Where The Heart Is: ▅▅▅▅▅▅ Special #1
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
The girl blinked, unsure of where and when she was.
Everything was blurry, almost like looking underwater, and it hurt to look.
Her head felt funny, heavy and wobbly as if it wasn't quite attached right. Something warm and sticky coated her face, and she wiped at it with a shaky hand, her fingers coming away slick and red. Blood. Why is there so much blood?
She raised her hand to her face, suddenly aware her glasses were missing, the familiar weight of them gone from her nose. She tried to focus, but her head throbbed painfully, a harsh rhythm that seemed to sync with the sharp shards of light stabbing through the rain-streaked windows, each flash sending a bolt of agony through her skull.
I'm in the car... but it was all wrong, everything twisted and distorted like a funhouse mirror. The window next to her was a spider web of cracks, the glass barely holding together, and cold air blew through it, making her shiver, the chill seeping into her bones. The car wasn't moving; it was really quiet outside, just the sound of rain hitting metal and the weird, distant noise of cars honking somewhere far away, like an echo from another world. I'm in the rain... no?
She was sticky, a warm, wet stickiness that clung to her skin, soaking through her clothes—blood, she realized dimly, the coppery scent filling her nose. It was everywhere, coating her hands and soaking into her clothes, making them cling uncomfortably to her body, the fabric heavy and cold against her skin.
A harsh, raspy noise made her turn her head slowly to the left, the movement sending a fresh wave of pain through her neck and shoulders. It hurt to move, like her neck was made of stiff rubber, each tiny motion sending a jolt of agony down her spine. Mom?
Her mom was there, sitting like she always did when driving, but she looked so wrong, so utterly broken. The left side of the car was smushed in, all shattered glass and twisted metal, the door pressing into her mom like a giant had squished it, trapping her in a cage of jagged steel. Her mom's head lolled to the side at an unnatural angle, and her face was...
It was a mask of blood, the crimson liquid painting her features in wet, dripping strokes, obscuring everything familiar and comforting. Each labored breath she took was a wet, gurgling sound that made her stomach twist with a fear she couldn't quite comprehend, her head pounding in time with the frantic beating of her heart.
"Mom?" Her voice was small, swallowed up by the rain and the weird echoey feeling in her head, the word seeming to come from far away. Her mom didn't move, just kept making that scary, gasping noise, each breath a clear struggle.
She reached out with a trembling hand, her fingers shaking so badly it was hard to see them clearly. She touched her mom's arm, and it was cold, way colder than it should be, the skin clammy and slick with blood. Why isn't she waking up?
A cough tore its way out of her throat, wet and painful, and she tasted copper on her tongue, the metallic tang making her gag. She could feel something warm and wet trickling from her nose, her eye, her mouth, the blood dripping down her chin and soaking into her shirt, each drop a searing point of heat against her chilled skin.
The world spun dizzyingly around her as she tried to take a deep breath, the air catching in her chest like shards of glass, and she had to fight the urge to vomit, her stomach churning with nausea. Her heart pounded in her chest, panic clawing its way up her throat as tears blurred her already shaky vision, the salty drops stinging the cuts on her face. She reached out with her other hand, both sets of digits trembling violently as they touched her mother's cold, limp fingers. "Mom, please," she whispered, the words catching in her chest, each syllable a struggle, "stay with me."
She tried to pull her mom closer, to maybe get her away from the crushed door, but her mom was stuck, pinned in place by the twisted metal, and she wasn't strong enough, her arms weak and shaky. Her eyes stung, and she wasn't even sure if it was from the rain or tears, the salty liquid mingling with the blood on her face.
Her mother's eyes stayed distant, glazed over but not unseeing as they stared forward past her shattered glasses, her face ghostly pale as she continued to cough blood.
Red bubbled at her lips with each shuddering breath, tears pouring from the little girl's eyes as she watched.
Mom, please... The words circled endlessly in her mind, losing meaning with each repetition, the words blurring together into a meaningless jumble of syllables. Her mother's blood was on her hands—literally—and it was sticky and beginning to dry, pulling tight over her skin as she moved her fingers.
This shouldn't be happening. Not to her. Not to her mom. Why can't I do anything? The thought bounced around her skull, a searing accusation that made her stomach twist with guilt and fear.
The sharp, metallic scent of blood mingled with the musty odor of rain-soaked upholstery, filling the car, suffocating in its intensity. The middle-schooler felt trapped, her body rigid with shock, each muscle locked in place as if she'd forgotten how to move.
She knew she should do something, should get out, run for help, but the thought dissolved each time she looked at her mother, her mind shying away from the idea of leaving her alone in this twisted metal cage. She couldn't leave her. Every second was a tick of a clock she couldn't hear but felt thumping against the inside of her skull.
Then, something inside snapped, like a too-tight string stretched beyond its limit, tension giving way to something else.
Reality warped, the edges of her vision fraying into darkness as her focus tunneled on the still figure of her mother, the rest of the world fading away until there was nothing else. In that broken space, her mind reeled, scrambling for escape, and she fell into a vision, the world around her shattering into a kaleidoscope.
The world tilted, reality bending around her in a swirl of incomprehensible patterns and shapes, the fragments of her consciousness spinning out into the void. She saw them—huge, indescribable creatures, twining around each other in a cosmic dance of stars and void, their forms shifting and changing in ways that made her mind ache to comprehend. They were terrifying, beautiful, and utterly alien, their forms folding and unfolding in ways that the human mind wasn't built to process, each movement a ripple in the fabric of reality.
Like gods or monsters from a fever dream, they existed in layers upon layers of reality, their movements echoing through the void with the weight of celestial bodies, each shift sending shockwaves through the cosmos. The creatures were connected, their forms a tapestry of living, breathing universes, each action and reaction a ripple across the vast expanse of space and time.
As the beings moved, they shed parts of themselves, like stars shedding light, the debris of their existence scattering across the dark, empty space, seeding worlds with the potential for life, for growth, for power. The girl felt herself drawn into their dialogue, understanding without words, the meaning of their existence searing itself into her mind like a brand.
The vision shifted, the beings fading away as she felt herself pulled back towards her body, a tether drawing her back to the harsh reality of the wrecked car. She felt detached, as if part of her floated outside her body, watching from a distance as a spark ignited inside her brain, a flicker of something vast and incomprehensible.
Her mother, still and barely breathing within the wreckage of the car, seemed to slow further, her movements and the trickle of blood from her lips pausing as if caught in honey, each second stretching out into an eternity. Her hands tingled, warmth spreading up her arms as she was pulled fully back into her body, the vision receding, leaving her breathless, her senses heightened.
Everything seemed sharper, clearer, as if a veil had been lifted from her eyes. She could see the individual drops of rain hitting the cracked windshield, could feel each shard of glass pressing into her skin, could hear the distant wail of sirens over the pounding of her own heart.
And her mother...
The girl's breath caught in her throat as her gaze landed on the broken figure beside her, taking in the details she'd been too shocked to process before. The jagged gash across her forehead, the odd angle of her arm, the bubbling wheeze of each labored breath...
It was too much, the reality of it hitting her hard.
Everything spun a little, and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the dizziness, the world tilting precariously around her. When she opened them again, the golden glow was there, coming from her hands, making no sense but there it was, a soft, pulsing light that seemed to emanate from her very skin.
Her hands glowed with a soft, golden light, the air around her shimmering as she instinctively reached out further, her power responding to her desperate, unspoken wish. Time seemed to fold around her mother, slowing, the dust in the air seeming to hang suspended as the light engulfed her, wrapping her in a cocoon of shimmering energy.
The twelve-year old stared, her brain not really understanding, not quite processing what she was seeing. The glow spread, shaping itself into something—or somethings—hexagonal, a lattice of light that made the air look thick and shiny like glass around her mom. Everything inside the shape seemed to pause, the blood from her mother's lips frozen like a red crystal in the air, her chest stilled mid-breath.
"Mom?" The word slipped out again, a broken whisper that hung in the sudden, eerie silence of the car.
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She didn't answer.
For a moment, everything—the pain, the fear, the cold cling of her mother's blood on her skin—faded into a dull, distant thump of her heart in her ears.
It almost seemed like watching a movie.
Then, the world shifted again.
No… the car shifted.
In an almost gentle heave that didn't match the violence that came before it, the scream of metal on metal still echoing in her ears, the car lifted.
The world tilted slightly as they were pulled away from the crushed wall, the twisted metal that had been pressing into her mom's side easing up. The girl's stomach lurched with the movement, and she kept her lips closed, shut tight to hold back the nausea as blood pooled in her mouth, the coppery taste making her gag.
Then, as gently as it had lifted, the car settled back onto the ground, the rain-soaked asphalt glistening in the golden light that still emanated from her small hands. The gentleness of it was so at odds with the chaos of the crash that for a moment, she wondered if she had slipped into some strange dream, her mind trying to shield her from the jagged reality of their wrecked car and her injured mom, the blood and the broken glass and the sickening angles of bone.
Her gaze was pulled sharply to the driver's side as the door was torn away, the screech of metal making her flinch, her golden light flickering with her fingers.
It wasn't just removed—it was flung aside with a raw, terrifying force, the door sent flying like a piece of paper tossed by the wind. The sound of it slamming down somewhere outside her field of vision was a distant crash, barely registering over the ringing in her ears.
In the space where the door had been, a tall figure stepped forward, his body blocking out the gray, rainy backdrop of the street. The man was big, his frame filling the gaping hole left by the door, his shoulders broad and his stance solid, unshakable. He wore blue, the color vivid against the muted tones of the world around them, the fabric stretched tight across his muscular frame.
"Don't worry, everything will be alright."
But she barely registered the words.
Her thoughts were a tangled mess, sluggish and disjointed, as the golden glow from her hands bathed the interior of the car in a soft light, casting long shadows across her mother's still face.
The man moved closer, his presence solid and real. She watched him, her mind oddly clear in that moment, the details of his face, his costume, etching themselves into her memory with a perfect clarity. The blond man smiled at them both, reassuring and calm, before he bent down to lift the car again, his hands gripping the twisted metal tight.
"Let's get you two to the hospital."
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Two Years Later
– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –
Taylor leapt off the bus, laughing loudly as her feet touched the sidewalk, the soles of her brand-new sneakers slapping against the sun-warmed concrete. The fourteen-year-old spun on her heel, a grin plastered across her face, and waved energetically to the departing bus driver, her long ponytail swinging with the motion.
"Bye, bye, Mr. Linovsky!" she called out, her voice bubbling with cheer, the words almost singing as they left her lips.
The chubby bus driver waved back, his smile as warm as the afternoon sun as his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Bye bye, Taylor. Tell your dad I said hi!"
"I will!" She watched the bus pull away, her smile lingering as she kept waving. As it disappeared around the corner, she turned, her bright yellow shirt almost glowing against the black denim of her overalls.
Her backpack, peppered with stickers and buttons of The Seven, bounced against her as she started down the street, the weight of her textbooks and notebooks barely registering. Her brown eyes sparkled with flecks of gold at the center that caught the sunlight, giving them an almost otherworldly gleam.
Her backpack, peppered with stickers and buttons of The Seven, bounced against her as she started down the street, the weight of her textbooks and notebooks barely registering. Her brown eyes sparkled with flecks of gold at the center that caught the sunlight, giving them an almost otherworldly gleam.
Oh my god, she thought as she skipped along, her feet barely touching the ground, today was so fun! Every day at Winslow High was an adventure, filled with friends and extracurriculars, but today had been something else—something ama~zing.
I can't wait to tell Mom and Dad! The thought made her steps quicken, her heart racing with anticipation. They were always so supportive, so excited to hear about her day, and she knew they'd be over the moon about today's news.
With her heart light and her steps even lighter, Taylor darted into their yard and up to the front door, which was, as always, unlocked. Pushing it open, she burst into the house with the force of a small tornado, her voice echoing through the hallway as she kicked off her sneakers.
"I'm hoooooo~oooome!" Her words rang out, filling the space with her infectious enthusiasm.
From the kitchen came a reply, tinged with a hint of distraction. "Hey there, bumblebee," her mom called back, her voice slightly shaky, as if she'd been startled out of deep thought.
Annette Hebert stepped around the corner, wiping her hands on a dish towel, her dark curls escaping from the messy bun she'd tied them in. Her expression was a bit dazed, as if her mind were miles away, her usually bright eyes clouded with something Taylor couldn't quite decipher.
Taylor didn't miss a beat; she dropped her backpack and rushed over to give her mom a fierce hug, her arms wrapping around her mother's waist as she buried her face in her shoulder. "Oh my god, mom, you're not gonna believe it. I made the drama team!"
Annette's eyes widened, a smile breaking through her distraction, her arms coming up to return Taylor's hug. "Oh my god, Taylor! That's amazing, honey! I'm so proud of you!"
"I know!" Taylor bubbled over, giggling and bouncing on the balls of her feet, her ponytail swishing with the motion. "It was so intense, mom. The audition, I mean. There were so many people there, and I was so nervous, but I just kept thinking about what you always say, about how I can do anything I set my mind to, and I just... I just did it!"
Annette's smile widened, her eyes shining with pride as she listened to Taylor's recounting, her hands coming up to cup her daughter's face. "Of course you did. You're unstoppable when you put your mind to something. I never doubted you for a second."
"Also, Also, Also, Sophia made the track team!" Taylor burst out again, her words tumbling over each other in her eagerness to share.
"That's also great, ho-," Annette tried again, but Taylor's excitement was a runaway train, unstoppable in its momentum.
"Right?" She was nearly breathless with glee, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling. "She's been training so hard for this, mom. Every day after school, she's out there on the track, pushing herself to be faster, stronger. And it paid off! She's gonna be amazing, I just know it."
Annette nodded, her smile genuine but her eyes still holding a flicker of something else, something that Taylor, in her excitement, didn't quite catch. "I'm sure she will be, Taylor. Sophia's a determined girl, just like you."
"Also also also, Emma told me she got in! Vought called her last night and they told her they have a spot for her! Isn't that amaaa~zing!?" Taylor's voice rose with each word, her hands flailing in the air as she tried to convey the magnitude of the news.
"Very!" Annette managed to get out, her tone sincere but her expression still slightly distracted, as if her mind were trying to process too many things at once.
Taylor, however, was too caught up in her own excitement to notice the subtle shift in her mother's demeanor. "Where's dad? I gotta tell him!" she exclaimed, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting Danny to materialize out of thin air.
"Taylor, wa-"
She didn't wait; she was already half-way to the kitchen, her feet carrying her forward with a will of their own. "Da-"
The word caught in her throat as she skidded into the kitchen, her sneakers squeaking against the linoleum. The sight before her was so incongruent with the normalcy of their little family home that it took her brain a moment to process, to reconcile the everyday with the extraordinary.
Her dad sat at the kitchen table, a half-eaten donut in front of him, the colorful sprinkles a stark contrast to the plain white plate. He leaned forward on the circular wooden surface, his elbows resting on the worn placemat, his hands clasped together as if in deep thought.
His bulk strained at his shirt as he loomed nearly six feet tall even while sitting down, his muscles large, vascular, and noticeably gray; a sign that he was at the very least slightly stressed or trying to keep from getting stressed, his shoulders rigid under the fabric of his flannel.
Across from him, in a chair that seemed far too small, sat a figure so iconic, so larger-than-life, that Taylor's mind reeled, struggling to comprehend the reality of what she was seeing.
His cape pooled on the floor, the vibrant colors of the American flag stark against the faded linoleum, the fabric seeming to glow under the fluorescent lights of the kitchen.
Taylor blinked, her mouth opening and closing, her mind scrambling for words that wouldn't come. Finally, as her mom walked up behind her, the sound of footsteps jolting her brain into motion again, she managed a weak, "H-Homelander?"
The man turned his head to face her, his trademark super smile in place, his teeth gleaming white against the tan of his skin. His eyes met hers over the rim of his coffee cup and she felt like fainting.
"Hey there, kiddo. How's it been?"