Storm Warning

The Past Is Present

                    We turn to find a gorgeous brunette woman with ample bosoms and full lips walking out of the flames unharmed as she lovingly allows her fingers to mingle with the flames. The dark-haired beauty’s eyes shine as she watches our shocked expressions, and as we stare into their boundless depths, all we find is a soul as dangerous as her fire. Her mouth curves up in one corner as she smirks. Her ivory skin practically gleams in the dark. This was her element. Whatever that may be.

                     Derek is awestruck at her beauty or maybe because she walked out of the fire without any burns. He eyes rake her up and down… nope, definitely acting like an i***t because of her beauty. Maddie ignores Derek’s dumbstruck look and sees the situation and this woman for what it is… deadly… very, very deadly. 

                     The woman is dressed head to toe in leather. Her long honey brown locks flow down her back in soft curls down her back. A red streak stands out as it wraps itself around yet another loose brown curl. Her beautiful face is tanned with brilliant violet eyes framed by long dark lashes and rosy red lips. She is wearing a long-sleeved black crop top with a v-neckline that works to accentuate her breasts as they are pushed together by the unforgiving confines of the leather. There are inches of bare stomach. Her slim hips are holding up a pair of red leather pants that makes her a*s perfectly round despite not having seen her back. She isn’t the type to cut corners with her appearance; she went all out for this event tonight. Finally, my eyes land on her black leather boots. “Well! Hello there, darlings.” She winks at Derek before shifting her ice-cold gaze to me. “Arielle, is it?”

                     I stare at her as she steps onto what is left of the flaming porch. The flames part for her as if she is its God! The smoking porch creaks underneath her weight. “Who are you?”

                     She laughs. “I wouldn’t expect you to remember me. You were only five the last time we saw each other. We also never ran in the same circles due to me being five years older than you. But anyway, you could really expect either of us to look the exact same as we did eleven years ago. Wow. Eleven years. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun.” I stare at her without comprehending. She huffs. “Really?! You still don’t know who I am. Pitiful. You’ll die quickly in this war. Well. Perhaps a burning man will help to jog your memory.” Still looking at her, she growls in anger. “SERIOUSLY?! You know, the girl who gave herself a name when everyone else still went by Subject and a number. Must I recreate the…”.

                     My eyes go wide with recognition. “The Dreams!”

                     The woman smiles deviously. “Ah, There we go! I had that big of an impact on you! How sweet. Your subconscious tried to protect you but covering up the memory and chose a moment when you needed to remember to let them slip out while you dreamed.”

                     “You… you were the one to set the man of fire in my dreams.” Oh. What was he called? MY head snaps up as I remember. “YOUR MENTOR!”

                     She smiles. “The name’s Daniella. But you can call me Danny. All of my friends do.”

                     I speak the words slowly and calmly. "I am not your friend.”

                     Danny Diva pouts as she replies. “Well, that wasn’t very nice.”

                     “Neither was throwing us across a clearing. That was you, wasn’t it?”

                     “Now, you are getting it.”

                     “Why?”

                     She arches an eyebrow in question. “Why what? Why did I kill my mentor? Because he was a horrible mentor.” She walks down the stairs, and the floorboards burn away with each step she takes. “He was afraid of me and my powers, afraid of what I could do, and afraid of everything I would learn how to do. He tried to stop me. He tried to take what I deserve. He tried to stifle me. He tried to keep me weak. I couldn’t let him do that"

                     I shake my head in agitation as my skin stretches across my bones, an unfortunate side effect of the fire wicking all of the moisture from my skin. “That one action got numerous kids like us killed. Your insatiable appetite for death, chaos, and c*****e is forcing the rest of us to run and hide.”

                     She gives me a blood-curdling smile. “Indeed, but that’s why I am here. By joining them, I have everything I could ever want… an apartment, big paychecks, televisions, helicopters. They helped me hone and control my powers. I can have it all… power, clothes, shoes, boys, phones, computers, houses, football teams. I am a Goddess.”

                     I shake my head appalled. “You will never be a Goddess. A delusional half-wit. Yeah, I will give you that one.” Danny glares as her face reddens. “You are hurting others like you. Do you even realize that they turned you into a weapon?” She shrugs in indifference. “The moment you do something that they don’t like, they will kill you! You are helping them hunt and kill the only people that would ever truly understanding you.”

                     She rolls her eyes. “MY MY. Aren’t we judgy? I haven’t killed you, have I?”

                     I back away as she rounds the truck. “Get in the truck.” I never bothered to turn around to see if they complied.

                     She laughs. “How cute of you to protect the vermin?”

                     I glare at her. “Danny, they aren’t vermin. They are people. It’s what we were supposed to be before someone decided to be Dr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde. We are simply better looking Frankensteins. They will use you and toss you. You are expendable to them.”

                     “Enough of this. I came to recruit you. Help me find the others.”

                     “I will NEVER help you find the others. I will NEVER kill people who do not deserve it. I will NEVER turn on the others that were used and tossed aside like me. You are on your own. And since you came to recruit me, I am going to guess that you can’t kill me. At least, not yet.”

                     She walks to the tree line. “Careful Arielle. There are more like me on this side of the fight than yours. We are not your only enemies either.” She walks into the line of trees causing every tree she passes to burn, which quickly engulfs the rest of the forest in a wild fire.

                     Shaking my head, I hop into the truck. “Derek, drive me to the nearest rest stop.” He jerks up and down in some semblance of a nod and backs out of the driveway. As we drive away, we watch the world fall into flame behind us.