop.” He turned back to his father. “You say I don’t know what I’m talking about? So tell me.”
The green cloud grew larger. “You don’t want to see me angry,” his father warned, though it sounded like he was already way past that.
“Who do you think you are? The hulk?”
“Don’t start with me, young man,” his father bellowed as lightning flashed in the depths of the cloud.
Shocked, Shawn gulped and took a step back. Maybe he’d gone too far.
Sharra flew to their father, throwing her arms around him. “Daddy, don’t. Please, calm down.”
Their father took a deep, shuddering breath and the lightning disappeared. Thank heavens. Maybe—
The door suddenly burst open and a large man stood there, his tanned bald head gleaming in the sunlight. He wore jeans and a dusty leather jacket.
Dad shoved Sharra behind him to protect her, and the man thrust an open hand at Dad, then turned his palm sharply as if he were swatting something. Dad flew through the air and slammed up against the wall.
What the . . . ? The guy hadn’t even touched Dad.
“Shut it down, now, ” Baldy said. He gestured with his other hand and the door slammed shut behind him. “I saw the green glow from outside. Thanks for making it easy to find you.”
Fear and shock spiked through Shawn. No one ever came into their home, especially not uninvited. And never anyone with powers like these. He must be some kind of demon.
The anger boiling
Shawn snorted in disbelief. “Oh yeah, she wanted us so much that she left as soon as we started changing and looking like a freak show.”
“You know she loved you,” Dad protested.
He’d heard that before, but actions spoke a whole hell of a lot louder than words. “Oh, yeah? Then why hasn’t she come back? She can’t even stand to look at us.”
His father stood, then paced as if trying to control his temper. “That’s her issue, not yours. You and your sister have to be strong to survive in this world.”
“I’m tired of it,” Shawn practically yelled. “Don’t you get that? I’m tired of watching the world through the television and the Internet. I want to experience it first-hand like everyone else. Why can’t we?”
“Damn it, you know why.”
“Please, stop, both of you,” Sharra begged.
Shawn ignored her. “Yeah, but we wouldn’t be monsters in the Demon Underground,” he said, trying to sound reasonable. “Why can’t we at least try it out?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t like how they’re run,” his father bit out.
“So you condemn us to a life of eternal boredom?”
“Stop it,” Dad said, almost yelling now. “You have no idea what the world is like, how cruel it can be.”
“How can we ever learn if you keep us trapped here?” Shawn spat back. As soon as he turned eighteen, he was so out of here.
“Shawn, stop it now,” Sharra said, grabbing his arm. “You shouldn’t get so angry.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
Yeah, their father insisted that anger made them lose control of the inter-dimensional energies. But Dad never said why that was bad. He mouthed vague warnings about something awful happening, then kept them constantly drilling, cycling through the dimensions to identify each one by how it felt, showing them which dimensions would allow them to pull different abilities to use. Too bad they never got to actually practice using those abilities.
“I don’t care,” Shawn said, pulling roughly away from his sister. “He’s always warning us about some mythical, horrible thing that will happen, but it never does. Maybe he’s lying to keep us quiet.”
His father took a step toward him. “You fool, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His sister grabbed his arm again. “Shawn, stop it. Can’t you see what’s happening?” She pointed to the space between him and his father where a bilious green cloud had formed.
“So what? A fluffy green cloud? Big whoop.” He turned back to his father. “You say I don’t know what I’m talking about? So tell me.”
The green cloud grew larger. “You don’t want to see me angry,” his father warned, though it sounded like he was already way past that.
“Who do you think you are? The hulk?”
“Don’t start with me, young man,” his father bellowed as lightning flashed in the depths of the cloud.
Shocked, Shawn gulped and took a step back. Maybe he’d gone too far.
Sharra flew to their father, throwing her arms around him. “Daddy, don’t. Please, calm down.”
Their father took a deep, shuddering breath and the lightning disappeared. Thank heavens. Maybe—
The door suddenly burst open and a large man stood there, his tanned bald head gleaming in the sunlight. He wore jeans and a dusty leather jacket.
Dad shoved Sharra behind him to protect her, and the man thrust an open hand at Dad, then turned his palm sharply as if he were swatting something. Dad flew through the air and slammed up against the wall.
What the . . . ? The guy hadn’t even touched Dad.
“Shut it down, now, ” Baldy said. He gestured with his other hand and the door slammed shut behind him. “I saw the green glow from outside. Thanks for making it easy to find you.”
Fear and shock spiked through Shawn. No one ever came into their home, especially not uninvited. And never anyone with powers like these. He must be some kind of demon.
The anger boiling
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