Slow Burn

Most kids talk about what they want to be when they grow up. Sometimes its something far fetched and exciting like a musician or movie star. Other times its more practical like a school teacher or nurse. Regardless they had choices that would most likely never be available to Adam and Evan. Now that they were getting older their grandmother felt it was time to let them in on the full details, at least what she knew, of the prophecy.

Life for a twelve year old was challenging enough when battling peer pressure and puberty on a daily basis. Add that to learning you may possibly cause the destruction of all humanity to your plate. Each boy dealt with it in their own way. For Adam he began turning his writing into music, even took up learning the guitar. Evan flew into full rebellion because he figured, why wait to cause havoc when he could start now.

Sarah was called into the Principal's office beacuse Evan presented a paper to his English Class on Career Day about his important role in the apocalypse. Thankfully no one thought he was serious, but it upset enough people to get him sent home early. On the car ride home Evan sat with his arms crossed over his chest and frustration painted all over his face. She didn't envy him, this age was the worst, stuck between being a child and an adult. Although has Evan really been given the chance to be a child in the first place?

Sarah pulled over to the side of the road, "I'm so sorry sweetheart."

Evan's green eyes widened, "I got kicked out of school and you're sorry?"

She nodded. "It's just not fair all that you and Adam have been burdened with. And I feel so helpless standing by just watching it all happen. I guess as a parent, um grandparent, I feel like I should be able to protect you."

"You were right the first time. You are a mother to us more so than she ever was. I don't even know much about her other than that she was some evil bitch that gave into her hormones."

"Evan!"

"What? It's true."

"I regret that I didn't know her all that well, but the prophecy isn't about hormones. It was about love. Following your heart even when your head tells you that you're not supposed to. She was a young girl, a foolish girl, who fell in love with your father."

Evan was trying to digest this all. Love was such a foreign concept to him. He loved his grandma, he loved his brother but romantic love seemed like such a waste of time. Everything he knew about it, prophecy aside, was complicated and messy. People just ended up getting hurt most of the time anyways. What was the point to it all?

It was difficult to know what to believe. As far as he knew his grandma had never lied to him. Sometimes she kept certain things from him which could be perceived as lying although Evan didn't personally think it was the same thing. So if what she was saying was true then why did the stories of his dreams paint a very different picture of what happened?

His mother still came to him every night is his dreams. He felt her presence so strongly and there was not one ounce of love there. A mother who allowed her newborn children to be taken from her and hasn't once tried to find them. And then there's what she did to the man she supposedly loved. A cold shiver ran over Evan's entire body. He could never cause intentionally harm or turn his back on the people he cared about. Evan promised himself a long time ago when he started to learn the truth about his mom that he would never be anything like her.



That afternoon at group boot camp Evan was completely distracted during Layla's rant about the "Second Wave". He was in a state of not giving a crap anymore because every day that passed just brought him even closer to a very unfortunate ending. An ending he was born into and could never escape from. He had no clue how Adam hadn't fallin into the self destructive process too.

"Hello? You there air head?!" Layla's was standing right in front of him her dark eyes piercing right through him.

Evan laughed, "I'm the air head? Think that's a title better suited for you child of empty space."

"Fine. Deflection exercises. Evan you can go first." Without her eyes leaving his face she pointed to a spot a few feet away.

Grandma coddled him. Layla pushed his buttons. Calla butted heads with him. What is it with the girls in his life trying to push and shove him in one way or another. He felt the slow burn starting to build up inside him. Deflection exercises was Layla's best way to humiliate Evan because he could never successfully ward off all three of them. Sometimes he had some luck with Calla, but not often. Layla would mock that this was because he lacked the discipline the others had. Discipline was why Layla was able to start mentoring them when she was only twelve years old, still a child by most people's standards. Evil dictator by Evan's.

He assumed the position. As always Calla went first calling to the trees. They dropped their branches low and began to wrap around him like a boa constrictor. Feel the heat, be the heat. He radiated enough heat from his body to lightly singe the branches without causing serious damage. They pulled away from him.

Next came Adam who always looked so uneasy about attacking his own brother even if it wasn't real. Adam pushed out his hands to create a water bubble around Evan. Feel the burn, be the burn. The bubble burst and broke into mist all around them. Evan became quite pleased with himself. Fire can beat water. Who knew?

Calla and Adam were wearing proud smiles on their faces too at this skill break through, Layla of course was a different story. She was by far the furthest along in her skill development. Not even all three of them together could deflect one of her attacks. She raised her arms by her sides as a small tornado formed in front of her. Evan shut his eyes knowing what was coming. Feel the fire, be the fire. For some reason he never felt the force of the tornado hit him. There was this uncomfortable silence then a loud scream.

Evan opened his eyes to see Adam and Calla kneeling on the ground next to Layla. Why was Layla on the ground? Evan rushed over to them. She was unconscious and badly burned.

Adam looked up at Evan with tears in his eyes, "Why did you do that?"

Evan was so confused, "I don't even know what I did. Is she okay?"

Calla wouldn't even look at Evan. "You turned her tornado of air into a tornado of fire and threw it at her. I'm going to go get Sarah and grandpa." She stood up and ran off in the direction of her house.

Adam asked again this time barely above a whisper, "Why?"

There was only one reply made sense as the words fell from his lips, "Mom."