should think about that before you go dozing off and falling out of your chair.”
See, I knew Jake was here.
“I didn’t fall asleep,” I say, rubbing my eyes and struggling to sit up.
“Then what happened?” Lindsey asks. “First you were talking and then you weren’t and then you fell.”
I pull my hand out of her grip because I don’t know if her mind-reading abilities increase with contact. She pulls the other hand from my cheek, which probably has a huge red mark on it by now from all her pinching.
“It was that thing again. The manifestation of my powers. I went to the same place.” Then I think about what I am saying. “It was the same but different.”
By this time Krystal is helping me up off the floor and we’re all taking our seats again. Me, after Jake had picked up my chair.
“So you, like, black out or something?” Krystal asks when we’re all at the table.
She’s sitting to my right and Lindsey’s to my left. Jake’s across from us, his forehead scrunched up like he’s a fuse waiting to blow. I think he has anger management issues and, considering how strong he is, know that this can become a real problem.
“No. I’m awake. At least wherever it is that I go I’m awake.”
Jake’s shaking his head negatively. “You definitely looked asleep just before you slid out of the chair.”
“That’s what my mom and Casietta said when they were standing over my bed the last time. They said they’d been trying to wake me up. But I wasn’t asleep, I just wasn’t there.”
“It’s called astral projection,” Lindsey volunteers, nodding her head as if she’d just figured everything out.
“What?” I ask.
“How do you know?” Jake says through clenched teeth.
Lindsey looks over at him, then reaches across the table and touches his hand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Jake. It’s a part of her powers. Like she said, they’re growing.” Turning her attention from Jake back to me, she continues, “Astral projection is where your astral body travels to another plane. But your physical body stays in one place.”
Out of the corner of my eye I can see Krystal shaking her head. “How do you know all this?”
Lindsey shrugs. “I have a lot of time to myself so I read different things. It sticks. Kind of like a photographic memory.”
Jake sits back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “Mind reading and photographic memory, I guess those are your powers.”
He’s skeptical of Lindsey, has been since day one. Problem is, he can’t argue with the swirling M on her ankle.
“Nah, I think the memory thing is just natural,” Lindsey says, then kind of looks past Jake.
For a few seconds she’s quiet, and I almost think she’s astral projected somewhere.
“So okay, my power is manifesting and I’m traveling to some other plane and then reappearing in different places. How is that a power I can use? The voice said we had to be vigilant, that he was coming back for everything this time.”
“Who?” Jake questions.
Krystal simultaneously asks, “What voice?”
“The one I saw when I astral floated or whatever she called it. She said that we were to be vigilant, all of us. And that he was coming for everything this time. She also said that the light always prevails.”
“The light prevails. The light prevails,” Lindsey repeats. “I’ve heard that saying somewhere.”
“Did she say anything about the River Styx?” Jake asks, pulling one of the books from the pile he’d been reading. “I really think that’s a connection.”
“I do, too,” Krystal chimes in.
“I want to know what those birds have to do with anything,” I say.
“They’re probably watching us,” Lindsey says.
“What?” All three of us—me, Jake and Krystal ask in unison.
“You know, like a spy of sorts. In the movies there’s always warlocks or sorcerers and they send their familiars to go and search out their prey. Like the black cat skulking about. That’s
See, I knew Jake was here.
“I didn’t fall asleep,” I say, rubbing my eyes and struggling to sit up.
“Then what happened?” Lindsey asks. “First you were talking and then you weren’t and then you fell.”
I pull my hand out of her grip because I don’t know if her mind-reading abilities increase with contact. She pulls the other hand from my cheek, which probably has a huge red mark on it by now from all her pinching.
“It was that thing again. The manifestation of my powers. I went to the same place.” Then I think about what I am saying. “It was the same but different.”
By this time Krystal is helping me up off the floor and we’re all taking our seats again. Me, after Jake had picked up my chair.
“So you, like, black out or something?” Krystal asks when we’re all at the table.
She’s sitting to my right and Lindsey’s to my left. Jake’s across from us, his forehead scrunched up like he’s a fuse waiting to blow. I think he has anger management issues and, considering how strong he is, know that this can become a real problem.
“No. I’m awake. At least wherever it is that I go I’m awake.”
Jake’s shaking his head negatively. “You definitely looked asleep just before you slid out of the chair.”
“That’s what my mom and Casietta said when they were standing over my bed the last time. They said they’d been trying to wake me up. But I wasn’t asleep, I just wasn’t there.”
“It’s called astral projection,” Lindsey volunteers, nodding her head as if she’d just figured everything out.
“What?” I ask.
“How do you know?” Jake says through clenched teeth.
Lindsey looks over at him, then reaches across the table and touches his hand. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Jake. It’s a part of her powers. Like she said, they’re growing.” Turning her attention from Jake back to me, she continues, “Astral projection is where your astral body travels to another plane. But your physical body stays in one place.”
Out of the corner of my eye I can see Krystal shaking her head. “How do you know all this?”
Lindsey shrugs. “I have a lot of time to myself so I read different things. It sticks. Kind of like a photographic memory.”
Jake sits back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “Mind reading and photographic memory, I guess those are your powers.”
He’s skeptical of Lindsey, has been since day one. Problem is, he can’t argue with the swirling M on her ankle.
“Nah, I think the memory thing is just natural,” Lindsey says, then kind of looks past Jake.
For a few seconds she’s quiet, and I almost think she’s astral projected somewhere.
“So okay, my power is manifesting and I’m traveling to some other plane and then reappearing in different places. How is that a power I can use? The voice said we had to be vigilant, that he was coming back for everything this time.”
“Who?” Jake questions.
Krystal simultaneously asks, “What voice?”
“The one I saw when I astral floated or whatever she called it. She said that we were to be vigilant, all of us. And that he was coming for everything this time. She also said that the light always prevails.”
“The light prevails. The light prevails,” Lindsey repeats. “I’ve heard that saying somewhere.”
“Did she say anything about the River Styx?” Jake asks, pulling one of the books from the pile he’d been reading. “I really think that’s a connection.”
“I do, too,” Krystal chimes in.
“I want to know what those birds have to do with anything,” I say.
“They’re probably watching us,” Lindsey says.
“What?” All three of us—me, Jake and Krystal ask in unison.
“You know, like a spy of sorts. In the movies there’s always warlocks or sorcerers and they send their familiars to go and search out their prey. Like the black cat skulking about. That’s
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