with platinum blond hair.
“Dunnae be an idiot, Glen. We need the boy’s help,” Mary said. She folded her arms and glared at the man.
Glen turned to Sebastian with a disgusted look on his face. Then he noticed Ginge and that disgusted look turned to rage.
“He’s with one of us? He’s with her?” he said in disbelief. “You should stick to your own, love.”
That was too much for Sebastian. He punched the man in the face.
15
Glen staggered back clutching his nose and Daniel grabbed at Sebastian, pulling him away. Another man in the crowd lurched forward to avenge his friend, shoving Ginge to the ground in the process. I pulled Hiro out the way, lifting him onto the stage. Mary yelled as the second man punched Sebastian in the face. Sebastian pulled himself out of Daniel’s grip and threw himself at the new attacker. I ducked past the brawling men to help Ginge up when the two of them fell towards me, almost knocking me to the ground.
And then I lost my temper. Remembering the kick-boxing my dad taught me, I roundhouse kicked Glen to the side and he doubled over, collapsing to the ground. Then I pushed Sebastian away from him with all my might. Sebastian went tumbling to the floor. Glen picked himself up and tried to push me out of the way. Mary and Daniel were both yelling something at me, but I didn’t hear them anymore. The heat took over and my hands tingled. The focussed energy seared through my mind and Sebastian, Glen and the new guy all hurtled through the air. I was throwing them so hard that they were going to get hurt and I panicked, thinking I was about to maim my friend. As they flew through the air, thirty feet above us, I tried to clear my mind of all the anger and concentrate on controlling them.
“Mina!” Daniel said. “You need to catch them!”
They were free-falling. I no longer had control. They’d slipped from my mind. Around me the crowd screamed and ran for cover. There was no guessing where they might land.
I made my fingers twitch. I had to catch them. I had to stop them from getting hurt. My eyes screwed shut and in my mind I imagined catching them in the palm of my hand, letting them drift down onto my soft, cushiony flesh. Behind me someone gasped and I dared to open my eyes again. With relief I saw the three men hovering a few feet above the ground. I lowered them into the grass.
“What’ve ye done, lassie,” Mary said, staring at the three gasping three men. “What have you done?”
I turned around to see every single eye in the compound focussed on me. Dr Woods stared at me intently, an unreadable expression on his face. For a moment I felt as though he hated me. I felt as though all of them hated me. I was a Freak. I was an abomination. Tears pricked at my eyes. I turned around and ran. Daniel called after me but I ignored him. I ignored everything. I just ran.
*
I don’t know if I found myself back at the Chestnut tree or if it somehow found me there, but that’s where I ended up. My knees sank, I was spent from using my powers like that, and I collapsed to the floor in a heap before spreading my body out wide as if I were making a snow angel in winter.
As I stared up at the sky Mary’s voice echoed in my mind: What have ye done, lassie? What have you done? What had I done? Turned the Compounders against us all, that’s what. Some fete it was going to be with them all hating us. I was such an idiot. After all the warnings to not use our powers I had to go and lose control. With a sigh I tried to block out those feelings and watch the birds circle the Compound instead. I’d not known it to rain yet, despite everyone telling me that it was always cold and wet in Scotland.
“Mina.”
I sat up and looked into the wise eyes of the little boy who knew too much. “Hey Hiro. Want to come lie down with me?”
“Sure.” He plonked himself down on the grass. “It does rain a lot. I’ve seen it in people’s minds. Some people remember having to save their
“Dunnae be an idiot, Glen. We need the boy’s help,” Mary said. She folded her arms and glared at the man.
Glen turned to Sebastian with a disgusted look on his face. Then he noticed Ginge and that disgusted look turned to rage.
“He’s with one of us? He’s with her?” he said in disbelief. “You should stick to your own, love.”
That was too much for Sebastian. He punched the man in the face.
15
Glen staggered back clutching his nose and Daniel grabbed at Sebastian, pulling him away. Another man in the crowd lurched forward to avenge his friend, shoving Ginge to the ground in the process. I pulled Hiro out the way, lifting him onto the stage. Mary yelled as the second man punched Sebastian in the face. Sebastian pulled himself out of Daniel’s grip and threw himself at the new attacker. I ducked past the brawling men to help Ginge up when the two of them fell towards me, almost knocking me to the ground.
And then I lost my temper. Remembering the kick-boxing my dad taught me, I roundhouse kicked Glen to the side and he doubled over, collapsing to the ground. Then I pushed Sebastian away from him with all my might. Sebastian went tumbling to the floor. Glen picked himself up and tried to push me out of the way. Mary and Daniel were both yelling something at me, but I didn’t hear them anymore. The heat took over and my hands tingled. The focussed energy seared through my mind and Sebastian, Glen and the new guy all hurtled through the air. I was throwing them so hard that they were going to get hurt and I panicked, thinking I was about to maim my friend. As they flew through the air, thirty feet above us, I tried to clear my mind of all the anger and concentrate on controlling them.
“Mina!” Daniel said. “You need to catch them!”
They were free-falling. I no longer had control. They’d slipped from my mind. Around me the crowd screamed and ran for cover. There was no guessing where they might land.
I made my fingers twitch. I had to catch them. I had to stop them from getting hurt. My eyes screwed shut and in my mind I imagined catching them in the palm of my hand, letting them drift down onto my soft, cushiony flesh. Behind me someone gasped and I dared to open my eyes again. With relief I saw the three men hovering a few feet above the ground. I lowered them into the grass.
“What’ve ye done, lassie,” Mary said, staring at the three gasping three men. “What have you done?”
I turned around to see every single eye in the compound focussed on me. Dr Woods stared at me intently, an unreadable expression on his face. For a moment I felt as though he hated me. I felt as though all of them hated me. I was a Freak. I was an abomination. Tears pricked at my eyes. I turned around and ran. Daniel called after me but I ignored him. I ignored everything. I just ran.
*
I don’t know if I found myself back at the Chestnut tree or if it somehow found me there, but that’s where I ended up. My knees sank, I was spent from using my powers like that, and I collapsed to the floor in a heap before spreading my body out wide as if I were making a snow angel in winter.
As I stared up at the sky Mary’s voice echoed in my mind: What have ye done, lassie? What have you done? What had I done? Turned the Compounders against us all, that’s what. Some fete it was going to be with them all hating us. I was such an idiot. After all the warnings to not use our powers I had to go and lose control. With a sigh I tried to block out those feelings and watch the birds circle the Compound instead. I’d not known it to rain yet, despite everyone telling me that it was always cold and wet in Scotland.
“Mina.”
I sat up and looked into the wise eyes of the little boy who knew too much. “Hey Hiro. Want to come lie down with me?”
“Sure.” He plonked himself down on the grass. “It does rain a lot. I’ve seen it in people’s minds. Some people remember having to save their
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