Prologue-Who am I?

I have experienced a lot in the twenty-five years I have had on this earth. Everyone knows the day I was born. They know where I lived and what I looked like. My adoptive parents were visited for years so others could ask questions about me. Everyone in the world was curious about the baby girl who hatched out of an egg filmed live to the world. People knew my name but because most didn’t talk to me directly, I was alone.

On the night I was born the world was in a state of shock when so many children hatched from eggs all across the world. We were all different shapes and sizes. What made us stand out from the rest were the unique features that we had. For some of us it was the startling beauty of our eyes. For others was their size or abilities that could be seen right away. The thing that made me stand out was my hair. It was a deep coal black with unnatural red streaks.

A week before my sixth birthday my whole life changed. The home of my adoptive parents caught fire. Somehow I was left inside as our home burnt to the ground. I had chosen to hide and feared that I would die. Shockingly I did not. When the house began to collapse around me everyone on the street witnessed as I stood in the flames. They watched on as I didn’t burn. They watched as I somehow consumed the flames and made the fire disappear.

After that incident, my adoptive father couldn’t even tolerate my presence. I could tell that he feared me. I found out the hard way that he was not the only one. On the day of my birthday, I sat waiting in the living room of one of our relatives to see my guest as they arrived. I waited and I waited. As the sun started to sink into the horizon I had realized that no one was coming. Everyone feared me now. My adoptive mother tried to provide me comfort in my sadness. Even though I could feel her love I was stuck in my disappoint and ignored her.

When she left the room to go and slice me a piece of cake I grew angry. I had always felt different than others around me. Because of my Chinese features people treated me with so much interest but when I wanted that interest to celebrate the day of my birth everyone abandoned me. I remember screaming out in a pure rage from the pain I felt. I was ashamed of myself and believed that I was truly a freak of nature. In my anger the bones in my body broke apart. I felt myself grow in the tiny space of that living room and saw my vision turn red. When I looked down and saw that I no longer had feet I jerked around the tiny room in a pure panic. In a blind haste to get away from myself I rammed into the walls trying to free myself from inside this beast who had claws.

I just wanted to get away so I wouldn’t feel the rage anymore. I roared in the room and watched things get set on fire from the blaze that left my mouth. I stopped my path of destruction when I heard a voice in my head. It’s okay. We will get through this together. We are not a freak of nature. We are simply different. Someday you will see that differences open our eyes to a brighter world. Be calm. It’s okay.

In that moment I found comfort in the voice. Upon hearing it the red haze cleared from my vision. I looked around at the destruction I caused and felt even more ashamed. I started to panic again but once more the voice spoke. You are okay. Things are not as bad as they seem. I will be with you forever, but you do not have to stay this way. Do you want to change back? At my nod she gave me directions. Picture what you look like in your mind. See your body. See your hands wiggle. Feel the roundness of our cheeks. Imagine our beautiful hair flowing in the breeze. Now open your eyes.

When I opened my eyes I was normal again. I smiled knowing that my new friend had helped me. I grabbed a blanket that had once laid on a cushion and wrapped it around myself. The flames were now gone, and I no longer felt angry. My mother burst into the room and saw the destruction I had caused. Even though I still saw in funny colors I could clearly see my mom. She pointed a shaky finger at me, and her mouth gaped as she tried to find her words. She never did. Soon they would send me away and never see me again.

I would always be surrounded by people but would walk the world alone. I found a faraway village where it was seen as normal that I had conversations with myself. It was normal for me to have a monster inside. For the ones that didn’t understand I would be labeled a monster. Years later I would believe I was a monster. Amongst my kind I made a home. We formed a clan on our differences and welcomed all that were born from an egg. We all learned that we weren’t human. Those that were born from bodies called us supernatural.

They don’t know where we came from. They still search for our purpose in the world. They monitor our actions by reports and treat us different when we are in their presence. We grew to learn that we will never be their equal. They chose a place to abandon us too that was far from their populations. Yet, they call on us when they need our help. We are the secret the world wants to remain hidden.

For them I travel through fire and flame. I work beside their men but still apart. I am still treated as a freak and greeted with fear in their gaze. I have saved more people than all of them combined yet my station is never raised. I am a smoke jumper who loves her job. I revel in the heat and bask in the blaze. I have found my purpose and learned to live for it. As I fulfill the only duty I have in this world, I will forever be alone. My name befits my life and the path I have chosen to take.

I am Magma.