New Found Light

It was early out in San Luis Obispo, the sun barely peaking out
from the north and the ocean still in high tide. Kiyoi Vespucci cracked
open the backdoor to the deck of her familys beach house and leaned
against the glass railing, the sun glowing against her skin. Kiyoi, lost in
thought, hadnt noticed a figure slowly creeping up behind her, its
hands spread apart like a zombie. It lunged upon Kiyois back, causing
her to scream and have her heart skip a beat while everything started
to move in slow motion. Her mouth was instantly covered by an
unknown hand, blocking out her voice. Her eyes, also covered by
another hand, searched through the little peaks of light shining through
the holes of the fingers, trying to find a clue as to who was holding her
captive. Guess who or you will die, the voice said. Kiyoi immediately
realized who it was, pushed the hands away and squeezed the speaker body like a baby
holding onto a finger.
Iolani! Kiyoi squealed.
Getting crushed.. Help, Iolani gasped out.
Oh, right. Sorry., Kiyoi let go of her bear hug and led her inside her house. Iolani Falua,
one of her closest friends, had been away for a whole year to study in Germany and now came
back to visit her and her family. She had Skyped with her several times but it wasnt the same in
real life. Iolani, being the more outgoing person, didnt want to celebrate her return, inside,
playing games and watching movies, which is what Kiyoi had planned to do. Instead, Iolani
pulled out her notebook, opening to a page titled, Everything to do after Her Majesty Iolani
arrives back home. She shoved the notebook into Kiyois hands and snatched an empty
backpack.
Weve only got a month to do all this so we better get going. Iolani said while collecting
food from the kitchen then hopping over the counter to grabbing her notebook back from Kiyois
hands. Onwards to the beach! Iolani said triumphantly as she imitated playing a fanfare on her
way out the backdoor. Sighing, Kiyoi followed her out, grabbing her phone and a banana on the
way out. Okay, number one on my list, we have to go to those rock caves because you are in
obvious need of exercise and I love looking at those rock formations. Iolani pointed to the other
side of the beach.
Do we have to go over? Kiyoi whined as she looked at the caves as if it was a hundred
miles away.
Well you have two choices, Iolani said as she put on her devilish face.
I choose the one where we go home!
Umm, yeah, no. One, we go right now. Two, Ill wake you up in the middle of the night
and slingshot you over into the rocks.
I dont think thats possi-
Hush, little one. Anything is possible. She swung her pointer finger out only to stop
suddenly at the nose of Kiyoi, who was following her hand and was now cross eyed. Iolani
looked wise as she kept her hand out, her eyes looking out in the sunrise, her locks of brown
hair whipping with the wind.
Can I eat my banana now? Kiyoi said, breaking the silence between them.

No time! She stole the banana from Kiyois hand and somehow threw it over a hundred
yards so it landed in one of the caves. Onwards!, she skipped on casually as if nothing had
happened. Kiyoi, still depressed over losing her banana slumped over to the caves where Iolani
was waiting.
When Kiyoi finally reached the caves entrance she gasped, My banana! My poor little
baby is okay!, she picked up the browning skin of the banana and peeled it open.
Cmon weve only got 20 minutes to explore this! Iolani ran around the cave walls,
making a full turn around the cave. Iolani leaned on the walls laughing as Kiyoi inspected her
banana, still not paying any attention to what was happening around her. Suddenly, the ground
began to shudder back and forth. Kiyoi lost balance as she tried to hold the cave walls from
collapsing against her and Iolani. She lay on the floor face up with her feet up as rocks and dust
began to fall. Iolani slipped out from an opening through the rocks then started to shout over the
rumbling of the rocks. The opening was about a foot away but the only thing that was keeping
the rocks from covering the opening, was her hand.
HELP! IOLANI- Kiyoi was in the midst of her sentence when a tiny rock, the size of a
penny, fell into her mouth and was swallowed. Her hands begin to weaken and her eyes gave
away slowly. She could hear the sirens echoing through the rocks but had already given up
hope and let herself collapse.
________________________________________________________
Kiyoi opened her eyes to a whitewashed room and to the strong smell of clorox and
alcohol. Kiyois throat and stomach ached, and a headache was residing in her head. She
noticed a glass of water on the other side of the room and once she glanced at the water, she
realized how dehydrated she felt and knew she had to get to the water. Pulling her legs out of
the bed wasnt easy but when she had tried to stand up, an eruption of pain spread over her
stomach.
Arhgggg Kiyoi grimaced and plopped her legs back onto the bed. She heard the
clicking of footsteps stop outside her door and hid under the sheets of the bed. The door
creaked open and then stopped. Kiyoi froze, afraid of what was in the doorway, still unaware
she was in the hospital.
I know youre awake. Its okay, youre safe now, the voice spoke softly. Kiyoi slowly
peeped out her head, looking curiously at the man in front of her. His gray ombre irises in his
eye seemed to look at Kiyoi intently as he pulled a pen from his grey and white streaked hair.
He wore a long white coat with a metal name tag that read, Dr. Spear Roice. Where am I? Why
am I here? Where is everyone? Can I have some water now? Kiyoi had tons of questions that
needed an answer but before she could begin to ramble out all her questions, a sudden ray of
light bent through the blinds of the window and landed on the glass of water.
W-what was that? Kiyoi, who was now fully awake pointed at the ray of sunlight that
was still bent towards the glass of water.
That, was you, Dr. Spear Roice answered.
Are you actually saying that I, just made that happen?
I believe I did.
Youre insane. Thats impossible. Kiyoi folded her arms across her chest as she looked
firmly across the bed at Dr. Spear Roice.

It was impossible, or so I thought. When we brought you into the hospital, I had been
monitoring your body and noticed something off. As I looked further, I realized that you had a
tiny rock inside of your stomach. As you know the stomach breaks down the things you swallow
and in this case, the rock had contained special properties that had included mercury. When
your body broke down the chemicals, they were released throughout your body. These special
properties makes your brain able to control the wavelengths and atoms in the light.
Uhh. So basically I can control light?
Yes, to be put simply. Dr. Spear Roice looked at Kiyoi intensely. She shifted her eyes to
the clipboard she just noticed that was tucked under his coat. She tested her new ability, trying
in her mind, to direct the light towards the clipboard.
Arughhh. Why isnt the light moving now? Kiyois forehead creased and was dripping
with sweat.
Of course with this kind of power, youll need training from an expert. I am part of the La
Spochas League which is an organization that helps people with special abilities, like you,
control your powers. Once you are trained, we send you out on missions to help other people
with abilities who are in danger. Of course ,I personally think that you should join the La
Spochas League but, the choice is ultimately yours. Dr. Spear Roice hesitantly looked at Kiyoi
whose facial expression was a mix between confused and excited.
Okay, when do I start?
Right now, Dr. Spear Roices eyes were filled with euphoria.
__________________________________________________________________
Months later
Nailed it! Kiyoi had finally perfected her reflective light shield. She stood confidently in
her black combat boots that had been worn out from hours of running and
a pale blue jumpsuit that covered her entire lower-half of her body.
Excellent, Dr. Spear Roice nodded in her direction,I think its
time for your first assignment. Another man, Agent Marshall, handed her
a folder with few papers inside. Kiyoi opened it up to find the name, Layla
Penelope Woods, written on the top and underneath, the words, memory
manipulator. She noticed a picture of a town that almost looked like the
perfect town to be in. A perfect shade of blue with shimmering, clear waters with a beautiful
colored sky. Looking down onto the description she looked at where she was headed, Rockport,
Texas.
__________________________________________________________________
A few hours later...
Kiyoi stood along the beach looking at the muddy waters filled with trash that stood still
in front of her. The gray skies that were above her looked nothing like the town she had seen in
the report. Something seems definitely wrong here. I looked over to where a sudden flash of
blue and yellow had appeared and saw a girl that was facing a man. Running over, I realized
that the girl was Laya Penelope Woods. I quickly cast up my light shield to block whatever the
man in front of her was conjuring.
Noticing Layla was looking at me cluelessly I struggled to find my voice while holding the
shield up,Brief recap: Im Kiyoi Vespucci. Im here sent by the La Spochas League to help you

defeat this guy. Cool. Cool. I already know who you are. Youre Layla Penelope Woods and
youre a Memory Manipulator. So as I cast my light shield and risk my life, go do your thing..
Um okay and thanks. There was a sudden flash of light before she could say
anything else.
______________________________________________________________________
Um Kiyoi, you dont really know who I am. So Im just going to tell you. Im Pen.
Still looking at her, I held out my hand and she stretched out her hands to meet mine.

Works Cited
1. Hannah Trinhs, Superhero Rough Draft
2. @APSPhysicsEd. "Focus: Controlling Light with Light." Physics. 29 Oct. 1998.
Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
3. @NewsfromScience. "Light Bends by Itself." Science. 12 July 2013. Web. 16
Sept. 2016.
4. @NolaTRedd. "How Fast Does Light Travel? | The Speed of Light." Space.com.
Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
5. "The Basics of Light." The Basics of Light. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
6. "Biophotons: The Human Body Emits, Communicates With, and Is Made from
Light." Biophotons: The Human Body Emits, Communicates With, and Is Made from.
Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
7. "City of San Luis Obispo, CA : Home." City of San Luis Obispo, CA : Home. Web.
16 Sept. 2016.
8. "Dispersion of Light by Prisms." Dispersion of Light by Prisms. Web. 16 Sept.
2016.
9. Dougherty, Stephen. "How to Use Light to Control the Brain." Scientific American.
27 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
10. Elert, Glenn. "The Nature of Light." The Physics Hypertextbook. Web. 16 Sept.
2016.
11. "Gravitational Deflection of Light." Einstein Online. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
12. "Iolani." : Meaning Of Name. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
13. "Light Energy Facts." Light Energy Facts. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
14. "Mercury - Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table." Mercury Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
15. Smith, Dr Chris. "The Naked Scientists." Can We Control The Speed Of Light?

Web. 16 Sept. 2016.

16. United States. National Park Service. "Geology of Caves." National Parks
Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
17. "What Is the Meaning of the Japanese Word (Kiyoi)?" WordHippo.
Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
18. "Why Does Water Reflect Light?" - Physics Stack Exchange. Web. 16 Sept.
2016.
19. "Photosynthesis - Energy Efficiency of Photosynthesis." Encyclopedia Britannica
Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.
20. "The Definition of Euphoria." Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.