The Rebel Factory

By Germaine Pentsil

"No matter how far you run, your problems always find a way to catch up with you." Celesta has been running all of her life, and her powers only mounted the pressure. Now, after so much pain and destruction, Celesta's taking the fight to the source, but is she in over her head?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Germaine Pentsil
• Release date: Jul 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386398578

Book preview

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 1

While all the other kids were playing, I used to sit on the concrete blocks, watching and humming along to different songs I’d picked up on the radio. Sometimes, my mother would stop whatever she was doing, her movements growing still to a level of silence that resonated to wherever I was, it didn't stop me though. I figured she was listening to me, maybe even watching. My hums eventually grew into full-blown songs, some just from the top of my head. I'd make up the silliest rhymes, laughing myself to a fit, it was one of my more joyous times.

Singing became a game for me; I didn't really care if I was heard or not, it was one of those things that soothed me, like watching a sunset or listening to a waterfall. Sometimes I’d put a melody to the tune of my mother’s many warnings that it wasn’t safe for me to play with the other kids, "Outside you cannot go, I’m sorry dear, but no". Her warnings were not without merit, from as long as I can remember, there was an air of peculiar occurrences around me. Pretty much, weird stuff would happen whenever I was around. Things would fly, stuff would crash, but at such a young age, I didn’t know it was because of me. The other kids in the neighborhood would tease me, leaving me with a feeling worse than emptiness, less than hollow. I think my mother gave me the warning to save a part of herself from having to deal with the other parents, having to explain why I was the way I was, or having to explain to me.  By the time I was 6, I’d gotten comfortable enough with silence and spending a good chunk of my childhood alone. When my parents had Serene, I was excited. I thought, finally, someone to play with! But as we got older I realized Serene wasn’t like me. She didn’t scare off the other kids and weird things didn’t happen around her. She was, different. I didn’t ask my parents what made the other kids like her and not me, or why we weren’t the same. I didn’t want to accept the obvious, and glaring truth. I had powers, special abilities, and she didn't. I thought if I didn’t acknowledge it, maybe they would go away. Instead, I only grew stronger. I displayed signs of psycho kinesis, telepathy, and invisibility early on, mostly by accident. I used to disappear when I was embarrassed, which doesn't seem so bad until someone notices that you've vanished in the blink of an eye. Can you imagine seeing a kid there one minute and gone the next? As I got older I learned I could shape-shift. I could morph into whatever I wanted, a different person, whatever made me blend in. As one can imagine, these attributes lead to me being called the alien child.  That was only by the adults; the kids were much crueler. Once the taunts became overwhelming, I would slowly fade away until people barely noticed I was there (or wasn’t). If I were more lonely than usual, I would walk the trails at the park, watching families bond and laugh, humming along to songs I’d picked up along the way. My family was not this close; my parents had grown to almost mute when it came to me. I didn’t wish for them to be a perfect

replica of the people I passed, but everywhere I looked, I found no kindred spirit, it just seemed like my family would have offered some support. I don’t think my parents knew what to do or say to me to make me feel better, so they didn’t say anything. Sometimes, when she thought I was asleep, my mom would come in my room late at night and just sit on the edge of the bed. I think it was her way of trying to find some peace. Despite my initial excitement, Serene and I never became close. She went out to school, hung out with her friends and enjoyed her life. I tried not to use my powers on family, so I often wondered if the other kids ever asked her about me, and what her response was.    

After the teasing became too much, I was probably around 9 at the time, my parents told me I would be better off home schooled, but I think it was for the other kids’ sake rather than myself. My parents were afraid of how I’d react against the taunting, like I might have developed the ability to shoot lasers and eliminate all my targets! My dad was always distant. Sometimes I would catch him watching me, only to look away once I became aware. I wondered if he thought I was reading his mind? I didn’t have to, though. I knew what he was thinking because I asked myself the same question; Are these my real parents? The DNA proved so, despite all doubt (I'd found out they'd had some tests done early on). My parents didn’t take the time to explain where my powers came from, so I was just sort of this thing that was a presence in an otherwise regular family dynamic. Aside from that, they tried so hard to make our home life simple in other tasks. We’d have family dinner, the room filled with a steady vibration of rehearsed small talk. I could sense the tension, but as time went on I cared less and less about how to break it. Finally, after the agonizing silence and uncomfortable clinks of silverware, we’d shuffle our plates to the kitchen. Serene