There are the usual suspects that could be responsible for this - aliens, Old Ones, radiation, government experiment, etc.Regan Leigh wrote:There is a group of people in my book -- the main characters that the plot revolves around -- who are "special". ;) Not in a vampire way. :D I won't go into details, but they do have certain enhanced abilities. One of my issues? WHY do they have those abilities? I know everything about the plot and characters, but when it comes to explaining why they even exist in the way that they do? Why their world is a certain way? Yeah, I'm empty. :D (And btw, it has a tiny bit of fantasy/paranormal, but it's mostly set in reality. Not some created world. Think more magic realism kind of feel.)
Personally, I'm a fan of the mutation theory because I do have a genetic mutation, so naturally I like to consider myself more of an X-Men than an invalid freak. :-P
Usually, though, the simplest answer is the best. What's the most natural (or unnatural) explanation for these abilities? Maybe it's an evolution, natural selection kind of thing? Or a special gift given to save the world? I would look for more simple answers before going for some complex explanation, because it'll make more sense to your readers and give them a moment of "geez, maybe that really COULD happen!" (And since it's magical realism, that would be the best reaction you could get!)
Good luck, Regan, I know you'll think of something!! And if you can't, then go wash some dishes. ;)