Bobby, Piotr, and Kitty had been assigned to go and interview prospective students two hours away from the Mansion. It was a simple, routine mission: interview the kids, their relatives if they had any, see what they were like, what powers they had, tell them about the school, and be on their way. It was just that easy. It was only supposed to take an hour, two tops.
After double-checking his information, Bobby concluded they were where they were supposed to be. The interviewee’s name was Ariel Thatch. Bobby pulled the car along side the curb in front of the Thatch’s house. Kitty, beside him in the passenger seat, looked at him and smiled.
“This doesn’t seem bad at all…it’s kinda charming, really.” She opened her door and stepped out. Piotr got out as well.
Bobby put the car in park, and turned it off. Stepping out of the car, he closed the door and locked it. Pocketing his keys, he walked in front of the vehicle and joined the other two mutants on the sidewalk. The three ambled up the walkway to the house together. Bobby looked around at the dwelling. Two-stories, dormer windows, a small porch with wicker furniture, it reminded him of his own home. He sighed, and knocked on the front door. A man in his mid-forties answered, and ushered the mutants inside. His hair was a mousy grey, and he stood about six feet tall. His eyes were a rich brown. After looking around outside, the man closed the door, and locked both the door itself and the deadbolt. He walked into the room where Bobby, Kitty, and Piotr were seated, waiting.
“Ah, you three must be from that special school for the gifted. It’s nice to know that my daughter is not alone. I’ll go get her; it’ll be just a minute.” The man turned with a smile and exited the room, leaving Bobby, Kitty, and Piotr alone once more.
“He seems nice,” Piotr suggested. Bobby just looked around the room, inspecting this and that, and taking mental notes in his head. Kitty nodded in agreement to Piotr’s comment. Bobby noticed the pictures on the walls and surrounding tables. He recognized the man in them as Mr. Thatch, and thought it safe to assume the young girl in the pictures as his daughter, Ariel. The woman standing next to them both was probably the mother. The man came back into the room, wringing his hands.
“Seems like she doesn’t want to come out…” he said as he looked over his shoulder. “She can be very, persuasive, at times.” A nervous chuckle came out of his mouth. Bobby exchanged a worried look with the others.
“Uh, sir, where is your wife? Is she here?” Bobby watched for any unusual signs from him.
Looking back over his shoulder before his reply, the man lowered his voice to a barely audible whisper. “She, she passed away earlier this year.” Bobby pressed on.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” He paused before the next question. “How long has your daughter had these ‘powers’?”
Mr. Thatch looked down at his feet. “She just got them. Right before my wife died. Please, no more questions. Let me try to go and get her again.”
“Please, sir, not just yet. What powers does she have?” Bobby was staring intently at him, adding up what he already knew in his head.
Mr. Thatch paused a moment, then told Bobby and the others, “She is very unique in her abilities. You will have to see for yourself.” He turned to walk away. Bobby stood up quickly.
“Sir, if your daughter is violent in any way, we will have to defend ourselves by any means necessary. What powers does she have?” he repeated with more urgency in her voice. Mr. Thatch stopped mid-step.
“My Ariel can be very persuasive.” He hurried to his daughter’s room. Kitty and Piotr stood and joined Bobby. All three exchanged worried looks. Mr. Thatch returned with his daughter at his side.
“You must be Ariel,” Kitty said as she looked the girl over. She was about twelve years old, tall for her age, and slightly skinny. Her raven-black hair contrasted greatly with that of her father’s mousy brown. Her eyes were a midnight blue, and her skin was exceptionally pale. She looked like she hadn’t seen the sun in years. She was dressed all in black, and wore a charm bracelet on her right wrist.
Ariel nodded. She had a solemn expression on her face. “What do you want with me?” Her voice was quiet, yet very powerful. Bobby took a step towards her, and bent down slightly so he was at her level.
“I want to talk to you for a moment, if you’ll let me. Can we go into your room? Just the two of us?” He gave her a small smile. He received another nod, and they went into her room. She shut the door behind them both as they went inside.
“Have you come to take me away?”
Bobby shook his head. “Only if you want to leave. I need to ask you a few questions, ok? I want you to answer them truthfully.” Ariel sat down on her bed, and gave him another nod as she picked up one of her dolls and began brushing its hair. He looked around her room before asking anything. He noted that the walls were bare, not even a mirror was present. No pictures, either. No toys, besides her doll. She had a dresser, and on it was a jump-rope. He made mental notes, and continued on with the private portion of the interview.
“What is your gift? What are your powers?”
Ariel answered immediately,” hypnotization.” She continued brushing her dolls’ hair. Bobby crossed his arms.
“Really now? That’s impressive. Now, Ariel, can you tell me what happened to your mom?”
“She died.”
“How was your relationship with her? Was it good?”
“No.”
Bobby watched her every move. She seemed impersonal towards the fact that her mother was dead at all. He phrased his next question carefully, never taking his eyes off of her. “What did she die from?”
Ariel’s head snapped up. Her eyes bore into Bobby’s, a grin on her face. “A rope. My rope.” She continued to stare into him.
Bobby wanted to leave the room, wanted to protest, but he couldn’t move. He tried to use his powers on her, but nothing happened. He attempted to open his mouth to scream, but no sound came out; his mouth would not move.
Kitty knocked on the door. “Bobby?” There was no answer.
Ariel looked towards her door. “I don’t want to leave, Bobby.” The girl’s voice was mesmerizing. Before he knew it, he was walking towards Ariel’s dresser, only he wasn’t making his legs move. He tried to resist, but it was a moot effort. His arm reached out towards the jump-rope laying on the dresser. He saw Ariel move closer to him, still holding her doll. He felt the rope in his grasps, and heard Ariel laughing. “Do you like to jump-rope, Bobby?” The rope was around his neck now. Tears slid down his cheeks, and all he could think of was Rogue. He had hung up on her this morning, and didn’t even say goodbye. Now she flooded his mind. He felt his arms tie the rope, his throat being constricted. Ariel’s laughter filled his ears as Bobby fell to the floor.
Kitty tried the doorknob, and found it locked. “Bobby? Bobby, what’s going on?” Pounding now. “Bobby? Bobby!” She didn’t want to use her powers in front of the Thatch’s, but she closed her eyes and went through the door and into the room. A scream escaped her mouth as she ran over to Bobby’s body.
The girl Ariel had vanished.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Bobby, Kitty, and Piotr interview their first prospective student.
*WARNING*
This chapter contains traces of suicide and murder. You've been warned.
*WARNING*
This chapter contains traces of suicide and murder. You've been warned.