“What the hell, Juniper?” Ronen said. “Why didn't you warn me?”
Juniper bit her lip, unsure of what to say to either Ronen or the man.
“Don’t be frightened,” the older man said. “You’re safe here. What are your names?”
She finally found her words. “Juniper. And that’s Ronen.”
“Nice to meet you both. I'm Dr. Lamech Aven.” He held out his hand, but Ronen refused to shake it. He ignored their hesitation, giving a quick, businesslike smile and gesturing behind him. “This is my son, Asher.”
Double weird, that the first thing this guy wanted to do was make introductions. Where was the panic, the questioning accusations?
“Where are we?” Juniper asked.
“In my office.”
“What city?”
“Oklahoma City.”
“What?” Ronen said. “I was in Tulsa a second ago, and you brought me all the way to Oklahoma City?”
Juniper ignored her, instead watching the interesting man who was apparently not weirded out by any of this. She liked the warmth in his dark eyes and the formal-yet-kind quality in his tone that she thought a grandfather might have.
“I’d say you girls are quite special,” he said. “Tell me, how long have you been able to do this?”
“Uh, since never.” Ronen said.
“So this is the first time you've transported?” Dr. Aven said.
“Yeah, but apparently she does it all the time.” Ronen folded her arms and jabbed an elbow toward Juniper.
He bent down to talk to Juniper. “So you do this often, huh?”
She nodded but backed up a step, alarmed by his closeness. She wasn't sure whether to be cautious or relieved that he didn't think she was a freak.
“Dad, I think you're scaring her.” The younger man wiped his brow, folding and unfolding his arms nervously. He stepped up to his father and touched the man's arm.
Dr. Aven ignored his son, his gaze still transfixed on Juniper. “Can you tell me about your ability? You brought her with you? How does that work—you weren't touching when two arrived. Do you create some sort of bubble or something?”
Juniper shook her head.
“She didn't bring me with her,” Ronen said. “She gave me her power.” It seemed Ronen was too angry to worry about hiding their secrets, or maybe now that the cat was out of the bag she figured none of it mattered anyway.
Dr. Aven's eyes lit up. “Ahh. Power transference. Very interesting.”
“It's not my fault,” Juniper said.
“No, no, of course not, dear. You can't help the way you are.”
Juniper's frustration won out over her hesitation. “You're getting it all wrong. I can't give anyone my powers, and no one's ever come with me before.” She pointed at Ronen. “She copied me. She can take people's powers.”
Dr. Aven arched a brow. “Ahh. Now I understand.”
“You do not understand me,” Ronen spat at him.
“How do you know so much about powers?” Juniper asked.
“Because I've known a few special people like you two. We have a name for people who can do amazing things like you. I call them Uniques.”
“What does that mean?”
“Unique? It means different. Special. Extraordinary.”
“Are you a Unique?” Juniper asked. For the first time since they'd arrived she wondered which of the men had pulled her here.
“Sadly, no. But Asher is.”
Asher pushed up his glasses with a finger and eyed the two of them with concern. “Dad, maybe we should talk about—”
Dr. Aven held a hand up toward his son. “Just a minute, Asher.” He scratched his lip thoughtfully. “So, Ms. Ronen absorbs other powers, and Miss Juniper can transport. Tell me, Juniper, what made you come here? Were you trying to find us? Could you sense our presence?”
There was no point in lying now. She was fascinated by this man and his immediate acceptance of her. He spoke to her not like she was a child, but almost as if she were a real grown up.
Juniper pointed at Asher. “You said he was special. He pulled me here.”
Asher frowned. Ronen glanced his way—she seemed suddenly interested in the conversation, her own complaints forgotten for the moment.
“What exactly do you mean?” Dr. Aven asked. “How did Asher pull you?”
“I can't go just anywhere I want to. I can only jump when special—when someone Unique pulls me.”
“Pulled by their energy...” Dr. Aven's thoughtful frown disappeared, and his eyes went wide. He nodded slowly, his fists clenching in enthusiasm. “Yes! Why didn't I think of this earlier?” He spun around, placing both hands on Asher's shoulders.
He must be pretty into all this. It really wasn’t that exciting.
“What are you talking about, Dad?” Asher said.
“Don't you see? This ties in with the theory I've been working on. This could mean...” He trailed off then turned back to Juniper. “You have quite a talent, young lady.”
“It's not like I can control it.”
“Yes, I understand that. Okay, call it a gift, if you prefer. My point is, you're not just a Unique, you're extra special. You have the ability to connect with others like yourself.”
Juniper shrugged. “I guess. What's so great about that?”
“You would be a highly valuable asset to a project I'm working on right now. I know you're a bit young for traditional employment, but is there any possibility that you'd be interested in helping me out? I'd pay you for your time, of course.”
Juniper stared at him, not quite believing what she was being offered. A job meant money, which meant not eating out of a dumpster. It also meant not needing grownups to take care of her.
“If you're interested, I'd love to discuss the details with your parents.”
“I don't have parents.”
“Oh. Okay. Then with whomever your caregiver is.”
“I'm on my own.”
“Oh.” Dr. Aven seemed unsure how to respond to this.
Juniper rushed ahead before he could rethink his offer or call the police. “Could I stay with you?”
“Dang, girl,” Ronen said. “A little eager, aren’t we?”
Juniper ignored her.
“Dad, I don't think—” Asher began.
Undistracted by the other two, Dr. Aven's eyes didn't leave Juniper’s as he considered her request. “We might be able to work something out.”
“I'll work with you on one condition,” she said. “Let me stay with you and promise not to take me back to child services.”
“Gotta give the kid credit for knowing what she wants,” Ronen muttered.
Asher's face displayed concern. “Dad, I think this is a really bad—”
“Done,” Dr. Aven said, putting his hand out.
“Juniper, you sure about this?” Ronen asked.
Juniper met her eyes and nodded. She’d never been so sure about anything in her life.
She turned back to Dr. Aven and shook his hand firmly, searching his eyes for lies or trickery. She saw neither. What she did see was an opportunity. This strange old man was her escape from a life she'd never wanted. Maybe this would be the first step to finding a new family.
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About the Author
An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story involving superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.
Becca’s journey into writing began as many of her other creative endeavors do—by daring herself to try something new. The question “What if I wrote a novel?” and some hastily scribbled notes on a church handout were the inspirations that j
umpstarted her first book. Since then, she has written half a dozen other novels and several shorter works.
You can find her at BeccaJCampbell.com.
Pulled: A Flawed Short Story Page 3
