Bloodlines: Everything That Glitters by Myunique C. Green Page A

unanswered questions that mainly included; why weren’t my clothes burned to ash that day in the store? And what type of powers Corey’s dad have? I sat down on the bed and looked into the black screen on the television. Were my clothes fire proofed already ?
    I rose from the bed and walked over to a box in the corner. I pried open the cardboard flaps and searched for a random outfit I no longer wore. After finding a pair of paint-stained sweat pants and an old white shirt I never threw out, I changed into them.
    Since Corey wouldn’t know anything about this, I figured I’d conduct my own experiment. “It has to be something just as simple as give me clarity,” I mumbled.
    Ignite . I thought, bracing myself for whatever happened next.
    The flame spread from my hands then up my arms and soon reached my torso. Surprised that it actually worked, I was overjoyed as I looked at myself in the mirror. My body was engulfed in flames and the experiment clothes were remarkably still intact.
    What does this mean ? I thought softly, temporarily falling in love with the sound and feel of the fire. How would my mom react if she saw this? I needed to show someone, just to confirm I wasn’t crazy.
    What does what mean ? Ash’s voice interrupted my thoughts and echoed through my mind.
    I’ll tell you when you come home. Where are you by the way ?
    The flames were still radiating all over my eager body. It was as if my body couldn’t totally rest until I was completely engulfed in fire, and the longer it stayed bottled inside, the more it wanted to escape. This was a brand new world I was venturing off into and I had started to like it.
    I’m coming in the house now. What‘s burning ? I faintly heard Ash say hello to Corey and stomp his way up the stairs. “So you’re the one that has the entire house smelling like a chimney. I smelled it all the way from the driveway.”
    “Why aren’t my clothes burning?” I said as he walked into the room.
    “I don’t know, but I really do not like this new stench you have surrounding you.”
    I laughed and focused on putting out the fire. “Well Corey told me how to get the voices to go away, some weird language that only means ‘give me clarity’ in English.” I said, flopping down on the bed.
    “I’m going to go and see if she can help me,” Ash said, dashing out of the room.
    I followed him down the stairs and immediately thought of an internet search. Why didn’t I think of this earlier ?
    The house was colder than usual, the air more crisp and stale than what seemed to be normal. I shoved my hands in my pockets in an attempt to keep them warm but instead stabbed myself in the finger with a writing pen I’d apparently left in the pockets a while ago, the wound didn’t draw blood but it still hurt like hell when I tried to touch it. Then, just like that- it was gone.
    When I reached the office, the door was closed but there was a light shining through under it. I figured my dad must be using it and headed back to the living room.
    “Your dad’s at work and your mother is out getting groceries.” I heard Corey tell Ash as I almost rounded the corner.
    I spun around to face the office door and walked slowly back toward it. Giving the door two tiny taps, I grabbed the handle and twisted it open calmly. I was sure I wasn’t hearing any thoughts so no one could possibly be in the room. I pushed open the door and walked in; no one was there, someone must have left the light on and forgot.
    I opened up the computer and began searching, there were things all over the web about telepathy and accelerated healing, but all of the references were of comic books and cartoons, nothing real or solid. I scanned over the comic characters and tried to put pieces together but nothing was making sense. “I’m just a freak of nature,” I whispered. “Not even the internet can help me.”
    The thought proved to be sobering every time, I couldn’t escape it. I just want to be normal- not