Chapter 1- Welcome to the BLACKLIST

Do you believe in ghosts?

Heaven and hell?

I happen to believe it.

Around five years ago, when I was twelve, I got in a car accident.

Me, Sawyer, my younger sister, Sissy, my mom, Shari, and my dad, Ryan.

Except I was only one who made it out alive.

With a single large scar that runs across my chest.

That's it.

They all died.

And I got to live, with this scar as a reminder that I'm a worthless piece of shit without them?!

I saw it all, my mom flew through the windshield, and got decapitated. My father's neck snapped, my little sister got stuck in the car, and it exploded. With her in it.

You know, I still blame myself.

You'd probably want to know why, and of course I'll tell you.

There was no one there.

There was no one on the road, we were driving in the middle of absolutely fucking nowhere.

So what the fuck did we crash into?!

The air?!

My grandma is a strong believer of the paranormal.

And when I moved in with her five days after that, I saw everything.

The salt circles, the crosses, the sage burning in every corner, the demon repellents.

Every time I left that house and came back I was saged.

To get rid of the "bad energy".

There were two main rules my grandmother told me to follow.

One, don't summon spirits, entities, or demons.

Two, don't hang out with boys that go by the name of Hardin Bryant or Wilder Felix. Because they summon supernatural beings for fun.

And no...I didn't listen to any of those.

And now guess what?

No? You can't guess? Expected...because I couldn't either.

******

FOUR YEARS AGO,

NOVEMBER 24th, 2064.

1313 MOUNT DEVIL'S ROAD, CREEKWOOD, CHICAGO.

"Sawyer! Your friends are here!"

I jump down from the couch, hurrying to the front door where my grandma, Naomi, stands with my four friends.

Alex, Nora, Hardin, and Wilder.

I wave energetically to them, and Alex does the same.

"Hey, Soybean!"

I roll my eyes at her nickname, and she leaps into my arms.

My grandma laughs and ushers us all inside.

"You kids promise not to do anything including the paranormal, right? Those aren't things you children should be messing with."

I shake my head.

"No, Ma, we won't!"

She plants a kiss on my forehead.

"Have fun, kids. I will make you guys some cinnamon pumpkin cookies."

She smiles.

"Snickerdoodle for you, Alex, I know you're allergic to pumpkin."

"I know! It's so annoying."

They both laugh and we all go up to my bedroom, Nora leaning lazily against Hardin's shoulder who doesn't seem to mind. Alex is tirelessly jumping up and down, while Wilder looks like he wants to rip her head off.

"Will you calm down, Alex?"

"Never! Grumpy old man!"

"I'm younger than you."

"By four months, dickhead!"

My eyes widen, and I place my finger against my lips.

"Shush it! My grandma will kill me if she knows we're using those words!"

Nora's light brown eyes move on mine with a slight grin.

"Ha-ha. Sawyer is a h—"

I throw a pillow at her head, watching as it smacks her directly in the face.

She pulls it down and glares at me.

"Biatch."

*****

After a few hours of hanging out and my grandma going to sleep, we all sit in my almost pitch black living room.

Hardin and Wilder look at each other than me and the girls with a smirk.

"Sawyer, I heard your grandma has a satanic spell book in her basement..."

I roll my eyes at Hardin.

"We aren't doing that."

"We can summon ancient demons!"

Alex says, and I sigh.

"Seriously?! Ugh. If you guys'll quit bothering me after."

I stand up, throwing my blanket down before placing the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table.

"Woah, you're actually going to do it?"

Wilder says, light grey eyes reflecting the TV's light light two crystals.

"Well, yeah...it would be stupid not to. My grandma's asleep, and we all know for a fact that I would never do this by myself or with anyone else. So I don't see why not. Ghosts aren't real anyways."

Nora starts laughing quietly.

"I wouldn't say that, Sawyer. They'll come back and haunt you!"

"Ooh, so scary."

I attempt to hide my smile, grabbing a flashlight from one of my grandma's packed-to-the-brim drawers.

I approach the basement door, pushing it open and immediately turning on the flashlight.

I cringe when the door squeals and creaks loudly on its hinges.

Eek.

I feel them all behind me, and Alex scratches her head.

"Is there no light down there...?"

I turn around fully to face them.

"No. This house is like thousands of years old. There's basically no power anywhere besides the kitchen and the living room."

I feel something tickle the side of my ankle, masking my scream with my hand.

I start flailing around and almost fall when Hardin grabs onto my shoulders, steadying me.

"You're okay."

Wilder picks up my small kitten that's shaking slightly from my muffled screech.

"It was just Charlie, your kitten, Sawyer."

Alex smirks.

"You're scared already?"

I look into Hardin's brown eyes before looking into Alex's.

"No. Definitely not."

I smile at them all, looking back at the mortifying basement.

Yeah...definitely not scared...

I take one step, hearing it creak loudly underneath my foot.

I stop for a second before going again.

Soon I'm at the bottom, surrounded by complete darkness.

I see Wilder and Hardin coming down next, before Nora, then Alex, who shuts the door behind her, leaving us all in darkness with five flashlights, thirteen candles, salt, red marker, and a lighter.

All the materials necessary to do a satanic ritual.

Great.

I shine the flashlight forward, letting out a stream of curses when it flickers, then stops working all together.

"It was literally at full battery!"

Alex hands me the rest of them, which don't even turn on.

Weird...

I roll my eyes, grabbing a candle and lighting it before venturing deeper.

I come across some looming dresser that's creepy as hell, opening it.

A cloud of dust swarms me, and I cough as it wafts through the thick and humid air.

I reach inside, fumbling around until I grasp onto a thick book, dragging it out.

I drop it on the floor, wiping off the thick layer of dust and filth.

"Nasty."

We all say at the same time, them all peering over me as I pull open the book to the first page.

Sparrow's Spell Book

1727

"Eww, why is it so old?! Moldy book!"

Alex calls out, and I shake my head softly.

The candle illuminates eerie looking images and symbols across the page.

Hardin scrunches his nose.

"There's nothing in it?"

My eyebrows furrow.

"That's in English. There's stuff here."

They all look at each other, then me.

"Soybean...the book is blank."

"No, listen to me. Are you not seeing what I'm seeing?! There's words, there's symbols all over this! It's—it's—"

"I don't see anything."

Nora says, frowning when Hardin sighs.

"How about...how about you read to us what's on there?"

"Sure...it says it's a spell, I'll read it aloud. First we just need to do what it says. Who is the youngest here?"

Nora raises her hand.

"Me."

"Okay...the oldest?"

Wilder nods.

"That would be me."

I breathe out.

"Okay. The youngest and oldest stand across from each other at arm's length. Hold hands. Tightly."

They both hold hands, looking at me oddly.

I stand up, grabbing a cross that was hanging off the wall before putting it between them.

"Alex, Hardin, you two do the same, but horizontally, so that it makes a plus sign."

I place all thirteen candles around them, lighting each and every one in order.

Counterclockwise for it to work.

I stand in the middle of them, crouching down and drawing a pentagram in the red marker.

I stand up again, gripping the cross tightly in both of my hands.

"Now repeat after me, and whatever you do, do not let go of each other. That will break the bond and leave me vulnerable. And vulnerability is what leads to possession. And death."

They nod, and I close my eyes.

They do the same.

"Hello, Sparrow and welcome to my home. We invite you willingly, and you are welcome. We will not disrespect you, and will ask three questions that you are required to answer to stay. If you don't I will take this cross and put it in the middle of this pentagram. That will surely kill you for good. Use my energy to come in front of us all and speak. We ask you to come now. Come now. Come now. Come now."

I keep my eyes shut as a burning feeling starts at my feet, and hot air hits me in the face.

Like fire.

In my mind images flash.

Flames.

A man.

Flames.

A woman.

Flames.

She's coming closer.

I hear a scream.

Alex's scream.

I pull my eyes open with brute force, looking around.

She's gone.

"Alex is gone..."

"What?!"

Hardin's eyes open, just when something grabs onto his leg, dragging him backwards into the darkness.

No, no, no.

I clamp my eyes shut, only seeing black for a second.

Then flames.

Then I hear a voice.

Yes, yes, yes.

Female. Seductive. But who is—

I hear a thump.

My eyes snap open again.

She's gone.

Nora's gone, the only thing remaining her yellow and black glasses.

Hell no.

I move my eyes to where Wilder is supposed to be, but instead of seeing Wilder I see—

I let out a scream, tumbling back.

The cross flies out of my hand, hitting something with a sizzle.

It starts laughing,

He starts laughing.

"Sparrow..."

"Me! I've been summoned! I didn't like those other four...but I did give them a gift! Just for you helping me!"

"A gift...?"

"You too! I gave you a gift. It'll show up with time. You asked for three questions, give them to me!"

My mouth hangs open in shock and in fear, and the grinning guy's smile drops.

His glowing orange eyes bore into mine.

"Don't tell me you dragged me outta hell for nothing, honey!" An inhuman growl escapes his mouth. "If you did, I'll maul you, then eat you, all in front of your silly anti-demon granny! Maybe we'll even bake you into some green bean casserole!"

A sick feeling settles in my gut at the smiling demon.

"Who are you?!"

"That's the first question? Lame! But whatever. The name's Sparrow. And I'm a demon from hell. But funny thing."

Sparrow morphs, turning into a woman version.

"I'm actually a woman! Hah! You believed I was a man, didn't ya?"

My chest heaves up and down as I stare wide eyed at her.

"What did you do to them?!"

"Sent them to a chamber in purgatory. When they're sixteen they'll get set free."

Here's the last question.

I release a small breath, my eyes moving from her to the cross in a split second.

"What're you going to do to me?!"

She smiles crazily.

"That's easy!"

"What?!"

"Possess you!"

She turns invisible, and I run around the room as whooshes of air fly past me.

The shelves start to knock over around me, trapping me in the middle.

I feel the wind get knocked out of me, falling onto the floor in a fit of twitches, before going still.

I feel myself get lifted up, hearing laughter that isn't my own.

"Oh world, aren't you glad to have me back?"

******

PRESENT DAY,

NOVEMBER 30TH, 2068.

6:34 AM.

Hardin Bryant.

Wilder Felix.

Alex Burch.

Nora Walker.

Where did you guys go?!

Four years ago, they disappeared.

I don't know how, I don't know when.

Something happened to me too.

My grandma was scared to even come near me after that.

She said there were shadows expelling from me.

She died three days later of unnatural circumstances.

That seems to be a trend.

Whoever hangs out with Sawyer Ashton will die.

Hooray. So funny.

Just another awful morning, when I feel like a bag of shit.

Absolute shit.

I walk down my stairs, sitting lazily on the couch.

I live alone because I have no friends.

No one wants to be my friend.

They say I'm too creepy.

So why not be friends with myself?

And the person in my head.

I don't know if she's real, but she's there.

Me and my spirit friends.

Some weird shit has been happening lately...I'm telling you.

A few nights ago I woke up naked in a bed with someone who looked a whole lot like Harry Potter to be honest.

The only thing I remember was laying here in my bed, and going to sleep.

Not doing the hokey-pokey with Harry Potter's doppelgänger.

And just yesterday I woke up half naked in a strip club with ten other half naked people around me. It was weird.

Trust me.

Last week I woke up in an alleyway next to a dead body with blood on my hands, but we don't talk about those.

They happen a lot.

I don't know if I have some serious sleep-walking problem, but I'm not going to go to a doctor.

They're going to think I'm mad.

I probably am if I'm being honest with you.

I'm basically having a whole conversation with nobody right now.

I turn on the news, because that's the only interesting thing on this old ass thrifted TV besides Teen Titans Go and Spongebob.

They get tiring after a while.

"This week, we've been seeing multiple security camera footage all around town of this one girl, we cannot identify her though. She's been causing trouble here and there. Here is some of the footage."

I lean forward in my seat, watching intently at the TV screen.

When the girl on the screen shows up my face turns stark white.

What the fuck?!

That's me.

That's literally me on that screen.

My eyebrows furrow as I see footage of me, with a gun, strutting around town.

Shooting people.

Killing people.

Oh hell no...

I shut off the TV, sitting on my couch in shock.

That—that is—what?!

I can't even process...what the hell is that?!

I've been going out for the past few weeks, and no one ever said anything to me?! Caught me?!

What's going on right now?!

I definitely don't remember doing that.

Am I drugged?!

Is there something wrong in my head?!

Am I going to sleep...but I'm not actually asleep?!

This is not normal. Not normal.

What the fuck?!

My heart just about leaps out of my chest when a loud and firm knock is heard at my door.

I stand up and open the door a peak, trying to hide the absolutely horrified look on my face.

I release a breath.

Just my neighbor.

"Hey...Aaron."

"Hey, Sawyer! How are you?"

"I'm doing good." I step back, opening the door wider. Maybe it'll help to talk to someone. "Come in."

"Thank you. How is everything? Just moving in and all."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm doing fine. I'm working on getting more channels on this TV. I'm done watching Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network."

Me and Aaron share a laugh, and we both sit on my couch.

She has a fat ass...

"What?!"

I blink a few times, my face contorting in disgust.

"You're repulsive! Get out!"

His face fills with concern and confusion.

"What?! Sawyer, are you okay?!"

I start laughing humorlessly.

"No! I'm actually not okay. And you openly saying out loud that I have a fat ass is pretty unnerving! And uncomfortable! I'm a minor!"

"I never said—"

"I heard it! I heard it!"

How can she hear my thoughts...?

"I don't know!"

He yelps and I scream, smacking myself in the head.

"What is happening to me?! Am I dying?!"

Oh my god, sweetie this is hilarious!

I pause.

"What the hell...? Someone just spoke to me...?"

Aaron stands up, and I sigh.

"I'm not crazy. I promise I'm not. Maybe I am. Ugh! What's happening?!"

"I'm calling the cops!"

Oh no. Oh no.

He can't! I'll get caught!

I think really hard, my eyes turning a glowing red.

Aaron backs away, his phone shaking in his trembling hands. He raises his hand over the button when I feel a force in my head, my eyes snapping shut.

Woah...

It's a dark blue, and seems familiar.

Like ribbons.

Long twirling ribbons.

I'm in his mind...

Okay. I can do this.

I snap out of it, veins of red glowing beneath my eyes.

I hold my hand out, red throbbing at the surface of my palms, small fiery sparks shooting from my fingertips.

Fire.

Okay.

Try not to freak out.

"You will not call the cops. You are going to put the phone down on the table, walk outside in front of those cars, and get hit."

I drop my hand, the burning sensation dropping away as his eyes glow red, and Aaron places his phone down on the table.

I watch in horror as he walks out of my house, down the steps, and then out into the street.

I let out a small screech as a car flies by, hitting him.

I hear a wet splat, and cringe.

When I open my eyes there's blood everywhere.

He listened to me.

Oh my fucking god he listened to me.

He died.

I killed him.

I told him to kill himself.

And he listened.

I heard his thoughts.

Fire came out of my hands.

So much blood.

I don't feel too good...

I fall onto the floor with a smack, blacking out.

******

(SPARROW'S POV)—Sawyer's other person.

3:33 AM.

3:33 AM. The Devil's hour. My hour.

I'm sure you haven't heard of me in a good bit.

Good old Sparrow.

The girl you were seeing in the news?!

That was me.

When Sawyer woke up in all those random places?!

That was me.

The person talking in her head?!

That is me.

It's all me.

I'm a part of her.

I am her.

Ever since I possessed that little weakling when she was thirteen.

She just saw her little gift that I gave her.

Powers.

Mind control, telepathy, and pyrokinesis.

I gave her friends some too.

Because I just know they'll be so useful for little old me later.

And once I get her where the rest of them are, Hollow's Correctional Facility for the Supernatural, everything will be just awesome.

A supernatural prison for little freak shows like them.

I love what I've made.

Little monsters.

My little monsters.

Now it's time for all of them to unite.

I stand up off the floor, picking up the little maggot's phone.

I'm glad I made her kill him.

Irritating little fuck.

I've been wanting to wring out his neck like a towel ever since him and his buck tooth front teeth tried to be all friendly with us.

I hate humans.

Exactly why I kill them.

And will kill more of them today.

Here we go.

I pull on sunglasses, walking out her door.

We won't be coming back here in a while.

I walk down the street, and towards the looming dark alleyway.

I walk between it, and through to the other side where I see the strobe lights flaring from inside the club.

I walk across the street, walking through some of the passing cars without an issue.

It helps when you aren't really human.

You can walk through things.

And people say ghosts aren't real?!

Losers.

I walk into the club, sliding past the nasty people grinding against each other.

Stupid go-go bar.

I walk past to a door where a bouncer stands, standing in front of him.

"Hello, ma'am. How can I help you?"

I smirk.

"I'm looking to go down there, sir."

"No can do. Where is your ID?"

Hmm...our friend Sawyer isn't quite twenty one yet. I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way.

Before he can do anything, I grip harshly onto his wrist, watching as ribbons of scarlet red shoot up his arm, and I stare straight into his eyes while the veins underneath my eyes start to glow.

"I'm going to need you to let me in. Give me your gun and shut the door behind me. Thank you."

I let go of his arm, and he blinks.

The bouncer pulls his gun from its holster, handing it to me before opening the door.

"Go on through, Miss. Enjoy your night."

"Thank you, mister! I sure will."

I giggle before sliding past him, laughing louder as he shuts the door.

Here comes fun time.

I walk into the underground arena area, walking up to the man at the stand.

"Want to place your bet on someone, ma'am?"

I look at the crowd, at the puny little guy going against the bulky body builder.

I hear everyone cheering him on, and smirk.

"My bet goes on Tobias, sir."

The guy at the stand's eyes widen, and he shrugs.

"Okay then."

As I walk away, I hear him mumble something.

"Idiot."

Idiot...right.

Not for long.

I hide near the back of the crowd, my hands stuffed in my pockets as red sparks from them, and I focus my attention on the bulky body builder.

Sorry, Maxwell, but this might hurt...

I clamp my hand in a fist, watching as he doubles over in pain, veins protruding from his body in bright red.

I shoot a teeny tiny orb at Tobias, watching as he repeatedly beats up Maxwell.

I'm so smart.

Maxwell falls onto the floor, and Tobias looks extremely surprised.

Everyone starts booing, and I walk towards the front and onto the top of the stand, throwing my jacket onto the floor.

"The winning man, huh? Totally not expected."

I see his eyes widen in fear as my eyes pulse a deep red for a moment.

"Wanna fight?"

He backs away slowly, and a mock frown creases my lips.

"No? I was hoping you'd say yes!"

I start laughing as the veins underneath my eyes glow vermillion, sparks shooting from my hands in small orbs of blazing hot fire.

Everyone screams and gasps as I grip tightly onto my gun, firing five shots before mustering a large ball of fire in my hands and tossing it at a side of the room, watching as it goes up in flames.

I hear sirens, and start laughing even harder.

It's working! They're falling for my trick!

Everyone starts running as the police come down the stairs, pointing their guns at me from behind.

"Put the weapon down!"

I flip around, waving around the gun.

"This?!"

"Yes! Drop it!"

"Okay!"

I chuck it harshly at one of their heads, cackling when they fall onto the floor unconsciously.

They point taser guns at me, ones that are meant to temporarily disable supernatural's powers.

I get shot, crumpling to the floor in wheezes instead of laughs.

"This...is only the—"

One knocks me over the head, and a manic smile is stained on my face as I fall silent.

"Beginning."

*******

I jolt awake, banging my head on something.

I let out a yelp and look up.

A ceiling.

I try to stand up when I get yanked back, letting out a stream of curses.

I look behind me, and see that both of my wrists are cuffed to the bed. I'm stuck.

What the—

I look down, seeing ratchet ass hospital gown looking clothes.

Weird...

I look down at my chest, and see a small plaque.

Sawyer Luna Ashton.

ABILITIES:

Mind control, telepathy, pyrokinesis.

LEVEL OF DANGER:

96/100.

COLOR CATEGORY:

Red.

What the fuck?!

Level of danger?!

Color category?!

I'm so lost.

When I look down, I do realize that my sheets are red.

My clothes are red.

I'm in a red category?!

How does that even work?!

The last thing I remember—wait.

I remember.

I finally remember.

Someone...someone took over me.

I killed people.

I blew up an underground fighting area.

The policemen tased me with something and my arms and legs felt numb.

They disabled my powers.

I have powers.

What the hell?!

I actually have powers.

I look down at my hands in horror and in awe, but they do nothing.

Nothing happens.

Weird.

I jump and bang my head again when a voice comes over the loud speaker.

"Group Red, please meet in the color headquarters for testing. I repeat. Group red, please meet in the color headquarters for testing. Thank you."

I feel a relief on my wrists, watching as the cuffs open up and my cell door does too.

I stand up, walking out of my cell and seeing a long hall filled with cells.

Cells upon cells upon cells.

A bunch of people walk out.

Men and women.

I follow them all down the hall, scared to say the least.

I would say something, but everyone's dead silent.

They look afraid.

I look at the girl next to me, and when I tap on her shoulder she almost jumps out of her skin.

"Sorry!"

"What? We aren't supposed to talk!"

"Where are we going?! What are we doing?! What is this?!"

"This is Hollow's Correctional Facility for the Supernatural. They hold people like us captive. There are colored groups. And we're now going for testing. Then we have yard. My name's Karina. I have telekinesis. And lasers. They come from my eyes."

"Oh...I'm Sawyer. I have pyrokinesis, mind control, and telepathy."

"That's a lot..."

"Yeah. Do you by any chance...have a...danger level?"

"Yes. Mine's a 81/100."

My eyes widen.

"Mine's a 96/100."

"Woah...that's the highest we've ever had besides Hardin. He's a solid 93/100."

Hardin...where have I heard that name?!

I can't seem to remember anything besides my name and what happened last night.

Me and Karina continue down the hall, entering a large white room where there are seven large slot type things.

They're color coated.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and then pink.

There are hundreds, or even thousands in each one.

They're all dressed in their colors too.

We all file into our places with our assigned names in it.

Luckily I was next to Karina. The only person I somewhat know.

I'm so fucking confused.

And scared.

I hope I don't turn into a science experiment gone wrong.

I see a man and a woman dressed sleekly in all white step up to the circle shaped stage in the center of the echoey room.

"Welcome to the blacklist, children. You are all in the age range of 16-19, and this is where you will get trained. And fixed. You guys are all here for a reason and you know it. And since we have a few new people that have arrived, we'll have the current best subjects in each color step forward. First we have red. Karina Slack, please come up. Second we have orange. Alex Burch, please come up. Third we have yellow. Nora Walker, step forward. Fourth we have green. Forest Brown, please step forward. Fifth we have blue. Wilder Felix, come over here. Sixth we have purple. Hardin Bryant, that's you. Come to the stand. And last we have pink, Serena Cheldren come over."

The woman waits as they all walk up, and my heart stops in my throat.

Oh my god...it's them.

My face goes as white as the wall I'm standing next to, as my eyes meet his.

He smiles slightly, giving me a half wave.

"Wilder..."

His name escapes my mouth, and I see each and every one of them.

Hardin is here, Nora, Alex...what the hell is going on?!

The man takes off where the woman left off, standing in front of them.

"So here we have our subjects. Our new people, please step forward. That would be Sawyer Ashton, Blue Stanley, Raquel Waters, and Tobias Stone."

I step forward, walking with the three other people to the front.

"As you know, Miss Ashton  passed Mr Bryant in being the highest in danger level! She is a whopping 96 on the scale! Before we see what they can do, let our best subjects demonstrate their powers first. Karina, you go now."

Karina steps forward, a vase put in front of her.

Her eyes glow a dim red, and she raises her hand, moving the vase back and forth in the air.

She then gently puts it on the ground, before her eyes start to violently strobe between blue and red.

Vermillion lasers shoot from her irises, piercing a hole in the target ahead of her.

She then steps back, her eyes dimming back down to their normal blue.

The instructors clap, and Alex steps up.

She smirks, as the instructor stands there.

"Alex has the rare and cool ability of shapeshifting. Do your thing, Alex."

Alex's hands and eyes glow a bright orange, and she starts to morph, shifting into—hold up. Me?!

She literally shapeshifted into me, doing a little spin.

"That's not all."

She morphs again, shifting into the image of Hardin.

"I can be a dude too. Last one."

She morphs, shifting into a dog before changing back to herself.

"I can transform into many things. Any animal, person, or even an object!"

She bows down, hopping energetically back next to Karina.

Nora comes up next, and the man clears his throat.

"Nora here has speed and strength. Demonstrate what you can do, Nora."

Nora steps forward, and Wilder stands in front of her.

Nora rubs her hands together, watching as sparks of yellow shoot out and around her hands and feet, and she picks up Wilder, running with him in her arms at super speed before returning, dropping him down.

"Okay. Let's be honest. Anyone can lift him up. But can everybody lift up a helicopter?"

She moves behind everyone to the helicopter pad, sliding underneath it.

She lifts it up, speeding over to us before smiling.

"I did it!"

"Very cool, Nora. You can put the helicopter back now."

Nora runs forward, dropping it down before returning to her original spot.

***

It went on like that for a bit, everyone demonstrating their powers before it came to blue and purple.

Hardin and Wilder.

I watch as Wilder comes up, smirking at us all.

"As you all know, four of our color stations stand for the elements. Red for fire, which we now found out is Sawyer, green for earth, which we know is Forest Brown, blue for water, which we know is Wilder, and purple for air, which we know is Hardin. Wilder has water powers, water powers that are so strong he can control the whole ocean. Any body of water. Go on."

Before Wilder can go, I open my mouth.

"Any body of water? Isn't that a bit of a stretch? I'm sure he can make a little pond go splish-splash, but other than that? I'm sure there's nothing worth the hype."

"Oh really, Sawyer?"

Wilder grins mischievously.

"Just a little pond? I'm sure you and your fiery little self just want to be better than me. Guess what? Water puts out fire. Not the other way around, sweetheart."

A deranged smile marks my mouth.

"Wow...just as cocky as you were four years ago, huh? Well coming from someone with a 91 on the danger scale, I'm sure me, a 96, can top that."

The instructors look very intrigued but very concerned at the same time.

Wilder's grey eyes pulsate a vibrant blue, and blue sprouts at his fingertips.

He forms a large orb of glowing blue in his hands, and everyone watches in awe as he drops it, then lifts his arms out at his sides.

I watch as a wall of water appears, and everyone backs away.

Hmm...a wall of water?! I can do better.

The veins underneath my eyes burn a radiant red, so do the veins in my wrists.

Red hot fire sparks at my fingertips, and I gasp as a large fireball shoots from my palms, hitting Wilder.

He flies back, and his water wave comes crashing down, not before Raquel, the new girl, shoots up a force field around everyone, and the water rains down around it.

Uncontrollable fireballs shoot from my palms, hitting walls, hitting furniture, hitting people, it's a mess.

A large fireball shoots out, making me fly back into a glass door that shatters underneath me, raining shards of glass on my head, face, and body.

I let out a yelp, as the throbbing pain in my palms and eyes spreads throughout my body, and laughter fills my head like a ringing that just won't go away.

I'm back! I'm back, I'm back, I'm back!

I hear constant giggles as my head starts to spin, and I see a blurry figure coming towards me with luminescent violet eyes.

He crouches down, and holds onto my shoulders, throwing a memory in my brain.

He held onto my shoulders to stop me from falling down the stairs. This is him. This is definitely him.

"Hardin...?"

"You're okay. You're going to be okay, Sawyer."

My eyes drift shut, and not long after a smirk spreads across my lips, blood dripping from the corners of my mouth.

I start rapidly twitching, until my hand shoots up, curling around his neck.

I lift him up with ease, my scalding hands burning welts in his delicate pale skin.

He looks down at me wide eyed as I squeeze harder, gripping onto my hand with both of his.

"Let...go...I don't want to...have to...hurt...you...Sawyer, please..."

"S-Sawyer?!"

I start manically laughing, throwing him across the room.

I stand up, ripping a glass shard from my skin before chucking it.

It nails someone in the face, and I laugh even harder as I start to float, screeching satanic things as I rise higher in the sky with burning, bright red wings that sprout from my back.

"I'm back! I'm back!"

I hold two orbs of glowing fire in my hands, cackling at everyone's terrified faces below me.

I finally stop laughing.

"Oh, sweetie! I'm not Sawyer anymore! I'm Sparrow! Her itty-bitty, little demon friend! And I'm sure you all missed me! I've welcomed you once, and I'll do it again!"

My eyes scan everyone, as veins of bright red spread through my body like wildfire.

"Welcome to the BLACKLIST, everybody."