For the next couple of hours, all I could see were the red and blue lights that glowed in the evening sky, just as stars were starting to appear. Everything felt fuzzy, almost like a dream state, as I sat nearby, shivering and shaking, sand clinging to my wet clothes. My eyes were sore and puffy from crying.

An ambulance truck, along with many other squad cars, were parked on the beach. Several men and women in uniforms held back Jamie and his parents, who were fighting to get closer to their son. I covered my ears to block out their screams and wails, but it was pointless. All the neighbors were outside, surrounding the scene. In the shadows, a group of paramedics crowded around the lifeless figure. After they started to bring out a body bag, I stood up, gasping for air and feeling nauseous. A warm hand grabbed my arm.

“Adlai....Adlai!”

I began to struggle, but the person made me turn around and face them. Mommy was in her work clothes, wearing lipstick and smelling faintly of perfume. Her high heels were sunk halfway into the sand as she knelt down and placed both of her hands on my shoulders; her red braid swinging back and forth down her shoulder.

“Baby, where have you been? Didn’t I tell you not to run off? I told you that we would go to the beach tomorrow; you know how I feel about you wandering off! You gave me a heart attack when I woke up and searched the whole house, and then I was running outside like a maniac for —“

I flung myself into her arms, burying my face in her shoulder, getting my snot and tears all over her crisp, neatly ironed shirt. Mommy was so stunned she just stayed there for a moment, and then quickly pulled away, a look of confusion in her green eyes.

“What’s wrong? Why are you here, what’s going on?”

“I....” I sniffed, trying to see her through my blurry vision. “Something bad happened. I did something bad.”

Before she could respond, shadows blocked the remaining sunlight, causing us to look up. Two male police officers approached us, their arms folded. Mommy quickly stood to her feet. I did as well, grabbing her hand and stepping behind her legs, peeking out. The sound of static came from the two way radios attached to their brown uniforms.

“Are you Margaret Bueler?” the first one asked.

For a moment, there was silence. Mommy looked at the group of paramedics by the ocean, then back down at me. She took a shaky breath and straightened out the wrinkles in her skirt. I gripped her hand, tighter.

“I am. I was getting ready to go to work and was looking for my child. I have no idea what is going on, can someone please explain—“

“There has been an accident, ma’am. Mrs. Kaver, your neighbor, along with her daughter in law and other family members, allowed your son to play with both of her grandchildren today.” The officer sighed. “I’m sorry to inform you that the youngest has been pronounced dead at the scene. They believe he hit his head hard on something before drowning.”

A stifled gasp escaped from Mommy’s mouth, and she slowly sank to her knees, shaking her head slowly. In the distance, the Kaver family stood nearby the ambulance, huddled together. Jamie was in both of his parent’s arms, his eyes squeezed tightly. The paramedics were lifting up the body bag, which was so small and there was barely a bulge showing through.

“This...this is my fault,” Mommy said, tears steaming down her face. “I should’ve watched Adlai more carefully, I should’ve never taken a nap, I should’ve-“

“Calm down ma’am, take deep breaths for me. We have another eyewitness who was there at the time. Jamie said that your son and his brother were playing a game, but he was doing something...” He then frowned. “I don’t know how to say this, but Adlai was doing something unusual with the water that Jamie says is what caused Alex to fall off.”

Mommy’s face turned a dark shade of red. I stepped forward, feeling hot tears spilling down my cheeks.

“I didn’t mean it, I didn’t want to hurt him. Please, you gotta believe me, I didn’t mean it! I just wanted them to have fun ....I .... I didn’t mean to hu—“

My voice trailed off as I saw the Kaver family slowly walking past by, heading towards their car. The mother was leaning against her husband, her face buried in his shoulder. The father had a dead look in his eyes, as he stared ahead in the distance. Jamie was holding onto his grandmother’s hand, wiping his face as he trudged along in the sand. Time seemed to slow as he made eye contact with me and pulled away, yelling.

Before I knew it and anybody else could react, he had shoved me in the sand, causing me to land backwards. One of the police officers quickly scooped him up. Jamie’s legs dangled in the air as he was carried away in his father’s arms. He kept screaming, helplessly swinging at the air, gasping and coughing. Mommy quickly grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. The eyes of the neighbors on us made me want to hide.

The second officer took off his shades and knelt down to our level. “It was an accident. There will be no charges, but I do suggest getting a child therapist for your son. There are many of them in this area.”

Mommy sighed heavily and wiped her eyes. “He’s only eight years old, I just....it’s not his fault. Is there anything I can do for the family? It’s my responsibility; if they blame anyone it should be me! I don’t know what to do—“

I pushed away, breaking free from her embrace and started running down the dark road. Mommy quickly stood up, a look of shock on her tear streaked face. The asphalt of the road felt warm against my bare feet as I made my way through the people standing in my way. I ignored the tears coming down my face, and went past an unusual black car with a red symbol on the hood. I didn’t know why it was there, and I didn’t care. More than anything, I wanted to disappear.

“Adlai! Adlai, wait!”

Her voice sounded like a distant memory. My legs were starting to burn as the cool night air settled in. I didn’t know how I ran the whole mile and a half back to our house, but I did. The homes in our neighborhood were all lit up, but I knew that nobody was inside. When I reached the front door, I was grateful that it was unlocked.

I dove underneath the kitchen table, causing the chairs to rattle, the tablecloth tickling my legs. Mommy had left all the lights on, and I knew how much she hated being wasteful. It took a while for me to catch my breath, but I curled up into a ball and buried my face in my knees, rocking back and forth.

* * * * * *

The sound of the front door opening jolted me awake. I rubbed my eyes, not sure how long I had dozed off. When I saw Mommy’s shoes walking on the wooden floor, I moved back further against one of the chairs, causing one of the legs to rub against my back.

“Adlai? Baby, I know you’re here. Can you come out?”

I shivered, shoving the collar of my shirt into my mouth. It tasted like sea water, the very same that Alex drowned in. I spat it out quickly and sniffed. Mommy sighed, walking down in the basement, then upstairs, calling my name. The table was my home now, my protection. The best part about it was that I didn’t need to show my face to anyone. Maybe I could wear a mask like one of those villains in my comic books.

“This isn’t a game,” Mommy’s voice echoed in the hallway as she came downstairs, her shoes clicking against the polished wooden stairs. “Please...come out. I’m here, it’s just me. I know you’re here.”

She didn’t skip the third step like I did at night when I snuck down for ice cream, because it always squeaked badly. I hugged myself tighter. It was so cold in here, and I wished I had a blanket. The sudden sound of the tablecloth rustling made me jump, and Mommy looked relieved, bending down to the floor.

“There you are,” she said softly. “Can I come in?”

I turned my head away as Mommy got on her knees and crawled towards me, awkwardly trying to avoid hitting her head at the bottom of the table. She crossed her legs and sighed, scooping me into her lap. To my surprise, her eyes were red and puffy just like mine. We sat there for a moment, listening to the air conditioning turn on and off in the house. I rested my head against her shoulder and wiped my nose.

”I called my boss,” Mommy said, breaking the silence. “I’m taking off this week, okay? No more late shifts for a while, since I know you hate being here alone at night.”

I looked up at her. “Was she mad?”

She gave me a small smile. “Bosses are always mad, Adlai. But you’re far more important than her.”

I didn’t say anything, just stuck my thumb in my mouth. Nothing felt right, and I knew that nothing would feel right ever again. Water sprung in my eyes, and Mommy was wiping at my cheeks with her fingers before I even knew that the tears were coming down.

“It wasn’t your fault, baby. It wasn’t your fault. Bad things happen sometimes, and we can’t control everything. You were playing. It was an accident.”

“I k-killed Alex,” I could barely get the words out. “M-mommy, I’m a m..monster. I k-killed someone. Mwen pé."

Mommy looked up for a moment, trying to hold back her own tears. Then she held me a little tighter.

“Pitit dous mwen. Don't ever say that about yourself again. You know who a monster is? A monster is someone who enjoys hurting people. Who does it with intention, who wants to hurt people, who wants to take away someone’s life with no feeling. That is not you, do you understand?”

I looked at her for a long time, wanting to believe her. A part of me felt like she was lying. Mommy held both of my hands, her palms smooth and cool against mine. She ignored the tears going down her face, but the pain in her eyes made me want to hide from her.

“I hate it,” I said, not caring how loud my voice was getting. “Why can’t I just be normal like you and everyone else? I want to go to a real school. I want to make friends, but I can’t because of this thing. I hate it.”

She cupped my face in her hands. “You know that Grandad had it. It skipped me, and you inherited it. You should never be ashamed of your gift, Adlai, because you can use it to help people. That’s who you are, and it’s there for a reason. You have a purpose.”

I shook my head. “Someone’s...someone’s dead because of it! J-Jamie won’t ever forgive me. I’d rather stay here for the rest of my life then ever use it.”

Mommy looked torn, but she placed a kiss on my forehead. “The Kavers are in a lot of pain tonight, but you are my responsibility. It is my fault that Alex’s mother won’t be able to hold her son tonight, not yours. It was an accident. The police are saying it; I’m saying it. I want you to understand that. Please, tell me that you understand. Please.”

“I shouldn’t have gone out,” I said. “I shouldn’t.”

She came from underneath the table and stood up, wiping her her face with sleeve. With one hand, she beckoned me to follow her, but I shook my head. As she lowered the tablecloth once more, I felt relieved.

It was only after an hour that my stomach kept rumbling. I ran upstairs to my room, changed, and walked slowly back downstairs. The smell of popcorn filled my nose when I saw Mommy taking out a bag and dumping it into a bowl. We didn’t say anything else because we were too tired to form words with our mouths. Instead, we settled on the couch together, the blankets wrapped tightly round us. The volume of the television was so low that we couldn’t hear anything, but it didn’t matter.

She was here with me.

The bowl of popcorn felt warm in my hands, and I fell asleep, safe in Mommy’s arms. However, as I woke up later in my own room, I couldn’t stop shivering, like I had jumped into the ocean. When I ran into her room and crawled in the bed next to her, she gave me a long hug, and tucked the blankets tightly around me.

* * * * *

During the week, news vans drove by and reporters tried to talk to us, sometimes camping out on our front yard. This time, I was more than happy to stay inside, although sometimes I would still peek outside and they would have their cameras rolling. It was a challenge to even go to our car, because they would follow us. However, we started leaving earlier or sneaking out so that we wouldn’t be seen.

Mommy took me to Dr. Shaw, a therapist who wasn’t too far up from us in Nivea. Every day after my homeschooling lessons, I would hop into the car with her and see him. The office was warm and friendly, and he always presented me with a bowl of taffy after our sessions and told me to take as much as I would like. After talking with Mommy he prescribed me medication to help me with the nightmares that I was having, since I wasn’t really sleeping well.

On Thursday afternoon, when we approached our neighborhood after an appointment, there was a whole bunch of commotion outside. Our elderly neighbors were gathered outside our home, blocking our driveway so that Mommy had to park the car on the side of the curb. When we got out, I felt my heart skip a beat.

Four black cars, with the same red symbol, a snake, on the hoods that I had seen earlier were right in front of our house. Seven men, wearing similar looking suits stood nearby, ignoring the shouts and voices of the neighbors. When we reached the back of the mob, all became silent.

Mr. Karin stood in the middle of the crowd. His graying hair was neatly combed back, and the rest of his comrades stood behind him in an orderly fashion. Mommy’s face turned so pale it was as white as a ghost. She grabbed my hand and turned to go back, but two dark cars pulled up, blocking our path.

I held onto her as tight as I could as Mr. Karin approached us. He glanced at me sideways, his dark green eyes sending chills down my spine, before extending his hand out to Mommy. A tight smile formed on his face.

“Madam,” he said. “You are just in time.”

* * * * *

Mommy picked up the tea kettle off the stove and poured out seven cups carefully. Her hand slightly shook, spilling a little bit on the countertop. I stood near the corner of the room, biting the hangnail off my thumb with my teeth. The men sat at the table, watching her every move. Mr. Karin still kept smiling as she set the tray in the middle of the surface.

“How are you, Ms. Bueler?” he asked.

She wiped her jeans with the palms of both of her hands and pushed a strand of her hair back. With one finger she gestured at me to leave the room. I was about to, but Mr. Karin held up one hand.

“The child can stay. Now, how are you?”

“I’m...” Mommy looked like she was struggling to speak. “I’m okay, I’m just a little stressed. I’m not too sure if you know already what’s going on. On the news and everything.”

“Yes,” Mr. Karin said, picking up his spoon and dumping a sugar cube in his cup. “I’m quite aware.”

The men didn’t even touch their spoons. I sat down on the floor, wondering how they could just let it go cold. How could they disrespect Mommy’s tea like that? They were robots, moving and speaking under the command of their master with the appearance of looking human.

“I...” Mommy stammered. “Look, if you’re here because of the police, charge me. Arrest me. Do what you please, but if you lay a finger on my son I swear I will—“

“I’m not here because of that. Trust me, if I wanted the police to deal with you, it would’ve been done already.”

That stopped her in her tracks. I swallowed hard as Mr. Karin stood up and walked around, pacing back and forth, his shoes squeaking against the tile kitchen floor. He stopped for a moment, staring at the walls.

“You don’t let Adlai watch the news, do you, Ms. Bueler?” he asked. “It’s not healthy to shelter him like this. Does he understand the situation? Does he truly understand what he did to Alex Kaver? It’s all over the press, the interviews of the family, the parents.... but most importantly, what about the interview of the remaining twin boy?”

I covered my ears and stood up to leave, but one of the men blocked me. Mommy gave me a reassuring look, even though she looked like she wanted to slap Mr. Karin.

“Look, my son is going through enough already. He doesn’t have to see what people what perceive or think about him. He’s a child, he doesn’t need this.”

“Jamie Kaver said that he saw Adlai manipulate water right in front of his eyes, moments before his brother’s death. I’ve been patient with you long enough. You cannot keep the boy out here when he has such a powerful ability. Are you not thinking about your country, about how you can serve us?”

Mommy’s eyes widened. “Is this about the death of an innocent child or your agenda?”

Mr. Karin leaned forward, a stern look in his eyes. The shouting of the neighbors outside grew louder and louder. I balled my fists, feeling a strange wave of energy course through me.

“Our agenda, madam?! We have enough corruption and chaos amongst our people as it is. For years, we, the Red Mambas, have tried to establish peace and order. Poverty, education, employment, famine, health care; our people are truly struggling in these areas. Yet, how dare you sit here, in a luxury house just with a nice view of the ocean, like these problems don’t exist. You are not doing your part.”

Suddenly, a steady, fast stream of water from the faucet shot out. Mr. Karin flew backwards against the table, knocking over several cups. They smashed on the floor, the chipped pieces skidding on the surface. The men moved back away me, startled. Mommy fumbled with the tap with both hands, her shirt getting completely soaked. The look she gave me made me hesitate.

“Sispann, Adlai! Quit it, it won’t help.”

I stopped concentrating, causing the stream to weaken until there were only drops of water falling from the sink. Mommy ran to help Mr. Karin up, who was sputtering and coughing. To my surprise, a smile was on his face, and a deep chuckle escaped from his mouth as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his face.

“Oh, but it will, Ms. Bueler,” he said. “It will. This is what I mean. Authority. Strength. I know that what happened to Jamie’s brother was an accident, and only an accident. But you may want to understand just how much he is capable of, say, if there is a next time.”

A tear rolled down Mommy’s face, and she pointed at the door. “Get out. Get out of my house.”

Mr. Karin shrugged. “Ah, I would love to, but, you see, I have orders from those above to invite you to our headquarters. They want you to bring the boy. If you don’t, well, the next time it won’t go so well. So if you want to be able to be with your son, I suggest you cooperate. But I guess I’ll have to tell them about your refusal.”

I slowly knelt down next to the table and began to pick up the shards, one by one. The men with him were all piled by the doorway, like they were ready to leave instantly. Mr. Karin tipped his hat at her, smiled, and turned to walk away.

“W-wait...”

He stopped.

Mommy looked down for a moment, before speaking again, her voice sounding truly broken. “W..when are we expected to come?”

“Excellent. You are putting Plod before your own needs.” Mr. Karin cleared his throat. “Monday morning, at seven. Do not worry about directions, my men will escort you. And I expect you to show up.”

Mommy didn’t respond, just watched them exit quietly and make their way past the neighbors, who were still shouting questions at us. She slammed the door shut and slid down on the floor, bursting into tears.

I stood up, put the remainder of the cups on the table, and walked over to her. When she looked up, her mascara was smeared, leaving dark marks all over her cheek. She held her arms out, I eagerly accepted her warm embrace, closing my eyes.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I didn’t mean to spray him.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything, baby,” Mommy said. She sniffed and pushed a strand of hair out my face. “He deserved much worse.”

We looked at each other, and despite how everything was in the moment, began to laugh.