The Energy Room (The Elementum Trilogy) by Styna Lane

house. He had been fostered by a family that cared very little about his well-being, and more about the extra income they received from having him around. As his eighteenth birthday neared, they pressured him to ‘make his own way in the world’. He willingly obliged, working as much as he could to save up for whatever he’d be able to afford, as soon as he could afford it. On this particular day, his left eye was highlighted by a shadowy bruise. My heart sank as he walked over to me.
    “Nadia told me about your ice-capades of the day.” Lakin smiled warmly with his statement, before greeting me with a hug.
    “ What happened to your eye, Lakin?” I asked, tenderly pushing a lock of hair back from his forehead to get a better look at the injury.
    “ Nothing, it’s fine,” he said, closing his eyes as he pushed his face further into my palm.
    “ Don’t lie to me, mister,” I said in a mockingly strict tone. “Can I see?”
    Lakin conceded, taking my hand in his. My vision clouded over as I was swept into a dimly lit room, the sounds of violent shouts piercing my ears. It felt as if I was part of an old movie, everything slightly hued with age. A stocky, grungy man with a shiny bald spot and a stained t-shirt was roaring at me, eyes aflame with rage.
    “I have taken care of you ungrateful piece of trash for eighteen years! While you are living under my roof, you will do as I say!” the man screamed, arms flapping furiously.
    I felt emotions that did not belong to me; anger, pain, an overwhelming desire to leave.
    “You think I want to live in this place? You think I’m not trying to get out of here? I work all day, every day, to get away from this dump!” I felt the words leave my mouth, but I was speaking in Lakin’s voice.
    “ Dump? DUMP?! Your mother and I work hard to keep this roof over your head, and to keep food on the table for your greedy little mouth!” the disgusting man boomed, spraying droplets of saliva across the room.
    “ She is not my mother. You are not my father. And neither of you have ever worked a day in your lives, unless you count milking the government as a career,” I said, again in Lakin’s voice.
    The man was silent, but his face was growing a deepening shade of red. Out of nowhere, a beefy hand swung through the air, making direct contact with my face. Pain emanated all across my head as I grasped at my eye. The initial urge I felt was to strike back, but I quickly rationalized that I would be able to do little damage to the building of a man standing across from me. The next thought that ran across my mind was to start a tornado in the middle of the small apartment, burn the place down, then flood the remainders of the building into Freedom Pond. This impulse swiftly deteriorated, as my stomach went into somersaults caused by the smiling face of a girl with messy, blonde hair; my face.
    I sprinted silently to a small bedroom off of the hallway, ignoring the sounds of more shouts coming from behind me. I grabbed a crumpled duffel bag from under the bed, shoving random pieces of clothing into it as fast as my trembling hands would allow. I caught a glance of Lakin’s red and swollen face in the mirror, left eye watery with pain.
    “ Where do you think you’re going?!” the man bellowed as I shoved past him, reaching for the front door.
    “ Anywhere that isn’t here,” I said with finality, not looking back as I slammed the door.
    I could still feel the phantom of pain in my face as I returned to my own body. Lakin stared back at me, keeping a firm, but sweet, grip on my hand, as if he was afraid I might try to run away.
    “What stopped you from using your abilities?” I asked, returning my hand to his face.
    “ I made you a promise. That is more important than revenge.” Lakin smiled, leaning his chin on the arm of my chair.
    I had been seven years old when I realized it wasn’t normal to always go to a white room filled with five other people when you dream. Up