Pepper's mother's version:
It was such a relief, not having the powers anymore. Ever since I had turned forty last month, and had them taken away, I had been less tired, and was able to have whatever control over my emotions I wanted.
It wasn’t always okay though. Sometimes I missed having the powers. Like at times like this when I was setting the table for dinner, I would usually get a plant to do that for me, and then dispose of it real quick.
“Pepper,” I called up the stairs to my oldest daughter, when I had everything set out on the table, “Come eat dinner with us!”
I heard a scream. There had been a lot of screams coming from her room lately, it made me wonder if she had been chosen.
“What’s wrong, Pepper?”
I heard a small laugh come from her room, and then, “Salt came in wearing that scary mask!”
Looking at the dining room table where I had been sitting with Salt, he waved to me.
“Salt is down here with me,” I told her. For some reason, when I was twenty-five, I had wanted to name all my children after spices. I named my children Pepper, Salt, and the two twins were called Sugar and Spice. I have no idea what compelled me to do this, I probably should have let my husband name them.
“Well then it was one of the twins!” Pepper called back.
I sighed, the twins were always trying to scare people.
“Alright, I’ll deal with them later, just come eat dinner with us or I will come up there and drag you!” I threatened. I wouldn’t really do this, I just felt it was my job as a mother to make my kids go a little faster. I heard Pepper tripping out of her room and stomping down the stairs as I called the twins from where ever they were, and sat down at the table.
My husband still wasn’t home, but even though I was not that worried about him, I liked having freedom over my feelings, and forced myself into being really scared.
“Where’s dad?” Pepper asked as she sat down and started piling food onto her plate.
“I don’t know,” I answerd.
“Aah!” screamed the twins as they came running down the stairs.
What now? I thought, but a second later I understood. Turning around, I saw that the twins were covered head to toe in a flower plant. It was slowly squeezing the twins tighter and tighter the more they struggled.
I was shocked. It couldn’t have been me… I had the power taken away!
Pepper lept out of her seat and took out a pocket knife.
Since when did she need a pocket knife? I wondered.
“That’s not going to be long enough!” I said running into the kitchen, and getting a longer knife. My old instincts were coming back. Running to the plant, I took hold of the biggest flower, and started stabbing it repeatedly in the middle.
The plant fell away from the twins, and I helped them to their seats. I didn’t say anything about what had just happened, but I looked at Pepper curiously. Was it her?
When dinner was done, Pepper, did the dishes, and everyone went to their rooms.
Laying on my bed, waiting for my husband to come home, for the first time I wondered who had been chosen? It could be anybody, and it was really unusual to have it be your daughter, but it seemed as though it was. Unless the Choosers had forgotten to take away a few drops of the power in my blood, then it could have been me, but if not then…
I heard the front door open. Finally, he’s home. I thought. I heard him talking to someone… but who? My husband walked into my room.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, looking at the expression on his face.
He sat by my feet on the the edge of the bed.
“I think it’s Pepper,” he said. I knew what I had to do. Getting up, i walked out the room and to the front door, hoping that she hadn’t run away.
I let out my breath when I saw Pepper was still standing there. She looked frightened, as though she had just been caught doing something naughty.
I looked at the vine suitcase in her hands. She can do that with her powers already? I thought with amazement.
“Let’s go upstairs and sit on your bed for a minute,” I told her. She looked absolutly terrified at the idea of going into her room with me. However, she followed me without a word.
When we got to her room, the first thought that crossed my mind was this room is a mess. Then I realized that it was roots and flowers and potting soil that littered the blue rug in the middle of her room. I sat on her bed, and patted the sheets next to me, implying that she should sit next to me. Pepper got the hint.
“Is there anything you should tell me?” I asked her when she was settled.
“Yes,” she answered. I was too surprised to say anything, usually it isn’t that easy to get an answer out of her. I quickly got over my surprise and waited for her to elaborate. She would tell me in her own time.
“I’m mother nature,” Pepper said, bursting into tears. I smiled. It was her!
“I am - or was - mother nature too. When you turn forty, the power is given to somebody else. I’m so happy it was you!” I told her, giving her a little hug.
She wiped the tears off her face, and told me that this was a lot to take in.
Laughing, I replied, “So this is why you have been so distant with your family lately! And I’m guessing you were trying to run away because of what happened to the twins? Don’t worry, it took me a year before I had gotten my powers in contro. I’ll help you master them.”
Pepper looked a little confused.
“So does that mean I’m mother nature’s daughter?” she asked.
“No, you’re mother nature,” I answered with a wave of my hand. Noticing that she still looked confused,I explained:
“I was mother nature, but then I turned forty last month. Am I right to say you became mother nature on the day after my birthday?” she nodded. “Well then you are my daughter, but I am not mother nature, you are.” She looked like she understood, sort of.
After that, I helped Pepper control the powers. my husband knew, of course, and it turned out there had just been a lot of traffic, and he kept hitting every red light there was.
My other children didn’t find out until they were old enough to keep a secret. They were happy to find out. The twins said it explained a lot, and Salt, well, he asked why he couldn’t be father nature.
THE END
Pepper's version:
I was too dangerous to stay with my family, now that I knew what I was...what I was capable of. Ever since I had been chosen, I had worried about what I might do to my family. I still didn't have control over the powers.
Staring at the little potted flower mother had put in my room, I focused on making it close and open. It had to be done with every ounce of my mind focused on the flower, or else it would-
"Pepper! Come eat dinner with us!" my mom called up the stairs.
"Aaah!" I screamed as the flower erupted into a sudden tangle of roots and vines. I took the pocket knife out of my back pocket and started sawing at the plant. I had decided to keep it with me at all times, because if I wasn't paying attention, I would sometimes walk past a plant and have it grow too.
Just be glad you caught concentration at last moment, I thought darkly.
“What’s wrong, Pepper?” mother asked. I laughed a little and thought, A lot more than you would want to know.
“Salt tried to come in my room with that scary mask on!” I called back.
“Salt is down here with me,” mother said. For some reason, my mom had wanted to have kids named after spices. She named me-since I was born first-Pepper, my brother-the second oldest-Salt, and my two sisters-who were twins-Sugar and Spice. Nobody liked their names except for me.
“Well then it was one of the twins,” I yelled down the stairs, still trying to cut my way through the flower. Mother would believe me about this. Sugar and Spice were always trying to scare people.
“Alright, I’ll deal with them later. Now, come down to eat dinner with us, or I’ll come up there and drag you!” mother threatened. I quickly cut the last few roots that were keeping me in, and quickly ran out my room and down the stairs.
“Where’s dad?” I asked, sitting down at the table in between Salt and an empty chair.
“I don’t know,” mother said, biting her lower lip. A million and one thoughts about what could be holding dad up zoomed through my head. They weren’t good thoughts either. They were thoughts like maybe he was fired and tried to find another job before he came home. Maybe he accidentally drove off the road and was getting a really expensive ticket. Maybe he hit a car really hard and was injured really badly.
“Aaah!” the twins screamed as they bound down the stairs. I looked up. Great.
Sugar and Spice were covered head to toe in roots. My emotions had gotten out of control, and so had my powers. This time, though, I hadn’t had time to concentrate on keeping the powers in control. they had given the plant a mind of its own. The roots squeezed slowly tighter around the two girls bodies.
Jumping up, I ran to the girls and got out my pocket knife.
“That’s not going to be long enough!” mother yelled, running into the kitchen and coming back a moment later with something in her hand. She grabbed one of the flowers, and hit it over and over again with the thing in her hand.
The plant released the twins, the thousands bits of stems and roots falling to the floor with a loud thud.
Mother looked at me curiously as if she knew I had made the plant grow and attack Spice and Sugar. This was the last straw. I had too many close calls. I had to leave. We all finished eating dinner in silence. Even Salt, who usually never stopped talking, was silent. I think that they were just all in shock.
When everyone-except dad, who still hadn’t come home-was finished eating dinner, I did the dishes, and then went to my room. Looking at the mess of roots and flowers on the floor, I had an idea. Concentrating with all my might, I had the plant tightly weave itself into a bag big enough to fit my clothes and precious possessions.
After the bag was done, I stuffed my things into it, and hurried out the room, closing the door behind me. I walked down the steps and past the dining room and living room just fine, but it was at the door I was caught.
Just as was about to grab the doorknob, it twisted from the other side and swung towards me. I jumped back and looked at who had just entered.
I gulped. It was my dad.
He looked surprised. “What are you do- you aren’t running away, are you?” dad asked, spotting my vine suitcase.
I tried not to look guilty as I said, “Of course not… why would I do something like that?”
He didn’t fall for it, I could tell, but he didn’t say anything either. He just walked right past me, and into his room. A few minutes went by with me just standing there, wondering if I should still leave, when my mother walked out of her room.
“Let’s go upstairs and sit on your bed for a minute,” she said.
She’s going to see the plant all over your floor! I thought frantically. I stayed quiet though, too full of fear to open my mouth.
When we got to my door, I considered running in and growing a small but strong tree in front of the it, but pushed the thought out of my mind with great difficulty.
My mom sat on my small bed, and patted the blue sheets next to her, indicating I should sit too.
Reluctantly, I obeyed, feeling my forehead prickle as sweat appeared at the surface of my skin.
“Is there anything you should tell me?” she asked.
“Yes,” I replied, thinking a moment later, NO! NO! NO! I didn’t mean to say that!. My mom didn’t say anything, but I could tell she was trying to draw an answer out of me, but I wasn’t going to talk, I wouldn’t, she would never get an answer out of this-
“I’m mother nature,” I burst out. Suddenly, I was sobbing. I had kept this secret hidden for a month, but it had been agony not to tell my mother. I looked at her, expecting to see a look of confusion, but was surprised.
She was smiling at me! She wasn’t smiling as if she had just heard a joke, she was smiling at me with understanding! But how could she possibly understand? I found out a moment later.
“I am-or was-mother nature too. When you turn forty, the power is given to someone else. I’m so happy it was you!” she said, giving me a hug.
I wiped my face with the back of my hand. This was a lot to take in, and I told her so.
Laughing, she replied, “So this is why you have been so distant with your family lately! And I’m guessing you were trying to run away because of what happened to the twins? Don’t worry, it took me a year before I had gotten my powers in contro. I’ll help you master them.”
A thought suddenly whizzed through my head.
“So does that mean I’m mother nature’s daughter?” I asked.
“No, you’re mother nature,” mother answered with a wave of her hand. Noticing the confused look I was giving her, she elaborated.
“I was mother nature, but then I turned forty last month. Am I right to say you became mother nature on the day after my birthday?” I nodded. “Well then you are my daughter, but I am not mother nature, you are.” I understood, sort of.
After that, my mom helped me control the powers. dad knew, of course, and it turned out there had just been a lot of traffic, and he kept hitting every red light there was.
My siblings didn’t find out until they were old enough to keep a secret. They were happy to find out. The twins said it explained a lot, and Salt, well, when he stopped talking so much, he asked why he couldn’t be father nature.
THE END
