It has always been inside of me. I can feel it. My parents could feel it. They felt it.

For years my parents tried to hide me from the world. They knew something was off but had no way to fight it.

Powerful. I was so so powerful. I get more powerful everyday. I can feel it growing by the moment. I know that soon, I can set it free. It will punish anyone and everyone I ask. My power has grown but my control has as well. Soon…blood…blood…blood...gone.

I remember the first time my parents realized I was different. They invited a little boy from down the street over to play. They wanted me to have a childhood friend to grow up with since they had no plans to have more kids. His name was Reiji but I don’t know who his parents were or his last name. Just Reiji. I came downstairs because I could feel an unfamiliar life force in my house. There he sat, on my couch. Brown hair, hazel eyes, pale. Reiji’s gaze was…strange. It felt like he was memorizing every breath I took, every bit of motion. I felt like he could read my mind.

“Who are you?” I ask him, skeptical of this child. I never thought of myself as a child so in my mind, he was a kid and I was, I guess, an adult of sorts.

“My name is Reiji!” He seemed excited to hear my voice, like he thought I was a mute.

“Age”

“Huh?”

“Your age. How old are you, kid” I lost my patience quickly. The boy’s eyes began to water,

“I-I’m si-sikth. I-I-I mean si-x six,” he was blubbering, obviously frightened by my cold tone.

“Come here,” I beckon him over with my hand. My parents were watching warily on the side. My mother is wringing her hands and glancing back and forth.

Reiji approaches me and I place my hands on his small shoulders and stare into his eyes. He meets my gaze with his teary one. We stand still like that for a while. A minute passes. Then two. Then all of a sudden, Reiji begins to shake slightly. He’s almost vibrating as he struggles to keep the eye contact. Then, time seems to stop as Reiji’s eyes roll back into his head. He continues to shake and I continue to hold him. I have no idea what’s happening to him but I know it’s because of me. My dad swoops in and snatches Reiji from me, too late though. The boy had dropped to the floor and was twitching. Twitch…twitch…then he is still.

I’m not too sure what happened after that but I do remember my dad taking Reiji out and my mom just crying softly, retreating to the kitchen. I was terrified, frankly. I had a feeling that I had made some kind of mark on him that would be important later. But, I thought I would never see him again, not alive at least. I thought that scary moment was the last time I would ever encounter someone close to my age. Until that day.

I really hadn’t seen much of anyone but my tutor and nanny for years. I had given up hope of ever talking to anyone again. I had a plan, yes. But I could do it alone. I was going to do it alone. I don’t need this world. I never needed anyone. I can eliminate all–

I heard someone at the door. I rushed to be the one to open it before Tabitha could, practically tripping over myself. I could feel that it was him before I saw him. Reiji stood there, a newspaper in hand. I gave him a onceover and told him simply that he was special and that I’d need him later. I think he could sense my urgency without me saying too much.

Then, like I’d done just a few years prior, I locked him into my gaze. I could feel my power start to seep out, wrap around his now far taller frame. I can’t even imagine what it looked like to him because he went white as a sheet. He trembled slightly but then calmed down as he appeared to accept what I was giving him. As I stared at him, I realized his eyes did not hold the recognition I expected them to have. He still had a perceptive gaze but this time, he looked at me like a stranger. It was like this was the first time he had ever seen me.

Why? Had what happened when he was kid really wiped his memory? No matter. He sees me now. Reiji is a part of my plan and I do not plan to let him go anytime soon…