Rebekka Anderson

[Cathie]

Rebekka Anderson



2008- Nirka, NK

Whispers. There were always whispers wherever Rebekka went throughout the school. Voices followed her and she shut the mental ones out, but the audible ones were far more difficult. The school in Nirka was built in the site of the old royal Palace before its reconstruction some 500 years prior, give or take. It hadn't been a full year since Rebekka had taken her placement examinations, where they had rated her a category C Psion. She was dangerous and the other students liked to see just how far they could push her before something happened. That something rarely happened, but she was always so self conscious that something might. As she approached her next classroom, she tried desperately to bolster herself and lock away her emotions from being felt. There were those who were empaths. They were the worst and could sense her every mood shift, knowing exactly what to do or say to tick her off.

From within the class came straggling students, and Carson Berkeley. Carson was a class B Psion who had shadowed Bekka since both of them had been in the AMEA. At least where powers were concerned. He was telepathic, pyrokinetic, and dracokinetic like Bekka, but unlike her, he didn't have psychometry, but was an empath instead. And unlike Bekka, he wasn't nearly as strong, and was far more capable of controling himself. This was not always a great thing because, like today, Carson liked to corner Bekka and goad her into anger. Bekka had to stop short so as not to ram into him as he and his friends came out of the classroom, and he sneered, always jealous, Bekka assumed.

“Hey spaz, watch where you're going...don't want to trip and fall and burn the building down.” Carson and his friends laughed as they shoved their way past her.

“And hopefully you'd be trapped inside it...” She murmured back, quickly ducking into the class.

The three boys, all around her age of 16, turned, shocked she had even responded as she so rarely did, and returned to the doorway, but she was already inside under the watchful eye of the teacher. There was another who was in there now as well. They didn't know how she was there, she just was. It was Emera, Rebekka's foster mother. Seeing both of them, the boys hurry away to go to their next class, and Bekka approaches the front desk. Other students were already filling their seats, but Emera and the teacher took Rebekka aside.

“Bek, I know it's not normal, but there's a need for you in Aranova. They're having a lot of problems and they've requested someone of your skills. I'd go myself but I have to handle a few situations elsewhere. Will you go?” Emera questioned her.

Rebekka was, needless to say, shocked. She was only 16, though she'd be 17 in just a few months, in June. The AMEA didn't send anyone under 17 out into the fields. Ever. She could leave this school and these kids, and get away, maybe start over, and have real friends. And have a job, and be respected for it. What was she going to say? No?

“Alright...when do I have to leave?”

“In one week. It'll take that long to get all of the paperwork cleared, secure housing, and you're going to continue school there.”

Bekka's whole body sunk into itself. She didn't want to continue this joke of a school, or have to put up with students. She did better on her own. Regardless, she nodded to Emera and the teacher would hand her a packet of papers that would be used to help her study and catch up if needed for her new school. There was no need for her to be in class now, so she took her leave.

Stepping out into the snow, she pulled the zipper of her coat up further over her chin, and slipped her gloved hands deep into her wool coat's pocket. The smell of cigarettes was freshling lingering in the air and she knew which of the students smoked because they always smelled like it. Shouldering her bag, she peered around at the stark surroundings, pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose, when she was suddenly slammed with a burning cold sensation to her left ear and neck. Snow crumbled down into the collar of her coat and she gasped, clutching her ear as she ducked behind a tree. Stepping out from behind a brick column was Carson, and from behind two others, his friends, Ian and Jason, all three of which were holding snowballs.

“Leave me alone Carson and call off your lapdogs before they actually think they are your lapdogs!” Rebekka wanted nothing to do with the three, just wanting to go home.

As she remained there, however, one of the boys, the larger of the three, Ian, appeared in front of her, grabbing at the zipper of her coat, and pulling it down, shoving the snowball inside as he shoved her at the tree. She was trying to shield her every thought, and every feeling to block him out, so she wasn't able to determine that they were planning all of this. She swung her backpack at Ian, bashing him square in the jaw, but from her side, her arms were grabbed by Jason, and the other side, Carson. They pulled her arms behind the tree using a scarf to tie them there.

“Go ahead, Ree-Bek-kah.” Carson quipped as he stepped over in front of her. Ian stood off to the side, his anger being brought down by Jason. “Attack us. We know you're a class C and can't control it. Show us what you've got.” He looked at his friends. “Look at this, boys, we've got her cornered, I don't think she's all what they say.” He would lean in, looking at her eyes, trying to bait her into attacking.

She did. Furious, she waited until his face was close enough to her own, then kicked him between the legs. As he crouched forward more, she headbutted his face, burning the scarf with her hands. Carson fell to the ground, curled up, holding his nose as it bleeds, and she steps by him toward the other two, holding a flame in her hand.

“Either of you two want to try anything else? I suggest you go now before I lose my temper completely and you end up two little fat marshmallows ripe for the fire.”

That got them, and they fled. She left Carson there as the snow turns red in front of where he's kneeling, heading for the dorms. She couldn't wait to leave, and was even more relieved that she was done with this place. She wasn't like the other students. She'd been working with the Nirka military whenever she had time to spare. She already had her crystal implanted. They'd given it to her when she'd had her appendix out. Might as well kill two birds with one stone they'd said. She'd likely get in trouble for attacking Carson as she had, but she knew it was all on video camera, and that they'd see she was attacked first.

Getting back to her room, she closed and locked the door, flinging her stuff off into a corner, and her shoes at the door, and she walked to her bed, flopping down onto it. Beside her head was a note, which she read. It explained everything about how she'd have to pack and what to pack. Aranova was in a desert. After a few moments laying there, she slipped up off the bed, and went about packing...she decided to try to expedite everything...she wanted to leave as soon as possible. With everything packed, she would call Emera...gets in trouble of course, and then with a little convincing, Emera agrees to trying to speed things up.

Bekka found herself waking from a nap only an hour later, the phone ringing beside her bed, and she would pick it up. Emera was calling, and had managed to get everything moved up. It would be in the morning. She was ecstatic and excited, thanking Emera. It would be the last night she'd have to spend in this dorm room, listening to the kids in the halls, or dealing with the other students poking and provoking. It made it difficult to get to sleep that night but some how she did.

The following morning, she left, receiving glares from Carson who had a broken nose. The tape had been seen and the healers had decided he deserved it, and wouldn't heal it. She smirked as she strolls out of the campus, and into the cab with Emera. The drive to the train station was long...nearly two hours. And once there, they had little time to get everything boarded. Rebekka hugged Emera goodbey. It wouldn't be forever, and Emera promised she'd come and see her soon. She gave her all of the papers she would need before Bekka stepped up onto the train and would find her seat, looking out the window. She could see Emera standing there one moment, but a crowd would pass between them, mixed with the steam from the train's breaks, and when it all clears, she was simply gone. Sighing, Bekka settles in for the long train trip that would take her to Aranova.