I was thirsty. My body was in pain and so tense, it felt as if it was electrocuted. My eyes were burning and sensitive enough that they couldn't be opened. I remember throwing up while lying on my back, paralyzed. My mind was trying to understand what happened and where I was, or at the very least, where I was before the incident. Suddenly, a voice was shouting something at me, or in my head - it was so hard to tell.

"UP! Get up!"

Should I get up? Up where? I tried to say a word, but my throat was burning and my lungs were desperately searching for air. I realized I was crying and shaking as the silence became so overwhelming in that chaos. I couldn't remember my brother's face, my parents' face, my own face! It was like nobody had an identity anymore. I have never felt so scared and lonely in my entire life. Lonely and abandoned.

                                                                       ***

The floor was cold and somebody was talking loudly. The light was blinding me and my eyes were still burning. I took a moment to calm myself and focus on my breathing, praying to whatever Divinity for my body to be in one piece.

“I think she’s awake.” a woman said.

“I don't think she’ll survive, Bill.”

I thought the same thing. After a few attempts, my eyes were wide open, trying to identify the place I was held in. Someone grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back on to the ground, forcing me to lie down. She was a tiny woman, with green eyes and olive skin. The brand-new scar from her left cheek was big, close to the eye and still an angry red.

“Water…”

“She needs water. Ria, quick, bring me the water bottle. The red one.”

“But, Allaya, we're running short...”

“Now!”

Allaya lifted my head up and helped me drink without changing my position. Why doesn’t she let me move?

My worries flew away when I felt the water invading my body with its refreshing coldness. I have never been so grateful in my entire life for a sip of water, as I was in that moment.

Slowly, my strength and consciousness were returning, allowing me to see all the people in the room. Allaya and someone who I guessed was Ria, who were standing right next to me, a guy that looked like he was in his 30's and a young couple.

They didn’t look threatening, but not friendly either, so I gathered that my presence there raised many discussions and concerns. I greeted them, but it was more a grimace than a salute. My heart stopped beating when I saw my arms burned up to the elbow, covered by a limited number of bandages. My abdomen was the same.

“What's your name?“ The old man asked.

“Mia...Mia Russell.”

“Mia. Do you remember anything?”

“Besides my name? No. Who are you and why am I so hurt? Where am I?”

“One question at a time, if you don't mind. There are many things that need to be clarified and it will not be easy.”

“…”

“I’m Bill. The one who treated your wounds is Allaya. That is Ria and the twin brothers are Elise and Elliot.”

The last two waved at me, smiling.

“We are in a basement I found when the... power overtook our planet. I was in my garden when it happened and by my reckoning, I fainted for about two days. When I woke up, I started to search for survivors. This is how I found Allaya and the rest of them.”

“Now, can you tell me if you feel... different?”

“You mean burnt, crashed and high at the same time? Yes. Totally.”

“And being sarcastic will definitely save your ass, I suppose.”

Nice start.

“Mhm...What happened? What was that power?”

“We don’t know. Maybe it was something from the Universe, or maybe it was a sick joke from God. What we do know is that our bodies have changed somehow.”

“For example, the color of one of my eyes is different from the other.” Allaya said. “The left one is blue, and the right one is green. They both used to be green. Also, I can feel the organs within a body... like a weird vibration coming right at me. And my wounds heal really fast.”

My face was perplexed. And the eye thing was actually true, when I took a closer look.

“What?! You mean you are some kind of super doctor, quack or whatever with superpowers?”

“Yes, Whitey. And I got super strong. I can break down a wall with my fists or flip a car out of my way. Allaya is sort of a quack, the twins are still normal and Ria... we’re still trying to figure it out.” Bill nervously raised his voice.

“You’re joking, right?”

“…”

“This is insane! It can’t be...”

Then a strong burning sensation crossed my arms and the tingling going through my fingers made them shake. I couldn't see anymore and my head was pounding with bright images.

“Get out, all of you. Get out, now!” Allaya suddenly screamed.

I was in agony, the pain made me scream so loud that my brain got literally toasted and in a second, everything went blank.

“She will kill us! Mia, stop it! NO!”

Suddenly, all the tension in my body was released. And it felt so good!

...

“Allaya?”