by William Hill
He didn't sleep well. At first he couldn't even go to sleep, his mind racing through everything his parents had told him, his apparent ability to create an alternate reality through just his thoughts (and the ability to bring others into it, as well), the cautions involved, and the gadzillion new questions he needed answered. Finally, after what had seemed hours, he slept fitfully, dreaming disturbing dreams, even a night terror where a Vision Master had taken him into a dream from which he couldn't escape.
When he finally awoke, it was near noon and, even though the night air had been chilly, he and his bed were both covered in sweat. He struggled out of bed, feeling exhausted. He suddenly remembered he was supposed to play golf at noon with Scott and Drew. Ain’t gonna happen, he realized, and picked up his phone to call Scott.
"Hello? Where are you, Liam? We've got to tee off in about ten minutes!" Scott answered.
"I'm not going to make it. You and Drew have a good round and I'll see you later, okay?"
"Is anything wrong Liam? You don't sound so good."
"Everything is just fine. Talk to you guys later."
Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he walked to the kitchen, where his parents were finishing an early lunch, and sat down with them.
"Morning, sleepy-head," his father said.
Liam's mother got up, taking some of their dishes with her, and returned with a cup of coffee for him. "Trouble sleeping?" she asked.
"Well, yeah! Not easy to shut the mind down to sleep with so much to think about and everything. And then when I did sleep, the nightmare...” he sighed.
"Nightmare?" his father asked.
"Well, the worst one was where a really bad-as...”
"Liam?!" his mother interjected.
"Sorry. This...evil...Vision Master, actually several of them, pulled me into a really horrific dream that I couldn't escape from" he told them, (until my owl friend came to me, he omitted adding).
"I wouldn't worry too much about something like that happening any time soon," his father told him. "Besides, in time you'll be able to see something like that coming and you'll know how to fight it."
"When will that be?" Liam asked.
"It depends on how strong and how fast your skill grows, but definitely some time after you are visited by a couple of guys in black suits once you turn eighteen."
"Men in black? Now you're gonna tell me that we're extraterrestrials?”
His father laughed. "No, we're not. If there are any ET's out there, I don't know. Not my department."
"Just what is your ‘department'?"
"Once before you asked me that question, and I told you that you didn't have a 'need to know'. You still don't. If I told you, I would not only lose my job but all of us would also be in some pretty deep stuff. Don't borrow trouble by trying to figure it out. What you don't know won't hurt you. In fact, for your sake, it's better if you don't because it'll give you 'plausible deniability' if you were ever under oath, or coercion," his father responded. "And that last part isn't likely to happen because there are now more than your mother and me watching over you. I think you now know all that you need to know for the moment."
Liam would not to let it go. "Who are ‘they’ that are 'watching over' me?"
"If 'they' are needed to help you, they'll make themselves known to you. Now, no more questions, I have someplace I have to go to.”
This was beginning to become too difficult to get his head around. He remembered what had happened at school the day before and his promise to find out from his father anything he could tell his friends.
"One last question. What's all this stuff happening at school?"
"We're not exactly sure. We're waiting to see what plays out. So, for now, just go along with whatever happens. Just the same, keep me informed about everything. In case we miss something."
"Who's 'we'?"
"Need to know, Liam" his father answered with a tone that told him this conversation is over.
With a sigh, he got up and returned to his room. He thought about going back and begging for more information, even if it made his dad angry. Then he heard his father’s car start up. Crap! He needed to clear his head, talk to someone about something else, anything that didn't involve all the weirdness he'd had to deal with last night and this morning. He needed a comforting voice. He needed Carol.
Carol was a little surprised when he called; she'd thought he was busy today until they went to the movies this evening.
"Liam?" she said, answering. "I thought you were playing golf?"
"Nah, I begged off."
"Is anything wrong?"
If I could only tell her! He avoided answering her question by changing the subject.
"So, picked a movie yet?"
Carol noticed his deflection, detected something different about the tone of his voice, and chose to answer his question rather than push it.
"There’s nothing at the Cineplex I want to see, so I thought you could come over here and we could watch one of the Harry Potter movies.”
He groaned. The last thing he wanted was anything to do with magic.
"How about doing something else?" he asked. "Let's just go and hang out at the mall."
They agreed to meet there in an hour. He hung up and headed for the shower.
He reached the mall on his bike, thinking, I can't wait till next year when I get my license, even if it is provisional! I gotta drive! Having to still ride a bike to get around is so lame! Of course, he had his learners permit, but that meant he couldn’t drive alone, and what was the point of having a parent in the car if your friends could see you? It was as bad as being driven.
He was early. He'd have to wait for Carol, so he decided to kill the time in the bookstore. Wandering among the stacks, he turned the corner and saw Specks, his English teacher, standing in front of the Science and Metaphysics section. Liam remembered what Specks had said to him and the guys as they left school and decided to ask him about what he had meant when he said, "I hope to see you soon". Why wouldn't he? They'd be at school Monday. Wouldn’t he?
As Liam approached him, he noticed Specks had his eyes closed, as if lost in thought. Just as he started to say "Hi", he suddenly felt a little vertigo…dizzy… everything started to go blurry, and he thought he could hear someone talking to someone. Suddenly he was no longer standing in the bookstore. He looked around and saw that he was in a darkened, windowless room, standing against a wall. The walls and ceiling appeared to have been painted black, but were textured in some kind of material he couldn't identify. Beneath his feet was the same black material. In the center of the room was a large, round conference table, also black, where seven people were sitting. Looking at the faces around the table he realized he could see his grandmother, his two uncles, his father, Carol's dad...and Specks! The last person, a man, dressed in black, that Liam didn't recognize, was talking. He suddenly realized the man had said his name!
"With Liam we must proceed with caution. He may be the one we have been waiting for. We'll have to bring him in slowly, but bring him in just the same, even at his young age. It goes against established rules, but given the circumstances...well, desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that. Of course, he won't be the first we've assessed to see if there is potentially to be a master Master in our lifetime. The last — no offense, Carroll — may really be quite a good dreamer, but I don’t know why you asked us to assess her. Because of her total inability to project, to cast, a vision, she's definitely not even an Initiate, let alone a Master, or even possibly the ‘One’. In any event, that's my opinion on Liam, and I want a vote of the council. Before the vote, I want to hear from his father. Will, you've already described for us the vision he related to you, and his first attempt to include you and your wife in one. Which, I agree. was surprising for a first attempt and at his age. But how do you assess his ability and what are your thoughts about bringing him into the circle?"
Liam rea
lized the man in black had also addressed Carroll, Carol's father, and said "she". Is Carol be involved in this? He suddenly heard his father start to speak.
"He's more advanced than I would have thought. We all know that most who have the gift rarely experience it before the age of eighteen to twenty, as it seems to be located in the brain's frontal lobes which don't fully mature until a couple of years after that. Liam seems to have had an accelerated development. In addition, he is exceptionally inquisitive, and I'm having a hard time stalling on all his questions. It would be a lot easier on me if we brought him on board, but I'll defer to the others".
His grandmother spoke next. "I may be biased, but I think he may be the One. He's intelligent and obviously has the gift. I don't need to remind you that it is strong in our family, every generation going back to Grace Sherwood, and likely before, has had an Initiate or a Master. Just look around this table. I am the only one of my generation, but I have three sons sitting here as well. I sense Liam will be stronger than any this family has produced. I vote to bring him in so that we can properly guide him in his abilities and use his strength".
The man in black looked in turn to the remaining. Both of Liam's uncles nodded their agreement. So did Specks. Carol's father, however, cleared his throat. Apparently, he had something to say.
"I'm not convinced. And I don't think the rest of you gave Carol a fair test."
"You know we did, Carroll," the man in black said. "She's good, as a dreamer, and, as I said, will undoubtedly be of great assistance to us. In fact, I think she'll have a significant role to play. I'm glad that this council agrees with my assessment, and Carroll, your position is duly noted for the record. I propose that Liam be brought in, things explained to him, and watchers assigned. On that subject, Will, obviously you will see to him at home. And Mr. Specks, at school? (Specks nodded his agreement). That leaves us with all the time between home and school. Any suggestions as to who can watch over him during those times?"
"I’ll be glad to," Liam heard a voice next to him say.
Chapter Eight: The Circle and Dr. Smith
“Don’t underestimate the power of a vision.”
