• Six Years Earlier.

    My little sister, Jessica, and I held each other’s hands while waiting for our Grandparents to finalize the papers to the unaccompanied minors program so that they can send us back to our parents. Our palms are wet from Jessica sweating out of nerves; she is terrified of flying.
    I cast my mind out and into hers so that I can see what she is thinking and how exactly she is feeling so that I can have a better chance of saying the right thing to help her to calm down and to feel safer to get on the plane with no one but me at her side.
    ‘Do not like it, No I really don’t like it. Why did Dad have to go home early?’ She looks up at me and gives me an uneasy smile. I smile comfortingly back at her. ‘Thankfully I have Ariel, but it just is not the same. Although I suppose I can be great full for the fact that I am flying with her and not Jackie, with her weird personality and abilities if anything is to happen she will be able to take care of it.’ I withdrew at this point eyes cast down ward. I figure that at least she is glad to have me there with her but I am not sure about how well I will be able to protect her. I am not going to tell her this of course, that was not going to help her at all in being able to fly any easier.
    I allowed some calming emotions to flow through me and in to her. She looks back up at me with pursed lips. She hates it when I do this but she is also great full about it this time around.
    “Well here we go. All we need now is for you Mr. and Mrs. Demark to sign on the guardian consent line and we will get the girls on their way. Both of our Grandparents took turns with the pen. By the time they are done, a man who takes care of the unaccompanied minors has arrived. He stuck a couple of nametags on us and pinned on the wings to boot.
    “Well off we go ladies to soar off through the clouds in the sky.” This sounded like a scripted monologue then an attempt to connect. However this is not too surprising sense it is his job. I rolled my eyes while Jessica giggled feeling a bit more comfortable with the system its self. I may find it a bit ridiculous but sense it is helping Jessica to calm down I am appreciative of it as well. Jessica and I give Grandma and Grandpa one last hug, slung our backpacks over our shoulders and following him through the crowd toward our gate.
    We walked down to the plane and left to be baby sat by the flights flight attendant. She knelt down to our level with this phony smile on her face. “Alright girls, which one of you would you like to sit next to the window?”
    “I do, I do.” Jessica exclaimed excitedly hopping up and down. The flight attendant looked back at me to see if I am going to lay claim to the seat as well.
    “Do not worry about me. She can have the seat. I will just take the one next to hers if that is alright.” I responded with a smile. She nods as a look of relief washes across her face. She is just glad that she does not have to deal with another sibling spat over who wants the window seat that is the best seat out of all.
    After passing through the first class area, we moved past to rows of seats to where we are to sit. We filed into the row of seats in a calm manner. The flight attendant helps us to buckle our seat belts and says. “If you need anything, anything at all,” she indicated a button on the unit above us with a person holding a tray with a cup on it, “just push this button and I will come and attend to what you need.”
    Jessica nodded in an understanding manner. “Alright, thank you for your generous hospitality,” I responded. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at my formality and my adult manner of speech. I shrugged my shoulders not saying anything because I am a little tired of having to explain to people how smart I really am. Therefore, I just hide it most of the time. Although I do not always keep it in check as my last statement proves. Although in this case I do not believe that, it matters too much. She smiled shrugging off her curiosity and moved back up the aisle.
    It took a bit more than a half hour to get the plane up in the air. Between loading the plane, and getting permission from the flight tower to take flight. Jessica started coloring in her coloring book and I pulled out my favorite book, called Fable haven, and started reading. An hour in to the flight I hear a commotion near the cockpit of the plane. I set my book down on the flip table in front of me and Jessica’s crayon hovered above her paper. All the people around us are looking around, as well, trying to figure out what is going on. That is except for one girl who is sitting in front of me. She seems to be unusually calm and disconnected with all of the excitement that is going on around her.
    The sound of firecrackers exploded up near the front of the plane, although I have the sinking feeling that they were not firecrackers but gunshots. I unbuckled my seat belt and moved to being half sitting and half standing, with my right leg resting and keeping my balance on the seat. I am about to move into the aisle believing that I can help. I do not know or understand why I have these abilities but I do and I am going do the best that I can to help the world and the people around me the best that I can. I look back to Jessica to see whether she is ok or not. She nodded encouraging me. She trusted that I am able to handle myself and to fix the current situation.
    “Sit down girl.”
    “Are you crazy?”
    “Honey please sit down. You do not want to get hurt.”
    I hear my fellow passengers send me this plea. However, I know what I need to do to keep further harm from coming to the plane, crew, and passengers. Therefore, I chose to ignore all of them.
    Approaching the front of the plane, I can see that there are three assailants sticking up a couple of the attendants trying to get in to the cockpit. They quickly catch site of me and turn on me with their black pistols like vultures scavenging their pray. “Hey girlie go sit down now!” The tall gangly one growled. I continued to approach in a calm and steady pace. “Hey! Did you hear me or not? I said sit down now or we will shoot.” I ignore him once again and approach him until I am a foot away and stopped, waiting for them to make the next move. “Alright kid, has it your way.” They immediately open fire on me.
    Closing my eyes, I drew on my power and focused it. Although in real time it is only a moment, whenever I encase myself in power the world becomes still and I am calm enough to be able to handle both the enormous amount of power that I encumber within myself and whatever maybe going on outside of my head did not over whelm me. I opened my eyes and time started up again. I released the equated amount of energy and froze the bullets meters from my face. I realize that I am holding my breath and slowly let it out. I release the bullets and they fall to the floor with a soft thud. I can also now feel the girl’s eyes focused intently on the back of my head, now incredibly engrossed in what is acuring. Although my mind has returned to real time, I can feel the plane fall still at what has just acured. Furthermore, the bad guys did not remain this way, unfortunately. Coming out of their moment of being stunned and went into full action.
    They are sharks with the smell of blood in their nostrils, coming at me with everything that they have. I cannot worry about the people around me so I focus on my attackers allowing everything else to go to the back of my mind.
    Throwing my hand out, with a flick of my wrist, I hurl the guy up front, back into his cohorts forcing them to fall back into a heap on the floor with a slightly bigger burst of energy then the previous time. I breathe in and out with a calm and focusing manner preparing myself for the next attack. The problem is; is that like a game of chess, unless I neutralize them right here and now they will continue to get back to their feet and attack me until they kill me or I stop them first. As they climbed back to their feet, I rack my mind trying to think of a quick and easy way to stop them.
    I am not sure how my mind has come to the memories of the time that I enter in to my sister’s mind to help calm her or find out how she is feeling so that I can try to help her. The thought is completely random and crazy, but the funny thing is that it might just work. The problem is that I have never gone into more than one mind at a time before. I did not have a choice though I have to try.
    They are all on their feet at this point. Narrowing my eyes, I direct my energy up into my mind and had my eyes direct the flow of power towards all of them, their minds especially. However, the links varied in strength. I am unsure about how effective my control over them would be, but I figure myself already committed and continue. I force them to drop their guns, however a couple of people were able to struggle against my control but they were not able to break it after a few moments I managed to make them to drop theirs as well. I guide their movements into the nearest lavatory, psychically slamming the door shut on them and jamming the locking mechanism so that they could not get out.
    I allow my power levels return to normal and are now able to take in the environment around me on the plane. The passengers on the plane are all in ah of what I had just done, great full even and began to clap. However, that is not the unsettling part. The looks that I am receiving from the flight crew are making me feel uncomfortable. My eyes fall upon the flight attendant on the floor that is shot. I squatted down beside him and drew upon the talent that lay within me. Placing my right hand on the wound, I used the energy within me to heal him. As soon as I am done, I stood back up and feeling self-conscious, I return to my seat and sat down giving my sister a comforting hug.
    There is a small snicker from the seat in front of us, most likely from the girl who seemed disconnected but interested in me. She climbed onto her seat and turned to face us but mostly me. “I’m Alexa,” she says holding out her hand. I take it and shake it at the same time that she does.

    “My name is Ariel.” I respond in kind.
    “You should not have done that.” She said pushing a lock of black hair that had fell in front of her face back behind her ear.
    “What do you mean,” I respond. “I did the right thing. Those men could have hurt a lot of people.”
    “True enough, but you are going to regret it later. You have reviled yourself to them. Now they will never let you go.”
    “I still do not understand. Why am I going to regret doing the right thing in helping them and everyone else here on this plane remain safe.” She just flashes me a faint smile, turns around, and secures herself back into her seat.
    “Ariel? What does she mean by that?” Jessica whispers into my ear.
    “I do not know Jessica. I just do not know,” I responded.
    At that, moment the Captain’s voice came over the intercom. “Attention passengers. As you all know we have just narrowly escaped a hijacking because of the heroic efforts of one of your fellow passengers.” Everyone claps in high spirits, except for Alexa and me. I just moved my head so that I can better here what the captain is saying. “However under the circumstances I am sure that you can understand when tell you that we have to make an emergency landing at the Cincinnati Airport so that investigators can sort all this out.” Most everyone let out a stressed and agitated grown in unison. “Southwest Airlines will take care of the rest of your travel expenses and depending on how long this investigation takes your hotel expenses will also be taken care of. I apologize for any inconvenience.”
    It takes thirty minutes for the plane to make its final approach to the Cincinnati Airport. The rules for the unaccompanied minors is that the minors under the custody of the flight attendants are to remain in their seats until everyone else has debarked and we are retrieved and guided off of the flight. It turns out that Alexa is an unaccompanied minor as well. Therefore, Alexa, Jessica, and I led through the busy airport by yet another airport employee. Upon reaching a door marked Do Not Enter/ Employees only, the attendant punched in a code and held the door open long enough for us to pass through then pushed it closed, not allowing it to fall shut on its’ own.
    He once again takes the lead and directs us down the corridor. The sound of our footsteps rick shade off the ceiling, walls, and floor with an eerie echo that chills me to the bone. I do not have to be psychic, which I am, to know that something is not right.
    To be honest though there is also another voice in my head that is telling me that I am paranoid. Though I think that part of this is because of what Alexa had said. ‘You have reviled yourself to them. Now they will never let you go.’ Not only that but she kept flashing me looks that told me that this is what she had talked about and what she had meant. I am not sure about what to make of it though.
    After walking a long distance down the hallway and taking several turns, we reach a metal door with a pane of glass with metal wiring running through it to make it harder for bullets to penetrate it. On a metal plate below the window, the word MOM engraved into it.
    Alexa jerks her head toward it in a meaning full manner. I take it in, though now I have made the decision to ignore it so that I can think objectively and not swaying by outside interference. I may be four years old but I am smart and I know that this is how judges rule fairly during trials. One of my most indistinct talents is something a lot more than a photographic memory but this is the simplest terminology for it. I remember everything that has gone on in my life, including my time as an infant, and everything that is and was going on around me although less so. So knowing and having experienced a lot more than other kids my age I imitate whatever I have seen in the past. Impartiality is one of my best-copied experiences.
    The employee rapes with his fist against the door, lowers it to his side and waited. “Come!” A shrill woman’s voice calls the door. The man opens the door to the room and allows us to enter before him. He then closes the door behind himself after he enters as well. We all somehow found ourselves in a straight row facing, ‘MOM’s’, desk. Though at first she did not look up, she keeps on working on the paper work that covers her desk.
    “Andrew,” she said before she looks up from her work. “Please escort Alexa to her room while I discuss to our new boarders the precarious situation that they now find themselves in.” This in its self seems peculiar. Why would a child have their own room that they stay in, in an airport? In addition, how does this woman, ‘MOM’, already know her name so well? I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and struggle with myself, and my ability to stay objective. Alexa led out of the room flashing me one last meaning full look before she left the room led by the airport employee.
    A silence covered the room my hands shaking. I do not understand what has come over me; I am normally so much in control of actions; emotions and myself. Jessica tugs on my sleeve trying to get my attention. I do not respond to distracted to acknowledge her. I love her, but I am not perfect. “Ariel!” She presses, tugging even harder on my sleeve.
    “What is it?” I finally respond to my three-year-old sister.
    “Be silent!” The woman barked before she can respond. Jessica, scared, moves to hide behind me, one hand holding my left hand and the other hugging it close.
    The woman finally looks up and gets to her feet in a single swift motion. Hands held behind her back, her body held up right in a stiff manner she ambles around to the front side of her desk so that she can be more imposing on us. For several minutes, she studies us, although her eyes continued to linger on me. Not understanding, and not knowing what is going on is a new experience for me.
    “Do you know why you are here?” She finally begins.
    “I do not know. However, I figure that under the circumstances it is most likely one of two plausible reasons.” I am not completely sure why I am acting this way. Something just bugged me about her. I cannot control the impulse to be as rude and sarcastic as possible. “I figure one of two possibilities. One you care a lot more about unaccompanied minors then one would expect. Or two, you are incredibly interested about what I did on the plane.” I smirk as I see the answer flash across my face, and it quickly disappears again. “So it is number two.”
    “Yes, there is not much that gets past you is there? Yes, the whole reason that you are here on this little field trip is what you did on the flight and how you did it. You are a very special girl Ariel, so powerful and intelligent. A lot more so then I have ever seen before, and that is saying a lot.” She pauses for a moment and I sense pieces of a puzzle beginning to come together. “Through the airline services, I run a secrete worldwide network that is made up with and around people like you. We are the AirPort Secrete Society, also known as the A.P.S.S. We keep you threats off the street with something productive to do, while keeping the main stream of the public ignorant of your existence and ours to stave off the panic of your very existence.”
    “Is that how you see me, as a threat? I am not a threat to anyone. I just want to help other people not hurt them.” I tell her now hurt as well as petrified.
    “Yes that is how I see you. I do not care how you are trying to use your demonic abilities now, but at the enormous potential for harmful uses. I mean look at what you had done on the plane. My sources tell me that you did not even have to bat a lash, you took down all of those thugs, and you do not think that you are a threat. For a genius you are incredibly ignorant.”
    “Sure some of my abilities can be a prospective threat, but I am also so much more than that. I mean come on I healed one of your, sources.” I pulled my hands out of Jessica’s, which makes her panic a bit, to make the quote signs at the word sources, and took my sisters hand again to calm her back down again. “I do not want to hurt anyone. So what do you want with me?”
    “It is those dual traits that I want. Normally those of you that we take in either have such neutral talents that they are barley of any use to us, or powers that are so extreme that we cannot even use them except for in the most extreme of circumstances. You on the other hand have complete control over your gifts but they are also both active and neutral. Not only are that but even your active talents not even all harm full as you, yourself had said. You healed the flight attendant. You are now our most profitable asset.”
    “I am not an object that can be bought, used, and sold. You cannot make me do anything for you. You are legally bound to send us home, kidnapping and slavery is illegal.” I hiss with a fixated glare.
    Shaking her head, she laughs. She pauses, looks at me, and laughs some more. “Do you really think that a society of this size and with this much power would have much problem with getting away with kidnapping?” My stomach starts twisting into knots when she says this. I can even feel the tears beginning to well up in my eyes. I control myself though. “Also I can see that you love your sister very much.” Faster than lightning, she takes hold of Jessica and yanks her to her, and from somewhere on, her person brandishes a dagger and presses it against Jessica’s throat. “The attendants on the plane express to me that this one does not exhibit any signs of having any kind of talent or power. All the same, I believe her to be of use to us. After all; she is our direct link to you.”
    “Ariel,” Jessica cries. Tears are streaming down her face and driblets of blood skim down her neck from where the knife held.
    “No! Let her go. She does not have anything to do with this. You are hurting her.” The ball in the pit of my stomach that is all knotted up just drops. I finally lose complete control and I start crying.
    “Here is the deal. You do everything that you are told, without question we will leave your sister alone. She will still have you, and you will still have her. However if you do not do as you are told we will punish her in your place. Now what do you say?” The dagger dug even deeper into Jessica’s throat and she started to bleed even more.
    “Please, please stop you are hurting her.”
    “No, not until you tell me I want to hear. Will you do as you are told and work for me without any questions.”
    “Yes, yes I will. Just please let her go. I will do anything just leave Jessica alone. Please!”
    With a nod, she releases Jessica who runs back to me. “Call me MOM,” she says. I place my right hand on her throat and heal the slit that the knife has made. The door opens and in walks a couple of security guards. “You will now go with these officers. They will take you to where you will be staying from now on.”