leaving marks part 1/2

No one is so brave

that he is not disturbed

by something unexpected.

Julius Caesar

I walk past a wide sidewalk and listen to the steady rhythm of my blue satin heels. The sound seems almost comforting to me. I’m meeting up with Clara to move some things forward. I needed her opinion on the matters that weren’t serving their purpose. A few more minutes pass, and I arrive at the cafe. I head for a little table at the back of the patio. The sun is high in the sky, and I don’t want to rot inside when the weather is like this. Actually, the heat is kicking in, so I take of my little leather jacket and hang it on a chair next to me. The sun slips through my cotton shirt probably showing just a bit too much, but I don’t care. There was nothing wrong with my body, so why hide part of it behind wires and straps.

I order a double expresso and enjoy my surroundings, all the while hoping that the coffee will drag me out of the state that I feel deep, deep underneath my neutral appearance. This sort of heaviness that was weighing me down after the little nightmare session that I had. I felt so frustrated about not being able to remember the details that kept shifting from the surface, preventing me from grasping them in any way.

I look up after sensing something out of order, a very distinct kind of energy moving my way. I shift my head to the side, eyes scanning the place, senses becoming oversensitive. And then I frown, locating a precise memory connected to this feeling. Yes, I knew exactly what or who it was. Or maybe I should remain with the ‘what’. You couldn’t really call the devil’s spun a person.

Baneheart, how displeasing to see you. Do sit down and let’s chat, since that is exactly why you came.

Why aren’t you a delight for sore eyes... and don’t mind if I do.

I watch as she sits down. Long blond hair reflecting the sunrays and the sight causing me nausea. I really despised her. She crosses her long legs covered in tight leather pants and black pointy heels. She has a see-through, red blouse without sleeves, tucked inside the pants. I look at the tiny buttons on the shirt and regard a black lace bra, very noticeable underneath. Her arms are bare. My eyes wander to a purple crystal hanging on a thin black cord. It’s glowing, which means she hasn’t been ‘exercising’ in over a day. It’s a risky move amongst our kind - then again she wasn’t as powerful as me. She could afford to be lazy once in a while. The corner of my mouth lifts, but then I get serious again.

Has my mother sent you here, to spy on my doings? Is that why we are meeting today? Because trust me when I say; I have more urgent matters than dealing with you.

She is only caring about your best interest.

I don’t have any “best interest”. I have rules to follow.

And that’s what she cares about, Callico... and you have been a bit distracted of late. Care to share?

Nothing that I would want to say to you, Olivia.

She sends me an angry look, sparks starting to fly in her hazel, brown eyes. The amount of hidden fury in them, makes it almost seem that flames burn inside those crazy eyes. I smile at her. It was so easy to get her angry. This one always had a tantrum problem. I drink my coffee and when I look at her again, there is no trace of the rage that was there before. She’s changing her tactics. Strategizing. I keep my face muscles in order.

Are you sure?

I’m positive. And I am guessing Clara will be a ‘no show’ today?

That is correct. Your mother decided she has other things to attend to. I am sure you understand.

Of course, as always.

I wasn’t really surprised by my mother’s behavior, in fact, I was used to it. If this day went smoothly, then I would start to worry. I would handle my affairs with Clara tomorrow. It wasn’t really a problem. Today was more a case of a social meeting than about the ground changing decisions.

Good. Now, the gossip around town is that you found yourself some cheap thrill. Are you finally using your powers for something more pleasurable than just exercising alone?

She giggles, and it feels like someone pricked my ears with tiny pointy blades. It sounds like broken glass to me, but maybe I was prejudiced since I couldn’t stand her presence closer than twenty feet away. I look to the side and notice how her laughter attracts men sitting at the nearby tables. They look like hungry beasts, starving for centuries - and they finally found something they could eat. I shiver. Men were disgusting.

Listen, darling. What I do in my free time, and who I do it with, is none of your business. Are we clear on that?

I tap my fingers against the table and blue lights spill out of them. The energy flows like water and moves around the little coffee cup, surrounding it, hugging it - suffocating it. The cup starts to shake, cracks appear on the surface until the delicate porcelain tremors, and finally collapses inward. I smile and gaze at Olivia. I see a mixture of emotions on her face. Her crystal grows brighter as the table start to shake a bit. I spread my energy and light moves her way, tiny sparks igniting from it. Just like watching a dangerous chemical reaction; like gasoline burning... The table stops to move abruptly. The light moves back and sinks into my skin. I offer her my kindest, warmest of smiles, the one I leave for my most priced enemies.

Care for an expresso? They really serve good ones here.

Not this time, Callico. I just came here for some explanations because your mother asked me to, and nobody refuses her unless they have a death wish. I think that you of all people are more than aware of her special talents?

It goes without saying.

She slowly stands up. Her body like a dangerous weapon. The kind that lures you in, only to later devour you inside out - and then she throws you away like trash. Another used toy of hers. No longer needed. She looks down at me and gazes at me as if I was in her way. Well, I probably was. She walks away, her tall silhouette moving in a very suggestive way, curves catching a stare from both men and woman alike. I shake my head. I swear - that girl was born ‘extra’. It was definitely a good thing I didn’t have to work with her on a regular basis.

I stretch on my chair until my joints pop with a satisfying sound. I look to the side. I was getting restless. This little meeting with Olivia lifted my adrenaline levels. I needed to burn some calories and get rid of the additional fuel. I will just have to wait a couple of hours until it gets dark. There were rules we had to follow - and most of us did. I watch the sun change its position and decide to order some food. I look at the menu and something jumps into my mind. My lips twitch. “Raven’s flavor”, honestly. Who comes up with these names? I am reminded of the owner of that cafe and just shake my head. Humans were such strange creatures.

***

I stand in a dark alley just like I did a couple of days before and prepare myself for some fun. I let the power heat my veins and travel through my bloodstream. It fills my each and every atom until it is ready to leave. My own kind of essence. I feel it - as I lift the palms of my hands - waiting for the final climax to come. For the release.

The energy pours out of me slowly, expands and soars in the air. Forming a cumulation of a power field. The smaller energy balls drifting around it like tiny planets, swirling around their spheres. My hair lifts with the current, particles shifting, causing them to move in all directions.

And every time it’s the same. All that life filling me up. Now, If I was just a human I would call this state... happiness. There was no other way to describe it, the exhilaration, the pure joy perfectly consisting with my bloodstream. Dreams meeting reality. My consciousness intertwining with the universe. So much. My thoughts become blurry as my mind drifts off. The power in me, taking over.

I open my eyes and the light shines from me, like a lantern calling out ships in the darkest of nights. Light beams streaming out of my eyes, gliding through my skin and spilling out my fingers. I cannot see, nor hear, nor feel. I can just be. Only exist when everything else falls into place. I embrace it without hesitation - my hands lift higher and I can sense, not see, the orbs of energy moving around me, faster and faster until they are drawn in. Sucked in, as if they had no choice, giving up to the power. Devoured by the supermassive black hole of all that I could be.

End then I let it out again. Playing with it. In and out, in and out. Filtering it. Flexing it. Banding the structure of the matter.

Like a river that runs within me. Like the biggest of floods but caused by light. By the life energy of the universe and everything around us. Manifesting through me. My body a vessel for new life and eternal destruction. I feel it again. This current spreading like water ripples, exploding and coming back as a shock wave. It feels like pleasure and pain joined in unity.

If I was a mere mortal, this energy would have shredded my body into single atoms and just swallow me up, before I could even blink.

But I wasn’t. Nothing could destroy me. Nothing but... my mind seems to stumble, yet I get quickly back on track. I let out the blue beams again. My hands lifting. Right arm swaying to the left, and then to my side. Perfectly mimicking my left hand as I ‘grab’ it and form a small ball of cumulating particles. I let it grow, I let it multiple everything that I give it. I focus. Yes, just like that. Grow. Grow. My hands move even more to my left side and then behind it. I wait for the ideal moment. I let it fill each and every particle that isn’t already mixed with this power. I give myself to it. Just then, something clicks, and I open my eyes. Hands pushing forward, the down part of my palms shifting together and pushing the energy out. A loud roar fills my throat and escapes my lungs.

The energy hits the building in front of me but doesn’t actually hurt it. My hearing suddenly returns, and the sound of the ground shaking erupts in my eardrums, almost vibrating. The walls shake as well, yet the tremor stops as quickly as it started. My lips spread in a wide smile. I wasn’t intending on shattering that building. This was just a practice run. A little stretch so I don’t get rusty - or overcharged. A tiny volcano ready to go ‘boom’ at any moment. I outstretch my neck, moving it to both sides.

And now, time to collect.

Because as of now, I was completely empty.

I lift my hands, palms up, and wait for the energy to come back. I harvest the power that needed to be filtered, so it wouldn’t ‘infect me’ and make my condition worse. There were rules that I needed to follow in order to survive. There were always some rules - even for those that could demolish a world.

Even for me.

Now to human eyes, there wouldn’t be much to see here at this moment. Just a little glow over the walls and the ground. But the thing I saw, was magical. Right now I don’t see old bricks or dirty pavements. I don’t notice the filth and smell the stench of the human surrounding. What I see is an enchanted forest made out of life energy - it’s glow soothing my eyes. Every particle coming back to me like a small firefly, fluttering its wings. Only someone like me could see that I wasn’t exaggerating and being foolishly poetic. Someone of my kind would agree that I was telling the truth.

All the power moves back from each and every surface, once again forming balls of bluish light. They reach my hands and sink into my skin. And that’s the moment when I notice that something is wrong. I feel little stings just like yesterday when I was at my apartment. But this time it’s more tangible. More intense. The little orbs move faster and faster without any control from me. Jumping back in, almost attacking me, blow by blow. Faster and faster. It stings like hell. I grind my teeth but wait patiently until it’s over. Finally, it ends, and I hear a little “puff” sound, as if electrical cords just burned, causing a power damage. I stumble back and look at my hands; remainings of smoke lifting in the air. I groan, frustrated. The scratches look like I got both burned and attacked by a small animal.

Son of a gun! May you all rot in hell!

I wasn’t exactly sure who “they” were, but right now I was blaming everyone in the existence of all the creation. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a thought was bobbing up to the surface. I wave my right hand in frustration and refuse to accept it. That puny, little girl could not be a cause for all of this. The Calico family does not bow down to mere mortal beings. They do not affect us. Never.

Damn, did I need a drink. Desperately.

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