Passion or Terror? | Teen Ink

Passion or Terror?

June 7, 2010
By potentialgurl BRONZE, Quincy, Illinois
potentialgurl BRONZE, Quincy, Illinois
3 articles 0 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt


Let’s say my school is different. Sure, it’s a boarding school where I have two years left before I get to go home, but almost all of our classes are outside except for when it’s snowing. Then we just stay in our dorms and talk to our friends. The weird part about my school is the part that all of us have superpowers.

Yeah, I said it.

Every morning, we wake up and head outside for classes. The younger kids head off to math while we high schoolers go to self defense class to train. After lunch, we trade off so both age levels get some study time and physical training. It’s actually a pretty fun way to learn. Instead of study hall, we get free time to beat each other up. No one here would trade this school for anything. It’s a good thing our parents have no idea what goes on here.

Me? I’m Raine Quinton. I’m telekinetic (which means I control things with my mind) and I can change the density of my molecules so I can either walk through walls or become indestructible. Here at Maureen Academy, I’m the most powerful student. Go figure.

But I’m not here to tell you about the most classified facility in North America, oh no. I’m here to tell you about the night someone invaded our home. We want revenge, and I’m going to tell you how we’re going to do that.


Chapter 1
It was a normal day. We juniors had just gotten finished with Calculus 2 class, and were on our way back to the dorms to eat dinner. I was walking across the field with my best friend, Spencer, while talking about the pros and cons of guns in combat. We had these random arguments all the time during and after classes. We always ended up laughing at the topic when we were about to go to bed. Since I could walk through walls, I had no problem sneaking into his dorm at night. We constantly ignored the rules Headmistress Gabriel made since they were always changing. She was very indecisive.

Spencer and I walked up the hill to the four-story dorm house, pushing each other and laughing like crazy.

“How did we even get to this subject?” I asked as I wiped tears from my eyes. I adjusted the books in my arms so they were sitting against my hip, and then looked at Spencer.

He shook his head and laughed some more. “How do we get to any of the subjects we talk about?”

I tucked my black hair behind my ear and smiled down at my feet. We were now standing at the huge wooden doors that led into the dorms. I turned my head and squinted into the setting sun, observing the open valley and thick forest around Maureen Academy. Even now, I could see the first graders coming out of the woods with smiles on their faces after a good game of Hide, Seek, and Disarm. I remembered the first time I had been caught in that game and how embarrassed I was because Spencer had found me. But he never got close to taking my hand knives because I slammed his head into e tree before he could register what was happening to him.

I snickered at the memory. “Hey Spence, remember when I gave you a concussion in Hide, Seek, and Disarm?”

He smiled and pretended to think. “Nope I don’t recall that!”

I elbowed him in the stomach playfully before pushing a silver button next to the main door. We were still smiling as the doors slowly opened into the dorm house and we walked in.

The main hall welcomed me and Spencer with brightly colored banners hanging from the high ceilings. There were oil portraits of past headmasters and headmistresses in thick golden frames along the dark wooden walls. Every time I walked into the main hall, I felt like I was coming home, as did the rest of the high schoolers. The first time we walked in here, we felt like we belonged somewhere.

Most of us were kicked out by our parents when they realized our powers. Some of us were sent here by our parents willingly, but they never knew what really went on at the academy. And others were scientist rejects; not sure where to go, what to do. So the head of the school would recruit them here and make them family. We would instantly accept them, no questions asked.

“Raine,” Spencer said. I jumped slightly and looked at him. He must’ve been trying to get my attention for a while.

“Sorry. What did you need?”

Spencer smiled and looked down at me with his warm brown eyes. “Dinner is in five minutes. Want me to take your books back to your dorm?”

“Why didn’t you just ask me outside?”

“I did as we walked in but you were a million miles away when I asked.”

I thought about that. “Oh. I’m sorry. You sure you want to go all the up there by yourself? We could take the elevator like normal people.”

There was a slight pause before we burst into laughter. Normal was not a good word to use in school because it never applied to us.

“Nice one.” Spencer said as he took the text books from my hands. “I’ll see you at dinner Raine. Save me a seat.”

“Will do,” I said.

Then Spencer took a running start out of the main hall and jumped off the staircase at full speed. He vaulted into the air, hovering for a moment, before he took off into the sky with a whoop. I grinned at the sound of his happy voice, then turned away and walked off towards the dinner hall.

I hope I left my window open…

Chapter 2

My story picks up later that night at around eleven. It was way past lights out and I had already bid Spencer goodnight, but I didn’t care. I had a flashlight under my blanket as if I was five again, and studying for a biology test I had tomorrow. When the words started to swirl before me, I threw the blanket off me and stepped over to my open window. There was a full moon shining on the valley, making the grass look silver. I had a top floor dorm since I was in a top grade, so I had a good view of the forest and valley.

But that was when I saw a light appear in the forest. Then two, then three, then so many clicked on that I lost count. I gasped as I saw hundreds of dark figures dart across the field in formation, wielding guns that glinted in the moonlight.

“Oh my God,” I gasped.

I moved one of the straps of my black silk nightgown and made sure its molecules changed density with mine. I’d prefer not to be running through walls naked, thank you very much. Once I felt the subtle change in my body, I fought the wave of nausea that overcame me and ran straight forward toward the wall. I darted through it without a problem, then the next one, and then the one after that until I reached Spencer’s room. He was shirtless like he always was when he slept, and his arm was hanging over the side of the bed. I ran over to him and shook his shoulders.

“Spencer!” I shrieked. “Wake up! Someone is trying to break into the academy!”

He blinked up at me as he tried to wake up. “Wha-.”

“We need to get everyone up and get the little ones out of here!”

Spencer bolted out of bed and scrambled over to his window. Same as before, there were men in formations surrounding the school. I could see their black helmets now, and some of their faces. They were…Americans?

“Good God…” He mumbled in an awed voice. “I’ll take the third floor. You wake up the seniors and sophomores. Be quick and quiet about it.”

“Lock down the main hall and use the emergency exit to evacuate. I‘ll get someone to wake Headmistress.”

“I’ll meet you at the tree where you gave me concussion. You know the place. Stay out of sight and don’t get hurt.”

“I was going to say the same thing to you. Be careful, Spence.”

I patted his well-muscled shoulder and ran through the next wall, whispering as loud as I could about the break-in. I did this several times, not seeing Spencer once. As soon as everyone on the high school floor was awake, we met in the top floor garden. They all gathered around the gazebo to listen to me as I gave orders.

“Freshmen, you take the middle school floor and get them downstairs quietly. Tell them the severity of the situation and they shouldn’t act up. Sophomores, you take fourth and fifth grade and follow the freshmen to the emergency exit. Juniors, take the next two lower grades and follow the sophomores. And finally seniors, you need to keep those guys out of the dorms until everyone is evacuated. I’ll get headmistress up once everyone is out and safe. Once you reach the outside, go to the really twisted oak tree that we would jump out of while practicing parachuting when we were kids. You know the place.

“Everyone stay safe and quiet. This is not a drill in any way so take this seriously. Use your powers if necessary but don’t let the humans see you. Are we clear?”

Everyone mumbled in agreement and as they dispersed to follow my orders, but I knew they were scared. I shuddered quickly, but then I let myself fall through the floor like I was a ghost. I quickly reached the main hall and used my telekinesis to slow my fall. I was about to head into the kindergarten hallway when I made a split-second decision and ran through the main doors into the night.

The moon was shining on the whole valley. Since it was at least ten miles long, the men still had a ways to go until they got here. We would be evacuated by then, no problem.

“Raine,” Spencer whispered behind me. I jumped and spun around, trying not to yell.

“What?! What is it?” I whispered angrily

“It’s not safe to be out here. Almost everyone is evacuated so we need to get ourselves out before the bad guys get here.”


“What do you think they want from us?”

“I have no idea.” Spencer admitted. “We are trained not to use gadgets or science for fighting, just ourselves. We have nothing of value here.”

I blinked. “Maybe they want us.”


Spencer shrugged. “Who knows? But we’re wasting time here. The seniors are all out of ideas about how to keep the army occupied so they’re pulling out now. We need to go.”

“Okay then.” I turned around and pressed the silver button that would open the doors, but nothing happened. I pressed it again, but still nothing happened.

“We’re on lockdown, aren’t we?”


“Yeah when I woke headmistress up, she cut the power to the school and the doors locked themselves.”

I swore loudly. “We’re going to have to cut across the field to get to the rendezvous point with the others.”

“I would fly you there but I might drop you or something. Carrying two people is hard for me.” Spencer said in a low voice. He turned his head to look out at the field and then tackled me to the ground. I tried to protest but he put a hand over my mouth and motioned up towards the doors. I felt my insides freeze as a laser point passed slowly above both of our heads, searching for a person to rest on.

The army was in range of the school. We were out of time.

Chapter 3

I shoved Spencer off of me and we both rolled to our feet like we were taught to in P.E. We knew we had to get into the woods without being spotted, but that was going to be very hard considering the bright moon.

I tapped Spencer’s bare shoulder and whispered, “You fly to the edge of the trees and I’ll meet you there. I’m going to do a dead sprint for it.”

“No you’re not! That’s suicide!”


“Go!” I said firmly. “I’ll be fine.”

I could tell he didn’t want me to do this, but there was no other option. If I could keep my molecules scrambled for long enough, the bullets would pass right through me as if I wasn’t there. But if my molecules regained their structure again…well let’s say I wouldn’t make it to the forest.

“Spencer, go! Now!”

He glared at me and muttered, “If you don’t survive, I will bring you back to life and kill you again.”

“Well the good news is that we have yet to find a kid who has that power. Go!”

Spencer rolled his eyes and took off, making the silky skirt of my nightgown twirl around my legs. Once I saw Spencer land in the woods, I took a deep breath and ran down the stairs at full speed. The steps blurred beneath my feet, almost making me trip, but I kept going. At first I didn’t hear anything, but then there was a whizzing sound and I felt a slight tingle in my abdomen. Then there was another one and I saw what was happening.

They were shooting at me. Since my molecules kept trying to rebuild themselves, I was feeling a prickle every time a bullet went through my body. I shrieked and poured on the speed because I felt another hit me.

“You men go over there and restrain her!” I heard a deep voice shout. “We’ll take the building!”

Then several dark clothed men started running after me. Could this get any worse?

The grass was warm and soft under my feet as I ran forward. Just a few more yards and Spencer and I would get out of here. Already I could see Spencer urging me to come forward and looking scared.

“Raine, hurry!”

I gritted my teeth and shouted, “I’m going as fast as I can!”

Suddenly I burst into the forest. Spencer grabbed my hand and we started running together. He turned to me and shouted, “The tree is about two miles away! Think you can make it?”

“I’ll race you there!


The author's comments:
Only the start of this amazing story!!! PLease comment!!!

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.