4
Asher froze as if his body had been caught in an invisible block of ice. Then, ever so slowly, he turned back, and when Cole saw his face it had a huge smile across it. “Holy shit, you did it!” he exclaimed, running back to them.
“Oh, great,” Beth said. “Why'd you have to do that?”
Asher took Cole's arms in a fierce grip, laughing now. “I knew you could do it! I never lost faith in you for a second!”
“Then what was that all about?”
Asher paused for a split second. “Um, motivation, man! I thought you needed something to really pull it outta you.”
Beth coughed a nasty word.
Cole's enthusiasm was diminished by his lingering anger, but it was growing, nonetheless. “I did do it, didn't I? And I know how too!” I really got it, he finished telepathically.
Asher's eyes widened further. Dude, you are the man. Wanna go mess with people?
Sure. Cole smirked, glancing back at Beth.
“Hey, I'm not stupid,” Beth said. ”What are you two saying?”
“It's nothing,” Cole said. “I'm going to practice.” He pointed to a man in a business suit, carrying a briefcase. It had all clicked in that moment that he had reached Asher. Now it was almost second nature as he reached across space with his mind and found the man's mind, exactly as Asher had described it. Turn around.
The man stopped, turned around, saw Cole, who nodded. His eyes went wide and he stumbled back, dropping his briefcase. Run away, Cole conveyed to him. The man grabbed the handle of the briefcase from the ground and took off, never glancing back.
Asher was grinning like a little kid with the biggest lollipop. “What did you say?”
“Turn around. And then run away. Simple. Effective.”
“Ballsy. But how about we don't let anyone else know what we can do? I'd like to keep that a secret. Still, nice job, man. You're a pro now.”
“Thanks. I wanna do another. This is fun.”
“Don't let it go to your head, Cole,” Beth said, the first time Cole had ever heard her use a cautionary parent voice.
“‘Go to your head’. Good one,” Cole said, smirking. When she showed no sign of humor, he added, “Oh, come on, Aunt Beth. You know that if you could do this, you would want to have fun too. Just a little. Nothing to worry about.”
Beth nodded, her lips tight.
Cole looked around for his next victim. The street was empty now save for a young girl under ten who was pushing a doll stroller while her mother watched from the porch.
Hi, Cole conveyed to the girl.
The girl looked up from the stroller. “Who said that?”
Cole was about to send another message when there was a hand on his arm. He looked and saw it was Asher who was shaking his head.
“Let's not permanently scar little kids,” Asher said.
“Is that what you were doing?” Beth said. “What did I just get finished saying?”
“I wasn't going to say anything mean, I swear,” Cole said, shame creeping into his cheeks. Now that the high was over, he did feel a little bad.
“Seems I was worried about the wrong person,” Beth said.
“Aunt Beth!”
“That's enough stranger practice for one day,” Asher said. “You can practice with us. Let's get some food. I'm starved.” He turned to Beth. “Is that true? Do I worry you?”
Beth gave an apologetic nod. “I didn't know who you were. Caution around strangers. Can't say you're entirely in the clear yet, either.”
“That's fair. Well, for what it's worth, I promise to keep on my very best behavior.”
They went for a late lunch at a nearby diner. Along the way, Cole could not help himself from saying, Hi, to a few people, and then secretly grinning when they turned around. It was just too tempting and exciting. The possibilities and implications of this newfound ability swirled through his head. All he wanted to do was experiment, find out what he could do, what he could accomplish, what he could get others to do. The sheer openness prevented him from thinking of anything creative that wasn't also cruel, but he was still content to pass along a simple, Hi.
Once at the diner, he was tempted to order his food telepathically, but he controlled himself. Instead, he focused on his aunt. You've gotta admit, this is pretty cool, huh?
Beth started forward, taken off-guard by the voice in her head. She recovered herself and gave Cole a slight nod. “Just don't scare me or anyone else with it, okay?”
Practicing some more, I presume? Asher's silent sly voice said in Cole's head.
I can't stop. How cool is this? There's no limits of any kind I have to worry about?
Nope. Have at it. I haven't been able to use it this much in a long time, ever since my parents made me promise to stop. I had no one else I could telepathically talk to without scaring, and I never knew anyone who could respond. I hereby declare you my new best friend.
The term 'best friend' brought with it a pang and a flash of Amy's face. Thanks. You're my new best friend too. I can't believe how lucky it was that I found you, or rather you found me. You've already changed my life.
That means a lot. There was a pause. Hey, this corny heartfelt stuff is easier to say silently, isn't it?
“Hey, stop having long silent conversations!” Beth interrupted. “It's weird! The two of you are just sitting there staring at each other. I'm sitting right here and I would appreciate being included in conversations.”
“Sorry, Beth,” Asher said.
“It was private,” Cole said. “You don't have to know everything I ever say.”
Beth sat back and folded her arms. The conversation remained – mostly – non-telepathic for the rest of the meal, during which Cole began to dwell more on Amy. He had successfully avoided thinking about her for the most part since he had left, but with his recent conjuring of that painful memory, and his initial excitement wearing off, his mind drifted back to her more and more. No, don't give in. Nothing good can come out of calling her. Leave her alone and you'll both be better off.
He forced Amy from his thoughts, instead focusing on a new topic that had begun to nag at him. “Hey, Asher, have you only used telepathy to mess with people?”
Asher smirked. “Yeah, mainly. Why?”
“I wonder if there's some other use. I mean, we basically have superpowers so I feel like we should be creative and think of cool things to do with it.”
“Like what kinds of things?”
“I don't know. Useful things, maybe like stop crimes? Help people in need?”
“That's a noble goal coming from someone who tried to scare a little girl. Just kidding,” he added at Cole's reaction. “I like where your head's at. Stoppin' the bad guys.”
“Hey, uh, I don't mean to be a stick-in-the-mud,” Beth said, “but I don't know if we should go out searching for crime. Especially if your only line of defense is shouting 'boo' in their head.”
“Well...” Asher began, but seemed reluctant to continue.
“What?” Cole pressed, leaning forward. “Come on, you can tell me.”
“I was going to say that that isn't necessarily our only line of defense.”
“And what does that mean?” Cole said, excited now. “Is there another ability you haven't taught me yet?”
“I'll show you after we eat,” Asher said with a sly smile. “It has to be outside anyway.”
“Nah-ah, you always like to keep me in suspense. Let's go outside now.”
“We can't leave without paying,” Beth said. “And I'm still eating.”
“Then you stay here and the two of us will go out,” Cole said.
“I don't like that idea. You can wait.”
“We'll be fine,” Cole said, standing up. “I'll be safe and we'll come right back in after. Come on.” He motioned to Asher to follow and left.
Asher hesitated. “I promise we'll be safe,” he said to Beth and then hurried after Cole.
When the two of them had rounded the corne
r of the restaurant and were alone, Asher said, “Now find me a bug.”
“A bug? Seriously?”
“Yes. A bug.”
Cole thought Asher might be messing with him, but Asher had sounded sincere and was already surveying the ground himself. Cole leaned over to inspect the ground, searching for a sign of movement, when a minute later Asher said, “Got one.” He was pointing to an ant that was meandering along the curb. “Watch closely.”
Cole squatted next to the ant, focusing his attention on the little critter, and cycling through possible scenarios of what was about to happen. At first, the ant continued its walk uninhibited. Then it stopped, antennae waving wildly. It fell on its side, its legs kicking at the air. Then it righted itself and scurried away as quickly as its tiny legs could carry it.
“Phew, that was pretty good. It's really hard not to kill something as small as an ant,” Asher said.
Cole stared up at Asher in shock. “Did you... attack it?”
“Yes, but before I tell you how to use this ability I need to be clear. This one is dark. I don't even like using it on bugs, but it can be useful in emergencies. Believe me, I know. So you have to be careful with this ability, got it?”
“Got it,” Cole said, though he was only half-listening while the other half of his brain was trying to wrap around the implications of what he had witnessed. “How do I do it?”
“It's similar to the telepathy, except that once you find the mind, rather than sending messages, you just, kinda, squeeze.”
Cole caught up to the ant and hunched over it, staring at its helpless flight. He was surprised how much this disturbed him. It's only an insect, right?
He watched the ant, wondering if insects even had minds to latch onto. Had he not experienced Asher performing this right in front of him, he would have doubted it was possible. The proof was there, though, so he concentrated on the ant, and was still surprised when he found something. It was barely perceptible relative to a person, but it was distinct enough to focus on. As he stared down at the ant, he realized he had no idea what the word 'squeeze' meant in this context. Expecting a series of failures like his previous attempts at a new ability, he imagined his mind squeezing the ant's.
The ant collapsed and didn't move. Cole grabbed a twig to poke at the body. It was dead.
“Oh my God, I killed it,” Cole said in excitement mixed with horror. “I killed it... with my mind. I did that.” He had not expected to be so affected, but all at once, the sickening images of his past resurfaced. With all he had already done, he was terrified of what he was now capable. In a haze, he led Asher back into the restaurant to their table.
“I thought you two had run off,” Beth said. “What took so long? You get lost?”
“It was nothing,” Cole said, staring at his plate.
“Doesn’t look like nothing. What did you do out there?”
“I said it was nothing. I killed an ant.”
“I doubt you’d be acting like this over killing an ant.”
When Cole did not respond, Asher added, “He killed it with his mind.”
“You what?!” Beth exploded, dropping her fork. Bewildered, she took a moment to find her words. “That sounds really dangerous. I don’t think you should use that. Ever again.” She ended the sentence with a glare at Asher.
“I know, I won’t,” Cole said, still shaken. “It was awful.” He poked at the remainder of his food with his fork, his appetite gone.
Satisfied, Beth resumed eating, though she threw another look at Asher.
“Don't hate me,” Asher said to Beth. “He really wanted to learn it but I told him to be careful and only use it as a last resort. I agree, we won't be practicing that one, but if it makes you feel better, it's not so easy to kill something larger than an ant.”
“Oh, yes, I feel much better now,” Beth replied sarcastically.
The rest of the meal was quiet, and when they had finished, Asher said, “I need to get going. I have school in the morning, and unlike you, I can’t miss a lot of it. But, hey, I’ll be back first thing after school.”
“Sounds good,” Cole said, recovered from his haze. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Asher held out his hand. “Full name's Asher Gaines, by the way.”
“Cole Sicarius.”
“Cool name, man. Later.” They shook hands and Asher left.
Back in their hotel room that night, Beth and Cole were watching television, but Cole’s thoughts were drifting back to Amy, and how great it would be to hear her voice. Without the distractions from earlier, his resolve was weakening. One quick phone call. Just to make sure everything is okay. Then back to radio silence.
“Aunt Beth,” Cole said, to which Beth muted the television and turned to him. “Can I make a phone call? I want to make sure Amy is all right.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“What harm can one quick call make?”
“Okay.” She pulled out her cellphone and handed it to Cole.
Cole dialed each number deliberately, his heart pounding, his palms sweaty. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her until the prospect of talking to her again became real. Part of him knew the real reason he wanted to call, but he stuck to his stubborn insistence that it was to make sure she was safe and all was well. He stared at the phone number on the little screen, and before a doubt could cross his mind he pressed the Call button.
He closed his eyes while the call rang once, twice, three times.
“Cole?”
“Amy! I’m so happy to hear your voice.”
“It is you. It's really great to hear from you. I was afraid it was your aunt calling to say something was wrong.”
“No, I just wanted to see how you were.”
“Everything is good here.” She paused. “I... miss you.”
Cole's heart pounded in his throat. He thought he sensed something hidden underneath her tone, but he knew it was paranoia and he brushed it aside. “I miss you, too. I hope to be back pretty soon.”
“You don't have to rush back. Take as long as you need to get it all sorted out. Anyway, I'm glad you called, but I shouldn't stay on too long. I'll let you get back. Bye.”
“Oh, um, okay, bye.” The line clicked dead and Cole sat there staring at the phone screen. How desperately he ached to see her again, to be close to her.
“Everything okay?” Beth said when Cole handed her phone back.
“Just great.”
“Missing your girlfriend?”
“She's not my girlfriend. You know that,” Cole said, more angrily than he had intended.
“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But she seems okay?”
“Yeah, she's fine.” He sulked off to the bathroom to get ready for bed. You have a mission here and you cannot leave until it's finished, he told himself as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. She'll be there when you get back. And besides, she's not your girlfriend. ‘No need to rush back,’ she said. Well, listen to her. She's only a friend.
Despite his best efforts, he spent the rest of the night thinking about her. He could not deny that he missed her, and hearing her reciprocate those feeling had triggered a reaction inside of him.
When morning came, his longing for Amy had reduced to a more tolerable level. However, during breakfast, without thoughts of missing her overshadowing his consciousness, a new train of thought arose. What he had brushed off as paranoia last night, he was not sure was so easily explained. There definitely was something off about their call; he just couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
He played the conversation over in his head. The first thing that struck him was that she never asked him how he was doing or what he had been up to or how his objective was coming along. The next thing was the abrupt ending of the conversation. That wasn't all of it, though. As much as he tried to convince himself that it was his imagination, a part of him was certain that there was an emotion she was hiding, or something she wanted to say that she wasn't. The
more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that he should check up on her in person.
After breakfast, when they were back in their room, he said, “Aunt Beth. I want to go home.”
Beth raised her eyebrows. “It's a pretty long drive. Why don't you finish up here before we go back? I don't want to have to make this trip multiple times.”
“I'm finished here. All Asher has done is teach me to use this ability more when all I wanted was to make it stop. Asher doesn't know how to help me and he's never going to help me find a solution. If there's one thing he has taught me it’s that if there's a way to destroy the voices then I can find it on my own. I've had enough here and I'm ready to go home.” He was fully aware of the real reason he wanted to go home, but, still, what he said was at least mostly true.
Beth waited a moment before responding. “I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to stop you doing what you wanted to do, but I never thought Asher was what you needed. I'm glad to hear you say this. We'll pack up, have a quick lunch, and go home.”
Cole nodded and began to pack. For him this was a short task and he had it completed within a half hour, but when he checked on Beth's progress, she was less than halfway done. “Is there something I can help with?” he asked. “I wanna get going.”
Beth grunted. “What's the rush? Another couple hours isn't going to kill you. We'll go after lunch. I want to eat before getting on the road anyway.”
Cole sat down in a huff, but had little time to dwell on irritation when his thoughts were interrupted by a silent voice.
Cole?
Cole jerked upright in his chair. “Mom?” he said aloud, and then catching himself, said in his head, Mom?
Yes, Cole, it's me. Oh, thank God I found you. This is wonderful.
Beth had frozen in place and she turned to him. “What did you just say?”
“It's mom! She's back and she's talking to me.”
“Are you serious? What is she say-”
Voices in the Night (The Dark Mind Trilogy Book 3) Page 4
