Chapter 1: The Cult Appears

Jasmine Everburne woke up choking. Screams made her ears ring, and she couldn't see anything other than dark gray. It covered everything, writhing and swirling and trying to push itself down her gasping throat. Unable to make a sound, she staggered out of bed, dizzy and swaying from lack of oxygen. She pushed through the oppressive substance, driven by a primal instinct to get away, far away. The little eleven-year-old flung open the entrance to her balcony, letting out the smoke. She watched in horror as it soared past her, a vaporous creature that brought images of ghosts and evil wraiths to mind. She turned to face her room, now able to see clearly, and immediately stumbled backwards as licking flames roared at her, reaching grasping, glowing fingers toward her. It devoured everything it touched, destroying everything that the poor girl had ever known. It should have been satisfied, but it continued to reach for her, chasing her out into the open air. Her simple black nightgown whipped about her legs in the fierce wind and she gasped, heaving in deep breaths of the pure, untainted oxygen.

"Look what we have here." a voice snarled. Jaz turned toward the voice in terror. A tall man dressed in a long robe advanced toward her, his eyes on the X made of onyx that was embedded in her chest, right above her heart and just below her collarbone. "The little witch is alive." He reached one bony hand out and Jaz could only stand like a deer in the headlights as the branded limb wrapped around her throat and started squeezing. Her survival instincts kicked in and she wrenched away from her attacker with a burst of adrenaline. She leapt backwards and searched frantically for a way out, her heart sinking as she realized that the only escape would probably kill her. Oh well. It was a death sentence either way, and she wasn't about to let that evil old man touch her again. She turned and vaulted over the stone railing of the balcony, launching herself into the frigid night air. She felt light and airy as she twisted, trying to get her feet under her. She did, just as she crashed into a tree.

Ignoring the pain her body was in, Jaz climbed the tree and jumped to the next one, treehopping until she reached the edge of the orchard. The iron fence that marked the edge of the estate was about twenty feet away, but Jaz had a running start. Gritting her teeth and hoping for the best, Jaz pushed off of the very tip of the branch and just barely cleared the top of the fence. She hit the ground hard, and was certain that she had sprained something, but the shouts of the men who had set her beloved home on fire spurred her on.

Jaz ran as fast as she could, sprinting towards the nearest town. Please, please, please let me make it. She silently begged any deity who cared to listen. Her feet were torn and bloody by the time the first lights came into view. She clutched the front of her nightgown and tugged the top over her birthmark, knowing that anyone who saw it would accuse her of being a witch. She raced to the police station, hoping against hope that someone there could help her. "Thank you!" she gasped out loud, noticing that the lights were on and that there was movement inside the building. She made sure that she was safely covered before ripping the door open and rushing in, effectively alarming everyone inside.

"Who are you?" a lady asked her kindly, worry and concern etched all over her features.

"Please help me!" Jaz begged, not even attempting to stop the flow of tears that spilled down her delicate face. "I am Jasmine Everburne, and someone set my house on fire! There was a group of men in long robes chasing me, and I only just got away! I ran all the way here, but I think my parents are still inside, and I don't know what to do..." She was coughing and breathless, the smoke in her lungs taking its toll.

"Woah, calm down." the lady said, walking to Jaz's side and helping her sit in one of the plush chairs. Jaz was too distraught to notice the grandfatherly man who was watching her sadly, horrified that someone would attack this poor girl's family. The kind lady, whose name was Roxanne, gently knelt beside Jaz. "Honey, I need proof that you really are the Everburne child. Otherwise, this could all be an elaborate prank. I'm sorry, but I hope you understand." Jaz flinched and released her death grip on the nightgown, letting the fabric fall away to reveal her mutation. Roxanne didn't do anything to make Jaz feel bad or unwanted; she just nodded and started yelling orders to everyone in the vicinity. "Jasmine, I need you to stay here with Mr. Whammy." Roxanne soothed, bringing Jaz's attention to the old man. She only nodded, and Mr. Whammy came and sat beside her, reassuring Roxanne in a low voice that he would do his best to take care of the child until this whole situation was resolved. With that, Roxanne went to help the others.

Jaz pretty much collapsed, crumpling in on herself as she just lost it, sobbing and coughing until she fell unconscious, exhausted from her adrenaline-fueled flight. Mr. Whammy regarded the unusual stone embedded in the girl's body, caught somewhere between horror and curiosity. He wondered how much it had hurt to have that done to her, and what kind of a person would intentionally do that to a child. He looked at her sleeping form sadly, hoping that her parents were alive. It just wasn't fair to have her parents taken from her at such a young age. She mumbled something, and her whole body tensed. Her mane of white hair clung to her face with sweat, and bruises were beginning to form around her neck, striking against the paleness of her skin. She was shaking, whether it be from cold, terror, or a mixture of both, Mr. Whammy did not know. However, he did care. He found a first aid kit in one of the cupboards, and it had a blanket. Mr. Whammy wrapped Jaz's vulnerable body in the blanket, leaving her feet out so that he could clean and bandage them. He winced, looking at the bloody mess, but nevertheless, he gently and carefully cleansed the lacerations and bandaged them, trying to keep the procedure as painless as he could for the heir to the Everburne fortune.

He stayed with her for the rest of the night, never sleeping. Jaz, however, never woke. She caught a fever, and Mr. Whammy applied cold compresses to her forehead periodically, making sure that the unfortunate child was as comfortable as possible all the while. She only woke once the police got back. She was ashen and haggard, but she still managed a grateful smile for Mr. Whammy to thank him for helping her throughout the night. She shuffled over to Roxanne, her hopeful expression breaking the woman's heart. "My parents? Are my Mom and Dad okay?"

Roxanne covered her mouth with her hand, taking a few deep breaths to steel herself for what she was about to tell the girl. Roxanne knelt down so that she was at eye level with Jaz, putting both of her hands on the little girl's shoulders. "Jasmine, I want you to listen to me very carefully. You can never go home. Those men killed your parents and tried to kill you. You are an orphan. If you ever try to go home, those men will take you, and they will hurt you because you bear that mark. They are members of a cult, and this cult's objective is to 'purify the tainted world'. To them, you qualify as tainted. You must survive, and when you turn seventeen, you will inherit your parent's fortune." Jaz stood still, completely rigid, as her traumatized mind tried to make sense of what Roxanne was telling her. Roxanne shook her lightly. "Jasmine! Do you understand?"

Jaz nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "My parents are... dead? Are you positive?" She had hope that maybe, just maybe, there hadn't been any bodies to find and that the woman only thought that they were dead. Maybe they had escaped.

Roxanne couldn't meet the girl's inquiring gaze. "I am so, so sorry, Jasmine. We found their bodies. We also found the bodies of thirty cult members."

"No," Jaz gasped, clasping one shaking hand over her quivering mouth. Her gold eyes stared in Roxanne's hazel ones, searching for anything, any sign that Roxanne was lying. She wasn't. Shell-shocked, she distantly heard Roxanne asking her if she wanted to have a funeral. She shook her head slowly. "No. If these men are out to kill me, then I need to get out of the country as soon as possible. I have my own bank account, and I'm pretty sure I have enough money for the trip. I want you to hold a funeral for them after I leave, and I also would like it if you could make it seem as if I died right alongside my parents. Please? I could pay you..."

Roxanne was shocked at how maturely Jaz was handling the situation. "No, payment won't be necessary. You've already been through so much, it's the least I could do for you."

Mr. Whammy chose this moment to step in. "Roxanne, if you don't mind, I would like to take Miss Everburne into my care. The authorities would just put her in an orphanage anyway. Seeing as how I already own an orphanage, I believe that I am perfectly qualified to care for Miss Everburne."

Stunned, Roxanne only nodded. Jaz, on the other hand, turned her cold, emotionless eyes onto Mr. Whammy. "Thank you, Mr. Whammy." she stated dully. "Do you live in this country?"

Mr. Whammy wasn't in the least bit surprised at how smart this girl was, after all, he owned an orphanage full of geniuses. "Why, no, Miss. I came here on vacation, you see?"

Jaz nodded, her formerly sparkling eyes now lifeless and dark. Mr. Whammy pitied her. "I would love to go with you Mr. Whammy. I have nowhere else to go, and my only possessions are this nightgown and this necklace." She gestured to an ornament around her neck that he had not noticed berfore. It was a slim silver chain, with a black J that rested in the hollow of her neck. The gem was crafted of the same material embedded in her chest.

Roxanne smiled tearily, happy that Jaz and Mr. Whammy had bonded so quickly. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Jaz inclined her head, regressing into the noble stature that had been drilled into her mind since birth. "Thank you, Roxanne. I must ask that you set about this task quickly and efficiently." Roxanne nodded and turned on her heel, hurrying to accomplish the job she needed to do. Jaz looked at Mr. Whammy, and he could see the raw pain reflected in her eyes. As if realizing that the old man could see her suffering, Jaz slammed down a wall, her eyes going blank and cold as she clamped down on her emotions, forcing them into submission and driving them to the furthest outskirts of her being. "There was no need for such kindness, Mr. Whammy, and I am extraordinarily thankful. If it hadn't been for you, I would most likely have had to resort to living on the streets. As it is, you are one of the only people who is aware that I survived. These unfortunate circumstances have worked in our favor."

Whammy knew exactly why the poor girl was acting this way. She had just lost everything she had ever known, her entire life thrown into turmoil because of the hatred of a few men. It was only logical that she shut down all of her emotions. If she didn't, she would probably digress into a catatonic state. Neither option was preferable, but this one certainly didn't pose the problem the other one did. "Of course, Miss Everburne. Now, we must go over a few key things about my orphanage. Whammy's House is home to geniuses and people of extraordinary talent. For safety purposes, all residents must go by an alias. No one is to know your real name, unless you want them to. The same goes for your past."

Jaz nodded. "Well, Mr. Whammy, I would like it if you called me Jaz. If anyone asks, my real name is Jazia Talbot."

"Very well, Miss Talbot." Three hours later, everything was in order. The plane tickets had been paid for, the fake documents had been forged, and, as far as the rest of the world knew, Jasmine Everburne died on November 19, 2011.