Page 21 of Ordinary Secrets

I wiggle my fingers at the TV, pressing buttons untilThe Lion Kingplays. With another wave of my hand, a blanket floats off the floor and drapes over my legs.

My eyes get sleepy as Simba and Scar battle on top of Pride Rock. I shove Andy behind my head to use as a pillow. His fur is soft and?—

BOOM!

The front door bursts open.

I yelp and fall to the floor, getting tangled in the blanket.

“What was that?” a deep voice asks.

I peek my head out from under the fleece. Two tall people are standing in my living room.Who are they?

With heavy footsteps, two more people rush into my house.

The biggest guy points at me. “It’s their kid! Get him!”

I toss the blanket over my shoulder. A fireball the size of a baseball appears in my hand. My fireballs aren’t as big as Daddy’s, and I’ve never cared—until now. I throw my fireball atthe biggest guy and don’t even wait to see if I hit or missed. The second I let it go, I run.

The carpet rumbles beneath me like I’m standing on train tracks with a moving train coming right at me. I fall and hit my face on the corner of a table. I cry as I rub the pain in my cheek.

“Come here, you little shit,” a big man says from behind me.

I twist around, then scream as I crawl backward away from him. Behind him, a fireball shoots through the open door. It sets one of the bad guys on fire. My skin burns, even though it’s notmybody on fire.

Two more people run through the door. It’s too dark to see who they are, especially when they’re moving so fast. One of them throws a fireball at the bad guys. If they’re fighting the people who are trying to hurt me, that means they’re good, right?

I don’t stick around to find out. On my hands and knees, I crawl away. I’m about to turn in to the kitchen when a fireball lands right in front of me. I scream with my arms over my face. The flames burst upward, blocking my way.

Hide! I need to hide!I crawl until I’ve shoved myself into a corner behind an end table. Hopefully, no one can see me here. More fireballs fly around the room. I can’t tell who they’re coming from or who they’re aimed at.

A woman screams as something sharp jabs into my side. I pull my shirt up to check my skin. Nothing’s there. My face burns like someone’s thrown a fireball at my head. My body’s going numb, and I think I’m going to puke. I haven’t learned how to stop my body from feeling other people’s physical pain yet. Daddy says I should be able to once I’m older, but I want to be able to do it now.

More flames consume my house, destroying everything. All the people are screaming and shouting at each other as my body continues to ache. A chair cracks into pieces against the wall bythe TV. I dare one look up, only to find a vase flying at me. It shatters right above my head. I throw my arms up as the glass falls over me, and liquid drenches my shirt.

“Honey?” Someone shakes my shoulder.

“Mama?” I open my eyes.

A long cut runs along her bottom lip to her chin. Blood drips from it. She’s got another cut on her forehead, with even more blood running from that. Suddenly, my head and lip hurt too.

“Run outside!” Mama shouts over the crash of someone being thrown against the floor.

She yelps as she’s jerked away from me by her hair.

“Mama!” I shriek, reaching for her.

The big man who yanked her climbs on top of her and punches her in the face. I feel it in my cheek.

Then again.

And again.

And again.

The man shocks her with a lightning ball. She cries out as my body shakes.

“No!” I throw my unsteady hand up and launch a fireball at the guy.

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