like a hundred times before my muscles finally work. The world tightens up and my head pops out of the mud of the vision. Finally, I'm actually physically pushing her away, completely disengaged, though the echo of her ashy, pierced tongue is still in my mouth.
She gives me a cagey look.
“Anything?” James asks.
I rub the sore spot where the ember from the fire hit my eyelid. My skin's tender, but not burned.
“Strangely, yes,” I say. At this, he looks almost disappointed, and it occurs to me: James wants me to be normal, like him—as in, without any gifts or psychic powers.
“Your future holds lots of jewelry,” I say to Missy. “And a gorgeous, expensive-looking car. I don't even know what make or model the car is, because this is a ways in the future, but it's red, sleek, and awesome.”
She smiles, which adds on at least a point to her attractiveness, despite everything I saw. She's no Austin, but I think that aside from the criminal activity and tennis-shoe-watering, she'd be okay. I didn't see the whole picture, just glimpses. Maybe she had a perfectly good reason for robbing a jewelery store.
“Tell me more,” she says greedily, a lust for destruction in her eyes.
Help me, I silently plead to James, but of course, he has no way of knowing what I saw. This power of mine is not a silly magic trick; I just saw into this young woman's soul. I feel like I stole something from her, and now I have an obligation to give back. I have no idea if I can change the future, but I ought to try.
“There's more,” I say. She lunges in for another kiss, but I catch her by the shoulders and hold her at arm's length. I sit on the log and pat the spot next to me. She joins me, at a respectful distance.
Quietly, I say, “I also saw a dark path, with immoral activity.” She leans in as I continue, “It leads to ruin.” I totally sound like Yoda. Hey, that's good. Keep going. “If you choose well, you'll get everything you dream of, but you must avoid shortcuts.”
She nods solemnly, and I sense she wants to believe my advice as much as I do.
“Tonight's meeting could change your fate,” I say. “If you're willing to do the work and not take the easy path.”
“Sometimes life is hard,” she says.
Above us, the stars twinkle knowingly. “You're not wrong,” I say.
“Thank you.” She shakes my hand and we smile shyly at each other. Maybe this is why I have this gift in the first place. I should be helping people.
“Do me next,” squeals the friend, the angular one with the black hair.
“Okay, but no kissing, you naughty girl. I have a girlfriend.”
“You have a girlfriend?” James repeats.
“Yeah. Of course, she doesn't know it yet.” I kick at the sand and rocks near my feet.
In unison, the two girls say, “Aww.” The bonfire lets out a good crackle.
Girlfriend . Of course that's presumptive, and I do need to ask Austin out yet, but I'm enjoying the thought, even though there is still the issue of why my power didn't work with her.
The black-haired girl squeezes onto the log between me and Missy. “I'd love to know what you see in my future. Please?”
“Of course,” I say. A family with small kids stops by to admire the bonfire. We chat with them for a few minutes before they wander off. I lift my shirt and the black-haired girl takes an appreciative look.
“You've got some nice abs there,” she says.
“No he doesn't,” James says, lifting his own shirt and rubbing his stomach. “Look at these washboards! Vegan diet keeps the fat away.”
The black-haired girl whispers in my ear, asking if James has a girlfriend.
“He's all yours,” I whisper back. She smiles and plugs her finger into my belly button.
* * *
The world gels around me as usual. Funny how a bit of experience with the supernatural and after a while it's as routine as watching a movie at the multiplex. As the curtains open on this vision, I find myself wanting popcorn.
This girl's Secret Town is not nearly
She gives me a cagey look.
“Anything?” James asks.
I rub the sore spot where the ember from the fire hit my eyelid. My skin's tender, but not burned.
“Strangely, yes,” I say. At this, he looks almost disappointed, and it occurs to me: James wants me to be normal, like him—as in, without any gifts or psychic powers.
“Your future holds lots of jewelry,” I say to Missy. “And a gorgeous, expensive-looking car. I don't even know what make or model the car is, because this is a ways in the future, but it's red, sleek, and awesome.”
She smiles, which adds on at least a point to her attractiveness, despite everything I saw. She's no Austin, but I think that aside from the criminal activity and tennis-shoe-watering, she'd be okay. I didn't see the whole picture, just glimpses. Maybe she had a perfectly good reason for robbing a jewelery store.
“Tell me more,” she says greedily, a lust for destruction in her eyes.
Help me, I silently plead to James, but of course, he has no way of knowing what I saw. This power of mine is not a silly magic trick; I just saw into this young woman's soul. I feel like I stole something from her, and now I have an obligation to give back. I have no idea if I can change the future, but I ought to try.
“There's more,” I say. She lunges in for another kiss, but I catch her by the shoulders and hold her at arm's length. I sit on the log and pat the spot next to me. She joins me, at a respectful distance.
Quietly, I say, “I also saw a dark path, with immoral activity.” She leans in as I continue, “It leads to ruin.” I totally sound like Yoda. Hey, that's good. Keep going. “If you choose well, you'll get everything you dream of, but you must avoid shortcuts.”
She nods solemnly, and I sense she wants to believe my advice as much as I do.
“Tonight's meeting could change your fate,” I say. “If you're willing to do the work and not take the easy path.”
“Sometimes life is hard,” she says.
Above us, the stars twinkle knowingly. “You're not wrong,” I say.
“Thank you.” She shakes my hand and we smile shyly at each other. Maybe this is why I have this gift in the first place. I should be helping people.
“Do me next,” squeals the friend, the angular one with the black hair.
“Okay, but no kissing, you naughty girl. I have a girlfriend.”
“You have a girlfriend?” James repeats.
“Yeah. Of course, she doesn't know it yet.” I kick at the sand and rocks near my feet.
In unison, the two girls say, “Aww.” The bonfire lets out a good crackle.
Girlfriend . Of course that's presumptive, and I do need to ask Austin out yet, but I'm enjoying the thought, even though there is still the issue of why my power didn't work with her.
The black-haired girl squeezes onto the log between me and Missy. “I'd love to know what you see in my future. Please?”
“Of course,” I say. A family with small kids stops by to admire the bonfire. We chat with them for a few minutes before they wander off. I lift my shirt and the black-haired girl takes an appreciative look.
“You've got some nice abs there,” she says.
“No he doesn't,” James says, lifting his own shirt and rubbing his stomach. “Look at these washboards! Vegan diet keeps the fat away.”
The black-haired girl whispers in my ear, asking if James has a girlfriend.
“He's all yours,” I whisper back. She smiles and plugs her finger into my belly button.
* * *
The world gels around me as usual. Funny how a bit of experience with the supernatural and after a while it's as routine as watching a movie at the multiplex. As the curtains open on this vision, I find myself wanting popcorn.
This girl's Secret Town is not nearly
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