Billy looked around the bar and finally sat down at a table. Not a classy joint, but definitely not gutter class either. The dark haired woman in charge looked pretty no nonsense, so it was probably safe to stay. A waitress asked him what he wanted and he ordered a simple meal; he wanted the last of the cash, drawn from one of Costello's bank accounts a week ago, to last. Why in Hell were the account cards now out of date? One moment he had been hitch hiking along the road to Seattle, the next enveloped in purple fog, and the next he was in this town. He had bought a paper, and found the date 18 years out! He sensed that getting replacement cards might be a problem, on the other hand, if he really had jumped 18 years, would anyone remember him back in Boston? Was this all a bad dream?
There was odd man at the bar who seemed friendly with the proprietor, a one handed guy who had the aura of a cop when he was with other customers; someone to be wary of. There was also a young man who seemed quite familiar with her too, a relative? Then the cop went out to the men's room, and a heavy guy who had been in the shadows came forward and started a conversation with the woman. Soon the dark haired woman was in an altercation with the heavy guy who reminded Billy too much of the late and unlamented Mr French. He instinctively felt anger towards the thug, and memories of everything that he had lost, and why, returned. The talking turned abusive. This angered Billy, and it might also prove a chance to make friends, he really needed a break. The other man / relative? started arguing and Billy recognised that a fight was about to start, one that the young man would not win. The loathing that he had always had for French, most of Costello's gang and Sullivan enveloped Billy.
"Hey bum, take your noisy sodding argument elsewhere, and don't talk like that to a lady" Billy shouted.
"Who says so?" the thug snarled back.
"Me". Billy stood up as the man came at him.
Enveloped in rage, Billy not only pushed at the rushing thug with his hand, by also "with his mind". Instead of the thug just being halted as Billy had intended prior to throwing a punch, the thug was thrown violently backwards and across the room.
Billy was as shocked as everyone else. The thug gradually got up and was pulling a gun, or a knife; this was definitely what Billy had not wanted. However, the woman had recovered her composure. She hissed at Billy "Mister, rage, emotions allow what you just did. Do it again, feeling like you did; just use your arm to guide your mind".
Billy didn't understand, yet it made sense. He thought of Sullivan telling him that he had erased his police employment record and Dignam's betrayal. The rage returned, then he let fly with his mind accompanied by a pushing gesture.
The thug jerked back against the wall, pinned. It was just like something from Star Wars - did Jedi powers really exist? The woman then said "Now disarm him. Use your hands as a guide and think about nice things to fine tune your rage". Billy started to disarm the thug, but it was tiring and he didn't know how to really go about it. Then the cop came back in.
The woman shouted to the cop, "Rogers, that thug is armed, he threated me and Henry. She turned to Billy and whispered "Mister, we need to talk".
Quarter of an hour later and the cop, Rogers had taken the thug away. The woman, along with Henry, came to Billy and introduced herself.
"I'm Roni, and this is ... my son, Henry. You've never done that before, have you?".
"Have you used Jedi powers before?" countered Billy evasively.
"She smiled, "Jedi?, never mind. Before you did that I would have said no, but, somehow, you ... jogged my memory, and the answer is yes. But it creates another question - how did you manage it? Since then I've been trying to do it and getting no where".
Henry counted with "Telekinesis is a mind power, but it needs, err, what astronomers call Dark Energy to do it; others call it magic. On this world that energy is hard to tap, it need extreme methods - and you did it!".
Billy thought about the implications and cautiously replied "There is a corrupt cop who took everything from me, including my identity and my job when he got my Captain murdered, among other things. Can you explain how a week ago, I was in the middle of nowhere on the edge of Seattle, then there was a purple fog, and I found myself here, but 18 years in the future?".
Roni commented "I've got an idea or two that would fit. I know what the fog was - a manifestation of this ... Dark Energy, Magic. It's sounds like ... The Dark Curse!".
"Dark Curse? But why?" asked Billy.
Roni glanced at the clock, "Look" she said impatiently, "you evidently know how to use your hands, and clearly you can tap the hidden magic in this world, somehow. I'm guessing that you are looking for a place to flop down. Looks like I could use some muscle now when the bar is open - free board and meals. OK?".
"OK, and can you train me, in ... magic?