Winter Solstice

Clary looked foot to foot in silence. For some reason, the crimson cotton dropped on the ground, now rolled in the mud particles, was more riveting than her father's expressions. She dreaded looking into his eyes. Her talkative Wazzy didnot speak a word either, much to her anxiety.

"You did it again." After a much waiting time, Clary heard her father's stern voice laced with anger, but somewhere she found the concern lingered to the edge of his tone.

"I_I am sorry, dad." Clary managed to say, crumpling the sides of her dress as she clutched the fabric hard. "I just..I_I only wanted to check if I still have those powers. As I promised, I didnot break anyone's bones. Simple things like breaking kitchen utensils_"

"This is not child's play Clary Ainford!"

Clary swallowed the words back into her throat at the heated voice. She shuddered at the mention of her father mentioning her full name. He always calls her Clary or baby daughter, but only when angered would he use her full name, which happened only twice, for this exact reason.

"Eugene..don't lose your temper," Warren ordered, taking Clary's pale face. "She is scared_"

"Let her Wazzy! Let her be scared..afraid. Am I not? I am tired of explaining the dangers, not surprised at how casually she takes my serious words. What if someone sees what she is capable of doing? and on top of that, they are desperately looking for_"

"Stop it, Gene!" Warren commanded, his eyes ablaze, sensing his brother was talking out the truth, out of emotion. He was afraid his brother unconsciously made Clary suspicious, which she should not know. Knowing about her, she will try to dig. She only needed a hint.

Warren looked at Clary's bewildered eyes, fanning him with a question-mark face. He said. "It's nothing. Go to the class, Clary."

Clary didnot move afoot. Instead, she looked into her father's eyes, expecting him to speak to her. "Dad..please_"

"Your dad is not in the mood to talk." She heard her uncle's gruff order. "Go to the class. We will talk when you come back home."

Warren sighed, seeing she didnot take her eyes off his father. Her stubbornness is a replica of his brother. "Now, Clary!"

Although Clary wanted to oppose, she didnot intend to worsen her father's anger. It pained to see her father looking everywhere except at her. She picked up the cotton dab to throw in the dustbin and reluctantly walked away.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Eugene gazed outside in silence as the car stopped at the traffic signal. He watched a man help a little girl wear her shoes. The girl smiled as he scooped her into his arms. It immediately brought a smile to Eugene's face, recalling a memory of baby Clary crying over a superman toy that her brother threw into sewage. She waited for his return until late in the night, without sleeping, to complain about his brother. The moment she heard the car sound, she ran as fast as a hare with her tiny legs, jumped into his arms, and began crying. He promised to buy a bigger toy to stop her cries, and her face immediately sparkled like a bubbling spring.

"You almost exposed yourself if I hadn't stopped," Warren said, transporting Eugene back to the present from his memories.

"She did nothing wrong," Warren said, looking at the traffic red light, his left hand on the gear.

Eugene snapped at his brother to see if he meant his words. "Are you supporting her in this_"

"Don't accuse me for siding with Clary this time. Think from her perspective. We restricted her from sharing her secrets with friends. She keeps things to herself; mind you, swimming in a lone mind is dangerous. I know you want to protect her, but soon she might think you are caging her, which will only push her to do things out of rationality." Warren hit the accelerator with speed as the green light blinked. Sensing his brother was listening to him, he continued. "I know this is absurd, but how about we bring them together? Also, with someone accompanying her, it will distract her mind from doing these sorts of dangerous things. Isn't it high time she meets him? What if he finds another girl and brings her home? He got a competition, bro."

"We can't risk until the winter solstice, Wazzy. Master sternly told us they should not meet until Clary turned twenty-one." Eugene said, sinking his brother's words into his mind. He shouldn't have lashed out, but the anger got over him. "As for him, don't worry. I will not let him approach any girl, let alone bring a girl home?" Eugene's sinister voice came out naturally. Speaking of that brat, it's been over months since he poked him. Time to visit him once, he thought. "Also, my daughter has competition as well."

"In creating troubles?"

Warren pursed his lips, seeing his brother scowling at him. Squeezed between a quirky father and a troublesome daughter, Warren could already imagine the future son-in-law.

.....

As Clary walked, she sent several texts to her father, but there was no reply. She recalled her uncle's words, a hint enough to drill. Someone is desperately looking for her? For what? Her powers? What are they going to do with it? Crush bones? That's the farthest thing she could do with her energy. Sometimes Clary wondered why she was born that way. Her wild mind can't help but think absurdly. She was a result of her father's experiment when she was in her mother's womb, and the people out there who knew about her powers were chasing her.

"Stubborn old man!" She clenched her mobile, making her way to the amphitheater, where her friends agreed to gather after the Principal's meeting. Clary noticed her friend's downcast faces, deep in sorrow upon finding them. "Is everything alright, guys?"

''Clary...you came?" Candy ran towards Clary and hugged her. ''She is..she was..by that_''

''I don't understand a word, Candy." Clary stepped back, releasing herself from the hug. She studied Candy's teary eyes in confusion. "What exactly happened?" She asked.

''You remember Everly?'' Ariel came forward and explained. ''She was our senior, studied in this college. After she graduated, she went into the acting field." Ariel passed the mobile to Clary to let her see herself.

[Actor Everly, brutally beaten and violated at her penthouse, was admitted to the hospital this afternoon]

Anger uncolied, and spread inside Clary. "Who.."

''Jeff Eads,'' Rick muttered. He felt rage, thinking about that bastard who thought it was okay to take advantage of a woman because he held power. ''The footage shows he entered her house last night. But since he is the son of a wealthy businessman, his father shut the mouths of the police."

The helplessness to fight the rapist was evident in the picture. How could he? Taking a deep breath, Clary said. ''Ariel, and Allen, assemble all the students here in another half n hour," Clary said and addressed her other friends. ''Candy and Rick, post a message on all the social media platforms that Hellen university is going for a rally. We are going to his house. I will get permission from the bald baby."

''Will he agree?'' Allen asked, bothered.

''He is not heartless,'' Clary assured.

Around five hundred students gathered up at the amphitheatre within a half hour. The students forwarded the text to their friends from other universities. Social media brands are faster than any marketing app. The number tripled when Clary and the other students reached Jeff's house premises. By evening, the students and the public outnumbered the police army. When they almost succumbed, the President butted in at the last minute, stating Jeff was off-limits.

...

Sitting in the car, Clary kicked the seat angrily, wishing to break Jeff Eads's bones. Uncle Ross remained silent.

''Bunch of cockroaches. I will chop you to pieces and feed the entrails to your dead mouth.'' As she was in deep thought, something stuck in her brain.

''Enforcer!"

"Why didn't I get this idea before?'' Clary's eyes sparkled with hope. It's a force that operates mysteriously for the public. It doesn't abide by the rules. She picked up the mobile and began drafting a mail.

[Dear Enforcers,

As you might have already heard, a rape artist named Jeff Eads is roaming in this city. You assured us of protection from evil people. What's stopping you from taking action against this rapist? If I were given a chance to be one-day Prime Minister, I would have chopped off Jeff's raping tool. As for the President who has supported Jeff, I would be piercing his foul tongue with needles every hour.

My thoughts might sound wild, but I can't help it because my blood is boiling like molten lava. I have attached the document on how to torture that bastard. Please look into it carefully, and do the needful.

Sincerely,

Clary]

Clary thought for a second. "What if the enforcer leaks my name to the media after they kill Jeff?" She shook her head. "I better write anonymously." In the end, Clary wrote,

Sincerely,

Essential oil.

"Clary is an essential oil. So, technically, essential oil is also my name." Clary nodded. She created a new mail with the name eseentialoillover. Pasting the draft, she hit the sent button. She rested her head on the seat, closing her eyes without knowing her sincere letter had evoked not only the enforcer's rage but also a smile on someone's face.