Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Nel didn't feel
like going to shoot hoops before everyone else was up the next
morning, or the morning after that. Installing new deadbolts on the
door probably wouldn't deter Norm from coming into her room but it
helped her sleep now and then.
She kept waking up
from a recurring nightmare of Norm in the room watching her sleep
with an evil grin on his face. Nel found herself becoming more angry
than scared the more she thought about it. She hated herself for
being so weak. Maybe she didn't even belong in the same group as the
other PME's.
For his part Norm
seemed to bide his time. At classes and at training he did as he was
told and to the instructors he seemed compliant enough. They were
normals and they had no clue that Norm was becoming more and more
evil by the day. Whatever his past was, it was eating him from the
inside and he was losing his humanity.
Nel checked her
messages and saw a news alert flashing. She had alerts for
PME-related news on her laptop and now on the cellphone.
The news sites
were reporting that an attack and invasion of the island nation
controlled by Mahatani Narvi was now imminent. An international naval
flotilla was within striking distance and it could all happen at any
time. This kind of news would just push the narrative that all PME's
were insane and violent.
The build-up
around the Baltic countries was still going on. The Russians showed
no inclination to change their mind about invading. If the US
government decided to draft Marcus and his friends, that would just
make it more likely Norm would act. In a way it was a good thing he
had convinced himself that Marcus and her were an item.
She had to give
Marcus some sort of warning though.
Nel would find
them in the gym at this time of day. Wanting to fit in, she looked
through her wardrobe and found tight white lycra shorts and a white
sports top that was a teeny bit too small. If Norm happened to see
her with Marcus, dressed like that, it would reinforce his delusion
about their relationship. Although she wanted to give the warning
before something set off the stalker.
She was no
stranger to the gym, of course. She was in there at least a couple
times every week keeping in shape. Nel wasn't a bookworm by any
stretch of the imagination. When she walked in it didn't take long
for the three muscular young men to notice her. She gave them a big
smile as she climbed onto one of the treadmills right near where they
had congregated.
“Hi Marcus.”
She said. The other two teased him for a couple seconds but he gave
them a look that made them stop.
The treadmill was
still going at a slow jog pace when she looked at him again, “I
need to tell you something. In private.”
She hopped off the
treadmill and walked to the back corner of the gym. He took a second
before getting up to follow with his friends throwing one more
teasing hoot at him.
“What did you
want to tell me?” he asked in
a serious tone, not impressed with her bad flirting act.
She looked around
the gym and got closer to him. She put her hands on his shoulders so
she could tell him lightly in his ear. Nel knew that this position
would look kind of intimate to an observer.
“Someone is
stalking me. He thinks me and you are a thing. He might get dangerous
eventually.” She told him.
“Who is it?”
He asked, his muscles tightening. She could feel the physical
strength increase just having her hands on his shoulders. She felt
warmth radiating from him on her face, which was still right next to
his.
“The
last thing I want is for you to fly off the handle and confront him!”
She said, “Listen, all I am saying is that you need to be wary. Be
ready.”
“Just
tell me who it is.” He told her, putting a hand on the small of her
back and pulling her closer.
“No
offense. I don't him to know that you know. Promise?” She asked. He
thought about it for a second before he nodded. “Okay,” She
sighed, “It's Norm.”
“Norm?”
He was bemused, “Ah, right. His power boost came recently. I guess
he's all swelled up now, thinking he's all that.”
“Maybe,
just don't let your guard down. He might even be watching right now.”
She whispered into his ear, putting her hand on the other side of his
face.
Marcus
grinned. “If you really want to put on a show, Nelson...” Marcus
said, pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips against hers.
She didn't resist. Somehow she felt that this was bound to happen
eventually. Marcus was always very attractive.
Suddenly
it ended and the two were staring into each others eyes. The feelings
of wanting Marcus had mostly evaporated. He smiled. She felt a bit
used, kind of. Maybe she liked it a little too.
“You
dog!” She said and pushed her way out of his arms. “Just be
careful around Norm, but try not to let him know you suspect
anything.”
“I
got it.” He told her, standing as if he expected her to hit him.
Nel had thought about it, but that might blow the little cover she
had given herself with the evil Norm. She walked toward the exits,
Randy and Rocky were checking her out, again, as she passed. “Later,
boys.” She told them as she passed.
Hopefully
Marcus wouldn't go directly to Norm and start something. Hopefully
Marcus would not be dumb enough to attack Norm without knowing the
full extent of his power. The last thing Nel wanted was for Marcus to
get hurt. She felt bad that she had used him as a shield.
“Oh,
crap.” She said, to an empty corridor. Nel suddenly realized that
she actually did sort of like Marcus. Not that it made any real
sense, but there it was. Then he walked directly back to her room to
change into something less sheer and tight.
Nel
was tired. She was tired a lot lately. She blamed sleep deficit and
she blamed Norm for that. When she had changed back into her jeans
and a loose crinkly black top she decided to take a little nap.
She
dreamed.
Kimberly
Nelson had been sleeping in the crib in the back bedroom of the
apartment. A nearby space heater had been left on, because it was a
cold winter day. Momma was in the kitchen and dad had left for the
store, not that little Kimberly knew that at the time.
Some
clothing that had been folded had been left too close to the heater
had caught fire, this spread to the drapes and to the big bed nearby.
Momma didn't notice because she went outside to help dad carry in
some things. This was something else she had heard later on.
Somehow
the fire had fully engulfed the apartment while they were downstairs
getting bags out of the trunk. There might have been something in the
bedroom that had exploded but Kimberly had never heard of anything
that would do that.
Kimberly
had woken up to a world of yellows, oranges and reds. It was
interesting to her. When the crib collapsed she was able to stand up
and walk around. Things like blankets and her binky burned or jut
melted. She was kind of upset about her toys melting away but she was
more fascinated by the way everything looked different and shimmered.
“Momma.”
She said leaving the bedroom. She wanted to show her mother the weird
way the other room looked. Instead she found that the whole place
looked the same way. The stove had flown across the living room and
was a wreck, it had exploded. The flames were shooting out of the gas
hook-up on the newly exposed wall. This shooting flame tickled
Kimberly, it made her giggle.
Then
it danced. Little Kimberly didn't care that her little night shirt
and her diaper had completely burned off. When she twirled around in
a circle the shooting flame went around her and danced with her. The
three-year-old clapped because the flames did what she wanted them to
do.
Where
was Momma and Daddy? They should see this, this was fun!
Suddenly
the door burst inward. Big shapes that looked like monsters ran into
the apartment and Kimberly was scared of them. One of them grabbed
her and picked her up. “I found her!”
Kimberly
cried because she didn't know this monster-person. Then she was
outside and the yellow-orange-red world was gone. She kind of wanted
to go back, it was home after all. Then there was Momma and Daddy and
some people wearing orange and white.
“My
baby!” Momma said kissing Kimberly, who smiled and giggled. Mommy
and daddy looked confused though. “She's not even burned a little.”
They
brought her into a little room in the big van and put something over
her face and there was cold air. Momma and Daddy and some strangers
were talking and looking at her, sometimes they just sat silently.
Then
the stranger had asked Momma and Daddy about the Pink Moon...
Nel
sat straight up. She was still on the bed and it was now late
afternoon, almost dinner time for the Adama Boarding House. How much
of the dream was real? She had never dreamed, or maybe remembered,
about manipulating the fire before. But she remembered the feeling
that three-year old Kimberly Nelson had in the dream.
She
walked straight to Elise. After a couple knocks at the door her
friend answered. “Nel!”
Elise
had been doing her toenails and she had tissue between her toes. No
wonder it took extra time to open the door.
“Do
you have a candle?” Nel asked as she sat on Elises' bed.
“I
think so. Somewhere. Why?”
Nel
didn't know how to answer. “I want to borrow it.”
It
occurred to Nel that trying her experiment inside of the building was
probably an invitation to disaster. Elise found the candle and lit it
for her and Nel took it out to the courtyard. She sat it on the
ground at the center of the basketball court.
She
could see some of the others getting curious. A few people came out
of the cafeteria and stood against the far wall as if they didn't
think they would be noticed.
Nel
took a few steps back from the candle. She closed her eyes and tried
to reclaim the feeling from earlier. It was a bit nerve-wracking that
people were watching, and if nothing happened soon they'd probably be
teasing her.
Nel
closed her eyes and probed her mind. She knew the power was there, it
had apparently been there all along. Forgotten. Finally she was
ready.
Nel
bid the small flame to rise high in the air and the thin stream of
flame stretched up to a height level with her head. She reached out
with both hands and the flame became a small ball of fire,floating
between them. Nel dropped one hand spun around and the thin line of
flame encircled her before cming to rest in front of her as a tiny
ball of flame again.
There
was a smattering of applause from the others and a hoot or two.
“Weak!”
a voice behind her said. Nel looked back to see Norm leaning against
the basketball goal post, obviously not being impressed. He pointed
at her and a forcefield of energy surrounded the tiny ball of flame
and snuffed it out. “Hardly worth writing home about.”
Then Norm walked toward her and past her, “Time for dinner.”
Norm
was right, though. She had discovered a power, it was not the
blossoming. Nel could only hope that her power blossomed before it
was too late. The clip-clop noise of Elises' shoes announced the
presence of her best friend behind her.
“Don't
listen to him, that was cool.”
When
they reached the cafeteria everyone was standing. Nel and Elise were
a little confused but pushed through and saw what was going on. A
highly decorated soldier, a General, and some subordinate soldiers
were in the cafeteria.
“My
name is General Patrick Mulligan, US Army. I am here because of what
happened today in the South Pacific and what is happening right now
in Lithuania.” He told them. “I'm here to recruit warriors!”
Nel
felt her stomach flip-flop.
------------
If
you like this story and want to see where it goes, you can donate
toward an e-book cover (all nickels and dimes appreciated):
https://www.paypal.me/FloydLooney
https://www.paypal.me/FloydLooney
