Okay.

So if you're still reading this, despite all my warnings, grab some popcorn and maybe an XL drink, because this is going to be a long story.

    Now that you're here, where should I start? The very beginning, you say sarcastically. Depends on what you define as the beginning but I suppose I'll start around a few months ago.

My name's Ember by the way. I'm sixteen years old and until a few months ago, I was living in the Community Orphanage For Troubled Children. So I guess you could say I was a troubled kid. Although I wouldn't consider myself as one. I didn't mean to be difficult or troublesome. It just seemed like everything I touched would dilapidate or disintegrate or di-something.

    Unintentionally, vaporized the orphanage's toilet (long story. Trust me, you don't want to know). The toilet fiasco was my last straw and I got shoved into a random foster home. I got the best foster mom ever, a feisty Spanish twenty-nine-year-old named Annalise. Annalise. Oh how she loved me so much (note the sarcasm). I accidentally set various parts of her apartment on fire and unapologetically burnt the game of Monopoly to bits (that game was, and still is, so frustrating; it deserved to crumble into ashes. I have no remorse).

I remember we had the firefighters on speed dial and the whole fire station hated me. They officially named me a fire hazard next to aerosols. (Cue the nostalgic sigh). Good times.

Then one night Annalise disappeared, and after countless days of searching, I never found her again. I don't blame her if she ran away and joined the circus or like a nunnery. I could drive people crazy like that. I just wish she at least said goodbye though.

The apartment contained too many memories of Annalise and rumours were going around at school that I killed her. Which is absurd. I only killed her peace, but I would never physically. I ended up running away to New York and found myself on the streets.

Anyway, when things really turned for worse, it was a late afternoon when I was strolling to my spot next to a deserted junkyard, proud of my previous hustle. I had succeeded in stealing a packet of jam donuts from someone's bag.

Hold on. Before you start calling me a thief or tutting at me, let me explain. You see the man had five other packets; I was saving him from getting diabetes or having high blood pressure, or possibly both. So in a way I was helping him? Yes. That's what I was doing, helping him. 

I was walking past a narrow u-shaped cul de sac, when I heard a groan. I froze and reversed slowly, stopping at the entrance. A scrawny boy with curly, dark chocolate hair was there, cowering away from two bigger guys beating him up. The red haired guy threw another punch into stomach, causing him drop onto his knees onto the cold, hard ground. He gave up trying to protect himself, dropping his arms, leaving himself vulnerable to the two guys' blows and kicks.

I wavered, indecisive to whether I should help him or not. You see, the most successful way to survive on the streets, is to mind your own business. I've learned that over the course of a month or two. If you help someone from an attacker, the attacker is most likely to attack you instead of the person they were attacking before.

Even though, a bloodcurdling cry resonating within the cul de sac, sprung me to action. I hid behind a dumpster and grabbed a firecracker out of my bag and threw it towards the left side of the entrance. The guys froze, their fists and feet in mid-air. I threw another one and the loud crack made the guys run away in fear, leaving the defenceless boy lying on the ground.

As I walked over to him, I saw he couldn't be older than fifteen. He was wearing an orange t-shirt with a Star Wars character on it and baggy khaki shorts. I crouched down beside him, took off my backpack and took out a first aid kit. Staring at his blue and purple bruises and beat up body, I pondered if a first aid kit would do anything.

I prodded his bruised cheek and his eyes blinked open, revealing the most beautiful, richly colored eyes I've ever seen. It was like gazing into pools of various different shades of brown. Chestnut, cocoa, umber, mocha, walnut- you name it; every shade was there. The boy noticed me beside him, my finger in mid-prod. His eyes widened, putting more of his alluring eyes on display.

Suddenly, a power surged through me, causing me to be thrown forcefully towards the wall. Seconds later, I opened my eyes to see the boy standing over me, gripping my hoodie as I was laying on the ground, groaning from the sudden impact. The boy's pecan colored eyebrows furrowed into ones of confusion. He released his grip and reached out for my arm. I winced, thinking he was going to hit me or do whatever he had just done again. To my surprise, he encircled his hand around my arm and pulled me to my feet. The boy seemed slightly annoyed as I stood at least five centimetres taller and appeared a lot bigger than him.

He jerked out his hand, beckoning me to shake it. I faltered as my eyes averted to the ground, pretending that I hadn't noticed his hand.

"Look, I'm not going to do anything," he assured. I was shocked by the sound of his voice. He had a pretty deep voice for a young looking, skinny boy. "It was just self defence."

He still held out his hand and added what I think was meant to be a comforting smile. Reluctantly, I shook his hand.

"I'm Leo."

"Hey, by the way, how are you still alive?" I slightly tilted my head to the side and gave him a blank face.

Still alive? Was I meant to be dead?

He registered my confusion and continued. "The incantation, it was meant to kill you." His voice trailed off as my mouth dropped open in disbelief. My eyebrows raised, I stepped closer to the boy. "You were trying to kill me?" Leo took a step back. He mumbled a curse under his breath and raised his hands in defence. "No, not really. I was just, uh, just trying to, uh, like trying to, uh," he stammered.

"I was trying to help you and you wanted to kill me?" I exclaimed, my voice an octave higher with every word.

See? This is why you should never help people. Should've listened to myself. I'm always right.

My eyes flared up in anger. I snatched the collar of his t-shirt. He grabbed my wrist, trying to push me off him. He tried to chuckle his way out of it.

"Kill? Did I say kill? I meant, uh, not kill. I think you heard me wrong. Maybe you should get a hearing aid, I heard it's 50% off at America Hears until next week," he waffled, adding an awkward laugh. The tightness of my grip on his t-shirt increased.

Suddenly, smoke began to rouse from my grip. My anger deteriorated and I instantly released my grip and stared at the seared spot on the boy's t-shirt, like someone had burnt it. I stared at his smoking t-shirt and realised I had burnt Darth Vader's head off. I glanced at my hand. As usual it wasn't burned but it had happened. Again.

Leo eyed me, astonished. He fingered the seared patch. My eyes met his gaze. His gaze, just like the others, was confused, surprised, probably wondering if I was even of this world. I spun around, prepared to run away when Leo spoke.

"Stop."

With those words I froze. Literally. It was like someone had bound me to the ground with invisible chains. I tried to raise my feet but they seemed glued to the floor. I glanced at Leo. He gave me an apologetic look.

    "I can't let you go until you tell me how you did that," he said, gesturing to his t-shirt. I swung my hands frantically around, trying to take hold of the guy and punch his lights out, but he kept on dodging. "I swear if you don't let me go right now, I'll kill you and-"

Leo raised an eyebrow, slightly amused and a smirk playing on his lips. "I'd like to see you try."

I was flabbergasted. This couldn't be the same boy who almost died getting beat up by those guys. I honestly regretted helping him. I blame it on my good heart.

My arms went limp in surrender. I sighed. "Okay. What do you want?"

Leo strolled towards me. "How'd you burn off Darth Vader's head?" He questioned as he started to circle around me. I averted my gaze and shrugged. "I-I don't know."

    He raised an eyebrow. I avoided his gaze and concentrated on his blue trainers. "You really don't know?" He repeated. I nodded. He gave me a long, hard stare. He shrugged and grabbed my backpack.

"Hey," I protested. He ignored me and continued to saunter slowly out of the cul de sac. "W-Wait get me out of this thing first." I tried to lift my legs out of his trap, but failed miserably. He still continued walking, even beginning to whistle the Smurfs theme song.

I don't think I have ever met someone so annoying in my life.

''Okay! Stop!" I yelled. He froze in between steps. "I'll tell you what you want." Leo spun around and grinned. I glared at him. "I really don't know, okay? I've been accidentally burning things ever since I was young. Every time I feel angry, smoke comes out of my hands."

Leo nodded slowly. I was shocked. It was like he actually understood. When I told other people, they looked at me like I belonged in a mental institution.

"I know where you need to go," Leo said. He snapped his fingers and immediately I was free from his bondage.

"Go where?" I asked. He lowered his voice. "I can't be saying it so casually. Look, you'll just have to follow me."

I scanned the area. It was probably around six o'clock as the sun was slowly disappearing in the horizon and there was no one around.

"But I barely know you," I argued.

"And?" Leo shrugged. I shook my head. "No I can't be walking with random strangers like that." That's one of the vital things Annalise taught me. And also, no matter how hard my algebra homework is, I should not burn it into crisp and blame it on the dog.

"Who said I was a stranger? I'm Leo."

"Yes. Exactly. Leo the stranger," I implied.

"Fine," Leo said, throwing up his hands in an irritated state. "I'm Leo Hernandez. I'm seventeen years-"

My eyes widened into saucers. "What?! Seventeen?"

"Yes! Seventeen! What's up?" He looked slightly annoyed. I shook my head. "Nothing, it's just that you look a bit younger, like fifteen or fourteen, kinda thirt--" I trailed off when my eyes met his scornful glare.

He sighed. "Look, we need to go before--" Leo was interrupted by a deep snarl, resonating from the entrance of the cul-de-sac. I froze and a churning feeling developed in my stomach.We both gulped simultaneously and turn around slowly to face the creature who made the sound.

Wait. What? I must be seeing things, but was that a...

Oh. My. God.

A.... What???? Who knows??
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See ya soon;)

_naturallyme_