by A. A LEVINE
Alex shakes her head. “That’s what we thought too, but it’s not her signature. It’s someone we haven’t encountered before and it was very faint. Maybe the person doesn’t even know what they are. But it doesn’t matter. No one can hide from us for long.”
I unwrap my hands and walk towards the exit. She’s not safe out there. Orion doesn’t do well with people that reject them. She knows this. She saw it with her own eyes. I tried to put her at ease and let her think it was an isolated incident, but it wasn’t. John is the best tracker we have. He hadn’t been a training officer in over five years, but an injury sidelined him last year. He was here for rehab and agreed to stay on to teach this class. If anyone can find Holli. He can.
◆◆◆
The door closes behind me and I take a seat at the metal table. The fifteen by ten room has no markings and no decorations; the only furniture in it is the table and chair I’m sitting on. I know there’s a camera in the top right-hand corner in front of me and the room is wired for sound. It’s like every other room we use for debriefing agents or rogues we capture. I’ve been in this room or one like it, many times before.
Today, I find myself, on the other side of the table. We usually give the subject time alone with their thoughts and fears. It’s when their minds start racing through the various ways the interrogation could play out, that we find the words and tools needed to get to the truth. I won’t be getting that time alone with my thoughts. The door opens, and she glides gracefully across the floor. I knew they’d send somebody. I just never expected it to be her.
“Agent Jameson. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”
We both know I had no choice and her gratitude is an unnecessary pretense. “Now tell me what you know about Holland Forbes.”
My brain locks and I’m unable to speak. She doesn’t want to hear my voice. The answers she seeks are in the deepest part of my mind. The parts I’ve tried to lock away from everyone. I feel her searching, prying, and picking apart all the disjointed pieces, putting together a narrative. Getting at the truth. She’s a master telepath, and the scan is over quickly.
She clucks her teeth and stands. “It would seem agent, that you failed your mission and failed to get the girl.” She places her hand on the door and steps through. I hear her voice warning me. “If she reaches out to you, you will let us know.”
“Yes, Director.”
Holli
I close my eyes letting the heat from the shower work through the tension in my neck. The water droplets seem to slow and then freeze in place. I open my eyes and see myself standing in the middle of a dark room. I turn towards the noise behind me and see a blue jay perched on a tree. It tilts its head to the side studying me and then flies away. A feather detaches from its wing and floats through the air landing at my feet. I pick it up and see it’s turned into a slip of paper that’s evaporating faster than I can read it. I make out the last word before it disappears.
I’m back in the shower, unsure of how much time has passed. Even if they find me and send the strongest telepath, they have to search my brain, they’ll never be able to find that room that has no location. The bird that wasn’t there, or the words that didn’t exist. The last four letters are the only thing that I care about and just as soon as I see them, they fade away.
###
Holli’s story continues in Orion Academy Book Two: Telekinesis
Orion Academy: Telekinesis
Holland Giselle Forbes
This is our town. Celtic Woods, California. Population 5,234. Oops 33. I almost forgot Old Man Carruthers just retired to Palm Beach to be closer to his grandchildren.
As a tourist walking around this place, you’d probably describe us as winsome or sleepy, but that would be a very, very limited view of our city, because we have a lot to offer. A happening nightlife, a fresh-water lake, and some of the best pizza outside of Chicago and New York-and yes I know this for a fact- because I’ve had pizza from both places. Our claim to fame is our Farmer’s Market, bed-and-breakfast and summer concert series. Of course fame is relative and our visitors are usually the same vacationing families year after year, which suits the town councilman and sheriff just fine. The local college is thirty miles away and the out-of-town students usually head east towards Canyon Ridge for the weekend.
Families, who live here, have been here for many, many, many, many generations. No one ever moves to town, and only the very old in age or a rebellious teenager moves out. Until us.
We got a lot of weird looks the day we drove our U-Haul truck through the quiet streets past the post office and coffee shop. There were a few more stares as we made a right onto Colliers Lane and a left onto Main Street. The road grew bumpier as we continued our journey and I thought my teeth were going to rattle through my skull, but we finally made it to 2743 Willow Court. The boarded up mansion hasn’t seen a warm body in it for seventy or eighty years.
I glance across the table at my brother Aiden and shake my head. His face is buried in his iPad- probably looking up the latest football stats as usual.
We’ve been here for a couple of weeks now and other than the market and driveway we haven’t been out to explore our new town. Who knew making a drafty mansion livable would require so much work? I look over at my dad who is so tired he’s practically falling asleep in his dinner plate. A full-time job as an investment banker and working construction and plumbing here at night will do that to you.
I push my chair back and clear the table. I put the leftover food in the fridge and wash the dishes quickly. By the time I’m done, Aiden has taken out the trash and dad is dozing on the couch. I give him a gentle shake. “Dad. Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll lock up tonight.”
He does a head move that barely passes for a nod. “Not too late on your run and keep to the well-lit streets.”
“I will.”
I’ve mapped out a nice little course that takes me along the edge of the lake. I’m sure lit by moonlight doesn’t meet my dad’s definition of ‘well lit’, but something about the way the moon reflects through a densely wooded area and off the water soothes me. It always has. If I could sleep outside all the time I would. Minus the mosquitoes.
There’s an area by the lake that’s partially covered by the shrubbery and plants growing near the shoreline. Another few feet from there is a path that ascends to the cliff edge above it. And there, that’s where I found a rock protected from view by the leaves of the Oak Tree above it. It’s got an amazing view of the water and allows me to people watch unnoticed. This is where I like to come to write and think which is what I’m doing now.
I lie back on my rock and stare up at the starless sky. It’s one of the first things I noticed about this place. The stars are shy. They don’t really start showing off until well after midnight. I don’t have anything to put into words today, so I left my journal at home. Tonight is just about the quiet and my thoughts.
Tomorrow school starts and I need to get my mind right. It’s our third high school in two years and according to dad it should be our last. Aiden listened and nodded like always. Me, I had a few more questions and some snorts to offer during the speech. To be fair, it’s not my dad’s fault we have to move so much. Turns out it’s hard to fit in when small-minded people provoke you. I don’t have much faith this particular small town is the answer to any of our problems but dad insists it is.
“Sebastian put me down!!!”
I must’ve really zoned out. I never heard the cars pulling up or the sound of people converging on the beach. The latest party is already in full swing.
“Sebastian I mean it put me down!”
He’s going to put you down all right, in the water. The guy pauses a moment and looks over his shoulder. I know it’s crazy but I scoot back further to make sure he can’t see me. I’m not spying on them, but I’m kind of spying on them. I used to know people who partied like this, before... before everything spun out of control.
“I’m going to kill yo
u. Do you know how long it took to make my hair look like I didn’t do anything to it?”
“Geez. Lighten up Mandy. He’s just having fun with you.”
“He’s a total spaz. And I don’t know why we have to hang out with him.”
“He’s on the team.”
“As if that makes up for him being a total moron.” She continues to yell.
The moron in question smiles widely and says, “It does.”
Great, another place where the Queen B is living up to the B in her title.
The first star appears in the sky and I turn my attention to nature’s light show. To the west there’s a shimmer above the water. The refraction of the light and a mist creates a faint rainbow. The breeze picks up and the rustling of the trees lull me to sleep.
Didn’t think you were coming today.
To hang out with a nameless, faceless shadow. I wasn’t.
I have a name and a face.
But I can’t see it or know what it is?
I thought girls were into the whole man of their dreams thing.
I guess you could say lately I’m not really a people person. In any version of consciousness.
Were you ever?
When I was younger maybe. But adolescence has taught me I’m better off keeping to myself.
Do you remember the day we met?
We haven’t actually met.
Okay. The first day we both showed up here?
Here is a nondescript location with no reference to space or time.
Yes.
You remembered what I said?
That a doctor once told you to visualize yourself getting better, and that you were actively practicing it.
Exactly only my psyche is so warped I conjured up a shadowy blob making it worse.
You’re not worse. Trust me.
Trust you? His voice raises an octave. Your voice follows me around constantly. If I admit I’m hearing voices to anyone, they’d diagnose me with schizophrenia. So forgive me if I don’t trust the symptom of my alleged psychiatric disorder.
I can hear the anxiety in his voice. It’s getting late. You should probably head home.
I open my eyes and see the beach is less inhabited. I need to get home too. Aiden will be waiting up and we have a big day tomorrow trying to assimilate.
About A. A Levine
A.A Levine is the young adult/ new adult pen name for Aurora Levine.
She's semi-addicted to superheroes and paranormal television shows. The more wolves, witches and vampires, the better.
When she's not escaping into a fantasy world on TV, she's off in her head creating her own.
A. A. Levine
Coming Soon:
Orion Academy: Telekinesis
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