with round dim lights attached to the sides of the
hallway. “What are your names?” asked Abe.
“Tracy,” said Tracy. “And this is Andy,” I
waved. “And Han.”
I thought Guido must be hiding. “What about
the fourth?” asked Abe. I was told there were four.”
“Guido,” said Guido, “right here.”
Abe looked startled for a second, but never
lost his cool. “Your gift! Invisibility?”
“Un-noticeability,” said Guido.
“Interesting,” he said. We passed a couple of
boys our age along the hallway. “I hope you like it here.” As we
neared the end of one hall, he pointed to a room on the right, “The
guys can sleep in here.” Then he pointed to a door on the left.
“And Tracy, you can sleep here,” he said. “There are bathrooms down
the hallway on the right. If you have any questions, feel free to
ask anyone. Most of the kids are friendly. Unfortunately, you
missed dinner, but breakfast will be at 8 in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You're welcome,” he said and walked back
down the hallway.
After he left I turned to the others, “Let's
get some sleep and talk in the morning. I don't know what's going
on, but this feels weird. It's like a dream or something.” Everyone
agreed.
***
The next morning I awoke, climbed down from
the top bunk, and put on a sweatshirt. I found that I was the
earliest riser. There was light coming from outside and it looked
to be a sunny day. When I walked over to the window I saw the ocean
in the distance and even a beach with large rocks here or there. I
couldn’t see it at night, so there must have been no lights. This
was actually a beautiful place. Through the window I could see part
of the brick building jutting outward on the left. There was only
one floor above ground, but I couldn't tell how large it was.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Hi,” said
Guido.
“Uh! Don’t do that to me! You’re going to
give someone a heart attack!”
“Sorry. Hey, what happened last night?” he
said. “How could that kid do that to us?”
“Do what?” I said.
“You didn’t feel it?” he said. “No, probably
you wouldn’t. Well, you’ve got some competition, my friend. He’s
kind of like you, you know.”
Han stirred from his bed and came over to
where I was. “Is Guido with you?”
“Yeah,” I said. Then I turned to Guido. “What
do you mean he’s like me?”
“You mean Abe?” said Han. “You felt it
too?”
“Hey, Abe is the nicest guy we’ve seen so
far. Can’t you just let it be?”
“Han, I don't think he can tell because of
his gift” said Guido. “Anyway, we’ve learned to resist it and he
hasn’t. In fact, maybe we’re the only ones in this place who know
how to resist.”
“Yes,” said Han.
“Would someone tell me what’s going on?” I
said. I was feeling the anger build up again.
“Andy,” said Guido, “you have this ability to
be naturally popular and everyone wants you to be the leader of any
group. It's your gift. Only you are so used to it that you don't
even notice it. Also, you have never encountered someone else with
that kind of gift so you don't know what it feels like. It’s hard
to resist, and it took me awhile to start trusting my own feelings
again.”
“Weird, but I guess I get it,” I said.
“So?”
“So,” said Guido, “I think Abe is like that.
Only it feels different than yours, and it's a lot stronger. With
him, I feel overwhelmed with a desire to believe in and trust him.
This makes me not want to trust him.”
I was getting more upset and I didn't even
know why, “But what if he really is honest and truthful and just
happens to have this gift? It doesn't mean he’s a bad guy. He can't
do anything about the gift he has!”
“It depends how he uses it,” said Han.
We were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Han opened it and Tracy smiled at us. “Are you guys talking about
Abe?” she said.
“Yeah,” I said. “It seems they don't
hallway. “What are your names?” asked Abe.
“Tracy,” said Tracy. “And this is Andy,” I
waved. “And Han.”
I thought Guido must be hiding. “What about
the fourth?” asked Abe. I was told there were four.”
“Guido,” said Guido, “right here.”
Abe looked startled for a second, but never
lost his cool. “Your gift! Invisibility?”
“Un-noticeability,” said Guido.
“Interesting,” he said. We passed a couple of
boys our age along the hallway. “I hope you like it here.” As we
neared the end of one hall, he pointed to a room on the right, “The
guys can sleep in here.” Then he pointed to a door on the left.
“And Tracy, you can sleep here,” he said. “There are bathrooms down
the hallway on the right. If you have any questions, feel free to
ask anyone. Most of the kids are friendly. Unfortunately, you
missed dinner, but breakfast will be at 8 in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You're welcome,” he said and walked back
down the hallway.
After he left I turned to the others, “Let's
get some sleep and talk in the morning. I don't know what's going
on, but this feels weird. It's like a dream or something.” Everyone
agreed.
***
The next morning I awoke, climbed down from
the top bunk, and put on a sweatshirt. I found that I was the
earliest riser. There was light coming from outside and it looked
to be a sunny day. When I walked over to the window I saw the ocean
in the distance and even a beach with large rocks here or there. I
couldn’t see it at night, so there must have been no lights. This
was actually a beautiful place. Through the window I could see part
of the brick building jutting outward on the left. There was only
one floor above ground, but I couldn't tell how large it was.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. “Hi,” said
Guido.
“Uh! Don’t do that to me! You’re going to
give someone a heart attack!”
“Sorry. Hey, what happened last night?” he
said. “How could that kid do that to us?”
“Do what?” I said.
“You didn’t feel it?” he said. “No, probably
you wouldn’t. Well, you’ve got some competition, my friend. He’s
kind of like you, you know.”
Han stirred from his bed and came over to
where I was. “Is Guido with you?”
“Yeah,” I said. Then I turned to Guido. “What
do you mean he’s like me?”
“You mean Abe?” said Han. “You felt it
too?”
“Hey, Abe is the nicest guy we’ve seen so
far. Can’t you just let it be?”
“Han, I don't think he can tell because of
his gift” said Guido. “Anyway, we’ve learned to resist it and he
hasn’t. In fact, maybe we’re the only ones in this place who know
how to resist.”
“Yes,” said Han.
“Would someone tell me what’s going on?” I
said. I was feeling the anger build up again.
“Andy,” said Guido, “you have this ability to
be naturally popular and everyone wants you to be the leader of any
group. It's your gift. Only you are so used to it that you don't
even notice it. Also, you have never encountered someone else with
that kind of gift so you don't know what it feels like. It’s hard
to resist, and it took me awhile to start trusting my own feelings
again.”
“Weird, but I guess I get it,” I said.
“So?”
“So,” said Guido, “I think Abe is like that.
Only it feels different than yours, and it's a lot stronger. With
him, I feel overwhelmed with a desire to believe in and trust him.
This makes me not want to trust him.”
I was getting more upset and I didn't even
know why, “But what if he really is honest and truthful and just
happens to have this gift? It doesn't mean he’s a bad guy. He can't
do anything about the gift he has!”
“It depends how he uses it,” said Han.
We were interrupted by a knock at the door.
Han opened it and Tracy smiled at us. “Are you guys talking about
Abe?” she said.
“Yeah,” I said. “It seems they don't
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