Hey there people of the interwebs! This is my first story, so I hope you like it! :) I don't own any of the characters except for Delaney. All other credit goes to Michael Grant.

I laid there, awake, waiting for sleep to come. I laid there, knowing that it would be a long time before I could sleep soundly again. Things had snapped inside of me after Drake came back. His cold eyes, his merciless laugh, it was all too much. Zil and his stupid crew had started the fire that led to it all. The fire, Drake, and then Mary's Big Jump. It was all crushing me, forcing me to stare soundlessly at my ceiling. The false moon shone through the open window. I heard their thoughts. The others. That's what I did. I read peoples' minds. Not willingly, though. The only good thing about this mutation was the fact that I could technically create a thought and make it the person's own.

I concentrated now, willing the thoughts of sleep into my stirring house-mate's head. I heard her blurry, sleep-deprived thoughts fade. She fell into her usual nightmares, which I controlled with a single thought. I guess that's a good thing. I can help people. That's what the FAYZ is about, right?

I woke with a start, gasping, sweating. I can't control the nightmares within me. The Drake in my head can't be silenced. I closed my eyes, trying to squeeze out the bad thoughts. It didn't work. I reopened my eyes and looked around the room. Everything was neat, exactly how I liked it. I held my own against the craziness of the FAYZ with the one thing I truly loved: organization. It calmed me, allowed me to escape the whispering voices in my head.

The thought of them brought the cacophony back. I sighed and rolled out of bed. I quickly dressed and tried to tame the mess that had become of my hair. It didn't matter really, everyone was looking a bit rough nowadays. I opened the door and welcomed the fake sunlight. I continued down the porch steps and onto the street. My ears were ringing now from all the noise. Thoughts were everywhere, everyone had them. I walked to the town hall, wanting to talk to someone. Brianna ran by. Not that I saw her, I felt the gust of wind that accompanied her.
"Brianna!" I shouted.

She came to a quivering stop. The Breeze turned around. Her eyes lit up with recognition. "Hey Intruder!" That was Brianna's nickname for me, on account of the time I read her private thoughts about Jack. It was a joke, I supposed. A joke I didn't really play along with. "Delaney is fine..," Brianna laughed, hearing the annoyance in my voice.

"I'm sorry Delaney, I'll stop teasing you. I know you can't help it." A sad smirk spread across my face. She had nailed it. The voices were overpowering now.

"I need to talk to someone. Anyone. Anyone real. The voices are basically ruining me now." My eyes pleaded with Brianna. I needed an escape. The Breeze looked at me with compassion: she understood. She led me away from the steps on the town hall. Away from the town itself. The silence was amazing. But, there was still one person's thoughts swarming around with mine.

"Is there any possible way you could maybe turn off your thoughts? Because that would be delightful." Brianna laughed, "I would if I could. I'm sorry, though. A lot has happened lately, hasn't it?" I nodded in silent agreement. Too much had happened.

Thoughts flooded me then and there. Drake running after the crowd, not letting up. The fire, raging as if it was fueled by hate. "My brother was in that fire," I mumbled to no one in particular. I could hear Brianna's thoughts go quiet, and then they exploded in a frenzy of pity. "I'm so sorry..." I shook my head and let a tear fall. "I should have been there before it started. I heard...I heard his thoughts. He was crying, I know he was. In his head, he was praying. Asking for a quick death. Praying...for me to be safe."

My eyes were clenched shut now, wanting to hold back the tears, but when I felt Brianna's arm around me I gave up trying. I sat there and cried. It felt good in a strange way. Giving up had created a space inside me. An empty space that I could hide in, let the sadness swallow me. It almost made me relaxed.

Almost.

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