“Dr. Cloud, do we still have to search for the being with the supernatural abilities? We’ve been searching for three years now,” said my father’s lab assistant. “Yes, we are so close; I can just feel it. I won’t give up until I find them,” my dad replied. I have no clue who this person they’re looking for is or why my dad dragged me to his office today, but at least I’m not at school, so that’s a small win. “Dad, can I please go home now? I get to skip science at school; why would I want to watch you do it?” My father chuckles, “Maybe you could learn a thing or two, Gia. Plus, you didn’t think you could skip school and have fun, did you?” I roll my eyes; I’ve been at my dad’s lab for what feels like a year. I finally get fed up and call my mom. “Mom, could you please pick me up from Dad’s workplace? It’s so boring here.” “Sure, sweetie, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I let out a sigh of relief.
As I hang up, I get a flood of texts from my best friend Natalie. Oh shoot! I totally forgot about our plan to go to the movies. I’m five minutes away from being late. My mom pulls in, and I quickly get in, asking her to drive me to the movies. I arrive about three minutes late, but it doesn’t matter since ads are just playing right now. “Gianna! Where were you?” asks Natalie. “Sorry I’m late, Nat! I was at my dad’s lab and lost track of time!” She accepts my apology, and we grab our snacks and head into the movie.
As we sit down to watch the movie, I suddenly need to use the restroom. “One second, Nat, I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” After finishing up and washing my hands, I notice something glowing in the corner of my eye. “Come to me,” the glow whispers mysteriously. I follow its call, and as my hand gets closer and touches the brightness, I feel as if I’m not in my body anymore. I feel light as a feather until I snap back to reality, slammed onto the floor. I get up, feeling heavier than before, but I decide to ignore it and go back to the movie. Natalie notices my worried expression and asks what’s wrong. Not ready to tell her, I say I’m feeling sick. She drives me home and tells me to get well soon. I sprint to my room and collapse onto my bed, trying to calm down and make sense of what just happened.
My mom knocks and walks in. “Hey Gia, I noticed you ran straight to your room. Are you okay?” she asks. “Yeah, I’m alright, Mom, don’t worry.” “Okay, well, I’m going to the supermarket with your brother now. Do you want to come along?” she asks. “Sure, I’ll get ready,” I reply before she closes the door. I hope that going to the supermarket with my family will help me feel calmer.
As I’m going down the stairs to get into the car outside, I lose all control of my left leg and slip. I look down and see that my leg has completely disappeared! When I touch it, I can still feel it, so could it be that it’s invisible? My mom barges in, thinking I fell down the stairs. “Gianna! Are you okay?” she asks, worried. “Mom, do you see my leg?” I ask, my voice trembling. “Yes, baby, are you alright?” My mom looks at me with concern, as if she thinks I’m going crazy. “Y-yeah, I’m all good,” I lie, regaining control of my leg and getting into the car.
Sitting in the back seat, my thoughts crackle like static in my brain. I glance down at my leg, relieved it’s visible again, but the unease won’t fade. What’s happening to me? Could it be connected to that strange glow I touched? My heart races like it’s been jolted by a live wire. I try to stay calm, but I feel this strange energy buzzing under my skin, like I’m charged with something I don’t understand. The drive to the supermarket feels like it’s dragging on, every second sparking with anxiety as I try to piece together what just happened. And then it hits me—could this have something to do with my dad’s research? Am I the “being with supernatural abilities” they’ve been searching for? The thought sends a current of fear through me, and I shiver despite the warm breeze drifting through the open window.
As we pull into the supermarket parking lot, I notice Ethan, my brother, giving me a weird look from the seat beside me. He’s usually all goofy and annoying, but right now he looks... worried. “Gia, are you okay?” he asks, his voice softer than usual. It’s like he knows something’s up, even though I haven’t said a word. I try to play it cool and force a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired or something.” But Ethan isn’t convinced. He squints at me, like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. “You’re acting weird. Different, I don’t know.”
A wave of guilt hits me for freaking him out, but what am I supposed to say? That I might have just turned invisible and feel like I’m buzzing with electricity? Instead, I just mess up his hair, trying to act normal. “You’re imagining things, Ethan. I’m good, promise.” He nods, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me. As we get out of the car, I grab his hand and give it a quick squeeze. I want to make him feel better, but deep down, I can’t shake the feeling that things are about to get a whole lot weirder.
As we walk into the supermarket, I start noticing something strange. Every time I get near anything electric—like the automatic doors or the lights—they flicker a little. It’s small, but I can feel it, like a tiny zap under my skin, buzzing more and more the longer we’re here. Ethan’s going on about some new video game he wants, but I’m barely paying attention. My focus is on the lights overhead, which keep flickering every time I get close.
I grab a cart, and the second my hand touches the metal, there’s this sharp shock that makes me yank my hand back. It’s not just a little static shock—it’s stronger, like I just got zapped by something serious. Ethan notices and gives me a look. “Did you just shock yourself?” I force a laugh, trying to stay cool even though my heart’s pounding. “Yeah, stupid cart.”
But as we keep moving through the aisles, it just gets worse. The freezer doors spark when I grab the handle, and the touchscreens at the self-checkout glitch out whenever I’m near them. I’m trying to act normal, but I can feel this energy building up inside me, like I’m some kind of walking battery ready to blow. And the scariest part? I have no clue how to stop it. I’m starting to freak out, trying to keep it together as we make our way through the store. Ethan’s still chatting away, oblivious, but I’m hyper-aware of everything around me. Every flicker, every spark, it’s like the whole store is reacting to me, and I don’t know how to turn it off.
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Then, it happens. We’re standing in the cereal aisle, and Ethan’s debating between two boxes when the lights overhead start flickering like crazy. Not just a quick flash, but full-on strobing. People around us are starting to notice, glancing up at the lights and whispering to each other. My heart’s racing, and I can feel that buzzing under my skin getting stronger, almost like it’s trying to break free. Before I can even think about what to do, there’s a loud pop, and one of the lights bursts, sending sparks showering down. I jump back, my breath catching in my throat. Ethan looks at me, eyes wide. “What the heck was that?” I’m too stunned to answer, my mind spinning. Did I just do that? Did I just blow out a light with... whatever’s going on inside me? I glance around, desperate to get out of there before something worse happens. This is way beyond weird now—it’s dangerous, and I have no idea what’s coming next.
My heart’s racing as I drag Ethan toward the front of the store. He’s looking at me all confused and a little freaked out, but I can’t really explain anything right now. We’re hurrying through the store, and the buzzing sensation under my skin is getting worse. Every step seems to make it worse. The checkout counters start going crazy, beeping and flashing as we pass by, and the cashiers are running around trying to fix everything. I can see Mom coming around the corner, her cart loaded with groceries. She’s instantly on high alert when she sees the chaos. “Gia, what’s going on?” she asks, her voice full of worry.
I’m about to say something when the automatic doors stop working, shuddering and sticking halfway. People inside are starting to panic, trying to figure out why they can’t get out. I feel a wave of guilt crash over me—this is my fault. “Mom, we need to leave now!” I shout, trying to keep my cool. Mom rushes over, eyes darting between me and the malfunctioning doors. “What’s happening? Why are the doors stuck?” “I don’t know,” I lie, feeling a little bit of the buzzing ease up as we get farther from the electric stuff in the store. “I just think it’s better if we get out of here.” Mom finally manages to get the door open just enough for us to squeeze through. We hurry outside, and I’m trying to steady my breathing. Ethan’s still giving me a worried look, and Mom’s face is a mix of confusion and concern. I fumble with the car keys, my hands shaking. Once we’re all inside the car and the doors are shut, I start the engine and drive off.
Mom turns to me, her eyes full of questions. “Gia, what happened back there? You need to tell me.” I look at her, trying to keep my voice steady. “It’s nothing, Mom. I just... I felt weird, and I think it was just a fluke or something.” Mom doesn’t look convinced, but she nods, her face still pale. “Okay, but we need to figure out what’s going on.”
As we drive home, I feel a mix of fear and determination. I know I can’t keep this a secret for long, but for now, I must keep it to myself. Whatever’s happening to me, I need to get a handle on it before it causes more trouble. As we drive home, I can’t stop thinking about Dad’s project. All those late nights he’s been working, and the way he’s been obsessed with finding this “being with supernatural abilities.” I start to wonder if maybe his research has something to do with what’s happening to me. The lab was full of strange equipment and notes, and I bet some of that stuff is connected to whatever’s going on with me now. I remember him saying we were close to something big, and I can’t help but think it’s got to be related.
Ethan’s sitting quietly in the back seat, and Mom’s eyes keep flicking to me in the rearview mirror, like she’s trying to figure out if I’m hiding something. I’m torn between telling them and keeping it all to myself. I mean, what if Dad’s project is somehow making this worse, or if it’s part of the reason I’m feeling like I’m about to short-circuit? I don’t even know how to explain it, let alone how to fix it. I just hope that whatever’s happening, I can get a handle on it before things spiral even further out of control.
When we finally get home, I’m itching to talk to Natalie. I shoot her a text asking if she can come over, and she quickly replies with a thumbs-up. I’m relieved to have someone to confide in, especially since I’m not ready to spill everything to my parents just yet. Natalie arrives, and we head up to my room. I shut the door behind us and flop onto my bed, while Natalie sits cross-legged on the floor. I dive right in. “Okay, you won’t believe what happened today. Something weird is going on with me. I think I might have some kind of... powers.” Natalie’s eyes widen. “Powers? Like superpowers?” “Yeah, sort of. I was at the store, and every time I got near something electric, it went haywire. The lights flickered, the cash registers beeped uncontrollably, and even the freezer doors sparked. It felt like I was making all that stuff happen.” Natalie looks at me, stunned. “That’s crazy. What do you think is causing it?” Before I can respond, I hear a faint noise from the hallway—a door creaks open and shut. It’s so quiet, I almost think I imagined it. But then, as Natalie and I continue talking, I catch a glimpse of Dad’s shadow sliding past the crack under my door. He doesn’t come in, but I know he must have heard something.
I try to focus on Natalie, who’s still staring at me in disbelief. I’m starting to worry about what Dad might have heard and what he’ll do with that information. For now, though, I need to stay calm and keep talking things through with Natalie. As I keep talking to Natalie, I can’t shake the feeling that Dad might have overheard us. I try to ignore it and focus on what I’m saying. “So, I’m thinking maybe Dad’s research has something to do with this. I remember him talking about how they were close to finding someone with these kinds of abilities, and now I’m wondering if that’s what’s going on with me.” Natalie looks thoughtful. “That makes sense. If he’s been working on something like that, maybe you’re connected to it somehow.” I nod, but the worry in my chest doesn’t go away. “Yeah, but I don’t even know how to handle this. I mean, what if it gets worse? What if I can’t control it?”
Before Natalie can respond, I hear a quiet knock at my door. I freeze, glancing at Natalie. “Yeah?” I call out, trying to sound casual. Dad’s voice comes through the door. “Gia, I just wanted to check in. If you need anything or want to talk, I’m here.” I feel a flush of anxiety. “Thanks, Dad. I’m okay, just talking with Nat.” Dad’s footsteps fade away, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I turn back to Natalie, trying to push aside the uneasy feeling. “Anyway, I’m just trying to figure out how to keep this under control. I don’t want things to spiral out of hand.” Natalie gives me an encouraging smile. “You’ll figure it out, Gia. You always do.” I hope she’s right, because right now, I’m not so sure.