One Touch By FancyPenguin028 ⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙⋆⁺₊⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆⁺₊⋆•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙ I felt hot tears of shame involuntarily slide down my face as I waited for my name to be called. “Rae. Rae Feathering.” I gulped. It was time. Miss Wood practically had to force me out of my seat and pull me across the room. My hands were tied behind my back to avoid touching her. Finally, she forced me into a chair. I had never participated in the Calling before. Most children didn’t. My family must’ve been so ashamed, to see that their own daughter did something so terrible, so horrible that I had to be put in the yearly Calling. I could never face them again. I could never, ever face anyone again. But, I wouldn’t have to worry about that. If everything went as it usually went, soon I would never see my own kind again. “Look up at me.” Miss Wood demanded sharply. But I couldn’t. The crowd waited with anticipation as I sat frozen in my seat. “I said –” Mrs. Wood took a deep breath, trying to keep patient. “Look. At. Me.” She cupped my chin in her hand and made me look at her straight in the eye. I had seen the Calling once before. It was horrible. Sure, the ceremony itself wasn’t bad. But after, you knew you would never see that person again. And if you did, it was surely a miracle. “It – wasn’t – my – fault – “ I tried to say while having my head jerked up by Miss Wood. Surely, she could make this a bit more comfortable. “Well, then who’s fault was it?” she snapped under her breath so I could only hear. Then, she turned towards the crowd and started giving the most humiliating speech ever given. I had gotten used to all the sly remarks about me. About how I shouldn’t be even living in this civilization. About how I was a curse to my family. “Just you watch, she’ll be in the next Calling,” people would remark. “Look, it’s the power-horder!” kids at school said. “We are gathered here together,” Miss Wood said, as if this was something like a wedding. “To witness the expulsion of Miss Rae Feathering from our civilization. She was never fit to live on this planet. Her gift is not a gift – it’s a curse, not just to herself, but to the people of Potentia. As you all know, due to the fame she collected, she has the ability to absorb the power of anybody she touches. And she doesn’t give it back.”
I wish I could absorb your power right now. That would show you. I muttered to myself as I tried to loosen the rope tying my hands together. “We welcomed her,” Miss Wood went on. “We tried to teach her how to live in a place that was never built for her. But, unfortunately, she overstepped her boundaries. She managed to touch the ruler of the Potentia, only for a brief second. But now she has our ruler’s power – the gift of ice.” It was an accident! I only brushed her hand!! I screamed to myself. As if that mattered. I had to admit, it was my fault. But I seriously couldn’t help it. Ever since I got my gift when I was seven, I absorbed the power of so many people (accidently). Now, six years later, they’re still left powerless and weak. And if you don’t have a gift, you can’t live on the Potentia. So they had to get sent to a different planet – one that used no magic. Earth. “As punishment, I’m banishing her to a foreign planet.” Miss Wood’s voice boomed throughout the giant room we were in. I wondered where I would be banished. Maybe a nice little planet, with nice little people? “Earth.” The crowd gasped. I jerked my head up and stared at Miss Wood with my mouth open. Surely she wouldn't send me to a planet to live with humans, where my magic would disappear, where – “I know, this is not the typical planet we send people who’ve participated in a Calling. As you all know, Earth is a planet that has been completely stripped of magic. Magic cannot exist there. According to much research done, every year, Miss Feathering’s magic will decrease. In about twenty years time, she will be completely stripped of magic. Maybe we will even welcome her back into Potentia, who knows?” Miss Wood had a wicked grin on, as if she was enjoying my immense suffering. Thoughts raced through my head. I was going to be sent to a place where magic didn’t exist? How would I survive? And I couldn’t be stripped of my power! I would never be the same again. Potentians need magic to exist. “Now, for the ceremony.” Miss Wood announced. She beckoned a young man with a bottle of ink to come over to the stage. “The quill.” Miss Wood demanded. The young man pulled a dull quill out of his shirt pocket. Miss Wood dipped the quill in the ink, and scrawled a “C” on my forehead. The mark that I had participated in a Calling. “It’s permanent. So good luck trying to get that off.” Miss Wood whispered in my ear. If only I could just barely touch her hand, she’d be sorry . . . “I’ll let you say your final goodbyes.” She offered loudly, trying to make it sound like a generous offer. Hands still tied around my back, I walked over to the side of the stage, where my mom and dad were waiting. “We don’t think you did anything wrong, honey.” My mom said, tears brimming in her eyes. “We’ll find a way to see you again, OK?” Dad said assuringly.” “I will. I’m so sorry.” I said weakly. I couldn’t even hug them. If I did, I would absorb their power. And after six years of avoiding touching them, I wasn’t about to give up now. When I had learned that I was going to be participating in the next Calling, Mom and Dad fought for me so hard. They even offered to take the place of me, and be sent to a different planet instead of me. But it was no use. Potentia hated me. “Here. Keep this.” Mom placed a coat over my shoulder, since I couldn’t grab it with my hands tied around my back. I gasped. “This is your camouflaging coat!” She smiled. “I doubt it will work on Earth, since there’s barely any magic there, but you never know.” All I wanted to do was hug them. But I couldn’t. Someone was grabbing my shoulder. They were forcing me over to a giant rocket. “We love you Rae!” My mom’s voice cried out. It cracked and I could tell she was crying. I was locked inside the rocket before I could reply. “Take off in five . .. four . . . three . . .” What was happening?! “Two . . . one . . .” The roof opened up just like I knew it would. With one final glance out the window, I blasted off, not knowing what I would encounter next. It was all because of one, single touch. ⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙⋆⁺₊⋆Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ⋆⁺₊⋆•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙
