Ian Humprey's Story

A large yet quaint room, with nothing but a few couches and chairs and a handful of people. That’s where Ian’s future would be decided from here on out. Too eager to sit, Ian paced the room. For what exactly? Not even he was sure. Eager to discover what his abilities can actually do? Eager to run away at first moment’s notice? Eager to find out where exactly he was and why he was here? Not too sure, but Ian was eager all the same.

The room Ian paced around was filled with boys and girls alike. He’d taken the time to analyze each one of them. One girl looked impatient. Another looked as though she’d burst through her shell at any minute. They all looked different, but at the same time, they were all the same. They had to be, otherwise they wouldn’t all be in the same room, waiting for the same guy to speak the same words to all of them. They wouldn’t all be in the room waiting for knowledge on all the same questions. What’s wrong with me? Why am I here? What is this place? Can you help me? Why are their troopers dropping people on your doorsteps? Why did I want to come here? Did I want to come here? What the hell is going on? All questions that Ian was positive was going through the minds of each one in the room.

Ian fidgeted with his nails as he continued to pace the room. He mumbled incoherent things and thoughts under his breath. Others probably thought he was crazy. I’m no crazier than you are. Ian thought. Surely there was someone in the room who was trying to get inside his mind right now. He made sure to keep his eyes set on the ground or on his hands or feet. He didn’t want anybody getting through to him. He wanted to be invisible. It’s not difficult to be invisible when everyone you touch goes blind. But Ian wanted the world to be invisible to him, not the other way around. I’m no crazier than you are. I’m no crazier than you are. I’m no crazier than you are. Ian’s mind was flustered but he didn’t know what to do anymore. This was his last resort. Well, not his last resort. But most certainly he preferred to be tested on than the alternative.

“Get off me, man! Get the hell off. Don’t freaking touch me!” Carter pushed away a big guy who kept trying to grab at him. A door swung open and Carter was flung into the room. “Hey, I heard that you twat!” Carter yelled out at a wild thought the big guy was thinking as he pushed Carter into a small room. He looked around and saw a group of kids, around his age, all looking dazed and confused about life and whatever was next. Everyone looked terrified, like they had just watched someone be brutally murdered right in front of them. It scared Carter. But instead of showing fear, he sighed and pulled the bottom of his shirt down, straightening himself out.

Carter could see a girl trying to interact with another, some guy wandering around the room looking blitzed out of his mind and another girl who’s eyes darted across the room, not landing on anything specific for too long. He was weirded out. He wanted to be out of the room immediately but if there were any more guys like the one who shoved him into this room, he knew he’d have no chance of escaping. What is this place anyway? Are these the feds? Are they going to kill us off or what? Carter’s mind wandered, but this wasn’t the place for that. Carter knew very well that at least one of these people if not all, have the same ability as him and could probably read his mind just by looking at him. Carter had to be extra tentative. This was certainly not the place to think a bad thought about anyone.

Looking around the room frightened Carter. He didn’t know who it was safe to look at, or whether it were safe to look at anyone. His eyes stopped on a girl, sitting by herself far from the other. She just watched people. Maybe she had the same ability as Carter, maybe not. He smirked though. She was kind of cute. Carter figured, if he’s going to be there, he’s might as well make some friends. Or at least he’d try to. He walked towards her, slowly, and took the seat next to her. He put his hands on his knees and hummed a few notes while patting on his knees before turning to her, smiling and putting his hand out, “Hi. I’m Carter.” Carter just watched the girl, waiting, trying hard not to focus on her in a way that would cause him to break into her mind. He looked down at his hand. “Right, well, this probably isn’t a good idea.” He chuckled nervously while placing his hand back on his knees.

Jasper

He rested his chin on the palm of his hand, zoning off into a picture across the room. It's contents were blurry, he never bothered to give it a good look. Kit hung onto his arm as if the separation from Jaspers warmth would instantly turn him cold and Jasper couldn't decide if his touch brought him comfort, or irritation. Having at least one presence you know in a room of strangers could be the greatest and only comfort in this situation. But it's also because of this manipulative brat that he lost the only person he ever considered family and a best friend. Amar. Jasper could still see his face, wrinkles around the corner of his eyes from old age and prickly white hairs growing out before the beard conquers his entire face, turning him into black Santa. He chuckled, a fond memory resurfacing. A trip to the grocery store turned into a runaway from children begging for Santa to tell them what they were getting for Christmas. Somehow, he was mistaken as Mr. Cold or whatever his name was and told by the children he would only receive coal for Christmas. With that, 'Santa' cocked a grin and wagged a finger at Jass saying, 'Better luck next year.' Hmpf, Old Bastard.

The hushed voice and firm wrinkles etched into his forehead as he opened Jaspers palm and shoved a crinkled piece of paper into his hands. The urgency of his voice telling him to...go! And the inability to hear his final words being taken away as gun shots and smoke filtered into the room and obstructed his vision. He closed his eyes. It was hard to imagine someone you woke up to every morning, seeing his ugly face all through-out the day and the last words you hear before bed-dead.

He hasn't decided his exact feelings toward the kid and the incident. There wasn't much time from then to now for him to think. Kit could hardly function after the incident and the only thing Jasper could focus on is getting here and keeping the both of them alive. Nothing else mattered, except that he had to get away. And fast. Now that he was here, he wasn't quite sure what to do. Why Arzura? Judging from all the other nervous bodies in the room, he could tell that he wasn't the only one wondering about this places merit. How was he to know that they weren't just as bad as the government? Get a job. Go to work. Get married. Have children. Follow fashion. Act normal. Walk on the sidewalk. Watch TV. Obey the Law. Save for your old age. The rights of 'freedom' never truly existed, they merely twist it to make a false sense of peace. They are pretty much saying make money and die. Why would someone create a safe haven for people like...us? We defy the very meaning of what society is because we are different.

“Kit, get off.” Jass said bluntly, his attention altering to the loud newcomer in the room. Wise of him to try and make acquaintances. Jass might of thought of doing the same thing if it wasn't that the only person near him was a fucking tweaker who couldn't keep still. Too much baggage to carry, he could hardly handle Kit and his owns.


Kit
“Kit, get off.” the blond winced, his words aggravating an opened wound. Uncertainty, he untangled his fingers from Jaspers leather jacket and tugged at the sleeves of his own. Was he still mad? Kit hadn't intended for any of that to happen, couldn't he tell that Kit missed Amar too? Just like Jasper, Amar had been like family to him. The elder accepted Kit for who he is and gave him a chance to take charge of his own life. Kit swallowed, a lump rising in his throat. His breathing became abnormal as he clenched his jaws tight. He didn't want to cry in front of him.

”Are you fucking kidding me?” Jasper snapped in a hushed voice. Kit whimpered and fell apart. ”You have no right to be crying right now, you hardly knew him, Kit.” Kit covered his eyes, pressing against his eyelids to stop the pain.

”No, no he was something to me too!” He shook his head side to side, his short ponytail hardly moving with the wind. The edges of his silky bangs barely grazed his fingers.

”He was something to you?” Jasper whispered and turned his head away, resting his elbows on his knees. ”He was fucking everything to me, Kit.” Tears rushed down Kits porcelain skin in strips.

”I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.” he muttered pathetically. Jasper didn't respond. Kit felt his only life support slowly edging it's way from him. On the coldness nights Kit fell asleep on the couch, Jasper put a blanket over him. On the days he forgot to pack a lunch, Jasper gave him his lunch claiming he wasn't hungry. When he struggled as a Newbie at the Bar, Jasper always reprimanded him but Kit knew he did it because he cared. It didn't take Kit long to see that Jasper only pays attention to things and people he cares about. He needed Jasper. Other than Amar, Jasper was the only other who accepted him for him and who he was. Bisexual, freak abilities and all. He swung around and tugged on Jaspers sleeves. ”Please, please don't hate me...I need you...” his forehead dropped, resting a little under Jaspers shoulder. He could feel uncontrollable emotions rise within himself and his fingers turn hot. A sweet yet hot energy was moving between the two. Jasper tugged his arm away from his touch.

”Don't play with my emotions.” the glare pierced through Kits insides and he shivered. Returning to his cowered state, he hugged himself.

”I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-” Jasper turned his back to him and Kit dropped his head. The feminine looking boy got to his feet, he needed space. He hadn't meant to try and use his powers on him, it just sort of....happened. It was hard for him to see through his tears, as he walked away while rubbing his eyes, he slightly bumped into the man who had been pacing back and forth near them. "Sorry."

Carter chuckled, “Like I said, I’m Carter.” He looked around and squinted his eyes, before closing them and rubbing them. “So what do you do?” He wasn’t asking for the sheer curiosity. Carter knew that if he’d want to make things work in his favor, he’d have to figure what everyone’s ability was.

Carter was nervous. He wasn’t exactly sure what would happen. A room full of ability-willed teens, who don’t know how to control their abilities. A camp that no one has heard of until now, a camp that could very well be scheme to get everyone here to run tests and god knows what else on them. He knew that coming here would be better than staying at home but now with everyone in this empty room he was afraid that this has all been a mistake.

“Does anyone know what’s going on?”

Ian continued to wander the large room, still fiddling with this fingers, looking at all the other kids making acquaintances and talking with each other. Ian felt as though he should too but that probably wasn’t the best idea. They’d want to touch him and he wouldn’t know how to stop or what they were trying to do. Before Ian could make an escape for a corner in the room, a girl was already making her way over to him. A beautiful blonde in fact. Ian noticed and stopped fidgeting and whispering to himself. He gulped down hard, afraid of what might occur. “Hi, I’m Jessica.”

Ian looked her right in the eyes for a couple of seconds, he could feel a tingling at the base of his skull. A sensation he never felt when working with his animals. He broke eye contact and just as he was about to answer and introduce himself, a man stepped through the doorway, sending a silence through the room. Everyone hushed their conversation in order to direct their attention towards the mysterious man. He was older than the rest of them, he looked to be a little worn out. As if, he’s been here for a while. He came in, making eye contact with everyone. Ian met his eyes, the tingling sensation at the nape of his neck reappeared only this time he couldn’t break it. He felt an empty pit in his stomach, a frog in his throat, he got nervous. Afraid of what would happen if the eye contact didn’t stop.

The man stood out in front of everyone as he scanned the room, making everyone uncomfortable and making the base of their skull tingle. He stopped staring down into the depths of each person’s soul and began to speak. His voice was soft and mellow, as though there was no reason for anyone to be alarmed by his entry. "I'm sure you all have a lot of questions you'd like to ask, but let's try to make this part brief. I'm Dr. James Mason, and every one of you gathered here has obtained a special ability, though yours may be different from others.”

That would only make sense, Ian thought. “To make things easy on you, I've sort of summed things up, dividing the abilities into five categories: Erasers, Illusionists, Manipulators, Whisperers, and Listeners. Just by the names, you're probably able to tell which group you belong to, am I right? Well, if not..." Dr. Mason paced the room as he began reading off what each ability is. "Erasers erase memories. Illusionists control the senses. Manipulators sense and manipulate the emotions. Whisperers can put thoughts or ideas into your head. Listeners can hear your thoughts and see memories.”

I’m an Illusionist Ian’s mind spit as soon as he heard it. I can play with people’s senses. I made Stephanie blind. His mind went back to his sister’s condition that was inexplicable to doctors. Dr. Mason’s voice continued but Ian’s mind didn’t follow. “Like you, I have an ability. Unlike you, I know how to control and use it. Learning to control your abilities is one of the reasons your here, and to learn to control them, you'll have to train them."Dr. Mason paused for a moment and Ian came back to when Dr. Mason started to speak again.

"That means, if you want to control your abilities, you can't be afraid of them."

”That means, if you want to control your abilities, you can’t be afraid of them.”

Wait. What? Carter was extremely confused about everything that was going on at this point. Ok, he has powers, he knew this already. He knew that he was able to grab full control of what was going on. He knew that he was a freak. Christ if there’s anything he didn’t know it was why the hell he came here in the first place. This idiot was just telling him everything he already knew. He didn’t know how many other abilities there were but he could’ve figured that out by asking around. He made this trip, away from his family, away from what he called home to be told everything he already knew. What a rip off. Lemme guess, there’ll be a $400 charge at the door for all this information right? Carter thought to himself as he scoffed aloud.

He patted on both his legs loud, groaned and stood, “Right. Well… He looked around, eyes were on him and it was little bit more intimidating than he had anticipated. Carter didn’t mind eyes on his, at all. But when each set of eyes on him had an ability that could alter the way he thinks or what he can hear or smell, he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to be the center of attention anymore. “Tell me, Dr. Mason. Why the hell is this place open? What good is it bringing you to get a whole bunch of kids in what might as well be a fucking concentration camp just so that we can learn to ‘control’ our abilities?” Carter asked in a somewhat mocking voice. “Quite honestly, I’ve had enough of these stupid powers and I Just want to know where the hell the customer service desk is because I want to return this shit.”

Carter was angry now. He wasn’t curious or scared anymore. He was angry. He thought this was all a load of shit. This guy was coming in here and making all these teens basically surrender their lives as normal teenagers so this weird ass guy could come in and making a living off of them. “I’ll just see myself out.” Carter moved through the crowds of feet below him, trying to get by swiftly without stepping or touching anyone. He needed to get to the door, he needed to escape. He couldn’t just sit here and listen to this guy anymore. He didn’t get far though, upon reaching the door handle and pulling it down towards him, two large men were on the opposite side, pushing their way in, forcing Carter to back up. He turned around and made eye contact with a man he swore to be a foe, not a friend.