Gifted

They all settled in couches and made them selves comfortable, except for Andrew who can't seem to relax.

Alisa sat beside Andrew and held his hand.

Andrew turned to her, "It's going to be okay, okay?" Alisa said, her voice gentle and soft, reassuring Andrew.

Andrew gave a grateful nod and his hand gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions" Harper said, looking at Andrew. "And of course June still has a lot unanswered question as well." Harper said, turning to June

Both June and Andrew nodded.

"But let's begin with Andrew, what do you remember?" Harper asked

Andrew looked at Alisa, unsure. Alisa gave him an encouraging smile and nodded.

Andrew sigh, "I don't really remember much, just bit and pieces." Andrew said, his accent more deeper that the usual.

"That's good" Harper said with a nod, encouraging him to continue.

Andrew let out a huge breath, "I remember starting to feel weird two days ago, when I suddenly felt this constant cold feeling. Then yesterday, when I was with these guys, I accidentally froze the water on my water bottle." Andrew paused for a moment, then continued "After that I started feeling really dizzy, like I might pass out"

"Which you actually did" Caleb added, making everyone give him a side glance

"Right" Andrew said with a soft voice, looking down at Alisa's and his intertwined hands.

Then Andrew continued "Then the next thing I knew, I woke up with my dad slapping my face hard, waking me up. I was in the hospital bed drenched in sweat. He started forcefully removing all the monitors and the IV connected to me and it just hurts so bad" You can here the pain, fear and sadness in his voice, reliving the horrible memories.

Alisa visibly tensed while hearing Andrew's story.

"He started pulling me out of the bed and forced me into a wheel chair saying that I will get on the wheel chair without making a fuss of it or else. His voice was hard and threatening like it usually does when he's mad or drunk." Andrew's voice was so fragile it was breaking in some places but he stayed strong making Alisa his anchor and Alisa in return supported him every step of the way.

"My dad wasn't always like that, he was once great until my mum died. He didn't recover from his grief and always blamed me for mum's death. He said that I was a constant bitter reminder that he couldn't be with the love of his life anymore and it was all because of me"

"He was almost always drunk if he's not at work, and beat me up every chance he had. He was always drilling in my mind that I should have died instead of my mum. Sometimes he has good moment when he just pretends that I don't exist and sometimes it gets way to extreme to the point of him locking me to the bas.e.m.e.nt with no food or water"

"That's...." Alisa started but didn't exactly know what word to use

"Cruel? Brutal? Heartless?" Andrew provided for her.

"Why didn't you leave?" Alisa said, tears silently falling down her face.

Andrew gently wiped them and gave her a sad smiled "I don't really know, maybe because deep inside I still love him and hope he will change back to the father I knew him" he answered, Then he continued "Music has always been my outlet, it keeps me sane, it helps me forget when it gets too much."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry Drew" June said with the great sympathy.

"Me too" Andrew said still with a sad smile, looking at June.

"So what happened after he forced you into the wheel chair?" Harper asked, keeping his voice gentle.

"He sneaked me out of the hospital and bought me home, still in my hospital clothes. When we got there he got out of the car so fast and opened my door, he grab my hair and drag me out of the car and into the house. I shouted for help but the neighbors just watch in pity"

"What the hell?! Why didn't they help?" Caleb said looking furious

"Caleb, Language" Harper said in a warning voice

Before Caleb could protest Andrew said "My dad was a very influential man, and people are scared of him. It's not their fault that their lives could be destroyed if they helped me"

If Caleb was mad before he's even madder now, His eyes started glowing, melting the contacts, and his hands are in a tight fist.

Andrew gasped when he saw Caleb's eyes.

Harper put a comforting hand on Caleb's back, calming him down. While Alisa gave a gentle squeeze and smile at Andrew saying 'Don't worry'

Andrew seemed to understand and nodded.

Then Harper nodded at Andrew to continue.

"He dragged me inside and threw me to the floor. He slam the door shut, then grab his collectors baseball bat." Andrew's voice begun shaking and his eyes turning glassy.

"He begun hitting me over and over, I was so weak that I could't ran or fight back. I begged for him to stop but he just kept hitting and hitting me. Then when that's not enough for him, he-" Andrew choked, tears now falling. "he-.... he-" He tried again but was too hard for him to say. He began gasping for air and started sobbing.

Alisa let go of their intertwined hands and hugged him. "It's okay, It's okay" She said in as soft voice, repeatedly while trying not to cry herself.

Andrew leaned into Alisa and just cried, letting it all out.

When Andrew calmed down he gently got out of Alisa's embrace and held her hand, He gave it a gentle squeeze of thanks.

"He r.a.p.ed me" Andrew out of nowhere dropped the bomb, he's voice very soft and vulnerable.

The room was so quiet. All of them looked at Andrew, not sure if they heard what he said correctly. They were all trying to absorb the weight of what Andrew just have revealed. It affected everyone, especially Alisa.

Alisa broke down into tears, hugging Andrew real tight, digging her head into Andrew's shoulder "I'm so sorry. Oh My God, I'm so sorry" She said over and over again.

June, Caleb and Harper stayed silent with grim expressions.

Alisa Calmed down but kept her head in Andrew's shoulders.

Andrew took a deep breath then continued with his story, "I begged him to stop but he just kept going, then the next thing I knew he was off of me and flew all the way back. I started to feel the cold feeling again but this time it felt like a comforting blanket covering me."

"I bought some snacks and some refreshments" Mrs. Summers said, entering the living room with a tray of sandwiches, glasses and a pitcher of juice. She was smiling but her eye were red. She must have heard the whole story.

"Thanks mom" June said gratefully. He knew how much it took for his mom to just act normal like she heard nothing.

"If there's anything you guys need, I'm just at the kitchen" Mrs. Summers said.

"Thank you, Arisa" This time it was Harper who spoke.

Mrs. Summers nodded and left the living room.

Caleb pour a juice on a glass and drank huge gulps off of it until its finished. June could see that Andrew's story has taken a toll on him, on all of them for that matter. Harper also poured himself a juice. June went and pour a juice as well and offered it to Andrew. Andrew gratefully took it and offer it to Alisa, Alisa wiped her tears and gratefully took it. June poured another one and gave it to Andrew. Andrew took it with a grateful nod and took as sip.

When the mood seemed a little bit calmer Harper spoke "What happened when you felt this.... cold blanket?" he asked to Andrew.

"That's when it started to get blurry. I saw my father transform into this.... this thing" Andrew said

"Pitch black, yellow eyes?" Harper asked

Andrew nodded

Harper nodded in understanding "Shadows." Harper said, "Please continue"

"It ran for me, then the next thing I knew everywhere I look is frozen and the thing is not there anymore, then I blacked out. When I woke up blocks of ice are everywhere, I didn't really get the chance to absorb and processes everything, when I heard the same roaring from the.... 'Shadow' as you call it but this time It's not alone. So I ran to the back door leading straight to the woods and after that it was all a blur, I just remember running, then one caught up to me, then I felt as searing pain. Then I remember falling, then I was out but the wired part is that, I felt as though I was still conscious." Andrew said, looking pretty exhausted from telling the story.

"I see" Harper said nodding "Is there by chance you can remember what happened next?"

Andrew shook his head

"But how did you end up here?" Alisa asked "It doesn't make sense"

"I found him there" June answered

"But how?" Caleb asked, confused "I mean you were with us last night, how could you have know where to find him?"

"I don't really know how to explain it, really..." June said

"Try" Harper said

All eyes were on June. June gather his thoughts and took a deep breath "A voice led me where Andrew was"

Harper furrow his brow "What do you mean?"

"I meant it literally, A voice led me to where Andrew was" June said

"A voice" Harper said to no one in particular, He was deep in thought. "Please continue"

"It happened when we were having dinner, I suddenly felt a searing pain in my upper back and the voice kept saying I have go" June explained

"So that's what was happening to you last night" Alisa said, remembering.

"Yeah, Then when I got to my car the voice led me to where Andrew was and that's how I found him in the middle of nowhere, badly hurt. The voice told me to help him but at that moment Andrew already lost too much blood and has a huge, deep wound that needed stitches." June said

"But Andrew is alive, so that means in some way you helped him, Right?" Caleb said

"Yeah, The voice told me that my blood could heal him" June said "It was getting down to the wire and I had to try whatever options I had"

"So let me get this straight, I was healed by your blood?" Andrew said, bewildered

"I guess you didn't remembered it but you were begging me to stop because of the extreme pain" June said

"But how is that possible? I mean I've never seen a Gift like that" Alisa said

"June, do you mind if I take a look at your Mark?" Harper said, who has been really quite

"Uhhh..... Yeah, sure" June said, a little confused but proceeds in taking his shirt off

"I have seen Gifteds who can heal but in this case I thinks it's different, I have a theory and the only thing that can prove it, is June's Mark" Harper said

June turned around, showing his Mark.

When Harper saw it, he stood up slowly, eyes wide.

"Good heavens" Harper said in disbelief, awe and shock.