by Nicole Wells
“Leigh, he thinks you’re a basketcase.”
I am returning his stare, but not his smile. I guess if he really meant me harm, he could have attacked at any time. And if I listen to my intuition, I really don’t get the heebie jeebies with this guy. I sigh.
“You know, I probably am. Definitely am. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but, Mar, get over here. I’m gonna hear this guy out and I need your company.”
“Right-o. Be there in five!”
That reminds me – I send another text to my groundskeeper – who still hasn't replied. Hmm, I know he’s not on call or anything and he’s great with the animals, but maybe I need someone else. Or more staff. I just hate the idea of more people around. I really value my privacy when I’m not on tour. The panic button he referenced is part of the alarm system panel in the hallway. Maybe I need a new security system, one that can't be hacked by a cute twenty-something, and one with more panic buttons. Like, every five feet or something.
CHAPTER FIVE
I look back up at Brayden. I want to change out of this dress – it was just for me, so he can take that judgement and shove it, and Marlowe better not give me shade about it when there are more important things – hmm, what was I saying? Oh yeah, I don’t want to let him out of my sight, so I can’t change. Drat.
I focus my frustration on his frustratingly frustration-free face.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
He holds out his phone like he was just waiting for me to ask, “It’s my mom. She’ll explain better than I can.” The phone call is already connecting on speaker when he holds it out for me. I’m reluctant to go close to him, eyeing him and his fancy phone with suspicion, so he tosses it at me. My gold nails flash and a voice says, “Aurora?” as I catch it. I’m instantly on alert. “How do you know my stage name? How did you know who I was?”
“I’m Grandmother Dream Walker. Sorry for all the surprise. We’ve been looking for you, and we didn’t want you to slip through the cracks. I suspect my son didn’t do a good job explaining. He’s probably a little mesmerized by your beauty, especially in that fancy dress, and star-struck if he’s realized who you are. Which he would know by now if he would check in with his center more often. I’ve told you the spirit guides can’t reach you unless you open to them.” She says this like a true mom nagging.
“Anyways, your talents are activating,” I find this ironic, since my whole life is built around my talent that has been exploited since I was seventeen, “and it's important that we give you the guidance you need.”
I’m not sure how much I want to share with this lady, but it's the most promising lead I’ve had since my whole world went topsy-turvy.
“Brayden said you’ve done this before? Like, helped other people whose powers have emerged?”
“Is that what he said?” her voice has the same accent and mirth as the laughter I see in Brayden’s eyes. Like they are both humouring me. I don’t like it.
“Look, you guys better give it to me straight, because I’ve got your boy here illegally in my house, and if someone doesn’t give me reason to otherwise, I’ll not be responsible for what happens after!”
“Aurora, dear, I absolutely love your spunk. Listen, sit back down, there’s a lot to tell and you should get comfortable. Well, as comfortable as you can be in that.”
“Bugger! What are you talking about? Do you have spy cameras set up to? How long have you been stalking me?!”
Brayden interrupts, “My mom is called Grandmother Dream Walker by the tribe. She’s a revered elder who has visions. I take it she’s having one of you now. That’s almost unheard of. Visions take a lot of preparation.”
“You might be able to do it too, one day, if you practice and open to your spirit guides regularly throughout the day,” his mom says like she’s right here with us.
I tune out as I process everything that's happened and everything that has been said. I’m usually great with going with the flow, but this has taken me for a turn.
I look up and Brayden is at the foot of the bed looking up, concern in his eyes. I look down to realize I have almost dropped the phone from my lax arm. “Lee, Aurora, whatever, please sit down. I’m sorry this went down like it did. I really was worried about you, and I just acted. Please, just listen to what my mom has to say. I think it will help you get a handle on all this.”
I shake it off. I have been used up and spit out by this industry and I have fought for my rights and stayed relevant and popular. I am a multi-platinum superstar, selling out concerts worldwide, wearing a Zuhair Murad original, with gold nailpolish. Yes, I can handle this.
I put the phone back close to my face, “Fine. You’ve got powers and you’re watching. Tell me about mine and what you want with me.”
“You are a Metal child. You have the power of telekinesis and with training you can also have levitation. But more importantly is why these powers have manifested. It's a long story, but the short of it is what Enya started is just the beginning. There is a lot of work to be done and now it's your part.”
I mull over what she’s said. She could be bona fide crazy but she sounds calm and commanding, and she’s proven she might have some powers herself.
“What about my vision of Brayden?”
“Well, I have theories but nothing definitive. I think we need to learn more about that.”
“And have you helped others before? How many people have special powers? Who knows about it? Am I in danger?”
Brayden cuts in, “I’m sorry. It's all hard to explain and I said what I thought was the easiest way to understand it. The truth is, we’ve trained and waited for someone like you. So, technically, no we haven't helped others. But we will. You are the first. And we’re prepared. We’ve been ready for hundreds of years.”
I look at Brayden, my arm slack again, my mouth open. Hundreds of years?
“Okay, what did I miss?” Mar blows into the room, not at all on the defensive and lacking any type of weapon. In fact, she’s just carrying a six pack of tinnies. We both stare at her.
“Owyagarn alright?” I shake my head again. Poor Brayden looks confused at our Australian slang, but I’m secretly glad I’m not the only one being thrown for a loop. Maybe the beer is a good idea. I hold out my hand and she breaks it free and pops it open for me. What a true mate. And she hasn’t even said anything about the dress.
“Aurora, I think now that your friend is here to support you, Brayden can explain. You’ll have my number if you want to ask me anything direct. And to answer your question, we have suspected for a long time people would have their powers activated, and like my son said, we have been waiting, searching for them so that they wouldn’t be alone. So that they would understand what it is all about and their part in the bigger picture. So we could use our vast resources and knowledge to help them master their powers. But there’s a lot we don’t know. What I do know is you are a smart, level-headed girl. Out of all the world, the powers activated here, in you. That tells me you can do this, but more importantly, that tells me you will.”
“Whoa,” Mar says, and hands me another beer, even though I’ve only taken a sip from this one.
“Nice threads by the way. Sexy.”
I put the beers down and rub my hands over my face. Ok, first things first. “Mar, take Brayden downstairs. I’ll be down in a few.” I’ve gotta change out of this dress. Brayden leaves with a whistle to my dogs, who follow obediently. Now my backwards unreality is complete.
CHAPTER SIX
“Okay, so let me get this straight–”
I’m pacing around the great room, from the kitchen counter through the open space with tele and couches, to the wall of windows and back. Mar is perched on a barstool at the counter drinking her beer and eating chockie. Brayden is centrally located on the couch, leaning forward to pet my disloyal beasts.
“– Most of human DNA is not used.”
“Well, it depends who you talk to. But yes, it is definitely ag
reed that most of the DNA does not code for proteins that are actually doing something. A small amount of our genes are blueprints for, well, you can think of them as little machines or gears. The stuff that makes your body and cells work. A slightly larger amount code for regulation of those genes -- determining who is turned on and off, when and to what extent. The rest, which is 90% of your DNA, some call junk. We know some of it is actually, well, the best way to describe it is implanted genes that need certain conditions to activate. Like, you have to reach a certain advancement to even be able to utilize them. Scientists currently understand some are left over from ancient viral infections, and that's true. But the virus was like the needle to inject the vaccine, and the effect of that vaccine is only seen when you are exposed to the infection.”
“I think I got it,” Mar holds up one finger. It's strange to see her pontificating. I don’t think it's a good look for her. But she’s a devil with her phone, and having a wiki extension to your brain goes a long ways. “You know how people used to say we only used, like, 10 percent of our brain? Well I snooped that – it's not true. But you’re saying it's like that with our DNA. We only use 10%. Or so we thought. We can tap into the other 90% –”
“–Well not all of it. Most of it is junk. The rest, it's kinda hidden. Like a treasure, meant to be found by the person who proves themselves, when the time is right.”
“And Leigh did that! But how? And does that mean any of us can become super-people?”
I pause in my pacing. “Super-people?”
“‘Superhero’ just doesn’t sound right.”
I’m about to brainstorm with Mar when Brayden cuts in. It's like he knows us. “Let’s just say ‘manifested powers from activated element genes’.” I make a face to Mar behind Brayden’s back. I’ll admit, the American is cute in full geek mode but he’s no good with slang.
“It's not clear all the factors in play that determined Lee to be the one. I think having exceptional singing talent,” I throw him a sweet smile for the compliment,”surviving and thriving in spite of the stressors associated with the journey of stardom, and the timing of Enya’s death are some factors. There’s probably a narrow age range when the body is in peak condition –” Okay, now the compliments are a little too personal. “– and that timing has to line up with Enya’s death.”
“But why is it manifesting in Leigh now? Everyone reported who might have special powers is someone born after Enya died.”
“And more importantly, all those ankle biters have death sentences. Does this gene turning on also turn on something fatal in me?”
He stands and faces me, “We think it's manifesting in you because you're xkwèchi, you’re past the time for your vision quest. Powers don’t fully manifest until you are of a certain age. And as for the diseases, some think that we have a, hmm, think of it as brightness. We have a limited amount of brightness. To reach the level of powers, you have to really shine. Like an explosion. Most of humanity is dim, but they live long lives. And even more never use all their brightness, never reach their full potential. The children born and imbued with Enya's essence, they got activated too, but they have not reached puberty, so their powers are not the same level. But it is a high enough level, being activated at birth, to mean they are a flare of light.”
I put my hands on my hips. He didn’t answer the question. “So, is my flame going to be cut short?”
He stares at me and doesn’t answer. Mar is chewing on her lips. Finally, he says, “We had visions about Enya. Other than what Mom has seen, we’ve had no visions of you. We didn't know who you were, where you were. That's why it was so imperative that I find you and not lose you.”
I take a menacing step toward him, “Still not answering.”
He sighs. “We don’t know for sure. Some think yes. More think no. It's not the same situation for you because you're just now getting your powers, not born with it activated. If you had a fatal disease, I suspect you would know by now.” His look is deep, and if I were a gambler, I’d bet he was telling me the truth.
“Also, some elders think that you are a new … generation? New example? That you are different, an exception. So the analogy might not quite apply to you. And really, any of us could die at any time. Predicting an abbreviated life is really a waste of time in my opinion. Honestly, having grown up with a mom who has visions for the tribe and the world at large, I've learned it's best to not put much stock in the future. Focus on the now. It's way too easy to go down a rabbit hole and never come back right.”
Okay, I guess I can live with that. Har. Get it, live with it? I know I’ve been so lucky to have had the life I’ve had, and if I’m honest with myself, who wouldn’t want superpowers? It doesn’t sound like he’s freaked out about it or lying, so even if there is a toll, from what his experts can tell, maybe it's not a big one.
I nod to myself and then clap my hands together, “Okay, back on track,” I resume my pacing, “We’ve got unused DNA that hides superpower genes. Mine have been activated because I’m young and talented and have a rockin body,” I throw a wink Mar's way. She’s always got my back, good mate that she is. Brayden looks like he wants to interrupt to clarify, poor guy can’t take a joke, so I plow right over his words, “and we each have an affinity towards one of the five elements. Mine is metal, so those are my gifts. You guys are some secret super society that has been waiting for someone to become a lit lady,” I pause here and Mar gives me an air high five, “so that you can guide and train them.”
“Yes–”
Mar cuts him off, poor guy. He’s not been able to get a word in, and it seems he really likes explaining.
“But why? For what?”
We stare at him and he looks lost. I think we finally reached something he has trouble explaining.
“It's .. that … we have to wait for a full explanation. Right now, before we jump to any more conclusions, I want to learn more about your powers, Lee. Let’s ascertain if you really have activated your full potential.” This guy would be a killer college professor.
I’ve paced my way back to the kitchen counter, and I swipe some chocolate as I drag a stool to the other side, so I can face Mar and Brayden, who is walking over to join us. I place a small salt shaker on the marble countertop. I stare at it intensely, then blow air up into my bangs and look at Brayden.
“I can’t move it. I've tried. It only happened once with the nail polish and mobile.” He takes this sentence in stride, like it makes sense. Who knows, maybe his mom shared a vision with him.
“Wait, both instances involved your mobile!” Mar exclaims. I’d brought them both up to speed on what had happened and what I could do.
I pull my phone from my pocket and stare at it. It doesn't seem particularly magical. Brayden lays a hand on my arm, catching my attention. “We have to trust how things happen. And I think some of the Elders will have some specific answers about your powers, as well as the bigger picture of what our organization does. Are you up for a trip tomorrow? We’ll be gone a few days. And I’ll need time to coordinate with a visit with the Elders, so tomorrow at the earliest.”
I’m off tour, so yes, but I don’t tell him that. I’m not flying to America with this off-his-rocker kid without more validation and information.
He looks at me and smiles, “You can talk to more Elders on the phone, I’ll give you their info, but for now I’ll get out of your hair and give you time to process. I’ll text you the details once I’ve coordinated everything. And, Lee, it’s just a three hour flight. We’re not going to the US. We’re headed to Uluru.”
Oh, crap. I might have said that last bit out loud.
Wait, what?
Where?
