by Ali House
When she was feeling really indignant, she would think about how all the humans had died, and how they were all that was left. If the humans had been the better species, why weren’t they here now? Kit had never dared voice this thought to her step-father, but it was always in the back of her mind whenever he started off on one of his rants.
After graduation, Kit packed all of her belongings into her El-car and reluctantly headed to Briton. On the drive, Kit wondered if she’d be able to cut her visit short. Her new job didn’t start for two months and she would save money staying at her mother’s house, but eight weeks was a long time to be in Briton. Maybe she could leave after a month. Surely she could last four weeks.
As she stood outside the house, her left hand tugged on the right sleeve of her yellow t-shirt. The sleeve covered her Electricity Tattoo, but not by much. She should have worn a different shirt, but it was too warm for long sleeves. If she walked into the house covered from head to toe, her step-father would know for sure that something was up.
She’d seen a few Humanists who’d converted after Acceptance. They swore to never use their elemental power again, and then they were tattooed with a big black ‘X’ over their elemental Tattoo. It was a jarring sight to see – which was probably the statement the Humanists were going for. Kit quite liked to look at the yellow lightning bolt on her arm. It reminded her of when she was younger and would ask her father to show her his Tattoo, and he would obediently roll up his pants leg to show her the mark on his ankle. It made her feel closer to him.
It would have been convenient if that Tattoo had been somewhere easier to conceal, like the others, but at least it wasn’t on her face or somewhere else that was completely obvious. Apparently there were still miracles in the world.
When she entered the house, Jill and Mich were the first faces Kit saw. Breaking into a smile, Kit dropped her purse on the floor and braced herself for Mich’s attack hug. Two seconds later, her half-sister propelled herself into Kit’s arms, almost knocking the both of them over.
The two of them were the reason Kit kept coming back to the house. Despite sharing genetics with their father, Kit knew that they didn’t share all of his ideals.
“You’re back! You’re back! You’re back!” Mich chanted, jumping up and down with the energy only a seven year old could have.
“Nice hair,” Kit teased, making sure that her sleeve was pulled down before righting herself.
Mich, short for Michelle, subconsciously tugged on a loose strand. Mich’s hair was naturally a deep green, but it was constantly being dyed black by her father. Right now there was almost an inch of green showing.
“Don’t tell Dad,” Mich whispered to her, conspiratorially. “I’m waiting to see how long it takes him to notice.”
This little rebellion brought a smile to Kit’s face.
“Hey, Kit,” Jill said from her chair in the living room. She hadn’t bothered to get up or take her nose out of her book, but Kit didn’t take it personally. Jill was only one year older than Mich, but liked to act five years cooler.
“Good book?”
“The best.”
“Where’s everyone else?”
“Getting food.”
“Glad to see you’re working on your vocabulary,” she teased.
Jill finally looked up from her book and stuck out her tongue. “I save my vocabulary for important people.”
For the next hour, Kit caught up with her half-sisters. It was a good start to the month. She hoped that the rest of it would be just as pleasant, although she seriously doubted it.
When her mother and step-father arrived home, her step-father was first through the door. He looked at her for a few seconds before nodding and walking on. Apparently Kit had passed the first test. Her mother walked in next, her arms full of take-out containers.
“Katherine!” her mother greeted. “How was the drive over?”
“Good. The weather was great.”
“I’m so glad to hear. We decided to get take-out for dinner. I’d wanted to go to Zelia’s, since I know it was one of your favorites, but it turns out they closed down a few months ago, so we went to Joe’s Kitchen instead. Michelle and Jill like the food there.”
Mich leaned in close to Kit and whispered, “Don’t eat the soup. They hide disgusting vegetables in there.”
Kit stifled a laugh. “Let me help you with those, Mom.” She walked over and took a few of the containers. The news that Zelia’s had closed down wasn’t surprising. Over the past year most of her favorite places to eat had closed down and were replaced by more ‘traditional’ Humanist restaurants. It was yet another sign of the changes happening throughout Briton.
“Wash up, you two,” her mother called to Mich and Jill on her way into the kitchen. “Dinner’s in ten.”
As Kit helped her mother sort through the containers, she noticed that her step-father was nowhere in sight. She would have liked for him to help out, but she preferred his absence more.
“I’ve got a couple different salads and sandwiches,” her mother said. “They’ve started growing zucchinis in the south garden, so I’ve got a salad with that. Well, that’s what they’re calling them. I’m not sure how it’ll taste, but we might as well find out if it’s any good.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Kit replied.
“I see you’re wearing those bracelets again.”
Kit looked down at the black cuffs that she was wearing around each wrist. After her father’s death she’d worn them every day for three years before reluctantly agreeing to take them off. Since her birthday, she realized that they were perfect for covering up her Air Tattoo, and if anybody asked why she could always get sentimental.
“It seemed like a good time to start again,” Kit said.
Her mother stopped unpacking and looked at her. “How was your birthday?” she asked, her voice low and serious. “Really?”
Kit paused. After her birthday, she’d told her mother that she was neutral and that she didn’t want to discuss it any further. Did her mother suspect her of lying?
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kit said, putting as much disappointment into her voice as possible.
“I see.” Her mother gave her a half-smile. “Well, you may look like your father, but I guess there’s a bit of me in your DNA.”
Kit opened her mouth to correct her mother, but then thought better of it.
“I know you wanted to be like him, Katherine, but this is for the best. Trust me. Now, let’s get everything on the table.”
As they set the table for dinner, Kit remained silent. How was it best for her to be neutral? The best thing would to be for her to say what she was and for her family to stand by her, but her family couldn’t do that. They cared more about some stupid religion than their own daughter.
She felt her hands tightening around the cutlery she was holding, so she paused and collected herself. There was no way she’d make it through the next two months if she couldn’t keep her temper in check.
Throughout dinner, her mother talked about Jill and Michelle, telling Kit about their schooling and their summer programs. Kit said very little and her step-father even less. Eventually, though, her mother ran out of things to say and the conversation turned to Kit.
“So, you’ve got a new job starting in August?” her mother said.
“Yeah. I’m really excited. It’s a great company.”
“Is it back in Aesira?”
Kit considered her options and decided to go with the truth. “It’s in Stanton.”
Her mother’s eyes widened. “That’s... so far away,” she said, recovering from the shock. “It’s too bad that you didn’t get a job in Briton. It’d be nice to have you close.”
“I couldn’t find a job in Briton,” Kit replied. Truthfully, she hadn’t even bothered looking.
Her step-father cleared his throat. “I’ve heard that people are moving out of Stanton. Don’t think it’s safe being so close to Tecken.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Kit said, trying to keep her tone light. “Stanton’s leader would warn everyone if it wasn’t safe.”
“Stanton’s gone soft,” her step-father continued. “Need more discipline over there.”
Kit swallowed hard. Why couldn’t they just talk about the weather?
“Papers say that a second invasion is imminent. Erikson’s not satisfied with only one island.”
“The Briton Truth?” Kit scoffed. If that was her step-father’s source, then she had nothing to worry about. The local paper absolutely loved lies, especially when they put Elementals in a bad light.
He turned to her. “They’ve got people in Stanton. They say that the Elementals are all siding with Erikson. Humanists shouldn’t bother going there.”
“Good,” she muttered under her breath.
“What was that?” he asked, his voice rising.
“It’s not true. I spent a weekend in Stanton during my interview. It’s perfectly fine.”
“That’s what they want you to think. Of course, you’re more likely to side with Erikson than the rest of us.”
Kit felt herself grow strangely still. “Did you just accuse me of being a Tecken supporter?”
“You support Elementals and they’re nothing but a bunch of degenerates,” he replied, turning back to his supper. “Unless you straighten up and fly right, it’s the next logical step.”
The table was silent. Kit pressed her lips together to stop the flow of words that wanted to break forth. How her mother could love a man who was so misguided, she would never be able to understand.
He had never been warm to her, but most of his complaints were small. He wanted her to go to church more or stop defending Elementals. Never before had he accused her of something so awful. A Tecken supporter? How could he think for one second that she would ever support a war-mongering megalomaniac? How dare he!?
Pushing her chair back from the table, Kit stood up and turned to leave.
“Where are you going?” her step-father asked.
Kit stayed silent. Her teeth were clenched so hard that her jaw hurt. She was almost out of the room when she felt his hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him.
“I didn’t say you could leave,” he said.
“If you didn’t want me to leave, then you shouldn’t have said anything at all,” she replied, shaking his hand off her shoulder.
“I’ll say what I want in my own home. You’re the one bringing in dangerous ideas.”
Kit couldn’t believe him. “It’s not dangerous to think that Elementals deserve to have the power that their EDNA offers them.”
“Elementals are a danger to society. No person should have that kind of power. That power is why Tecken was able to invade.”
“The first invasion was not the fault of Elementals!” Kit was using all of her restraint not to yell. “Elementals fought against Erikson! There are whole divisions in the Forces devoted to Elementals!”
“Propaganda,” her step-father grumbled.
“As if everything you say hasn’t been twisted into some kind of horrible lie just to serve your own selfish needs!” she shot back.
He shook his head. “I used to think that there was hope for you, Katherine. I thought that you being neutral would make you wake up and realize that Elementals are wrong, but you’re a lost cause. Nothing good can come from Acceptance.”
“Nothing good can come from your mouth.”
His arm pulled back and she flinched, but he didn’t hit her. Kit saw her mother’s eyes widen as her hands flew to her mouth. Jill and Mich were both watching with wide eyes, forks still half-raised.
“This is my house and you will respect me when you are inside it.”
She shook her head. “I will respect you when you deserve that respect. For now, I’ll settle for tolerating you.” She turned away again, but he grabbed her right arm to stop her. She pulled her arm away sharply, breaking his grip, and stepped into the living room. If this was an indication of what the next month would be like, then it would be best for her to avoid her step-father at all times.
“What did you do?” His voice was no longer angry. It had an emptiness that scared her more than his anger ever could.
“What?” She was confused. What had changed?
He grabbed her right arm and pulled her sleeve up to reveal the bright yellow mark on her forearm. “I should have known.”
Her mother gasped.
“Of course you’re moving to Stanton,” he continued. “You’ll help Erikson kill every Humanist in the Segment.”
Kit clenched her fists. Anger coursed through her body, but this time she didn’t try to stop it. She could feel the electricity crackling around her fists.
Fear crossed her step-father’s face as he watched her eyes glow yellow, and he took a step back before regaining his composure. “Get the hell out of my house. Get your things and get out and never come back.”
As much as she wanted to hit him, she kept her arms still and pulled the electricity back in. Punching him would only prove that all Elementals are violent and she didn’t want him to be right about anything.
“Get out now!” he yelled. “If you’re not out of here in ten seconds, then I am calling the police and having you arrested!”
She hated herself for giving in to his threat, but she turned away. Her purse was still by the door, so she grabbed it on her way out, heading straight for her El-car. There were certain cops on Briton that would arrest Elementals even if they hadn’t done anything wrong, and she was sure her step-father would be able to spin a tale that would get her held in a cell for weeks or even months.
Besides, the sooner she was out of this awful place, the better.
CHAPTER TWO
Arriving in Stanton two months early wasn’t ideal, but Kit was determined to make it work. If she was careful about what she spent, then her savings should last until her job started. The apartment she found was small, but the rent was reasonable and at least she had a non-Humanist roof over her head.
After the move, she registered as an Electricity Elemental. The registry wasn’t mandatory and was mainly used for statistical research, but she had nothing to lose by it. She also figured that if she registered her Electricity, nobody would think she was hiding anything else.
With no job to go to, she had a lot of time on her hands. Most of what she did was cheap and solitary, like walking around the island, reading books from the library, and sketching designs. Making friends was not high on her list of priorities, as friends would want to talk and Kit had too many subjects that she wanted to avoid talking about. She tried to stay busy instead so she wouldn’t think about what had happened on Briton, and how she no longer had a family. How she hadn’t be able to say goodbye to Mich and Jill...
She tried to distract herself by studying up on the myth of the Six-Elemental. The library had lots for her to read. There was a copy of the fairy tale, many books which deconstructed the myth down to its basic properties, and tons of essays about the moral implications behind the myth. There was one essay which explained that the Six-Elemental was an allegory for teamwork, and how the rebuilding after the Last World War was made better not by the magical appearance of a powerful being, but by everyone working together.
There was only one book which believed that the Six-Elemental was a real thing, and it was her least-favorite text. It was by the Followers of Six, a small religious sect which believed that the Six-Elemental had been sent by God to help with the rebuilding of Earth. They believed that God would send down the Six-Elemental during times of great need to protect them. They even managed to justify the lack of a Six-Elemental during the First Invasion, claiming that God knew it would fail.
She never checked these books out, in case someone became suspicious about her obsession, but she had plenty of time to sit in the library an
d read. Everything she read told her that she was a myth – well, everything that wasn’t a crazy religious text or a children’s book. Everything said that she shouldn’t exist.
But she did exist, and she wasn’t some kind of demi-god or powerful being. She was surprisingly human. If some kind of crisis was going to happen, she had no idea how she could possibly help. If Erikson invaded again, how was she going to stop him?
Sometimes, when she was alone in her apartment, she would try using the other elements, but it was never easy. She identified as an Electricity Elemental, so using that element was almost second-nature to her. She used it every time her El-car needed a charge, and sometimes she would just watch the electricity flow over her hands. The other elements didn’t come as easily. Maybe it was some kind of mental block or maybe it was lack of use. It was hard enough admitting to herself that she was... That she... She couldn’t even say it.
Finally, her job at Skyline Architects started. All that free time was starting to drive her mad, and she was more than glad to have something else to focus on. Her co-workers were nice and didn’t ask too many questions, and her work was interesting and kept her busy. She was starting at the bottom, but if she worked hard she could move up to the next level, then the next one from that, and so on and so on.
At least one part of her life was normal.
Kit settled into a routine, which was interrupted one day by the arrival of an invitation. It was quite sophisticated – thick white cardstock, embossed gold letters, and even a wax seal on the envelope. She wondered if it was meant for someone else, but it was her name and address on the envelope. It was an invitation to the opening of a new art exhibit at the Stanton Museum on Friday, and was signed by Augusta Frederick, the leader of Stanton.
During her unemployment, Kit had walked past the museum a couple times but had never actually gone in. Was this some kind of hint that maybe she should go to museums more often? Maybe it was a welcome to new inhabitants of the island, or maybe her name had been picked in a random draw. She should go – it would be impolite to turn down a request from Stanton’s leader. At least she didn’t have to worry about finding someone to take, since the invitation was only for her.