This
is an entry sent in by Jules Harley. It's being added in late, but she
had it written on time; it's late because I posted it late, so it is
being included in the competition.
Name - Jules Harley
Word count - (Not
including these details) 730
Anthology: Yes
Charity - Because I
am a girl
Name of female
superhero: Bella Blake
Name of human alter
ego, if different: N/A
Superhero appearance:
15years old. Long straight chestnut hair with flame red streaks.
Green eyes intense and burning. 5ft6 and slim build.
Human alter ego
appearance (If she has an alter ego): N/A
Costume: Blue
flared jeans, a white long sleeved shirt with the top two buttons
undone, a black velvet waistcoat and a gold necklace with a small
tear drop ruby. Black converse shoes.
Personality: She's
a teenager and has the passion and attitude that you might expect
from one. She is very caring and would do anything for her family and
to protect her brother. It takes her a while to get on the right path
with some ups and downs on the way. Fiery, protective and a braveness
that almost goes to the point of stupidity. Direct and to the point.
Brief Description of
how the super heroine gets her powers: She's born with them but
they don't manifest until puberty. Her brother discovered his own
ability age 14. Bella would probably have recognised hers at 13. No
one else in their family have special abilities.
Powers: 'Extreme
gardening'. Flowers grow beneath her feet as she walks. As she
develops her talents she learns how to grow deadly plants, lethal
thistles and even forests to lose people in.
Anything else
important: Her ability is very mood based. I'm bi-polar and
though I didn't want her to officially have any mental health issues,
I have enjoyed her moodiness and exploring how her talents are
effected by her feelings.
A
walk in the woods
By
Jules Harley
Bella
walked along, looking at her feet as she did so. She loved what she
could do and never tired of it. OK it wouldn't
change peoples lives like her brothers ability did, but it was
pleasing all the same. She liked to walk through
the woods each day if she could. She found it relaxing and it kept
her fit. She would take different routes. She knew many ways staying
on the path and wander off it.
When she'd had an emotional day, this was the only way she knew how
to unwind. Of course anyone else walking the path after her would
know her moods too. Blue bells and snap dragons if she's joyous.
Roses in varying shades of
red if she's in love. Daffodils and primroses when she's relaxed.
Thistles and ragwort when she's angry, and snow drops if she's
confused or anxious. Of course very few people knew what she could do
to be able to make the link so she was safe.
Today the snowdrops
appeared beneath her feet. She was indeed anxious. Her brothers
ability had been found out by the authority’s and now they wanted
to recruit him for the British Special Powers Army. They thought he
would make a useful soldier and weren't giving him much of a choice.
Bella's brother Stephen had the ability to share how he was feeling.
If he touched your skin, then whatever emotion he was experiencing, you
would enjoy or endure too. Right now, he was feeling sad and angry
with the situation. Bella was avoiding his touch! She just wished
there was something she could do.
She walked past the
church yard. It was a mess. Weeds and debris and one lone man
crouching in front of a new grave.
She glanced at the man
and he glanced at her. Bella was surprised, it was the General from
the BSPA. He looked distraught. Bella leaned down, grabbed a handful
of Snowdrops and presented them to the General.
"Here," She
said as she handed him the bunch, "The grave shouldn't be
empty."
The General took a moment,
then accepted the flowers with a smile and a small nod.
"You're Stephen
Blake's younger sister, aren't you?"
Bella nodded her head.
"He's a good boy,
your brother. He'll make a fantastic soldier."
"No he wouldn't."
Her nod turned to a shake. "His ability, have you actually
thought about it?"
"Well of course! We
get any of our enemies to touch your brother and they'll be ours.
Easy."
Bella sighed sadly.
"Depends what mood
he's in though. If he's happy, then they'll feel happy. More to the
point, if he's angry, maybe because he's being forced away from his
family, then your enemies will feel that too and that could make
things a whole lot worse."
She stopped talking, took
a few more steps forward, picked a fresh bunch of snowdrops and put
them on the grave next to the one the General stood by.
The General screwed his
face up thoughtfully. A truth uncovered by a child. He said nothing.
Bella continued.
"For years the
government tried to imprison those of us with special talents. Now we
get forced into an army. We are just slaves to persons of normality.
When are you going to learn that prejudice of people who are
different in some way is wrong? Let us make up our own minds for
these matters."
"Your saying, ask
your brother to join us, and if he says no, then leave him be?"
Bella nodded and took
another step towards the general.
"Leave him and take
me instead!"
That took him by
surprise.
"I'm sorry kid. Your
talents nice and all, but I hardly think it will be useful in a
battle!"
With that Bella closed
her eyes in concentration. She took one more step, leaving her right
beside the General. In front of them stood an 8ft thistle with razor
sharp thorns.
"I can do that."
She stated, "I can also grow a forest 20ft high, an impenetrable
maze. You need me." She glared into his eyes, "My brother
doesn't want to go, but I do. When are you going to let the minority
have the right to choose?"
The General nodded, and
Bella knew that now her life was really going to begin.
