Chapter One
I walked faster trying to beat the ever-falling snow. 13 years old were the perfect targets. How I wished I could stop the winter or at least the cold weather for today. Too many people I recalled my mother telling me. I walked even faster feeling a chill run up my spine. The dark people were everywhere. That's what everyone called the mysterious red-eyed figures. All they had to do was stare you in the eyes to know everything and steal your powers. I got caught once a few months ago. Luckily I resisted and fought back with a tornado. I never let my guard down since. I opened the door to our small apartment a few minutes later. The Meadowfield school was only a ten-minute walk from home. The only problem was it ran through the main town.
“Meow” Pugsly and Melia my two tabby cats ran up to see who crept inside. I pet them quietly and took off my school bag. Bending down I gave them fresh food and water and created a sphere of wind to distract Puglsy while I put in his daily ear medicine. He pawed it as it floated in my hand. It was easy to control especially since it was so small. The bigger it got (especially if you're young) the harder it was to control your power. Even more for people over level 3. I was a level four. Except for school. I was supposed to say I was level 3 and my power was wind spheres. I wasn't lying though more like protecting the truth (I was good at wind anyway). Level fours were rare, even more outcasts than level ones the laughing stock. They were the ones chosen to go into the army when they were older.
“Hi mom” I yelled hoping for a reply. None came. I knew better. My mom worked most days at the children's hospital coming home around 6 or 7. That meant it was my job to feed and take care of the cats and myself. I heated some canned soup and took it to my room to do some homework. Luckily we had the option of a 2 room apartment, unlike our last one. I hurried to finish before jumping into bed. Pugsly jumped next to me while Melia hopped on my pillow. As I drifted to sleep it occurred to me where the red people were...it was like they just vanished? Walking home nothing happened. No news stories online. Where did they go?
Chapter Two
It was a school day. Walking down the full streets I looked around. Nothing. Nothing suspicious...nothing. Our school was friendly enough but it was still a fight for social standards. Even the school could be scary. Students weren't the scary part though...the red-eyed monsters that would sneak in are what makes us frightened. Our school is as big as a regular high school even though it just holds grades 6-8. 8th,7th, and 6th all take the same classes. Ela, math, science, History. We're just like any “un-gifted” school except for our encores. Pe is fighting and protecting. The rest are Magic classes, power testing, and zoology (studying magic animals). They all have fancy names but that's what the students of Meadowfield call them. It used to be a regular school holding ungifted people but then when a new GMO was created and spread throughout our food then our new society was born.
I hurried inside. The cold blistering wind made me wish I could stop it. I took off my coat and left it in my locker covered in notes, binders, and candy. My cousin worked at a candy tasting factory letting him sometimes send me the newest treats. Unfortunately for him, he was cursed with the ability to touch and sort any object into a different category. You might have guessed that was his job. I grabbed a handful of gummy worms. I was about to close my locker when I heard my name.
“Raaaiinaa!” I froze at the sound of his voice. I heard Heren walking down the hallway. He called my name again. I didn't turn around. I didn’t want to talk and risk getting embarrassed. He laughed at my attempt. I walked faster...he did too. Luckily my class was the second door closest to the lockers. Maybe at that time, he knew what I was doing. I might have created a small wind bubble so he wouldn't be able to catch me after all it worked last time. After all, being trapped in a wind sphere does make it hard to catch somebody. I entered Ela and sat down next to Sarah. She smiled and handed me a small slip of paper. She was a level three and was only one of a few trusted people to know my secret. I didn't even tell her. She was a mind controller. With the ability to also read minds she figured out my secret long before I told... anyone. My heart sank and lifted at the same time when remembered that day. Her eyes had lit up golden just like everyone's does when they use their powers.
“I won't tell anybody.”
“Stop it! Get out!”
“I had to...you looked so sad. I didn't mean to but-”
“Don't tell anybody!” I remembered my tone and shivered. I knew I was angry and I knew she knew. Maybe it was the golden red in my eyes controlled by my emotions or my balled-up fists. I knew she wasn't scared. She was soft but strong.
“Rania!” Ms. Relonds yelled. I looked dazed. Ms. Relonds was the principal and head of the school board. She was rude, snarky, and put together. She always wore her brown-gray hair in a tight bun with a three-piece suit and long heels. Always. I gulped in fear as she stepped closer. I knew my brown eyes would turn purple in fear. Everyone was born with brown eyes as part of their new built-in gene. Sometimes I would see someone walk by with blue eyes and feel pain for them not being able to use magic. The GMO only affected a few DNA's after all. Another part of the GMO was eye color change with emotions. Red for anger. Blue for sadness. Purple for fear and stress. Yellow for excitement. Green for disgust. Orange for embarrassment. Pink for love. It reminded me of the movie Inside Out. She barked for me to open my book before scoffing at the class. No one knew what her power was. Rumor has it was a level four being able to be immortal. Rumor has it she was a level one being able to have a super smell. I guessed number 2 thinking it would explain why she hates kids. Seriously I thought as my face turned red. I knew Sarah was reading my mind or reading my face and could see I was nervous. Wait no, not nervous, embarrassed. While Ms. Relonds went away, I read the slip that Sarah gave me. She wants to talk to me about something important. But what?