Trial and Error
1686 Words
ISIS
Passing school and moving out of the house had always been Isis's priorities.
But taking down a criminal was never a part of the plan.
Take risks, take a lot of risks but for a price. That's what she has always believed because she had no choice not to believe it.
It was morning, the first day of the training session with the detectives. Isis looked around till her eyes landed on the alarm clock on her bedside table. She focused on it, concentrating hard.
The alarm clock started rattling and shaking on its own and that's how she understood that she was manipulating it with my powers. After Gabrielle had reduced their powers, Isis can only use a little bit of it.
After putting on a pair of jeans for the training session that day, she left her room and moved to the living room. She was curious about knowing to what extent her powers can grow.
The living room was filled with smoke and the smell of weed. Isis realised her aunt was at it again but she couldn't have said anything about it.
Davina, Isis's aunt, was sprawled on the couch smoking a joint and staring up at the ceiling indistinctly. Isis held back a sign because Davina was very ill-tempered.
Isis had been living in her aunt's house since her dad went to jail, six years ago. She felt like a burden most of the days but now she knew that if she somehow managed to help those detectives, she could move out as soon as possible.
"At least open the windows," Isis said in a low voice, walking over and opening the window to let out the smoke.
"This is my house, don't tell me what to do," Davina said, puffing out smoke.
"Sure," Isis murmured.
"Where you going?" Davina asked, sitting up and rummaging through the table drawer in front of her.
"I might've gotten a job," Isis replied, leaning against the wall.
"What job? Are you hoeing around now?" She asked, laughing. Then she took out an envelope and held onto it tightly. Isis kept quiet.
"Is the food I give you not sufficient for you?" Davina raised her voice. She was losing her temper.
"It is. But I can't freeload here anymore without helping you out." Isis said.
"I don't want your f**king help. Don't you dare pity me?" Davina yelled out, her mood swings running wild because of smoking.
"I'm doing it because I want to." She said, sighing heavily.
"You lil b***h." Davina let out a bitter laugh.
Isis walked up to Davina and placed the document, given by Glendell detective agency for consent, on the table.
"I need your signature," Isis said, expecting another snarky comment.
"So you're actually selling your body?" Davina said, picking up the document. As a result of not stepping once into school, she couldn't read. But even if she could, she wouldn't care about reading it. Davina scanned the paper.
"I am. But not for s*x," Isis said, making Davina raise an eyebrow at her. She picked up the pen and signed on the paper without asking another thing.
Isis picked up the contract Davina had signed and was back on her feet to leave the house. Breakfast was never a thing in that house. Dinners, lunches and sometimes baked goods from Davina's baker boyfriend.
She was just about to leave the house when Davina spoke.
"Umm, your dad..", she started, hesitating.
"What about him?" Isis asked, frowning a little.
"He.. sent another letter." She said. Isis's heart sank as her eyes fixed on the letter in her aunt's hands. She quietened down, running her mind over the idea of her dad's words on the piece of paper.
She had stopped reading his letters a long time ago because she finally started seeing how wrong her dad was. How far off his mindset was that he didn't even feel the slightest guilt of committing the mistakes, he was just guilty of getting caught.
Maybe that's why, somewhere in her heart, she wanted to catch hold of the Phoenix. People like that didn't deserve a free life.
"Drawer?" Davina asked after she saw how quiet Isis was.
"Drawer," Isis said as she took to her feet and got out of the house.
The table drawer in the living room was where all those unopened letters from Isis's father lied. Davina knew that Isis's wasn't going to show any interest in the recent letter. Finally, the recent letter was also dumped into the drawer, forgotten.
~
"The powers are just an add on to your bodies. It won't do anything if you don't put it to use. It's up to you young ladies to take control." Gabrielle said, tapping on the table as she spoke.
"Doesn't she remind you of those teachers in princess charm school?" Nish whispered, referring to Gabrielle's way of speaking. Meraki was close to rolling her eyes.
"Can we get started then?" Meraki asked, bored of the conversation.
"Yes," Gabrielle said, turning the pages of her book.
"Ah, that's great. But before that, I'd like to run an endurance test on our ragdoll. You know, to see if it's of any good." Meraki's smirk grew as she shot a look at Elliott who was smiling back bitterly.
Nish cracked up laughing along with the others.
"Uh.. w-what endurance test?" Elliott said, his voice as nervous as ever.
"This..", Meraki said as she walked up to him and suddenly punched his stomach. Elliott crouched down holding his stomach.
"But it'd hurt, right?" Isis asked.
"Meraki knows the limits," Nish said, laughing all the way.
"Aw, he's a snowflake." Meraki chuckled and patted Elliott's back till he stood back up.
"Once more! Once more!" Nish cheered, hoping to get her revenge too.
Meraki held Elliott by his shoulder and raised her fist for another punch directed at his face. Elliott flinched, not even taking a precaution against the punch.
"Stop fooling around now," Fred yelled from across the room, his deep voice booming. Meraki left him and backed off immediately. Elliott sighed with relief.
~
Gabrielle placed a sheet of paper on the table, in front of Meraki. She sat down in front of it. Meraki was asked to hold the paper in her hands.
"What do I do with this?" Meraki asked, turning the empty sheet around.
"Concentrate and think of fire or anger or anything that burns. Focus." Gabrielle said, her face looked hopeful.
Meraki frowned a little and closed her eyes, holding the paper tightly. She took her time with her closed eyes.
Everyone looked at her with patience and anticipation. Will the paper burn?
The powers that were currently in their bodies was enough for the training. The quantities would be increased once they grasped the control of those powers.
About ten minutes passed but nothing happened. Even the paper's temperature didn't increase. Meraki opened her eyes, irritated.
"What the f**k? Increase my powers." Meraki asked Gabrielle. She thought the quantity of her power wasn't enough.
"No. This might not be the correct way." Gabrielle frowned. Then she leaned into Meraki and held her chin up. "Look at me."
Meraki looked into Gabrielle's eyes, as awkward as ever. She leaned in further, her eyes deep into Meraki.
"Just.. don't kiss me," Meraki said, smiling sheepishly.
"Stay still," Gabrielle ordered and everyone quietened down.
She backed away from Meraki and rummaged through the drawer to take out a candle. She placed it on the table.
"Now I want you to focus." She said. Gabrielle wanted Meraki to light up the candle with her powers.
Meraki stretched her hand and held the candle tightly to use her powers. But Gabrielle scooted away from her hand.
"The powers aren't in your hand, it's there. In your eyes." She said, pushing Meraki's head further towards the candle. "Now concentrate."
Everyone waited for it while Meraki looked intensely at the tip of the candle. She placed both her hands on the table. Her face was as calm as ever.
Suddenly, sparks showed up on the tip of the candle and it lit up brightly. The flames were so strong that the candle started melting right away.
Delighted, Meraki smiled and looked up.
"NO, DON'T LOOK ANYWHERE ELSE." Gabrielle shrieked but it was too late. The moment Meraki's eyes landed on the chair right in front of her, flames took over it. In a second, it started burning strongly making everyone scatter away.
"WATER!" Fred shouted and Jack hurried to his feet, baffled.
"I got it!" Nish said, picking up a bottle and quickly uncapped it. She rushed to the chair about to extinguish the fire.
"NO THAT'S KEROSENE!" Elliott yelled, yanking Nish back hard that both of them fell on the ground. The fire was enough to almost burn down the whole basement.
"Who keeps colourless kerosene under the table?" Nish shot back.
Gabrielle had her hands upon Meraki's eyes so that she doesn't land her sight anywhere else.
"Isis! Do something!" Meraki said, her voice a little shaky. She was referring to Isis's powers.
"I don't have wind powers, I work with gravity," Isis said, not scared from the things happening. She was rather amused.
Meraki groaned in frustration.
Jack came dashing back with a bucket of water and splashed it on the burning chair. The fire was out but the chair was burnt black.
"So, this is what you have to control," Gabrielle said, tapping on Meraki's shoulder twice.
Every looked back and forth at each other, having one thing in mind. But the one thing that was common was the anxiousness and the understanding of the situation.
Isis looked over to Elliott who was distracted and the guy named Jack standing beside him. His eyes had a strange look of mistrust as he panned his head around the room. He didn't look like he was someone who'd entertain the idea of letting minors handle such a crucial situation.
But deep down, Isis felt the same. The unsurity took over her as well.
Was such a thing possible?
- Writer
