The Phone Call

I was sitting lazily on the couch, relaxing after my soccer practice. The tv was on, and the stereo volume was cranked as high as it could go. My feet twitched to the fast-paced beat emanating from the speakers, unable to keep still. My eyes swiveled in their sockets as I tried to keep up with the gameshow contestant that was running through a muddy obstacle course.1

A bag of chips was propped up against my side, and my mouth was crunching up the salty delicacies within. A thick quilt was wrapped around my body, because it was mid-winter and our heat was barely working. The couch sank under my 150 pound form, my long legs forcing my feet off of the end of the sofa. My long brown hair covered my head, almost obscuring my vision of the interesting gameshow.2

A loud noise made me jump up by what seemed like a foot. The bag of chips fell all over the floor, getting the new carpet covered in salt and grease. I landed on the tv/radio duo remote an my way down, and it turned off both of the noise making electronics.3

It was then-during the silence-that I realized that the sound had been the phone, and I scrambled to pick it up on time. I looked at the caller ID, and for some reason it only said "incoming call." I picked it up despite not knowing who the heck was calling.4

"Hello?" I said.5

Breathing answered me, short and raspy.6

"Listen, if this is a prank ca-"7

"SHUT UP!" The voice screamed, then it seemed to calm down. "You will leave your house and you will come to the Mouse Head pub. You had better be there."8

"But why would I EVER do something as stupid as that?" I inquired.9

"Hmm...maybe this will make you come." Suddenly screams sounded through the line, and it only took a second for me to realize that it was my mother who was making the obscene screams.10

"Okay, Okay, I'll be there." I said this hastily, not wanting him to hurt her before I got there. Then he hung up, just like that.11

I jumped off the couch and threw off the quilt, running to the corner where I had thrown off my tennis shoes. I threw them on as quickly as I could and rushed out the door, ready to confront this evil entity. 12

The pub was only a few blocks down, so I sprinted and made it there in a few minutes. I bursted in and took in the scene around me. My mother was chained to the molding brown wall, and a cloaked figure stood in front of her, holding a wooden ball in his hand. The ball was glowing, giving off a greenish light that shrouded my mom's face and made her look sick. She was now unconscious.13

The cloaked figure turned painfully slowly, and then I saw his face. I sank to my knees, my breath turning into short, quick bursts that barely satisfied my lungs. My heart pounded against my chest, pumping blood furiously through my veins. My head spun as I came to recognize that face that I had known my whole life.14

It was my father.15

"Hello, Phil. I was just talking to your mother here, but then she got out of hand. I had to take care of her annoyance. I hope you don't mind." He said, his voice not at all what I had known it to be.16

I looked more closely at my mother's face, and then at her chest. She was pale, too pale, and I couldn't see any heartbeat at all. I ran to her and grabbed her wrist, but it was cold and there was no pulse. She was dead. 17

My father, the person who had nurtured me, who took me to parties, on picnics, and helped me whenever I needed it, had just killed my mother, the love of is life-or so I had thought. I turned to him and searched his face for any signs that I still knew him.18

There were none. 19

Just cold, heartless eyes that showed no compassion whatsoever, and a thinner mouth; higher cheek bones. His skin was paler, and it hurt me to see that he had turned into this MONSTER.20

"Phil, it's simple really." He said, his voice higher," A man came to me and I saw the truth about life. You have to let go of what you have to get stronger, and I started with your mother."21

"Dad.." I pleaded" Don't do this. You know what kind of person that you are, and this isn't him."22

"You're right," He said, the ball in his hands glowing brigther, "I could still be stronger!" He threw the ball at me, now glowing blindingly brightly. It collided with my stomach and suddenly was in me. I could feel my energy draining, but I didn't understand why my father was doing this. 23

"Why....Why..." 24

Then blackness. 25

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++26

Power...it flowed through my veins, engulfing me in its enticing presence. To be able to feel this amazing entity intrigued me. I felt as if I could do anything. My mother was dead...SO WHAT. when I felt like that, I didn't care that she was gone. In fact, I was GLAD of it. She made me weak. That was unnaceptable. I had to be strong...I had to find my father.27

I took in my surroundings, ready to blast my way out of any containment facility. I was out in the open, on the floor of the pub in which my mother was eliminated. I was the only one in the room, and a thin film of dust covered every surface, reducing the shine of polished wood to a dull grey. Bottles of alchohol sat on many rows of shelves, just asking for me to break them open and lick up their deliciousness.28

I delivered to their inquiring gaze.29

I stepped up to them and picked one out. I was only 17, but what did it matter? No one was going to tell me not to do this. I lifted the dirty green bottle and smashed it against the counter, sending shards of glass flying in every direction. Only the top came off, as I had planned, so I lifted the rest to my lips and engulfed the liquid. The jagged edges sliced my lips, cutting mercilessly, but I was too strong to let it hurt me. 30

Suddenly I recoiled into a ball, weakness flooding through my system. All of my confidence disappeared, and I felt insignificant to life. Something had gone wrong, and I was paying the price.31

I heard footsteps trod slowly towards me, sound flooding my ears as they smacked against the wooden floor. I tried to block out the sound, for all noises sent my brain into turmoil.32

"I see that you have managed to find our one weakness already," a lone voice said. It was my father, back for more. "Alchohol is the only thing that can send us into a state of shock. You were stupid to experiment so soon after recieving your powers. Then again, as you first obtain them, you feel as if you can do anyhting, and that makes you feel invincible."