Light streamed in through the window, illuminating the bare and aged wooden furniture, its rich brown colour dulled with time. Spoons clattered against soup bowls as four people ate at the kitchen table.

The mother warmly looked over at Erik and Jeria while the man kept his eyes on the delicious food he’d prepared today. Erik remained at the table, a disdainful look in his eyes as his hand caressed his red, swollen cheek. He cast a hateful look at the gobbling figure of Jeria who shot him one of the same.

They continued in vocal silence, only the sounds of them eating their meals punctuating the atmosphere. It took the married pair little time to figure out something was wrong but they wouldn’t speak, wanting to let the siblings figure it out.

The scruffy bearded man passed a look at his wife, who gave a gentle knowing nod. He cleared his throat, placing his bowl down as he began,

“So ahem… what’s going on?”

Jeria stopped eating for a moment. Erik looked up and sighed silently. Jeria responded,

“I hit Erik.”

The red-haired woman turned to face her and asked,

“And why have you done that?”

“Because he groped my chest.”

Immediately, the wide-eyed parents turned to face Erik who quickly looked between them and refuted loudly, banging his closed fist gripping the spoon on the table,

“I did not!”

Jeria did the same, raising her voice as she banged her spoon on the table,

“Did too!”

“Did not! She tried to drown me!”

Jeria shot him a fiery glare. How dare he…

“I did not!”

The childish pair shot each other looks while the adult pair kept turning their heads between one to the other. Erik took a big breath as he pointed his hand at her while facing his parents,

“She tried to throw me off her back! I was going to fall so I grabbed as quickly as I could and-”

“Pervert!”

Erik recoiled with a gasp at Jeria’s accusation. He immediately flared back with,

“You fat cow!”

Jeria did not back down, rising louder in volume as the man looked to his wife for a resolution,

“You stinky pervert-dog!”

The woman closed her eyes and sighed, raising her hands forward as she spoke in a sweet, angelic voice meant to calm the two.

“Alright alright, that’s enough you two.”

“Worthless donkey!”

“Stinky mud pig!”

They completely disregarded her, continuing their loud name-calling. She opened her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, her glowing eyes looking at the two.

“I said that’s enough.”

“Rat-faced brat!”

“Rotten perverted fish eyes!”

“How are fish eyes even perverted!!”

The man seemed to be anxious, trying to defuse the situation as he frantically looked between the eyes of his wife and that of his children.

“Guys ehe, she said enough, come on-”

Erik pointed at her and shouted,

“She started it!”

“He’s weak!”

“You’re a monkey-faced brute! I almost d-”

“ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, there was a wave of searing hot fire that billowed out from the woman rapidly, catching both Erik and Jeria who were sent crashing through the back wall of the kitchen into the yard. They both hit the ground with a loud thud, the wind knocked out of their chests. Erik coughed weakly, tears filling his dusty eyes as he strained to look around in the settling dust. Some people approached at the commotion but quickly hushed and turned away to their business after seeing the fiery glowing eyes of the woman. Her hands were set ablaze in a bright whit-ish flame as the wave of fire dissipated, smoldering wood left in its wake.

Jeria was the first to get up with gritted teeth. She took a defensive position, huffing greatly as she brought her hands forward and shouted, two fireballs encasing her fists as she immediately rushed at her mother,

A smirk appeared on her face as Jeria swung at her midriff. The woman deflected the blow and kicked, landing another blow on Jeria who was once again sent flying, now coughing up blood as she fell on the grass. The woman’s eyes snapped to Erik who was seated on the ground with a horrified look in his eyes.

What sort of world was he in? One moment, this graceful angel was seated across from him with the kindest smile and an almost halo-like aura around her and in the next, she was shooting fire and throwing her kids through walls. Things were different and dangerous.

He wouldn’t have wished this on his enemies if he had any!

She began to walk to Erik but was promptly interrupted by a well-placed knee to the face by a dashing Jeria, the red of her eyes burning bright. Staggering backwards, she stumbled a bit. It wasn’t enough of a window but Jeria attacked with her fist, missing entirely as her figure disappeared before her eyes.

A look of surprise overtook her. Then she saw the fiery red hair to her side and before she could react, was punched in the midriff and went flying again, caught by a gust of wind that knocked her to the ground just in time before she went past the fence. Erik looked to the house and saw a green symbol disappear from the palm of his father’s hand, his spoon still moving as he grabbed Erik’s bowl.

‘Unfair!’

The mother turned towards Jeria. She walked over and kicked her over, flipping her upside and then bringing her closed fists down again. Jeria’s eyes dulled as they closed, a weak groan escaping her lips. Erik looked at his hands trying to figure out if he had any powers.

He couldn’t figure out shit, the sounds of Jeria being used as a punching bag were too much of a distraction for him.

‘Shit shit shit shit!’

He balled his fists until his knuckles whitened and then took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and pictured darkness. Then a spark. Envisioning fire was the only thing he could try so he did. And then he charged forward, raising his fist and his voice as he rushed his mother, punching her back.

…

His fist merely bounced off, now tinged with mind-numbing pain as he fell to the ground.

She stopped hitting Jeria, who lay still on the ground, dust settling around her tattered self as she turned to face Erik. He looked up with a look of utter terror as she raised her leg. Quickly, he brought up both his arms and shielded his face, closing his eyes.

Then… nothing.

Silence. He remained still, eyes closed, waiting for the kick. It didn’t come. Slowly, he opened his eyes and peeked through.

His mother gave him a devious smile.

“Hello.”

She kicked forward with such an insane speed, Erik could’ve sworn he heard three of his ribs being completely pulverized. He slid across the ground, coming to a halt when his back hit the fence, his vision blurred as he began to black out, some kids looking over the fence at his fallen body. He huffed inwardly, wanting to kick them for witnessing such humiliation.

The woman’s glowing eyes dissipated as she picked up Jeria, hoisting her unmoving figure over her shoulder and said something to her husband. He seemed to agree but their voices were getting further away -almost watery- as Erik’s vision blurred.

‘Telephone booth… what… the actual… fuck...’