Chapter 2 Growing and Learning

Austin learns how to use his power and is introduced to the beautiful Victoria

The next day i remember standing out in the back lawn, getting ready to prove to Jack that i wasn't something to be taken lightly. I wanted to be the reason he trained, the reason he bettered himself just so he could try to be a little better than me. I'm not sure if that ever happened or if he ever felt that way. It used to be my biggest dream. 

Jack floated down from the sky. He slowly glided down from the roof. It seemed like it was basically second nature to him at this point. "Let's see it little Austin, I want you to be some competition for me!" I had clenched my fists and got ready to use my power for the very first time. The grass around me turned brown and crisp, and a bright light formed in my hands. I opened both of my hands and held them out in front of me. There were two little flames just sitting there. I had caught them and tamed them. They were mine, to be used for good or evil, for protection or for my own personal gain. I think back now, wishing that i could have helped those close to me choose the path that i did. I remember I was thinking about how amazing this new feeling of power was when I couldn't hold on anymore and the flames went out. 

"That's all you got?!" Jack exclaimed "You could hold it for like three seconds!" He hovered about four feet off the ground towards the house. I remember looking at my hands deciding if i should attempt it. I pointed both my hands down at the ground and made jets of fire come out. It caused me to hover in the air just like Jack did. When I was up about a foot off the ground I did the same thing with my feet. The fire consumed my shoes and then jetted out just like my hands. 

"I'm just as good as you!" I yelled. I moved my wrists pointing my fingers down moving my body closer to my brothers. This was a good concept of controlling my direction when I fly because even today I still do this but, the younger me was not as coordinated as the adult me. I had moved my hands too far and went way too fast towards the house. I went straight through the houses' wall and burned out in the living room. I laid on the floor in pain trying to comprehend what just happened. Something like that would have killed a normal person but since I had a power my body was stronger than that of the average person without one. I wasn't invincible but, my body wouldn't break as easily as it did before. 

My Mom made me be very careful ever since then. I am honestly surprised she let me keep using my power after that. Over the year I had to get rated and get briefed on how I should be using my power for the greater good and not for my own personal games. These days I laugh at how ironic the safety tapes were. The government must go by the "Do as I say, not as I do." saying that was created thousands of years ago. 

The last memorable thing from my childhood was when I met Victoria Jamison. I was 14 and in 8th grade when I met her. She was the new girl in school. I remember when she had first walked out during power practice hour at school. Her beautiful long blonde hair curled down and perfectly rested on her shoulders and chest. Her blue eyes glistened in the sunlight when she looked my way. 

"Austin, get your a*s up here it's your turn!" Mr. Lebow scolded me like he always had. He was a terrible teacher and everyone knew it. Its almost like his power was the ability to be the worlds biggest dick. "New girl why don't you get up here too. Try to go easy on Austin."

My heart stopped. This was the closest I had ever been to her and I was ready to impress her. I cracked my knuckles and said "Ha! A girl go easy on me? She won't stand a chance!" I was never good with girl and I don't think I realized that the quickest way to a woman's heart wasn't insulting her but, not many 14 year olds I now, know that either. 

She stood up on the stage and got into position "Ahhh Austin, i have heard about you around school. Gifted as the wielder of flames. A pretty rare and powerful ability when one is able to control it. I have also heard, that you're not the most gifted wielders in the world." Tori said with a little smirk on her face. She was one of the smarted girls in my class which made me even more attracted to her. Her genius and hot temper is still very close to her personality today.

I put my hands together and was ready to go. I decided to do my normal opener, where when i pull my hands apart a wall of flames comes down, that I would push right at her face. I started to pull my hands away but, there were no flames. This had never happened before. Sure people used to make fun of me for having poor control but I could at least make a spark. 

That's when her perfect voice had reached my ear. "You don't know my power do you? I'm a Safeguard, and hopefully even you, knows what that is." She had made my heart stop for the second time this afternoon. I knew I had no way of beating her. "You have no access to your fire now. Since you are within forty feet of me, you can't do anything." Impressive for a child, even though today she could create a radius of nearly a mile for a fixed amount of time. 

She was a rich girl, before the war. Her father had bought her that power so she could always defend herself. She was one of the only kids in the neighborhood with multiple abilities. She could cancel peoples powers, just weaken or even enhance the powers of others, and she could sense the powers of people around her and their ratings. Basically she was the perfect shield. Recently she has been training in the art of bestowing a power to someone who already has powers. If she could learn this she'll be a very vital weapon to the rebel side of this war. Mr. Jamison had no idea that all the money he put into his daughter would give her this fate, he just wanted her to be safe. He was a great man while he was alive, always looking out for his beautiful flower of a daughter. 

The last thing I remember from that fight was her knocking me on my a*s from her natural strength. I had never felt so safe in my entire life, and I hoped that I could hold on to that feeling for the rest of my life and so far, I'm doing a pretty good job. 

Author's Note

Please read the first chapter before reading this one and please give me your thoughts!

Reviews

[Kent Smotherman]

Seems like Mr. Lebow should be Miss or Mrs. Lebow :)

Your concept and ideas are good - but you really need to spend more time on your writing. I find that I have to reread some passages a couple times to get your meaning. This can be hard for a writer, because you know what you want to say, and that can make it hard to see what you have actually put on the page.

Your transitions are also too abrupt, at times. In this chapter, when you started the paragraph about Victoria, it seems far to disjointed from the preceding one.

Please take this as constructive criticism. Your ideas here are solid - I see shades of Animorphs and Heros in what you're doing, and those are fantastic stories. Don't be afraid of rewrites - and then more rewrites to get it just right. It's a difficult labor, but your story is worth it, don't you think? :)

[Starr Mist]

I am so sorry for the delay in my comments! I have been busier than I thought I would be... but you know what they say, better late than never!

I love the chapter a lot! It fully kept my attention! The descriptions were good and the wording was good too.

I would add a little more description on where the fight took place, maybe even the teacher too! I was wondering while I was reading, are there students watching or is it 1 on 1?

Other than those few things, a very good start and a good chapter.

[Alex]

thank you very much :) let me know what you think while you keep reading!

[Calibaster]

when he tells him to get his butt up there, you need to put in a comma. also, no offense, but I am a mormon and i don't believe in swearing, if there are other people like me, they might not read your story because of the profanity, I like your story, and I think it is a brilliant idea! keep up the good work.

[Alex]

I'm just trying to add some realism into it by showing that he swears because he is a jerk or later in the story a character swears because he is flustered and needs to make a tough decision quickly. I'm not trying to show that swearing is cool or whatever i just want to show that different characters will use it or not use it at different times in the story so hopefully that doesn't go too much against your believe? but thank you tho :)

[Calibaster]

oh, ok. it's fine. your welcome

[mandy]

i agree with what kent said,,,he makes some good points...

[Alex]

yeah i changed a lot of what he said to

[K.G]

your writeing is good, and like how everyone says, ur concept an ideas are good, but you need to some how. . idk how to explain the rest, maybe you should partner up with someone?(srry im not a pro here, i just got some raw talent in my opinion) try to read books that follow this genra that ur doing, im sure it will help u smooth out the kinks in this

[Alex]

alright thank you!

[K.G]

n.p love :3

[Shep]

Still falling in love with the story. The small print not so much. I don't care how long a chapter is as long it is good or is ruffly 5 to six pages in microsoft word. If was shorter than than that I would Complain. I would like to see more white space between paragraphs so my eyes don't get tired.