psychic story finished

8/3/2019 Psychic Story Finished

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PSI

By Michael Balangue


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Prologue

I was lying in bed, staring at the dark ceiling above me. I could see the cracks where the

foundation was failing. I couldnt see much else. I was too short to look over the pillar-like

structures that surrounded my bed, but I could see between them. My parents were sleeping in

their own bed beside mine. I couldnt sleep, so I watched them sleep instead. My father was

holding my mother in his arms in their slumber. I got bored and lied back down. Just as I felt like

I was going to fall asleep, I heard something. Someone, or something, was knocking at our front

door. My mom woke up first. Her eyes were wide, and I could sense fear in them. She shook my

father.

Honey, wake up, she said to him softly but with a panicked tone. She started grabbing

things off of the nightstand next to their bed. My fathers eyelids fluttered open. He instantly sat

up when he heard the knocking. I could tell he was panicked too. I didnt know what to do. I

remember them screaming when the people knocked down our door. They were wearing dark

suits and sunglasses, like the FBI. They had guns. Big guns. They said something to my parents.

I dont remember what they said; it was all happening too fast. What I do remember is my

mother, with her last moments of life, running to my bed and putting some sort of metal band on

my wrist. I remember her saying I love you. I remember her saying that right before the scary

men put a gun up to her head and pulled the trigger. I remember her warm blood feeling and

falling like teardrops on my face, and the men proceeding to walk over to my father. They made

him put his hands behind his head and fall to his knees. They put a gun up to his forehead too,

but before they killed him, he was able to somehow close my eyelids shut from maybe 7 feet

away. But I could still hear for about a minute or two after he closed my eyes. I heard the

gunshot. After that, there was dead silence. Then, the men started walking. I could hear their


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loud footsteps come toward my bed. Then, I remember them saying one last thing before I

blacked out.

Take the baby.

Chapter 1

My eyes opened wide.It was just a dream, I told myself. The usual graffiti welcomed me

to a new day as I brushed my dark hair out of my eyes. I stood up and brushed myself off.I was

in a dark tunnel, a few cars passing by occasionally. I picked up my backpack and left the tunnel.

Outside the tunnel was a small park. I had slept here overnight.I am Luke Redderidge, I am 15

years old, and I am psychic. I had a habit of reminding myself simple facts like that, just in case.

Emerald Park, the comfiest park in Diamond City, I thought to myself. The park was

beautiful. There were large oak trees scattered around it and plenty of benches along the

sidewalk that ran through the park. The sidewalk eventually intercepted into a road that passed

through the tunnel. Other than me and a few owls, there wasnt much else awake. It was still

dark and the moon was shining full and bright above me. I looked at my small digital watch. It

read 3:37 A.M.

Oh geez, I said, though nobody was around. I better find somewhere with a shower.

Summers over and schoolis back in session. I go to a normal high school, Silverbay High. Its

the biggest public school in town. I couldnt wait to finally see my three closest friends again,

Sophie, Andrew and Jacob. They lived in the suburbs with modest homes.


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As I thought about them, I left the park and started walking down the streets of

downtown Diamond City. Walking down Oceanic Boulevard, I passed by super markets,

restaurants, and smoke shops. They all ran in a straight line down to the coast on either side of

the road. At the end of the road, I reached the Diamond coastline. I knew the place I was looking

for was near. The buildings and road ended where the sand started. I looked to my left and saw

the large, flashing sign. GOLDEN SANDS HOTEL. In smaller letters under the sign, it said The

Best Oceanside Hotel in Town! It was the last building in the downtown row, and exactly where I

needed to be.

I looked up. The hotel seemed to reach outer space. It was golden and shimmering, even

in the dim light of the moon. The hotel was beautiful during the summer, with the sun glinting

off of its glossy surface. I passed by often on my way to the beach, and I would always stand and

admire it. For the first time, Id be going inside. There was no parking lot visible, only the sand

of the Diamond City coastline. I stepped in the large glass doors as a tourist couple walked out.

They shot me strange looks. Wow, must be dirtier than I feel, I thought to myself. I didnt care

though. Id be clean soon enough.

The first thing I noticed about the hotel was its size-- it was even bigger on the inside,

even though it already seemed gargantuan from the outside. It was also really shimmery like the

outside of the hotel. There were some golden statues of angels and there was a large fountain

with seats around it as the lobbys centerpiece. There was an area with a small restaurant where

the guests would receive free meals, and lounge chairs were scattered here and there with large

flat screen TVs near them. They were usually playing sports or news programs without any

sound. Typical hotel television. I could tell that the carpet was soft even with my sneakers on.


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The whole place was very breathtaking, but I needed to get some rest. I walked up to the front

desk which sat in front of the statues of angels.

Hey, I need the penthouse suite please, I said to the manager. He looked at me

suspiciously. He was short, and had short cropped blonde hair. His most striking feature, though,

were his eyes. He had sparkly blue eyes that were almost as sparkly as the hotel. But they

seemed to be more cold than friendly. I stood and waited, trying not to look directly into his eyes.

Not yet, at least. After a long pause, he said, Are you sure you can afford that, kid?

No need, I started, smiling slyly. My fathers the owner of this hotel, dont you

remember me? I stared right into the managers eyes. The icy hostility in his eyes seemed to

drain with his awareness of what I was doing. I had twisted his thoughts. I didnt feel good about

it, but I had to. And who doesnt want to stay in the penthouse suite of the best oceanside hotel in

town?

Oh, right this way sir! the managerexclaimed. He briskly walked over to the

shimmering golden elevator and pressed the up button. The doors opened, and nobody was inside.

We stepped in and the manager pressed the very last button. I was going to be sleeping over 19

floors tonight. It was awkward in the elevator, being alone in there with a man whose mind I had

just controlled. I was relieved when the elevator finally got to the top. The doors slid open onto a

floor with a single room.

Penthouse suite, sir, the manager said. Will that be all?

Yeah, thanks. Heres a little something for your trouble, I replied. I reached into my

pocket and pulled out a $5 bill. It wasnt much, but it was the most I could give him.


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The managers eyes lit up and he took the money. Thank you, sir! he exclaimed, and

went back down the elevator to the lobby. Looking around, I noticed I had my own mini lobby

on this floor. There were stairs leading up to the roof next to the elevator, and some lounge chairs

here and there. The walls were golden yellow with famous looking paintings on them and the

carpet was a deep grey with ornate patterns on it. There was a loud ringing sound in my ears, like

church bells clanging.

I havent heard silence in a long time, I thought. It was a lot different from the

commotion of the streets or parks that I had occasionally been sleeping in. I hadnt been able to

stay in one place because I cant change someones mind foreverI can just temporarily put a

veil of information over the truth. It doesnt last long. Maybe one or two days. But thats usually

all I need. I looked at the small digital watch I was wearing.

My eyes widened. 4:57 A.M., I said to myself. Better get at least a couple hours of

shuteye.

I walked to the large door that led to the bedroom. I fumbled in my pocket for the card,

and swiped it in the lock a few times before the door would actually open. A large king sized bed,

huge TV, and mini refrigerator welcomed me into the bedroom. I kicked off my shoes and

jumped into the bed. It had massive, fluffy pillows and thick, warm sheets.

Man, I could get used to this, I said. But I knew I couldnt. Id have to go to school in

the morning and find somewhere else to stay, or I could come back and try to veil the

concierges mind again. It was a risk though; veiling usually doesnt work consecutively on the

same person. Suddenly, I heard a strange noise on the glass sliding door that leads out to the

balcony. I quickly looked up, but there wasnt anything there. I got out of the bed and walked


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onto the balcony anyways. I didnt find anything alarming, but the view was amazing. I leaned

on the small grey railing until I had a perfect view of Diamond City. It was beautiful. I could see

the skyscrapers, the shopping districts, the beach, the suburbs, the schools. Diamond City had it

all. I still felt a bit uneasy, even with this beautiful sight. I could tell that the noise I heard wasnt

just a trick of my mind. Shaking my head, I went back into the bedroom and lied on the bed.

I sighed as I looked at my digital watch. 5:34 A.M. I decided to get at least two hours of

sleep as I changed into my second pair of clothes I had in my backpack. I emptied out my

toothbrush and toothpaste onto the sink counter as I walked into the luxurious bathroom. Almost

everything was splashed with shimmering gold. The walls were decorated with wave patterns

and shells. As I turned on the sink to brush my teeth and wash my face, I almost thought the

water itself was golden. I finished washing up, and I walked back into the bedroom and turned

off the lights. I jumped onto the bed, excited but nervous for school to start again. I used my

telekinesis to loosen the metal band that felt tight around my wrist. I still dont know why my

mother apparently gave this to me. It was just a thick band of metal. But it felt important. Getting

lost in my thoughts, I started to drift off, and soon enough, I was asleep.

***

I turned my head to the left to look at my arm. It had a needle stuck in it and my wrist

was strapped down. My other wrist and both ankles were strapped down, too. I was lying on

some sort of hospital bed. The walls were all white, and there was a large mirror right in front of

me. Suddenly, a metallic voice boomed from a small speaker in the corner of the ceiling, Luke

Redderidge, 11 years old.


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I knew what was happening. Today was experiment day. I was in one oftheirtesting sites.

They sickened me. I shouted, Look, Im not going tobe your lab rat anymore! Just let me go!

A faint beeping noise began. It got faster, slowed down, and eventually stopped. It was

like a wheel on a game show-- they were choosing what they would do to test my powers. After

the beeping stopped, the metallic voice rang out once again.

Redderidge, fear test commencing.

How I dreaded the fear test. I prepared myself for the worst. I easily ripped through the

weak leather that bound my right wrist to the side of the hospital bed. I didnt even have to use

my powers. With my right hand, I pulled the needle from my vein and freed my left wrist. My

left arm was weak from the substances they had been putting in me to sedate me. I sat up and

looked at the shackles that held my ankles down. They were going to require a bit more work.

Seemingly unbreakable metal was holding my ankles down. I knew that there was only one way

to remove my legs from the hospital bed. I raised my arms and my hands started to glow a faint

purple color. I ripped the metal apart like a piece of paper. Now free from the hospital bed, I

stepped off and kicked it aside.

Dont fall for their mind games, I told myself. I was still scared, though. These people

these people who have been holding me captive know me. They know who I am, what I like,

what I dislike, what Im afraid of. What I hate and what I love. But they didnt always know

what I was thinking. And this time, I was determined to beat them at their own game.

A small, harmless bug appeared on the ceiling and started walking along it. I thought to

myself, maybe this time they wont torture me.


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I was wrong. The small bug crawled to the spot right above me. And then, it dropped

onto my head.

Come on, you can handle this, I assured myself as I swatted the small bug off of my head.

Just as I did, small openings in the walls opened and millions of spiders began to flood out. I

screamed louder than I had ever screamed before. I couldnt hear myself over the pounding of

millions of spiders legs on the clean white floor, or maybe it was the rush of blood pounding in

my ears. Either way, spiders were my absolute worst fear. This time, they werent sending out a

few small ones or one tarantula like they normally didthis time, they were coming by the

millions.

I started doing everything I could to get rid of them. Stepping everywhere, I knew that

they werent real. They were just a mind trick that these people were playing on me. This time,

they were as real as they could get. Some of them were like the ones before. Once they were

squished, they disappeared into a virtual oblivion. But these people have upgraded their tests.

Now, I could feel the fuzziness of their legs and now they actually spilled piles of guts and blood

when I stepped on them. They started to crawl into my hospital gown, which provided no

coverage at all. I started flailing, desperately trying to get them off of me without using my

powers. I grabbed the light hospital bed and swung it as hard as I could, knocking away spiders. I

had killed most of the smaller ones, but the people started sending even bigger ones in. They

simulated the pain of being bitten by an actual spidersomething I had never experienced before.

They started crawling all over me, biting me everywhere. I fell over, squishing hundreds of

spiders as I hit the ground. This was my breaking point. I would have to use my powers now. My

hands started glowing, and the power surged throughout my whole body.


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All at once, a huge wave of psychic aura blasted from my body, sending spiders knocking

into the walls at tremendous speeds. They all hit the walls and exploded into bits of code and

holographic digits.

It wasnt real, I told myself. But I was still traumatized. That was the worst fear

test I had ever experienced. I sat there on the shiny white floor, which looked as if nothing had

happened. I examined my skin. No bite marks. None of it was real. No part of it was real at all. I

curled up into a fetal position and started to cry. No eleven year old should have to experience

this.

Redderidge, 98. 34% improvement, the metallic voice said. I knew that those

people behind the mirror were taking notes and were going to figure out how to bring out even

stronger powers in me. I didnt want this. I didnt want any of this. I tugged at the metal band

around my wrist.

This is not my home, I thought.I wish I could just have a normal life, with a mom

and dad, and go to school. The only tests I would take would be math tests. I need to get out of

here.

And thats when it all clicked in my mind.

I was going to escape this place.

Chapter 2

Beep. Beep. Beep. I woke with a cold sweat. My pillow was soaked, mixed with tears and

sweat from my terrifying dream. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I looked at the alarm clock on


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the nightstand next to the hotel bed. My vision was blurry, and I could barely make out 8 oclock.

I had 30 minutes to get ready and get to school. Trying to shake the haunting dream from my

mind, I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. I nearly slipped on the shiny gold floor as I

turned on the shower. Ripping off my now soaked clothes as fast as I could, I stepped into the

golden shower.I am Luke Redderidge, I am 15 years old, and I am psychic.

The water was scalding hot against my skin. That was the least of my problems, though. I

needed to hurry. I soaped my body with a gold bar of soap that resembled a real gold bar and

mindlessly poured shiny gold shampoo all over my head and let it wash out before stepping out

of the shower. Grabbing a golden towel off of the rack outside of the shower, I dried myself as

fast as I could and put on my clothes that I had worn yesterday. With a little mind bending, I

could make my clothes look different every day. Its what I usually did; it saved me a lot of

money shopping for clothes. I wore a simple grey t-shirt and dark green cargo shorts. I quickly

brushed my teeth and dried my hair. Throwing everything in my backpack, I dashed out of the

room and locked it behind me, trying to leave the trauma from my dream behind me. Rushing to

the elevator, I hastily pushed the button to go down. It opened, but the elevator was full of

people.

Ill just take the stairs, I said, running to the door that led to the stairs.

The stairs were dark blue and wound down like a spiral. I started running down as fast as

I could, nearly tripping on every step. The stairs seemed to go on forever, and by the 12

th

floor I

decided to just use the elevator. Some of the people had gotten off, so I hopped in. A tall man

was eyeing me, and I started feeling uncomfortable. I looked away and moved a little closer to a

small boy and his mother. She was scolding him about disrespect or something of that nature. It


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started making me feel bad because I didnt have any parents at all, so I just stood in the elevator

between creepiness and sadness until the doors opened to the lobby. As the doors opened, I ran

into the small restaurant area they had in the lobby as fast as I could. I needed to get to school,

but I really just wanted to get away from those people that were causing me such awkward

feelings. I grabbed a bagel off of one of the racks they had and ran outside. A small group of

cabs were waiting outside the hotel, and I jumped into the closest one.

Silverbay High School, please, I said to the driver.

He stayed silent and drove me to my high school, quickly darting through the morning

traffic. He was a large man, Middle Eastern and somewhat intimidating. He was a great driver

though, and knew all the shortcuts of Diamond City. I was surprised when he took a quiet route

through a small market alleyway that I had gone through quite a bit over the summer. It nearly

cut the time of going on the highway in half, and I was surprised that very little people knew

about it. I never advertised it though; I didnt want it to get too congested. The route led to the

small field right next to Silverbay High, and I made it just in time. I was so grateful, I tried to

give him the rest of the pocket money I had. He made it clear that he didnt want it with his body

language, so I stopped trying and just told him thank you.

Good luck, he said. Youre going to need it.

Im not sure what he meant, but I was in too much of a rush to ask him. Jumping out of

the taxi, I ran to the front entrance of the school. The school was gigantic, with a courtyard in the

front where the students could eat lunch or go during study hall. A few kids were sitting around

on the benches in the courtyard, too lazy to get in line for schedules. I passed through the

courtyard and stepped inside the school, which was painted silver with blue wave patterns. As I


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entered the school, I was lost in a sea of students. I tried picking out faces that I knew, but it was

all so hectic. As I made it past the entrance into the cafeteria, I was immediately embraced by my

best friend, Sophie. Her boyfriend, and my best friend, Jacob was standing next to her.

Luke! I havent seen you in forever! she exclaimed.

I replied, I know! We shouldve hung out more over the summer.

Jacob fist bumped me, saying, Hey man. Howve you been?

Ive been good, I said. Not much had changed with Sophie and Jacob. Sophie was short

and skinny, with long dark hair and big, dark eyes. She was one of the happiest people I have

ever met, and she was always smiling. Jacob was average height and had short cut dark hair. He

was very competitive and had been my best friend for three years. Our personalities seemed to

balance each other outI wasnt very competitive and I was more laid back. I had only met

Sophie last year; we were all Asian and had become very close during freshman year. I was

really glad to see them again.

So, have you guys gotten your schedules yet? I asked.

Nah, not yet. Were still waiting, Jacob replied.

Sophie groaned, Thats going to take such a long time.

It was. There were nearly a thousand students at Silverbay. Each letter had to have

separate sections to receive schedules because the school was so big. Eager for my schedule, I

decided to go ahead and get in line.

Hey, Im going to go wait in line now, I told them.


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Okay, they said in unison.

I walked into the line for R section 1. There were some familiar faces and some

unfamiliar ones. Looking over at the S section 2, I saw my other best friend Andrew Suraliks

waiting in line for his schedule. I waved to him and he kept a straight face but waved back. He

was tall but very quiet. He has a long scar down his cheek near the color of his skin, but upon

closer inspection is a deep purple. Hes been my friend the longest though, for almost four years.

He was the first friend I made after I woke up. He was the first face that I saw when-- I snapped

back to reality and realized that it was my turn to receive my schedule.

Name, please? a teacher asked. He looked friendly. Also, are you going to be a

sophomore this year?

I replied, Redderidge, Luke. And yes, I am, actually. What do you teach?

Psych, he replied. Im Mr. Braum.

He filed through the large stack of schedules and eventually found mine. Ah, here you

are.

He handed me the file and I gave him a quick thank you before trying to find Sophie and

Jacob again. I actually had signed up for psychology. I wanted to learn more about the mind, and

why it works the way it does. I figured that it would give me an edge in controlling my powers.

I saw them in the cafeteria sitting and talking to Andrew. They were comparing their

schedules. Apparently the S, N, and H lines werent as long as the R line. I joined them and

opened my schedule.

What classes did you get, Luke? Andrew asked.


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I looked at my schedule.

1. PSYCHBRAUM, MATTHEW. RM 804.2. CALCJOHAN, JOHN. RM 530.3. ENG IIIGARCIA, ANNA. RM. 224.4. APWHFRENZ, LYNNETTE. RM 811.5. CHEMMISK, JENNA. RM 307.6. JAP IIMAINDO, SEISHIN. RM 100.7. PIANOSEVORA, SAMUEL. RM 712.

I compared my schedule with my friends. I had the same piano and psych class as Sophie,

chemistry and calculus with Jacob, and AP World History with Andrew.

Almost every class with a good friend, I said. What about you guys?

They had the same scenario, with only a couple of classes without at least one of the

other three friends in it. Classes started late today because of the chaos of receiving schedules,

but we still only had 15 minutes left until classes started. I looked at my watch. 8:45. I

decided to head up to my class which was on the eighth floor. Halfway up the stairs, Sophie

caught up to me.

Hey, are you okay? she asked.

I looked at her puzzled. Yeah, why do you ask?

Nothing, you just look sort of, she paused. troubled, is all.


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I thought about it. I probably did, what with all these strange dreams and suspicious

noises and people. I didnt know what to say. Well, I guess I am.

Why is that? she asked, concerned.

Ive just been having some nightmares lately, nothing too bad, I replied, trying to keep

her from getting too worried.

She looked at me with an unsure face. I smiled, trying to assure her I was okay. Well,

alright then. So how do you think psychs going to be?

We continued our conversation up the flights of stairs until we got to the classroom. We

still had 10 minutes, so we decided to just sit down and wait for the teacher to get there. The

eighth floor was pretty empty since it was the floor they used for the classes that didnt have very

many students in them. Rarely anyone signed up for psychology class at Silverbay because it

truly just wasnt promoted enough. At the meetings where they explained classes, the fitness, art,

and music classes took the spotlight. The only reason I had heard of psych was because Sophie

told me about it. I told her the reason Im taking it was because I wanted to become a

psychologist, but I was just trying to hide the fact that Im psychic. I havent told anyone.

Theyre my closest friends, but I dont know if I can trust them with that kind of knowledge. I

just dont know if theyll be able to handle it or not.

Hey, did you hear me?

I had zoned out. No, sorry, I wasnt paying attention. What is it? I asked.

The teachers coming down the hall, get up! she exclaimed.


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There were only about 7 other kids standing around, waiting for class to start. I didnt

really recognize any of them, they were mostly kids that kept to themselves and didnt really talk

to anybody. Mr. Braum reached the classroom and opened the door. We all walked in and

noticed that there werent any chairs in the room.

Mr. Braum looked at us apologetically, and said, Sorry guys, they moved me to this

room and didnt tell me until yesterday. I still havent moved most of my stuff from my old room,

so today is a free day. Im probably not going to be in class for very long so Ill try to get a sub if

I can. If not, just chill. Im just going to take roll real quick.

We all stood in the small, empty room which was extremely bleak. There were no

windows, and the walls were bare. There wasnt a piece of furniture in the room except for a

desk which was the only thing that Mr. Braum had already brought into the new room. He picked

a piece of paper off of it and started calling off names. With only nine students in the class, it

didnt take long, and when he finished he ran out the door.

Well, what do we do now? I asked Sophie.

I dont know, to be honest, she replied. This is our first class so we dont have any

homework or anything to do. Maybe something interesting will happen.

I shot her a strange look. For some reason, that sounded familiar to me. Dj vu, I said.

What? she asked. Youve never been in a situation like this before, have you?

I shook my head. No, andthats the strange part. But I remember you saying that before.

Maybe something interesting will happen.

She looked at me bewildered. Thats so weird. Ive never, ever said that before.


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I shrugged. Well, whatever.

The class sat in an awkward silence for about 20 minutes. Then, a clear bell rang out

from the intercom on the ceiling.

Sophie looked at me. Is it time to go?

I dont think so. Its only been 20 minutes, I replied. Theyre probably announcing

something.

Then, a womans voice blasted from the intercom, This is an IOC alert. IOC alert, please

take all precautions.

My eyes widened. That was the principal, right? Did I hear that right?

Yeah, it was. She didnt say drill, did she? Sophie looked like she was beginning to

start worrying.

I dont think she did. Wheres Mr. Braum?

I dont know, Sophie replied. Luke, can you just close the door please? And turn off

the lights? Im getting scared

All right, I said. I got up and walked to the door. I heard footsteps in the hallway, but

they were a lot deeper and louder than I remembered Mr. Braums to be. Getting scared, I closed

the door as quietly as I could, but it still made a lot of creaking. This was an old room. The

footsteps started getting closer and I could hear them even with the door closed. Turning off the

lights, I whispered, Get down, everyone!


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We all sat in the corner that would keep us hidden from sight through the small window

in the door. The footsteps began to get louder. They stopped, and I knew the intruder was right

outside the door.

Well, Sophie, I guess you were right about something interesting happening, I

whispered to her. She shook her head but had fear in her eyes. Dont worry; hes not going to

see us.

I crossed my arms, but didnt feel the familiar coldness on my right wrist. I looked

across the room. There was my metal band, laying there right where the small window gave

vision to. I pointed it out to Sophie. What do I do?

She shrugged, obviously not knowing what to do in this kind of situation. Then, a loud

pounding started on the door. The man was knocking at the glass in the door, which I could tell

was going to break easily seeing as how the room was so old. Thump. Thump. Thump.

By my instincts, I crawled across the floor for my band. I knew it wasnt smart and that

he was probably going to be able to see me, but I did it anyways. After about five more knocks

on the glass, it finally gave way. As the glass shattered, Sophie gasped. I was still in front of the

window, but I dont think he could see me yet. The lights were still off. The intruder reached his

hand through the window and pulled the door handle. The door swung open, and the man turned

on the light. I didnt have enough time to move, and thats when I realized that there wasnt just

one man. There were three, with guns. I think that they were part of a local gang. I put my hands

up.

Please dont shoot, I pleaded.


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Shut up, the man in the middle said. Hey, get this kid.

The other two guys followed directions and picked me up by the arms. They pinned me

to the wall. I tried to struggle, but they just held their guns up to my head, a silent death threat. I

gulped. The leader of the group walked to the small group of students huddled in the corner. He

paced back and forth in front of the trembling kids.

So, which one of you am I going to shoot first? he said aloud.

The color drained from the students skins. If this guy was serious, I knew I had to do

something. I couldnt. Without even realizing it, I saw my hands turning a faint shade of purple. I

tried holding it in. At this point, it just looked as though my hands werent getting enough blood.

One of the guys saw me staring at my hands and looked into my eyes. He gripped my wrist

harder. I could tell he didnt want to do this kind of stuff. He was barely older than me, maybe 16.

I felt sorry for him. He was like me, just without any special powers. He turned to the streets for

a life. I looked down at my feet until the leader began to speak again.

How about you?

He slowly pointed his gun towards Sophie. I started to panic and cried out, No!

The leader turned towards me. I wanna handle this one. Go watch them.

The two younger guys that were holding me up let go of my wrists and walked in front of

the group of students huddled on the ground, blocking them.

Dont try running, the leader said, walking towards me. He put his gun up to my head.

You better not defy me again, you hear me?


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The faint smell of blood emanated from his body. Shakily, I replied, Yes, sir.

Good. Now Im going to kill your little friend. Interrupt again, and I kill them all. Okay?

O-O-Okay, I said shakily.

He walked over to Sophie who was crying next to the other students. As he pushed the

other two guys out of the way, they walked over to me to make sure I didnt run off. The leader

told Sophie to stand up, and she barely could. Her knees were trembling. She looked at me with

her dark eyes, as if to say goodbye. He raised the gun up to her head, and put his finger on the

trigger.Bye, Luke, she said quietly.

The gun flew out of the leaders hand and started levitating in the air as my hands glowed

purple. Everyone screamed. I made it point towards the leader, scaring him. He stared straight

into the barrel and fainted. I pulled the bullets out of their chamber and dropped the gun to the

floor. My hands stopped glowing, and everyone in the room was shocked. The two guys with the

leader tried to run out the door, but I shut it and locked it before they could. They turned and

looked at me, and I used the opportunity to erase their memory and remove the guns from their

hands. The color from their eyes drained and they shook their heads, unaware of the fact that I

had used psychic powers. With all the other students still shocked and looking at me, I did the

same to them. I turned to the left, where Sophie was staring at me. I raised my hands and they

started to glow.

I looked back at her, and my hands stopped glowing. Sophie, I started. Im psychic.

She shook her head. And now what, are you going to wipe my mind of what just

happened?


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I looked at her shockingly. I was going to, but

Its not like Im your best friend or anything, right? Its not like were supposed to know

everything about each other. Right?

Sophie, I

You could be saving a lot more people than me, Luke. But you decide to keep everyone

from knowing about this until now, when Im the victim. I cant believe how selfish you are.

Sophie! Its not like that!

Save it.

I looked at her. She had such a cold look in her eyes despite everything that had just

happened. I didnt know what to do. The authorities and teachers would be here soon.

After a long pause, I said, Look Sophie, we can talk about this later. Please, just help me

to make it look like this didnt happen.

Without saying a word, she went back to the corner where the other kids were still sitting

and started crying again, still trying to process what had happened. I reloaded the gun and put it

in the leaders hand, which was lying on the floor with the rest of his body. The two other men

were too dazed to understand what was going on, so they just stood around. Just as I went to the

corner with the other students, Mr. Braum unlocked the door and burst in with a police squad

behind him. Mr. Braum and the other teachers looked stupefied as they saw two of the three

intruders standing confused and one lying on the ground, fainted.

Nobodys hurt? Mr. Braum asked.


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We all shook our heads. The principal walked in. Panicked, she asked, Are you kids all

right? Again, we shook our heads.

The principal explained to the police that the room was the last they check because its on

the eighth floor and nobody had informed them that the intruders were on that floor, seeing as

how the small classes are all up here. The police nodded and handcuffed the three men. The

leader was waking up as the police picked him up and handcuffed him. I realized I didnt veil

him. Panicked, I thought to myself,He might tell the police about me being psychic! Hopefully

theyll just think hes crazy.

As the police left and the commotion died out, it was time for our next class. The

principal had already gone back downstairs and announced over the intercom, Nothing to worry

about students and faculty, our day will go on as usual. The intruders have been apprehended.

The police department has sent extra security to our area. Have a good rest of your first day at

school, thank you.

Some of the students in the class had been traumatized enough to go to the nurse, but

most of them just went on with their day, trying to shake the fear out of their minds. I was the

last to leave the class, and Mr. Braum stopped me.

Luke? he asked.

Yes, sir?

Staring intently at me, he shook his head. Nothing. Just--if you ever need to talk to

someone, Im here.


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I was astonished.Does he suspect something? I thought to myself. I decided to just play it

off and replied, Thank you sir, Ill be sure to.

With that, I left for my next class. The rest of the day went on like a normal first day of

school. I met all of my new teachers and got my supplies lists. After piano class, school was out.

I walked with Sophie downstairs and met up with Jacob and Andrew on the way.

Sophie said to us, Guys, meet at my house tonight at 8. We need to all talk.

I gulped, but agreed anyways. Saying goodbye to them, I exited the school. The day was

bright and sunny. It didnt seem like a near shooting wouldve happened today. I caught the bus

to the residential area closest to downtown. Not very many people rode this bus because the

residential areas were on the other side of town and the area I was headed to was the only

residential area near downtown. It wasnt a good neighborhood, a lot of crime happened there

and the people who lived there were generally poor. I sat in an empty seat near the back. Laying

on my backpack, I started to drift off when someone behind me tapped me on the shoulder. I

shook my head and looked up. It was a boy with long black hair that went past his eyes, like

mine. He was short though, and looked young. I recognized him from psych class.

Hey, uh, I started. I began to feel bad; I didnt even know this kids name.

Its Sean, he said calmly. I just wanted to ask you something.

Confused, I replied, Sure, what is it?

Do--Do you remember what happened in psych today? he asked, obviously bewildered.

What do you mean? Three guys came in with guns, they were the intruders, I said.


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No, I remember that part. I mean, he paused. I mean I remember sitting in the corner

watching as they threatened Sophie and as that guy was about to shoot her, it seemed like there

was abreak in time, or something happened right after that that I dont remember.

I looked at him, trying to make myself look confused. Thats strange.

Yeah, I know, he said. Next thing I knew, one of the intruders was on the ground,

fainted, and the other two looked just as confused as me. It was all really weird.

That does sound weird.

But Luke, you were being held up by those guys when my memory cut out. And when it

came back, you were sitting in the corner with the rest of us.

What are you trying to say?

There was a long pause. I honestly dont know, he replied. I just feel like you had

something to do with it.

I scoffed and said (a little too enthusiastically), Oh please, do you really think I could

take on three guys with guns?

I guess youre right. But, he stopped to collect his thoughts, but then quickly started

again, if you did have anything to do with it, thanks. You saved our lives.

I was surprised. I wasnt expecting this kind of response. Laughing, I replied, W-well,

you know it wasnt me. I guess theres someone looking out for us, but its not me.

The bus stopped, and we all got off. Sean asked me, Hey, do you need a ride anywhere?


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I didnt want to walk all the way to downtown, and I was running out of money for a taxi,

especially because of the school supplies I was going to have to get. Even though this

neighborhood was the closest to downtown, it was still about 6 miles away. Yeah, that would be

great!

We walked to his house which was one of the first houses on the street. It was small, and

two small children were playing in the front yard.

Hey Timmy, hey Judy, Sean said to them. He turned andlooked at me. These are my

little siblings.

We walked into his house, and the front entrance led straight into the living room. There

was a small hallway that contained two bedrooms and a bathroom, and only a wall separated the

living room and kitchen. There wasnt a door. The unbelievably good scent of a home cooked

meal wafted through the kitchen and into the living room. I had never actually had a home

cooked mealbefore. Sean yelled into the kitchen, Mom, is it okay if I take my friend Luke to

where hes staying?

Seans mom walked out and said, Sure, just be sure to be back home soon, okay?

Someone needs to watch Timmy and Judy.

All right mom, he replied. Come on Luke, lets go.

We walked into his garage where an old looking truck was.

So whos going to drive? I asked.

He looked at me, as if wondering what I meant. Im driving.


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meeting up with Sophie, Jacob, and Andrew. I looked at my watch. 5:47 P.M. I was going to

have to get my supplies today. I still had about $500 from doing various jobs for people over the

summer. I only use my powers when I need to, so I was going to use the money I earned for my

supplies instead of stealing them with my powers.

As I sat up in my bed, getting ready to go to the office store down the street, I heard

another noise outside the balcony. This time when I checked, my eyes went wide from what I

saw.

Chapter 3

There was a small dog there, but there was something different about it. As I tried to pick

it up, it swiftly jumped up onto the balcony railing. It was about to fall, so I freaked out.

Reaching to pick it up, it jumped again, over the balcony. I screamed and looked over the railing

where it jumped. I couldnt see it anywhere. Oh my God, what happened to that dog?!

I hung my head over the railing sadly. As I did, I felt something wet on my neck. I turned

around, and the dog was in the air, licking me.

What in the world? I exclaimed.

It seemed to be levitating; it didnt have wings or anything else that would allow it to fly.

It was small and all black, with floppy ears and a long tail. This time it let me pick it up, and I

brought it into my room. I decided to call him (I soon found out he was a boy after picking him

up) Shadow. I couldnt take him with me to Sophies house, because I knew Jacob was allergic

to dogs, so I just left him on the balcony. I didnt know if he would stay or not, but I didnt want


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him to tear up the room. I walked back inside and picked up my backpack to get my supplies and

go to Sophies.

As I walked down the street to the office store, I couldnt shake the feeling that someone

was following me. I kept looking behind me, but there was nothing suspicious. A lot of people

were out on the streets shopping; many women had looked as if they had 10 bags on each arm.

After walking all the way down the street, I finally reached the office store, which was pretty

dull. Its title OfficeEx was in large white letters over a gray rectangular background which was

right over the sliding doors. I entered and fumbled for my supply lists in my backpack. I kept

looking, but I couldnt find them. I walked to one of the aisles in the back to keep from being in

the way of anyone. An employee walked up to me and asked, Are you looking for these?

I looked up. He was holding up my supply lists. Oh yeah, thanks sir, where did you find

these?

His face looked very familiar. His voice was very familiar, too. Just a place I like to call

Xiqlabs Testing Facility.

His mouth twisted into a wicked smile, and the place he named clicked a bunch of things

in my mind into place.

Whwhat? I started feeling woozy. Xiqlabs, no!

***

Hello, young man. Can you tell me your name?

LLuke. Redderidge. Why am I here?


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Were just going to start letting you do some tests, Luke.

What happened to the old building? And the other kids?

Dont worry Luke, youre safe here. Were starting the other kids on tests too, but you

cant take the tests together. You might cheat.

Mister, I dont want to take any tests!

You have to, Luke.

But I dont wanna!

The man started to get angry and got into my face. I said, you have to!

I started to get scared. Please, just tell me where I am!

Xiqlabs Testing Facility. Now lets go.

The man who was taking me was very slender, tall, and wore glasses that made his

already small eyes look even smaller. He was bald, and probably in his fifties. His voice was

surprisingly low for his figure and produced vibrations you could feel in your ears. The building

he was leading me through looked like a laboratory where they conducted many different

experiments. I passed by rooms where people wearing lab coats were doing experiments to

people and animals. We walked down a long hall until we reached the end. There was no door,

and I asked, Well. Why are we here at this wall?

The wall slid to the side, revealing a room that was much bigger than the other rooms we

passed by.


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Surprised, I asked, Mister, why is my room so big?

Youre special, Luke, he replied. I looked at him with a quizzical face.

The man made me lie in a large tube-like structure that had a special nook for my head.

My arms and legs were strapped down too. I heard a voice in my head, but it wasnt my own.

Luke, can you hear me? I recognized it as the mans voice.

Yes. Why are you in my mind?

He didnt reply, but I heard a metallic voice come out from a small speaker in the corner

of the ceiling.

Redderidge, memory test commencing.

My eyes began to feel heavy, and once they closed, it felt like I was falling down a

bottomless pit. The falling seemed to go on forever. Nobody else was there. Nobody answered

when I called for help. Eventually, I saw something. There was a bright light, and then I fell into

a different scenario.

It wasnt as much of reliving my memories, but more like I was falling through them.

Some went by quickly, but some were the full-fledged memory. Every time that I transitioned to

a different memory, it was as if I fell into it from the sky. It was very peculiar. They showed me

my parents death through my point of viewgruesome, but I had to put up with it. It was the

first thing I saw. Afterwards, there were a few quick flashes. There was a room filled with other

children; a friendly looking man and woman picking me up off the ground.

One particular memory that was dwelled on was when I was being pestered by one of the

children in the room. My telekinesis kicked in through my anger, and I picked the kid up and


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threw him into the wall. For some reason, none of the adults in the room seemed to carein fact,

it was almost as if they wantedme to do that. I had begun to cry because of what I did, even if

the adults encouraged it. I knew it was wrong. Thats when I realized that was the moment when

I truly became afraid of my powers and tried to keep from using them whenever I could,

especially to harm people.

Soon afterwards, I fell into another memory. There was a quick flash of a boy my ages

face. The quick flashes were very blurry, so I couldnt tell who it was.

I was shown events I barely remembered, and some I didnt remember at all. I was also

shown the events that I could never forget. Despite getting to relive my memories and remember

all these things, it seemed to go on forever. It was, basically, a condensed version of my life.

When it was finally over, I woke up with double vision. A hard metal strap had held down my

head, and I was dizzy from all the pressure it had put on my forehead. I could barely lift my arms

when the straps relieved the stress on them, and I fell to my knees after stepping out of the tube

because my legs were so numb. My stomach was hurting from hunger, and my throat was dry

from lack of water.

How long have I been in here? I yelled, my voice hoarse and dry. Nobody was in the

room, though.

The man who led me here in the beginning stepped into the room through a door that was

indistinguishable from the wall, saying, About a week. He was holding a bottle of water.

I was astonished.A week? It felt like much shorter, even though those memories went on

forever.


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Im hungry! I screamed at him, even though it made my throat hurt. You didnt even

bother to feed me!

Luke, he started, taking a sip from his bottle. I had thought it was for me, but clearly I

was wrong. I didnt want to hear what he was about to say, and made it clear that I didnt, but he

continued anyways. We couldnt have ended the process. We would have lost our place in your

memories.

Why do you need my memories, anyways? I shot back.

He didnt reply, instead sipping more from his bottle. Oh how I envied him. Trying to

keep my pride, I refrained from asking for any, but he kept taunting me and it was driving me

mad. Finally, I gave in, bursting out, Please, can I just have some of that?

Sure, if you can take it.

I ran up to him and jumped at his hand with the bottle in it. He swiftly raised his arm

upward so that I couldnt reach the bottle, and I glared into his eyes intensely.

You know what I meant by take it, Luke.

I knew he meant that I had to use my powers to wrestle it out of his grasp, but I played

the fool. What are you talking about? Why would you torture me like this, please, just give me

some water!

My voice was starting to give out. I could tell he could barely make out the last few

words. Its simple, really Luke. All you have to do is take it out of my hand.


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He loosened his grip on the bottle, allowing it to easily be taken by anyone who could

reach it. I refused, but I started feeling dizzy. Stop taunting me!

I fell to my knees again; I had no energy. I knew I had to have some of the water. I gave

inmy hands glowed purple, and I ripped the bottle out of his hand with such force the rim

scratched his hand and it started bleeding. I drank it until it was empty, but I was still thirsty. I

felt a lot better though. I threw the bottle on the ground. Get me out of here!

I ran toward the wall, desperately trying to find the door. I was crawling on the ground

trying to find a hidden switch or anything that would trigger the door to open. The man who led

me here snapped his fingers and the door opened right in front of me. As it opened, I saw four

large boots on the ground in front of me. I looked up and saw two large men with security outfits

on. They picked me up by the arms and were too strong for me to struggle against. Dragging me

past hallways and lab rooms, they threw me in a cell-like room.

It was like the testing room, all white without visible doors. There was a bed, toilet, and

sink. I didnt know what time it was, so I just lied on the bed and slept. This same routine went

on for some time. They kept me in the machine longer and longer each time. I thought that they

were just looking through my memories, but then I realized I stopped being hungry and thirsty

after each session. I could last months in that dreadful machine and not need food or water the

whole time. Once the memory test sessions ended, I realized that they were intentionally

keeping me from eating or drinking and seeing how long I could last without food or water.

They were turning me into a superhuman.


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Chapter 4

Hey, are you all right?

I looked up. I was on the ground of OfficeEx. An employee was shaking me. She was

young and looked concerned. Yeah, what happened?

She was told that I had been picking up some papers I dropped and proceeded to look up

and faint.

Do I need to call your parents?

I shook my head. No, Im fine. Do you remember what the person that told you what

happened looked like?

He was very skinny, but had a very deep voice, she said.

I thanked her, bought my supplies, and left. She still looked concerned as I walked out,

but I didnt care. I looked at my watch. 8:07 P.M. Sophie was expecting me. I caught a cab and

rode it to Sophies.

***

Tell us everything.

I sat on Sophies bed with the other three looking at me. I didnt know what to do. Could

I really trust Sophie and Jacob? Andrew had known for a while, but we made a pact never to

reveal each others secrets. I honestly hadnt known Sophie and Jacob for very long, but they

were really the only other people who I was close to. I I started. I am psychic.


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Jacob raised an eyebrow, and Andrew just looked at me with an intense face. Sophie

believed me, just because of the experience from earlier. She looked at me accusingly and asked,

Why did you decide not to tell us?

I just, I hesitated before speaking my next words. didnt know if I could trust you

guys.

Sophies face registered a look of hurt. She quickly changed back to her angry,

accusatory face. You couldnt trust us? Who truly knows you, Luke, except yourself? Why

should we sit here and be kept secrets from and still call ourselves your friends?

I shot back, Theres nobody I can trust! You think I like hiding things from you all? My

life is much more complicated than you think!

Jacob chimed in, Oh yeah? How? Weve all faced hard times, Luke. Just because you

are some sort of super hero doesnt mean that you are any different than us! What makes you

think that you need to hide things from us? I thought I knew you after these years. But now, I

dont even know what to think, Luke! Was our whole friendship some sort of sick lie?

No! All of this is very real. It may not seem like it, but its real! And Im sorry that I

cant trust you guys. Do you want to know another secret? I looked down, and let out a sigh.

My parentswere killed when I was a baby. Somehow, I remember it. Ive been having these

weird dreams, apparent flashbacks of my memory

Andrew pointed at me to stop talking. What did you just say?

I was surprised. I was trying to stay away from speaking to or about Andrew, because I

didnt want to say that he knew about my powers. That would just make Jacob and Sophie


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angrier. Looking out of the window into the night of Sophies second floor room, I whispered,

Ive been having flashbacks. Flashbacks of my memory.

Andrew stared at me, looking deeply into my eyes. After a long silence, I dropped his

gaze as Sophie began to speak. Im sorry, Luke. I didnt know about her voice trailed off.

Its fine, I said. Its just not as simple as it sounds. I dont know how I got these

powers; I dont even know my past before meeting Andrew except from the dreams. And to be

honest, I wish I didnt have them. They have brought me more hurt than good.

Show us something! Jacob said enthusiastically.

I pulled my bracelet with relative ease into different shapes and forms. Jacob challenged

me, saying the metal looked flimsy and that he could do it even without psychic powers, and

took the metal from my hand. After a strong effort of trying to bend it, he couldnt. Throwing it

back to me, he muttered, Its rigged.

I looked at my watch. 10:10 P.M. I didnt realize it had gotten so late. Hey, guys, I think

Im going to head home now.

Sophie, realizing the obvious flaw in my statement asked, Where do you live? I thought

your parentswerent around anymore.

Trying to think of something to say, Sophie quickly looked at me with a look that said

Dont lie to me.

I stay at Golden Sands, I admitted.


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All three of them, even Andrew, looked at me in awe. Howd you manage to stay in one

of the fanciest hotels in Diamond City? Jacob asked.

I just looked at him. Its a long story.

Sophie shookher head and said, Well, you better tell it quick, otherwise youre not

going to go home for a while.

I sat back down on her bed and explained to them the concept of veiling. It is pretty hard

to understand, but I think that they got the basic idea of it. I guess the kids who have two parents

never realized that there were a ton of other kids, powerless, who still lived on the streets

anyways.

So you basically make anyone think whatever you want? Andrew asked, trying to

sound like he didnt know.

I scratched the back of my head and said yes.

Wait, Sophie said. Thats what you did today! You veiled the other kids, and the guys

with guns!

I had. I didnt know how Sophie was able to put up with the fact that she almost got

killed and not get affected by it, but I guess she has a strong mind. After the conversation,

Jacobs parents arrived to pick him and Andrew up. As we all walked down out of Sophies

room, Jacob told me that if I needed somewhere to stay, I could stay with him and that his

parents would be fine with it. The two left, and before I walked out the door, Sophie stopped me.

What is it?


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Luke, just know that if you ever need to talk to someone about whatever youre going

through, me, and Jacob and Andrew are all here for you. Were your friends, and that will never

change.

I picked up my backpack, looked at her, nodded, and walked out. I found the nearest

shopping center (there were a lot in Diamond City) and caught one of the many cabs there back

to the downtown area. I decided not to go straight to Golden Sands but to the beginning of the

strip that leads down to it. As I walked down the strip, I used the time to think. I thought about

why I couldnt trust my friends enough, and what all my dreams were about. I just couldnt make

much sense of them. I knew I would be greeted by another one tonight. I stepped into the hotel

and the manager was still veiled. I couldnt keep gambling like this though. I would have to be

out of here by tomorrow. I entered the elevator and proceeded to push the floor 20 button when I

noticed a very beautiful girl in the elevator.

Youre staying in the penthouse suite? Your family must be rich, she said with a sweet

tone.

I laughed. No, its just, I panicked, and blurted out, I own it.

She gave me a funny look and said, Okay, if you dont want to tell me, its fine.

I stammered, N-no, its not that! I just

The elevator had reached her floor of 14, and she smiled and walked out. I didnt even

get her name. Ugh, Luke, why are you such an idiot?


40/93

The elevator reached my floor, and I entered my room, wondering if the dog was still

there. He was, and surprisingly hadnt made any messes. Picking it up, I said, You are one

strange creature.

I got ready for bed and got under the covers. The dog levitated and lied right next to me,

curled up. I put my arm around it, and fell asleep thinking about how beautiful the girl in the

elevator was.

***

I really dont want to do this, I pleaded.

Too bad, the man who had first brought me to Xiqlabs said. I just called him Serpent,

because he never said his actual name.

I was looking face to face with a kid my age who wanted so much not to be there as I did.

We were the two who made it all the way through the tournament, though. Xiqlabs was pitting

all of the test subjects in a tournament, in which we had to use our powers to survive. I

absolutely despised it. They were exploiting us; turning us into animals. Some of the other

subjects seemed to actually enjoy it at points. It was ironic how the two of us both seemed to hate

Xiqlabs but were the two who survived the longest.

You ready? the other boy asked me.

Yeah, I replied.

The room we were in materialized into a large, themed arena. This time it was a jungle in

the middle of a never-ending desert. I had no idea where the other kid wasthey placed us at

random points in the arena every time. From here, I had to fend for myself.


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After about a day or two, in which I had been surviving on coconuts and sleeping in large

palm trees, Xiqlabs began to force us near each other. The spiders began to infest the part of the

jungle I was in. As they startled me awake in the middle of the night, I made a mad dash to who

knows where. They didnt stop chasing me. I kept running, running to get away from those

blasted spiders. They got faster, and bigger, so I began to use my powers to knock trees down to

block them. They crawled over the trees with ease, but I kept knocking them down anyways. I

was panicked. Eventually, they stopped chasing me. I was in the middle of the desert. As I

looked behind me, my head pounding, I realized I had destroyed the entire jungle. I could look

past all the trees I had knocked down and see miles until the trees that were still standing. I

hadnt realized I could run that far without getting that tired.

My adrenaline started to fade. I realized that this tournament was really just an extension

of the tests theyve been doing on me. Sending out the spiders: fear test. Putting me in a desert

without any food or water: memory test. I didnt know what they were going to do next. Out here,

there was only sand. They promised me that they would stop forcing me to do those tests if I

could prove to them I could survive in this wasteland. I didnt know what was to come

afterwards, though. Would they keep me at the labs? Set me free? It was my only hope. I had to

get out of this place. But to survive, to win this tournament, I needed to find that other kid. And

though I didnt want to, I had to finish him. It was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack.

They were just deteriorating us before we met so we could bring out our true, raw powers. Our

powers we would normally only use in desperation.

I decided to go back to the jungle, but the way back was much longer than the way out. I

didnt have the aid of adrenaline with me. I knew that Xiqlabs was going to drive me out again,

probably in the middle of the night again. About halfway back, I could almost swear I saw a fire


42/93

at the end of the horizon. I didnt know if I was hallucinating or not, until I saw the birds

simultaneously fly out of the area. I had to get over there. That was where the other kid had to be.

The walk through the jungle was a lot farther than it seemed. All I had for a reference

was the fire that continued to burn. I could see why the other kid lasted this far. He could

probably burn down this whole jungle if he wanted to. I continued to walk through the jungle,

when I heard a rustling to my side. I raised my arms defensively.

Whos there?

As I started to put my hands down, the tree to my left burst into flames. Then the tree to

my right burst into flames. A ball of fire zoomed toward my face, but I blocked it with my

telekinesis. All at once, the jungle around me went up in a deadly inferno. I blasted each tree

down as the flames danced around me. As the trees in front of me fell, a shadowy figure loomed

behind the wall of flames. I pulled the flames aside to reveal the tall boy whom I had to defeat.

His hands began to flame, and he shot a couple of fireballs at me. Reflecting them, I shot some

sort of psychic blasts back at him, which I didnt know I had. He responded by melting them

down with his flames and somehow disappearing at an incredulous speed. He materialized

behind me and I threw him back with a psychic wave. Another power I didnt know I had.

He knocked into one of the flaming trunks on the ground with a strong impact. Smirking,

he rose unscathed. He stared at my torso and flames seemed to rise in his eyes. Before I knew it,

my shirt was in flames. I fell to the ground, rolling. The boy approached me, stepping on my

back as he raised his hand to shoot me with another fireball. I quickly forced him off with

another psychic blast, and in the air, he turned into fire. He once again materialized behind me,


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but before I could shoot a psychic blast at him, he turned into fire once more and appeared on

one of the trees that were burning.

You will meltwith this God forsaken jungle! he screamed, passionate anger burning

inside of him.

I ran up to him, shooting psychic blasts again and again. He easily dodged them, moving

to each burning tree, a flame himself. He appeared right in front of me and pressed his arm

against my chest, burning it. I screamed in agony, falling to the ground. He followed me down,

pressing his hand against my chest even harder. My shirt had already basically melted off, and

the pain became worse as he burned through my flesh. The psychic power was radiating through

my whole body, I could feel it.

You will burn! he yelled.

His eyes grew wide as my whole body turned purple, and a huge blast of psychic power

blasted from my body. As my eyes opened, they were buffeted with water. A heavy rain fell on

the other boy, who was lying on the ground, almost unconscious. The trees had all stopped

burning and sizzled now. The rainwater chilled my wound and revealed the red skin where his

palm had burned through. I rolled over and crawled over to him. I realized that killing him

probably wouldnt guarantee my leave. As I neared him, he tried to shoot another fireball at me.

The rain just left a wisp of smoke emanating from his hand. He raised his head, and we were face

to face. A deep purple radiated off of the side of his face.

I know you want to get out of here as much as I do. Look, were the strongest subjects

Xiqlabs has got. Just tell me your name, I pleaded, hoping he had the same logic as I had.


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He stared straight into my eyes, with a burning intensity. His mind processed what I had

proposed. The hatred left his eyes, but the flame was still there. He smirked.

My name is Andrew. Andrew Suraliks.

Chapter 5

II had the same dream last night, Andrew said softly to me.

I didnt know that we knew each other before, I admitted.

Neither did I, Andrew kicked a rock on the pavement that was in front of the school.

What do you think happened after thatfight we had? he asked.

I shook my head. We must have escaped. Somehow. I have a feeling well find out in a

dream sometime soon. So youve been having these weird flashback dreams too?

He stared off into the sky. Yeah.

We walked inside for school. I still couldnt believe my past with Andrew. I knew he was

the first person I saw after I woke up, but I didnt realize the connection. The flame had left his

eyes, though. At least a noticeable flame. It had faltered ever since he stopped using his powers.

School started, and class was boring as always. Until piano.

When I walked into the room, the first person I saw was the beautiful girl from the

elevator. There she waspetite, long brown hair, and beautiful sparkly brown eyes. I was

stunned to see her. As she finished talking to our teacher, she looked up and our eyes locked. She

waved, and walked over.


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Smiling, she greeted me. Hey!

Hey yourself, I said back to her. You know, I never caught your name last night.

Im Lucy. And you, Mr. Rich? she joked.

Luke, I said. Our names go together, huh?

I guess they do, she replied. Lets sit down.

We took our seats as the rest of the class arrived. I couldnt stop admiring her; she was

very pretty and very friendly. Sophie walked in and sat to the other side of me.

Hey, I said to her.

Is this your girlfriend, Luke? asked Lucy, half jokingly.

No! I said defensively. Shes just a friend. Shes my best friends girlfriend, actually.

Lucy laughed, and said something that sounded like good.

Yup, thats right, said Sophie. And I wouldnt supposeyouare Lukes girlfriend?

Whats your name?

They introduced themselves as class started. We learned which notes corresponded to

which key and other kinds of music theory information. The class seemed like it breezed by

quickly, though. Lucy was instantly likeable. She was one of the nicest people I knew besides

Sophie. I really liked her.

As class ended and the sea of students filled the hallways, I looked for Jacob. As I left,

Lucy yelled my name. I turned around.


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Ill see you tomorrow, Luke!

I waved back at her. I turned back around and began to look for Jacob when Sophie

began to walk next to me. Hey, wanna help me find Jacob? I asked.

She said yes, and we walked down the floors to his locker. He was there, pulling books

out of his large blue locker. Sophie bounced around excitedly.

Why areyouso happy? Jacobasked. I mean, more than usual.

Sophie could barely contain herself when she spoke. She spilled out, Luke has a

girlfriend!

I looked down at my shoes, trying to avoid eye contact. What, and you didnt tell me?

Jacob mused.

Shes not my girlfriend, I defended. They didnt hear me mutter the word yet under

my breath.

Anyways, I have something else to ask you, Jake, I said.

He closed his locker and we started walking down the hall to the exit. Oh yeah, whats

that?

You know when you said I could stay with you if I needed somewhere to stay?

He nodded.

I nodded back at him. Well, Im going to have to take you up on that offer.

His eyes lit up. This is going to be awesome!


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We walked downstairs out to the front entrance and said bye to Sophie. I hadnt seen

Andrew anywhere after AP World History, our only class together. I really needed to talk to him

though. He was the only one who really understood what I was going through. I knew that he felt

the same way. I was lost in my thoughts when Jacob grabbed my arm and pulled me to his

moms car. I greeted her just as I remembered that black dog in the hotel. I had completely

forgotten about Shadow until now, and I didnt know whatto do about him. I hadnt even

mentioned to Jacob that I had a dog.

Hey, Jake, I started. Would your family mind if I brought adog?

A dog? he asked. Im not sure. Whered you even get a dog, anyways?

Long story, I told him. Its a veryspecial dog. I winked at him.

He understood what I meant. Well, well see. Lets just pick him up from wherever

youre staying first and then well decide.

I nodded, and Jacob told his mother. She seemed fine with it. Jacob wasnt very close to

his parents. His mom was constantly on night shift as an OB/GYN, a person who delivers babies.

His dad was also constantly on business trips, and Jacob had travelled all around the world

before his family decided on settling in Diamond City. We reached the busy streets

perpendicular to Golden Sands hotel, and I stepped out of the car as Jacob and his mom waited

on the curb. I walked into the hotel, and entered the elevator to the penthouse suite for my final

time.

There was a worker in the elevator today; I guessed that he had just been hired. All he did

was press the button for you.


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What floor would you like to go to today, sir? he asked in a businesslike voice.

20, penthouse suite, I replied dismissively.

He nodded, and pressed the button. The elevator stopped at 14. I wondered why anyone

would be going up from a floor, until I saw who walked in the elevator.

I was astonished. Lucy, why are you going up?

She looked down, blushing. I was actually going to see if you were up there.

I smiled, but realized that I was leaving Golden Sands. My happiness faded, but I was

still glad to see her. Im just here to pick something up, I said. Im staying at a friends house.

Hey, I never realized this, but why are you staying in Golden Sands, anyways?

She looked at me and said, My family just moved here. We havent bought a house yet.

Oh.

We reached the penthouse suite. Do you wanna come inside?

She nodded, and we went into my room. She immediately noticed Shadow sleeping on a

chair. Her eyes went wide and she ran towards him with an excitement I wouldnt have expected.

Oh my gosh! What is this adorable dogs name? she asked, picking him up. Shadow

woke up and began wagging his tail and licking her face.

Thats Shadow, I said. He really likes you!


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I told her that he is what I came up there for, and that Id be staying at Jacobs. She

continued petting Shadow as I explained it all to her. She seemed to be more interested in how

big the room was than what I was saying.

So you lied to me about owning this place, huh? she joked, surprising me that she was

actually paying attention. I knew it.

I laughed, trying to get her off the subject. Well, I really have to go. Jacob and his mom

are waiting downstairs. Ill see you at school.

She nodded, and we exited the room and went to the lobby. She didnt stop on her floor,

but went all the way down with me. I checked out of the penthouse suite, and I could see the

managers uneasiness and confusion. The veil was beginning to wear off.

After awkwardly waving goodbye to Lucy with Shadow in my hands, she waved back to

me. I put him down, and he didnt run off, thankfully.

Ill see you tomorrow, Lucy said in a sweet voice.

Okay, seeya, I replied.

Then she surprised me. She put her arms around me and hugged me, and I hugged back. I

didnt even know her, really, but I really liked herI could tell she felt the same way. I walked

out, and jumped into the car with Shadow in my hands. Jacobs mom said she was fine with

having him; he was small and she thought it would be nice to have a dog in the house again. I

didnt know what shed meant.

Jacob smirked, and poked me. Sophie wasnt lying! She is your girlfriend!


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I looked away and smiled as we drove off to Jacobs house.

***

Okay, man, were going to have to teach this guy some tricks, I said to Jacob. Shadow

was donning a new purple collar that complimented his fur. It was the collar that the dog that

Jacobs mom had mentioned wore. I etched off the old name on the tag,Amy, and wrote in

Shadowcrudely and small on it. Amy had passed away a few years ago. She was Jacobs best

friend, so he was excited whenever his mom said it was fine to take Shadow.

We were in the houses attic, which was livable but vacant until I had arrived. It was

Jacobs older brothers room; he had already gone off to college abroad and planned to stay there.

His mom had called him when we got there and he approved of me staying there. Jacob was

lounging on the bed, throwing a ball above his head and catching it. What do you mean?

Look, I said. I put Shadow down, and after a few moments he began levitating around,

bouncing off of walls slowly. It was adorable, but if anyone ever saw that, they would freak out.

Well, lets make a term for whenever we want him to actually fly, Jacob said seriously.

I blinked at him. I thought youd be moreI dont know, shocked that you saw a flying

dog.

He shrugged. Ive already seen you bend metal with your mind. I guess you can say that

nothing shocks me anymore.

I laughed. Well, how about we say air whenever we actually want him to fly and earth

whenever we want him to stay grounded?


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Good idea, replied Jacob.

Jacobs mom had gone to the pet store to get some food and treats for Shadow. Shadow

never really ate, and never really used the bathroom either. There were stairsteps from the attic

window scaling the house down to the backyard though, so we didnt have to worry about having

to bring Shadow downstairs and out of the house. Jacob opened a bag of one of the bacon treats

and the pungent smell filled the attic.

He pulled one out, and pointed it toward the ground. Earth! Jacob shouted.

Shadow, surprisingly, was a fast learner. He slowly levitated down, and Jacob tossed him

the treat. Shadow munched on it cheerfully as we petted him for a good job.

Let me try, I said, snatching the treat bag from Jacob. I pointed a treat in the air, and

yelled, Air!

Shadow, already finished with his first treat, happily obliged and levitated into the air,

taking the treat out of my raised hand. Wow, that was easier than I thought, I admitted.

Jacob laughed, and said, Smart dog you got there.

It had gotten late, so Jacob left to his room and I changed into some new sleeping clothes

that Jacobs mom had gotten me from a department store during the trip she took to get Shadow

some food. She was very hospitable. I wasnt very materialistic, and this was the first time I

remember having more than two sets of clothes. It was nice, to be honest.

I hopped into the nice bed, and I immediately felt as if I was at a true home: not a park,

tunnel, hotel, or some other place. This was a real home. I drifted off, anticipating another dream

that would reveal my pastand how I ended up in that place where I woke up.


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***

I sat in the rubble, staring off into the sky. Do you hate this as much as me?

The boy nodded. Andrew. He was a fiery one.

I stood up and paced around, still looking to the sky. Look. Theres a better way to solve

this.

Oh yeah, and whats that? Andrew asked doubtfully.

I explained to him what I had been thinking in the back of my mind, behind the ideas of

killing him to be free. How the labs were probably not going to set us free, how we both hate the

labs, how, if we combined our powers, wed be stronger than the labs, how there must be a way

out of this hologram. After all, it was still technically inside a lab room. There had to be a door

hidden somewhere.

After staring me down for a while, he finally stood up and put out his hand. I was

reluctant, but he said, Come on, Im not gonna hurt you. Lets just shake on itwere together

now. No matter what, well stick together and we wont let anything get in our way.

I was taken aback by what he said. It was the closest thing I had had to family; friend,

even, since they took me to Xiqlabs. It was hard looking at him. The scar I left on the side of his

face was still radiating purple. The flesh on my chest had gotten better already, but was still a

light pink. It hurt to touch it. I disregarded the pain and smiled, shaking his hand. As I did, the

rain stopped and the sky cleared.

How do you think we should go about finding this, he paused, in thought. door youre

talking about?


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I shruggedI honestly hadnt really thought that far yet. I was lucky he even agreed with

what I said. Speaking off the top of my head, I said, Well, I guess we should explore this

hologram area first. Actually, A thought had just hit me.we could find one of those living

creatures they send in heremaybe if we cut it up or something, itll lead us to how we can get

out of here.

Andrew blinked, shaking his head. Wouldnt it just burst into data like those other things

theyve sent us before?

Well, its worth a shot, I said.

He crossed his arms. Okay, whatever you say.

We began our exploration of the area. Andrew had picked off one of the large blanket-

like leaves off of one of the tall trees. He used a stick to draw a map of where we had explored.

We hadnt encountered any strange animals from walking through the jungle, so we kept going

until we reached the desert area. After walking down the desert as far as we could, we realized

that we were on an island. It was completely round in shape, with three layers: the inner jungle,

the barren desert, which we now realize was just a large beach, and the ocean. I dont know how

they had an oceanbut I knew there had to be some definite boundaries out there. Going out to

the sea was a risk though. We wouldnt be able to survive, but the scientists probably wouldnt

let us die anyways. They wouldnt let both of us die, at least.

I started imagining what kind of things they could do to us if we went out on the ocean.

Send some sort of sea monster to kill us, a storm, whirlpool, anything, really. After coming back

to reality, I noticed that Andrew had been thinking the same thing. What do you think? Should

we try going out to the ocean?


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I shook my head. I dont know. Maybe we could test it, I proposed.

How? he asked.

I told him that we could make a boat and attach a rope to it, but he said it would be too

easy for the scientists to destroy the boat.

Just then, I got another idea. Hey, I said, gaining enthusiasm. You know how you can

shoot fireballs?

Yeah, he answered. His eyes went wide. Are you thinking what Im thinking?

I nodded. You send a fireball and I send a psychic blast, mixed together. My psychic

blast will make the fireball go even farther, and hopefully reveal to us where the boundaries are.

He put down his leaf map and raised his arms. Pulling together all of his inner flames, he

produced a fireball larger than our heads combined. I produced a psychic blast of the same size,

and we both shot them at the same time. They merged, and travelled lightning fast. They kept

getting smaller and smaller as they travelled farther away from us. Just when I thought they were

going to disappear from our sight, they collided with a border and revealed the white wall of the

true lab room.

I jumped up and down excitedly. Did you see that? For a split second, the hologram

disappeared and I saw the actual room!

He smiled. I guess you were right, Luke.

My face turned serious. Yeah, I said slowly. but our real challenge is going to be

getting to the boundary.


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Andrew frowned. Why dont we just keep hitting one area with our blasts?

We did what he said, but every time we hit the area it just turned back into the sky. It was

no use.

This isnt working, I said impatiently.

He sat on the sand. Were just going to have to find another way.

It was beginning to get dark, and the data sun was setting on the holographic horizon. It

was like jail. The only upside was that I had Andrew to keep me company. I lied on the sand, but

immediately jumped back up as it was scorching on my bare back. All I was wearing were shoes

and pants. Andrew proposed we went back into the jungle to sleep, since it contained those

blanket-like leaves. He even suggested making a shirt out of them, which honestly wasnt a bad

idea. We went back into the jungle.

In the jungle, Andrew collected firewood and I carried the map, telling him which way to

go. He drew the map based on the way the sun was moving, so he expected me to tell him which

direction to go. We eventually ended up in a clearing that he had marked. It had plenty of strewn

wood for fire and I ripped off some blanketleaves to fashion a shirt with. I punctured small holes

in the leaves and threaded some flexible branches through them and knotted them at the end. It

was crude, but it worked. The soft material of the leaf felt good against my rapidly healing burn

on my chest.

Stars appeared in the sky, and Andrew lit the small fire. He pulled a couple of leaves off

of a tree and threw them over himself, lying on the moist ground. I lied down and messed with

my bracelet when Andrew asked about it.


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What is that thing?

I pointed to the metal band, and he nodded. This? Its just some metal band that my

mom put

psychic story finished

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