Just the beginning

“Sam?”1

“Sam, where are you!” my voice came out in a course shout while my arms wrapped around a pillar desperately trying to stay balanced as another tremor shook the building, sending dust and debris falling from the ceiling.2

“Samuel, answer me!” desperately I moved from pillar to pillar going deeper down the hall, looking through each door. The rooms as expected were empty, long ago abandoned by people. Who would need conference rooms and cubicles when you didn’t even know if you were going to survive the week?3

“Blaise?” Sam’s voice came echoing down the hall, sounding timid and scared.4

“Sam? Is that you?” my hopes began to flare up as I stared down the hall searching for movement. “Sam keep talking so I can follow your voice!” Letting go of the pillar I stumbled down the hall toward the drifting voice.5

“Sam, are you alright?” I asked fearing his answer, before he could reply another tremor shook the floor beneath me, threatening to tear the building down. The floor shook relentlessly I flailed toward the wall for some support. I threw my arms out, throwing me off balance toward the floor, my body flew down despite my effort to try and stay upright. I hit the ground hard the impact sent sharp pinpoints of pain up my arm traveling through my shoulders toward my neck. Gasping I gripped my arm concentrating on the pain so that it wouldn’t spread to the other parts of my body, but it was too much. My arms erupted into pure steely blue flames, yelling out of frustration rather than pain. The flames never hurt me once, but they always came when I didn’t want them. Growling, I began to think only of the flames. Tuning out the damn building creaking beneath the weight of its own body. Gently the flames began to wither merging back into my skin, until it was completely extinguished nothing but my pink skin remained. 6

“Sam, where are you?” Standing up I began stumbling down the hall the last place I heard his voice coming from. I repeated my question louder this time hoping for some reply. Nothing came to my ears.7

“Sam, God dammit answer me!” My search turned frantic as I struggled through the hall toward the dim doors. I clutched my arms to my side fearing it would ignite again from my fear and anger. I hoped the building would hold out long enough for me to get Sam out, hoping that the would go back to normal like those documentaries, but mostly I wished mom and dad was here instead of all the weight placed on my shoulders.8

“Blaise?” my name came from an opened door, gratefully I ran toward the door, as I heard footsteps shuffling toward me with an uneven rhythm. 9

“Sam, what happened to your leg!” Running headlong toward him, the building began to shake again, this time sending me toward the floor with a faster force and I wasn’t able to regain my footing. The floor came rising toward me as I glimpsed a shimmering piece of glass facing toward my rushing body. It came too fast for me to try and avoid it from ramming into my stomach. The pain sliced through my sides, as anger swished through my head, pinning my arms to my side then the tingling started again. The sharp pinpoints of pain shot through my arms and through my legs toward my chest then making it’s way toward the glass protruding from my side. Slowly my body began to glow in the dark hallway, pulling in all the heat throughout the building. It was like I was a magnet for all the heat to come rushing toward me in a tidal wave. My arms turned from a glow to a scorching wave of heat. Sam was kneeling a few feet away using his arms to fend off the waves of heat as little puffs of white came out from his open mouth. Spasms racked my body as I grimaced at Sam staring at me like I was some kind of monster. I always was the monster in my family, the only one given the power to suck all the warmth from every living body, basically any kind of heat and make my body break into a scorching wave of fire.10

I stared at Sam watching me, as I pictured him when he was smaller, back when everything used to be all right. He was walking down the street grinning sheepishly as I followed behind him. The heat began to recede from my body as the image turned to the dark brown ocean when we visited that one time with mom and dad. Even if I couldn’t go in, I still liked the way it sounded against the shore. Gradually the heat began to fade as I pictured each of the waves making a sound I have yet to forget. Sam moved from his position and moved closer to me, then grasping my hand he pulled me up trying to use his body as a weight bearer for me. Then took off his jacket and placed it over my shoulders to cover the bareness over my body. The building shook again but soon it was gone, we hurried through the halls and out the shattered glass sliding door, into the feeble light the sun could muster through the thick haze of pollution. The storm was already well onto its way looking for the next place to destroy. I looked down at my sides they were healed thanks to the fire that scorched my body, all that remained was a faint pink line about the size of my thumb. 11