"I saw you smiling at him!" I heard my dad screaming through the door,
"I was just being nice! Plus HE greeted me first!" My mom argued back. That's when I heard a loud SLAP, followed by several moments of silence.
"You're supposed to ignore him, you stupid *****, Why Can't you even do that?! If it was me, smiling at some whore you'd never let it go!" After shouting this, he left the house, slamming the door behind him. I continued playing with my toys. There used to be a time when I'd cry when they fought, but my tears have long dried up. Yesterday, Mom was breaking things because Dad came home an hour late without calling. Today, Mom smiled at the neighbor. Four days ago, a woman complimented Father, and he said, 'Thank you.' Instead of ignoring her, when we got home, my Mom punched him in the face and screamed at him. They fought for a few minutes after that, but it ended peacefully with them locked in an embrace. I doubt either noticed me leaving the room. This is normal in this house. If I want it to end, I need to grow up and move out. Today is special only because when I looked outside, it was snowing. I hurried out the door. The ice stung my skin and lungs, and I could see my breath floating in front of me. I'd read about snow in books, about Earth, but I never thought I'd get to see it for myself.
It's always warm here, and not many people enjoy cold weather for long periods. The weather is controlled by 4 figures, who are known as Elementalists. It's a family business. The weather is decided by a majority vote. So when it rains, that's because most people wanted it to rain, or on the days it is windy, that's what almost everyone wanted, and so forth. Requests are sent telepathically. I only saw snow once growing up, and it only lasted 5 hours before almost everyone grew tired of it and requested a change, but I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I longed to see it every day...
On my 8th birthday, I was finally able to choose my element to control. Without hesitation, I chose snow.
I also chose my name at that point; it's Snowe. It's nice to meet you! I'm gonna guess you're human so you might need a little more information, so... I am from a world called Infaniya, and we have obtained methods for controlling the main elements of Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth also Light, and Darkness, as well as mastering sub-categories, like Snow for example. Our history states that our ancestors were human, somehow, but we grow twice as fast and stop aging as soon as we reach our maximum height. There is a money system, but no one here goes hungry, even our poorest citizens have a home and food because we're assigned houses when we graduate from Secondary School. Our planet was made by the first of us. Her name is Angel, and she is still alive, at the core of this world, even 10,000 years later. No one has died of old age on Infaniya, but we are at war with our mirror race, the Afarions. The largest cause of death for my people is war. You might be wondering why we're at war, but I don't feel like explaining that right now. It's a long, complicated, and kind of disturbing story, and I just don't FEEL like getting into it right now. Plus, it doesn't have a lot to do with me. Maybe I'll tell you later. Anyway, let's get back to the story, starting with the day I found my path.
-
"Snowe..." My mom whispered, sneaking into my room in the middle of the night. I was in the middle of doing my homework, but I stopped writing to give her my full attention. Sure, someone might argue I stopped doing my homework because it was giving me a headache and I was glad my mom interrupted me, but MY story is: I selflessly stopped what I was doing for my beloved, albeit stupid, mother; and I'm sticking to my story.
"Hey, Mom, what do you need?" I replied, greeting her with a smile.
"I'm... feeling a little down, could you sing that song for me again?" She gave me puppy dog eyes as if I would refuse, but I never turned down a request to perform.
"Of course!" I stood up from my desk and cleared my throat. Then I began singing. The song was our school's anthem because I had been practicing it whenever I did chores around the house. I noticed, lately, that every time I sang, even if my mom and dad were fussing, they'd stop and listen, and the house became peacefully quiet for the rest of the day. Later in the day, if they disagreed, they would calmly talk it out. That's when I realized the power of music. As I sang, my power would resonate with the notes of the music, and snow would swirl around me from head to toe. I could faintly see my hair glow with a pure white light, illuminating my whole body. When the song ended, I smiled and said, "Did that help?" My mom clapped gleefully,
"Yes! Forgive me for being quiet, your father is asleep and I don't want to disturb him..." I gave my mom a swift hug before returning to my seat.
"I understand! He's such a grump when something wakes him." Dang it! I wish she had told me earlier, I wouldn't have been singing so loudly.
"Also... I wanted to talk to you alone... Me and your dad are... both very possessive of each other... you're almost an adult now, and I realized I was so focused on him I barely did anything for you." She ruffled my hair and glanced at my homework. "Starting today, I'm going to help you... Looks like you need it." How dare she!? Plus, I'm already set to graduate, and my grades cannot be fixed at this point.
The next morning, while I was eating breakfast, my dad woke up and smiled at me.
"Good morning, sweetie." I waved. He's never called me sweetie before. I'm 19 now, so I have already stopped growing, feels weird for him to dote on me now. He sat down in the chair next to me and patted my head. "You've grown up so fast!... You're moving out next year..." After those words left his lips, my dad started to tear up. "You don't have to go! Stay home for a few more years!" He shouted while hugging me.
"Dad... I gotta go to school." He hugged me tighter.
"I'm worried I won't be able to protect you anymore... I know I haven't always been the best father, but... I have made sure you and your mom were safe." My mom and dad told me how they were together since they were 5, so for you humans, around the size/mentality of a 10-year-old, they always fought with each other. Mom usually won. Especially after choosing her element, which was Glass/Sand, and his is Wind. When they got older, Dad started to win some fights, since they became less physical and more verbal. Even though Father's outbursts seemed irrational and unprovoked, each time he accused her of flirting with someone else, he was right, and Mom loved to rile Dad up. If he didn't get mad, she took it as him losing interest, and she'd start a fight over something trivial; it was all petty. Even though their relationship was like this, they chose to get married and have me as soon as they became adults... they're both idiots, in my opinion.
"I can protect myself," I replied, pushing him away.
"I heard you singing last night. Your voice is beautiful, it brings people joy, Snowe, never forget that." He rustled my hair and started crying again. "I'm gonna miss yo- Never mind just go to school. I love you." My mom has never told me she loved me, my dad has only said it once before and after he said it he left the house and disappeared for several weeks.
So this feels like a bad omen, like he is planning on leaving again. But maybe he's just saying he'll miss me because I'll be moving out on my own soon. I'll try not to think about it and instead, focus on what Dad said about me singing. Most Infaniyans hone their element to use in combat but mine is pretty useless. Sure, I can pile tons of snow on someone but that takes time to be effective against someone who could easily lift tons, and it takes much too long for me to freeze anyone with it, so it is pretty useless in a fight. Snow makes a flimsy shield and it requires very particular atmospheric conditions to even be created in the first place. So what my dad said enlightened and inspired me on what I should do. I can't help fight in the war, but maybe I can be an entertainer! I can boost morale, I can do something, I'm not completely useless!