The bus sped over a speedbump, slamming my head into the window and jostling me awake; scaring the dickens out of me.
With a few calming deep breaths, I managed to slow my heartbeat back to normal. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them. As I blinked, a realization hit me.
My sight was slowly returning!
I let a grin pass over me; but it immediately fell with a new feeling on my mind. Fear.
“RUN!!”
I slammed my eyes shut, trying to push the flashback of pain out of reach of my subconscious, but that didn't help the flood of memories that overwhelmed me.
“Your f---ing smoke bomb blinded my daughter!”
“Sir, it was a tear gas grenade; one of the side effects of having the gas contact your eyes is temporary blindness. Her vision should return within the next hour.”
I took a deep breath, remembering my father's words. These memories I could only hear, because at the time, I couldn't see anyway.
“Dad, I don't want to go,”
“I know Penelope, you didn't before and you definitely wouldn't now.”
“Daddy… where are we?”
“I’ve lead you onto a bus, sweetie. Remember when I told you about the community of people like you? The safe place?”
“Yes, but… I don’t want to go Dad.”
“I know, P-Kim. But I promise you, it’s better this way. You won’t be bullied anymore! You will be happier there!”
“But Daddy, I don’t want to!”
“P-Kim, I don't want you to go either-”
“Then why are you sending me away?!”
“BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT PROMISED IT WOULD BE SAFE!”
…
“Dad,” I whispered to myself, remembering the silenced that followed my dad's yell. He had shakiness in his breath, as if he, himself, were crying. He didn’t want his little baby to leave him. He was doing what he thought was best. Or… at least the Government told it that way, with handshakes and smiles to the camera.
I remember my dad didn’t speak for another minute or two, until an engine rumble shook the bus. Departure was minutes away.
“P-Kim… this place was set up to house people like you. People who are special, who can do things, like you can!”
“...Really?”
“Yes, you won't be alone anymore P-Kim! You won’t be seen as different. You will be safe from bullying, from harm and that's all that I want for you.”
“But…”
“Penelope… this is final. I wouldn't do this if I thought you didn’t have to. But please, remember this. Remember that you are not that different from everyone else. You are a human being and no one should make you feel like you're not!”
I remembered the feeling of a kiss on my forehead.
“I love you, Penelope.”
The flashbacks ended and I felt a stray tear roll down my cheek.
“Dad…”
The bus rolled to a stop and I looked through the window in curiosity. My eyes widened.
Outside the window was a huge community, with a unique view of shops right there at the entrance. The opening in the neighborhood lead straight to the plaza, giving me a view of people going about their day, there were kids, adults, pets, it was a community.
“We've arrived!” a gravelly voice boomed over the intercom. “Now get out!”
I was shoved off the bus, into the now foggy air, with my singular luggage bag in hand.
“Rude,” I grumbled to myself.
I looked down to my watch. 10:18.
I looked to the sky briefly, seeing the large mass of grey clouds hovering over the area; gloomy, very gloomy.
I had no other choice but to walk forward in involuntarily shaky steps. I approached the sign that gave this place a name.
The word Meadowbrook was made in wooden letters, nailed into the sign. Red paint was slashed multiple times over the word, crossing it out. Under the old name, written in the same red, was the crudely written word: Strange.
“Strange?” The word slipped out of my mouth and hit the floor with a splat.
“Quite politically correct, huh?”
I turned to face the new voice. A woman sauntered over in a doctor’s coat. Her sleeves were rolled up to reveal her arms, covered in beautiful tattoos; vines weaving up and down her skin with roses and lilies in bloom. Her hair was tied back in a loose bun with fly-aways escaping everywhere.
“Umm… Hi,” was the only thing I could muster to say. She grinned and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay, I know this all seems weird, but in this place, you get used to it after a while.” She stuck out her hand, an invitation for a friendly shake.
“My name is Scottie, I’m a nurse here.”
I took her hand cautiously. I looked up at her and let myself smile as she shook my hand lightly. She chuckled.
“Welcome to Strange.”
Scottie brought me inside a small white building right inside the gate of Strange. This place, I could only guess, was a clinic. I was lead to a small examination room, decorated with cartoon characters and painted ceiling tiles. Scottie pointed to the exam bed as she opened a manila folder with my name on it.
“So, your full name is Penelope Kimberly Parsons, correct?” Scottie flipped through a folder fingering through the documents inside while I pushed myself onto the exam bed.
“Yep, that’s my name, but I prefer Kim or-” She cut me off, reading off my file before I could finish my preferred nicknames.
“Age: 16, Height: 5’5”, Weight: will be determined, Blood type: AB-”
“What’s ‘er mutation?”
A new voice entered the room and Scottie turned to it in surprise. A man stood in the doorway, clad in a lab coat like Scottie’s. He looked around my age, or a few years older, a tad short and chubby. His tan skin made him fit even more with the profile of a teddy bear.
“I was just about to ask her!” Scottie responded as the guy closed the door behind him.
“...Mutation? What’s that?”
I was given confused stares in return.
“You don’t know what a mutation is, and ya’ call ya’self a mutant?” The man raised his voice in irritation.
“M-m-mutant?” I had no clue what those words meant!
The guy let out a groan and rubbed his face in irritation.
“Oh my god, this girl is blonde for a reason!” He didn’t even try to be discrete.
“Michael!” Scottie snapped at the guy. “You know that trap of yours? Shut it!” Scottie turned back to me and rolled her eyes to show her annoyance.
“Sorry about him, he expects everyone to be a ‘genius’ like he is,”
Michael started to growl under his breath and Scottie chuckled in response.
She continued. “A mutation is… your power, per-say, what makes us so different from all the normal people of the world. For me, my mutation is a healing touch. I can heal any physical wound; that’s why I’m a nurse now.” she reminisced with a smile. I nodded slowly as I processed what the word meant. I have a mutation; I’m a mutant. That word… doesn’t sound nice.
“So what is yours? I need it on record.” Scottie looked to me with understanding eyes. I looked to the ground nervously.
“Um… I can…,”
Michael was now staring at me, making me feel even more self-conscious. Silent judgement penetrated my skin from his eyes.
“I… I can hypnotize people by singing.”
Michael burst out laughing as if I told the world’s greatest joke.
“You call that a powa’! HAHAHAHA!!! That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve eva’ heard!!”
Scottie whipped around to face him.
“Michael! Leave, now!”
“Heh, c’mon Scottie, I was-”
“NOW!”
Michael let out a dramatic sigh and trudged out of the room. Scottie growled under her breath and faced me again.
“I’m sorry about him, he’s…” Her voice trailed off as she searched for a word to describe him.
“It’s… it’s okay.” I gave a weak smile.
Scottie wrote something new in my folder, then snapped it closed and gave me a grin.
“Well, looks like we’re all set here! All we have to do is get a quick blood sample from you, and… you’ll be able to go home.” I thought about that word.
“Home?” I was confused, was I able to leave? Go back home to my dad? At this point I don’t have a home.
Scottie chuckled.
“Yeah, we’re gonna need to find you a place to stay until you can get a place of your own, by way of your service, but I’ll explain that bit to you later if you’d like me too. Just know that this place is your home now.
“Home,” At this point the word sounded foreign. Was this place actually home?
Scottie smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. “Welcome home, Kim.”
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