The Possession of Anna Drake

5 - Boys in the Woods

"What's the plan for Anna's ascension party?" I asked my mother the following night at dinner.

She looked up at me with her red eyes and smiled this evil grin.

"What makes you think I have anything planned for Anna Drake?" she asked me with a sneer.

"Her family is part of the coven. It's customary," I mentioned with a smile of my own.

My mother tapped her long fingernails on the tabletop and stared at me. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she fought to keep her composure.

"Of all the children to become friends with, why did it have to be the Drake girl? You are practically royalty, and yet you chose to galivant around Evergreen Falls with the lowest of the low." She pressed her red lips together and blinked wildly at me.

I didn't think this was a question she wanted me to answer. It wasn't like my friendships were any of her business. Anna didn't ever hurt me, even if I thought she would at one time.

"She was the only one who wasn't afraid of me," I answered truthfully.

The other girls in school were scared of me because of who my mother was. They thought I would snitch on them and their families if we were ever to get close. They didn't realize I was nothing like her. I was removed from the school before they could learn anything about me. Anna was the only one who saw me as a peer and not, as my mother had stated, "royalty."

"Pish posh, Lizbeth." My mother retorted with a roll of her eyes. "It's not the girls who were scared of you. It was you who were scared of them."

I bit my bottom lip and dropped my fork to my plate.

"What do you know?" I growled. "You only ever cared when others were around."

"Watch your mouth, Lizbeth. Let's not forget you are old enough to be on your own now." She reprimanded.

"Please, mother, please throw me out of the house so that I may be as far away from this life as possible." I insisted, raising my hands in surrender.

She stared at me, chewing on her bottom lip and silently cursing me, I'm sure.

"I can't," she mentioned with a sigh. "Not until you know how to control that raging power inside of you."

I picked up my plate and left the table. I had wanted her to tell me to get out of her house, but she knew the moment I left, I would be putting myself at risk of a repeat. I already knew the charges were emotionally driven. Fear, anger, suspense, anything that wasn't neutral seemed to have some reverse reaction on my body chemistry. I assumed then the power was in tune with the chemistry. It didn't help that it was held back and unable to learn me or allow me to learn it for eight years. We had to do everything in a crash course. Was the ability to control electricity a power far beyond anyone else's? What made it any different than what my mother was able to do with the elements. She might be able to control the sky, but she could muster a wind.

I walked toward the door and placed my hands on the paneling. I could almost feel the house hugging me, as it had become my prison for so long. The moment the first tear fell, the current in me began to rumble and tumble and called out for release. There was no way to fend it off. I touched the wall socket, and all the lights in the house began to flicker and grow in intensity. I could hear the older bulbs bursting in the rooms above, and I took comfort in that. The humming of the current, the warmth of the shock, and the feeling of release were almost erotic in their way.

I removed my hand from the socket and let the little wisps of electricity dance along my fingertips. It was exciting and engrossing to find my body created these amazing little bits of power. I could do so much with the gifts I had been given. However, my mother was right, and I needed to learn how to control them, to channel them. It was going to be much harder to release myself into the human world.

I didn't want history to repeat itself. I wanted freedom. I wanted to get in a car with Anna and drive as far away from Evergreen Falls as we could get on a tank of gas. Nobody needed to know who, or what, we were. I walked back to my room with a smile on my face.

It took me about three weeks before I could venture out into the real world. By real world, I mean the house's backyard near the creek that ran behind the property. I was proud of myself for putting a little more space between me and my bedroom. My mother had been on a hiatus since our last discussion. Most girls my age would have taken advantage of the fact their parent wasn't home. I, on the other hand, relished in the glory of finally feeling at peace with myself.

It made me wonder if the relationship I had with my mother was the cause of my erratic surges. I also needed to find a way to control my emotions. Anger and fear seemed to pull the strongest reactions. I had no issues with singling my fingers while I was feeling most at ease. Who was the number one emotional cause for me to explode, excluding Anna, of course, my mother!

I was dipping my toes in the cool water and taking in the summer sun. I had been kept out of the sun for so long that I had no idea what it felt like to be at true peace. I wasn't expecting anyone to appear on the other side until a young man, about my age, came running toward the water and then came to an abrupt stop before plowing over me.

"Sorry," he muttered as his eyes locked with mine.

He wasn't a bad-looking guy. He was taller than me with green eyes and dark brown hair. His skin was sun-kissed, and when he smiled at me, his teeth were whiter than the snow I had seen outside my window.

"No, it's okay," I replied as I grabbed my shoes and began to put them on.

I had no idea the back part of the property was a place those my age used as a passage.

"I didn't realize anyone ever came back here." His voice gained strength, and my unease calmed.

For my first conversation with a boy, it was not going as I had initially daydreamed. In fact, even with the monitor off, the only person I ever talked to was Anna. I sounded pathetic in my mind.

"I didn't either," I mumbled.

He may have found his voice, but I was still on edge.

"I'm Justin Miller." He held out his hand.

I hesitated, as I seemed to have no idea what to say. I didn't know if I should take his hand in mine or let it remain extended. Very slowly, I took his hand and closed my eyes. I wasn't feeling electrified, but a tiny spark emitted once my skin hit his. He laughed and pulled his hand away.

"Lizbeth Dupree," I responded.

Silence.

He stood there staring at me. I saw his eyes widen, and his mouth opened. He was ready to speak but latched his mouth shut. We stood there for what felt like forever before he mustered up the courage to say something.

"The Lizbeth Dupree?" his voice stuttered, and he began to back away.

Hot tears began to form in my eyes. That was when I knew my story was still being told. People know who I was. My moment of anger was still part of our daily history.

I shook my head and rubbed at my eyes.

"Please don't cry. I didn't mean to sound shocked." He reached out to touch me but stopped and put his hands at his side. I had a feeling the tiny shock reminded him of the electricity I conducted throughout my body.

"No, it's okay." I sniffed.

Instinctively I waved and began to walk toward my house again. So much for my peaceful moment. My back was turned when he decided to step forward and touch me on the shoulder. I spun around, my eyes wet with tears. I didn't mean to put my hand up, but the moment I did, little warning sparks flew from my fingers.

Justin's eyes flashed in fear, and he stepped backward.

"I didn't mean…." He stopped speaking. I could see the apology in his eyes, but I was too far gone to forgive the situation.

"Please," I pled as I began to walk again.

"I never believed the stories!" he shouted.

It didn't matter. I was running toward the back porch. I entered the back door, shot up the stairs, and slammed my bedroom door shut. For my first conversation with someone other than Anna, I had failed miserably. How was I going to be able to face everyone in town now?

My mother reemerged from her evil lair that night. Of all evenings for her to reappear, did it have to be that night?

I was standing with half my body inside the fridge when she came stumbling in.

"Heard you met the Miller boy today." she leaned up against the counter to balance herself.

"Do you do anything other than drink?" I grumbled as I grabbed the lunch meat from the bottom shelf.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," she grumbled.

"Surprising, I don't think you hear much of anything." I retorted.

"Anyway, he wanted me to tell you how sorry he was for how your conversation ended today." She began to pull her shoes off.

"Thank you, he seemed nice," I mumbled.

It wasn't that I didn't feel he was a nice guy; I wanted my mother to sashay up the stairs and disappear for the night so that I could eat my sandwich in peace. Was that too much to ask for?

"He would be a good match, you know." She gave me that motherly look.

"The monitor isn't even off for two months, and you are already playing matchmaker." I tossed the ham on the counter and placed both hands on my hips. "If you want me gone so bad, why don't you just teach me what I need to know to control my power so I can leave?"

"You are just like your father, always threatening to leave." She rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? You are taking what you told me and turning it around to sound like I'm the one wanting to leave. You told me I couldn't until I knew how to control the power." I was tired of her constantly flipping her words around to make herself into the victim.

Is this seriously what my father put up with?

"You are welcome to walk out that door any time you want, Lizbeth. But mark my words, you walk out before you are ready, and I'm not going to be there to visit you while you are in prison." I watched the drunk exterior fall from her face. I had managed to sober her up for just a moment. "I love how you think I want nothing but the worst for you."

"Jeez, mom, you are trying to marry me off to the first guy I meet," I sneered.

"All I said is he was a good match. I don't think you realize how important it is to find a partner who compliments your powers. You are in line to be the next High Priestess; Justin Miller would provide a strong heir." She had just moved from telling me I was welcome to leave to tell me why I needed to listen to her dating advice. Who was this woman?

"I love how you think the Coven is going to accept me to step into your shoes." I laughed.

"You are a Dupree! No matter what those low-level scum suckers think, you have a gift in you none of them have ever seen. The last electrokinetic coven member was generations before any of them walked this Earth. I don't think you realize how blessed you are." She went from cold to hot in seconds. I was never going to be able to deal with her constant mood changes. Was her gift the cause of her not being normal?

"Blessed?" I laughed nervously. This blessed gift has already taken one life. It nearly took another this afternoon."

My mother broke out into laughter.

"What?" I snarled.

"Justin Miller wasn't hurt by your shock this afternoon. There was nothing you could do to kill that boy. Why do you think I said he was a good match?" She grabbed her shoes in one hand and pushed off the countertop. "With that, I bid you goodnight."

I forwent the sandwich and tossed the meat back into the fridge. The discussion with my mother had brought with it some interesting moments. I had thought I was a danger to Justin that afternoon. Afterall, Nidia hadn't been able to take the power, what made Justin so special.

Like clockwork the next day, my mother, putting on her sweet mommy voice, called me downstairs to meet Justin Miller again, in our living room. No warning, no prep, just me in a t-shirt and shorts sitting across from a boy in jeans and a nice polo-style shirt. She had placed refreshments on the coffee table and bottles of water in ice on the side. The conversation the day before was awkward. What made me think this one was going to be any different?

"I want to apologize for the way we ended our conversation yesterday," Justin said with a bright smile.

His hands were on his knees, and he appeared uncomfortable with my mother watching us from the door. Was she seriously hoping I would instantly fall in love with him and run off to get married? Was she that rushed to get rid of me?

"No, it's fine. I know I don' have the best reputation in town. I don't blame you for being concerned," I muttered softly. I didn't know how to have a normal conversation with a boy.

"You think it was because of what happened eight years ago?" His eyes brightened, and his hands began to relax. "I mean, it's horrible what happened, don't get me wrong. But you are like a legend already, and you aren't even twenty yet."

I had never thought of words as "legend" would ever come as a description. I looked up as my mother's smiled. Had she known all along what the coven members thought of me?

"Do what?" I squeaked.

"You're electrokinetic! My parents have been telling me for years I needed to meet you when you were freed." He stumbled over the last sentence. Then again, how do you not mention the fact I was on house arrest?

"Oh?" I asked flabbergasted. I didn't know what else to say.

Suddenly I went from hometown murderer to hometown legend for the same damn reason?

"I'm a gifted regenerate, I mean, I can do all the normal spells and whatnot, but I can't seem to be killed." He laughed nervously.

My eyes opened widely. I had no idea such a gift existed. This is what happened when you were forced to learn the very basics of magic.

"Seriously?" I looked again at my mother for her stamp of approval. I should have already known about Justin Miller was able to withstand my gift.

Justin laughed and reached out to place his hand on top of mine. I felt a slight tingle in my fingertips, but they seemed to fizzle down to nothing but a hum.

"I would love to take you on a date?" He suddenly remarked, and I recoiled.

Had my mother put him up to this? Was this her way to try and prove a point? I didn't know what to do or what to say.

"Justin." My mother broke in when she saw my deer in the headlights look. "Lizbeth hasn't exactly been able to leave the house. You may be able to withstand her charge, but there are plenty of those out there who wouldn't be able to."

Justin looked at her and then back at me. What did he expect? I had been living in the house for eight years with no power whatsoever. It didn't seem to phase him, though; he put on a smile and gave me another squeeze.

"I'm perfectly fine doing dinner and a movie here until you are ready to step out on the town." He gave me another dazzling smile.

He was far more accommodating than I thought a man ever would. My mother seemed pleased with his proposition.

"You aren't even out for a month, and your mother is already trying to fix you up with some guy." Anna laughed into the phone.

My mother had already gone to bed that night, and I had decided to call Anna instead of messaging her on the computer.

"It's not that bad. I mean, he is at least good-looking," I mumbled as I picked at the fuzz on my comforter.

"To be honest, your mother could have done worse." Anna laughed.

When it came to the boys in the Coven, Anna was the expert. With the liberties her parents had given her, she had been able to keep up with the gossip. I, on the other hand, was not given the same liberties. Therefore, I had no idea who any was or if they were a good match or not.

"What do you know about his gift?" I questioned. I had been too afraid to talk to my mother about it. I didn't want to look like an i***t to her. She already thought I was dumb as a box of rocks.

"Regeneration?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, he said no matter how much electricity I pump into him, it wouldn't kill him." I sounded far too innocent to be having this conversation. Then again, the last person who took a blow from my power wound up dead.

"I'm sure there is a limit, but I don't suggest trying to figure out what it is." She warned me. "I don't think your mother can save your ass a second time."

Anna and I hung up a few minutes later. There wasn't much else to talk about. Both our lives were rather dull and boring. Since graduation, she had to rely on her online presence to have any social interaction. I mean, at least she had social interaction. I began to hyperventilate when it came to going out the front door.

There were only a few weeks left before Anna's monitor came off, and we could finally get out of town. I didn't care if it was forever or just a day. I needed a break from my reputation. I wanted to look at people and know they had no idea who I was.