the café from the other side of the street, I saw Kerri sitting on the curb and rubbing her leg.
“That was dangerous, Mark. We could have killed her.”
“I told you these things were dangerous. I’ve seen the things they do to people all my life.” Mark kicked at the sidewalk. “You think I wanted to hurt that girl?”
“No, but if we’re going to keep making stones, we’d better know what we’re making from now on.” I stared at the side of his head for a bit and tried to figure out the best way to approach him. I took a deep breath and decided to just jump in. “I think we should talk to your mom. She’s been trained. I bet she can teach me all kinds of different patterns and recipes.”
“One blunder and I’m no good to you now?”
“Mark, this isn’t something we can trial-and-error with.”
“You could just stop making them.”
I gritted my teeth at the simplicity of the statement. Of course he was right, but I couldn’t imagine ignoring this part of my life now. Mark looked at me with a sideways smile.
“I just think she could help me.”
“Fine, but I won’t let you create a single stone out of my presence. There are some very nasty ones out there that would make that leg swelling look like a holiday.” Mark held his stomach as we walked toward our houses.
I’d seen him from time to time grab his midsection, or rub it. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I just got a little worked up about what happened back there.” He glanced back.
I kept my attention on his stomach until he pried his hands away from it. We didn’t say much for the last few minutes home. We passed my house and went to the next street over to Mark’s house.
“We’ll talk with my mom, but I want you to just follow my lead, okay?” he said as we walked along the sidewalk leading to his front door. He bounded up the few steps and opened the front door. “Okay?”
I nodded and followed him into the house. The house still felt empty, many of the boxes left untouched and sitting on the floor. Mark walked to the dining room.
“Hey, Mom….” He stopped and frowned.
His mom was sitting at the dining room table, but she didn’t move. Her eyes strained to look in our direction. Her hands were lying flat against the table and she looked frozen in place. I don’t think she even blinked. I thought of Ralph, but she didn’t have the glazed-over look; she looked cognitive.
“Mom?” Mark rushed to her side.
“About time,” a voice said from the kitchen.
I gasped at the sound and turned to the man behind it. He was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. He was wearing a sleek black suit and his black hair was shaved tight to his scalp. His gaze held mine and then went to Mark before he moved away from the counter toward us.
Ms. Duval’s frozen state became more worrisome. She didn’t say a word to the intruder or us, but I saw her eyes shaking in their sockets as if she was under great strain.
“What did you do to my mom?”
“Nothing that can’t be corrected.” The man in the black suit rolled a stone across the table. It contacted Ms. Duval’s hand and melted into it.
She jumped up from her chair. “How dare you paralyze me?” she said as she pointed at the man.
He pulled a chair away from the table and sat down.
Freaked out, I stared at Mark. I wasn’t sure if we should run, attack, or beg for mercy.
The man crossed his legs and motioned to the other chairs. “I don’t mean any harm. The only reason I paralyzed her is so she couldn’t warn you of my arrival. Ms. Duval has been known to hide talent she finds.” He looked at her.
She huffed and crossed her arms.
“There is nothing to worry about,” the man said. “I’m only a recruiter from the Academy. Please, sit down.” He motioned to the chair again.
A recruiter? My curiosity outweighed my fear and I stepped toward the man and pulled out a chair. I spun the chair to face him and sat down. Mark stood next to me and kept a
“That was dangerous, Mark. We could have killed her.”
“I told you these things were dangerous. I’ve seen the things they do to people all my life.” Mark kicked at the sidewalk. “You think I wanted to hurt that girl?”
“No, but if we’re going to keep making stones, we’d better know what we’re making from now on.” I stared at the side of his head for a bit and tried to figure out the best way to approach him. I took a deep breath and decided to just jump in. “I think we should talk to your mom. She’s been trained. I bet she can teach me all kinds of different patterns and recipes.”
“One blunder and I’m no good to you now?”
“Mark, this isn’t something we can trial-and-error with.”
“You could just stop making them.”
I gritted my teeth at the simplicity of the statement. Of course he was right, but I couldn’t imagine ignoring this part of my life now. Mark looked at me with a sideways smile.
“I just think she could help me.”
“Fine, but I won’t let you create a single stone out of my presence. There are some very nasty ones out there that would make that leg swelling look like a holiday.” Mark held his stomach as we walked toward our houses.
I’d seen him from time to time grab his midsection, or rub it. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I just got a little worked up about what happened back there.” He glanced back.
I kept my attention on his stomach until he pried his hands away from it. We didn’t say much for the last few minutes home. We passed my house and went to the next street over to Mark’s house.
“We’ll talk with my mom, but I want you to just follow my lead, okay?” he said as we walked along the sidewalk leading to his front door. He bounded up the few steps and opened the front door. “Okay?”
I nodded and followed him into the house. The house still felt empty, many of the boxes left untouched and sitting on the floor. Mark walked to the dining room.
“Hey, Mom….” He stopped and frowned.
His mom was sitting at the dining room table, but she didn’t move. Her eyes strained to look in our direction. Her hands were lying flat against the table and she looked frozen in place. I don’t think she even blinked. I thought of Ralph, but she didn’t have the glazed-over look; she looked cognitive.
“Mom?” Mark rushed to her side.
“About time,” a voice said from the kitchen.
I gasped at the sound and turned to the man behind it. He was leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. He was wearing a sleek black suit and his black hair was shaved tight to his scalp. His gaze held mine and then went to Mark before he moved away from the counter toward us.
Ms. Duval’s frozen state became more worrisome. She didn’t say a word to the intruder or us, but I saw her eyes shaking in their sockets as if she was under great strain.
“What did you do to my mom?”
“Nothing that can’t be corrected.” The man in the black suit rolled a stone across the table. It contacted Ms. Duval’s hand and melted into it.
She jumped up from her chair. “How dare you paralyze me?” she said as she pointed at the man.
He pulled a chair away from the table and sat down.
Freaked out, I stared at Mark. I wasn’t sure if we should run, attack, or beg for mercy.
The man crossed his legs and motioned to the other chairs. “I don’t mean any harm. The only reason I paralyzed her is so she couldn’t warn you of my arrival. Ms. Duval has been known to hide talent she finds.” He looked at her.
She huffed and crossed her arms.
“There is nothing to worry about,” the man said. “I’m only a recruiter from the Academy. Please, sit down.” He motioned to the chair again.
A recruiter? My curiosity outweighed my fear and I stepped toward the man and pulled out a chair. I spun the chair to face him and sat down. Mark stood next to me and kept a
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