Chapter 4: There's a Stirring

Note: "There's a Stirring" is in public domain.

Claire Bennet--Odessa, Texas

Claire was downstairs at the breakfast nook drinking coffee with her right hand and holding a pair rainbow shoelaces in her left hand. Why can't she stop thinking about that little girl?

"Morning, Claire-Bear," a voice said behind her. She looked up and saw her father pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Dad? You're down before Mom and Lyle. That's something I don't see every day."

"Yeah, I was about to say the same about you." His voice turned a little serious, but still fatherly. "You look like you have a lot on your mind. Anything you want to talk about?"

"I'm just thinking about that girl I told you about.

"Oh." He took a sip of his coffee. "Is this about that girl you're doing the service project for?"

"Yeah. I just keep thinking about her. I don't know, I think I might have upset her, and I just wonder how I could bring me into her world, if that makes any sense." She held up the shoelaces. "I got these for her."

He smiled. "Those look cute." He then put his hand on her shoulder and said gently, "I think you'll do fine."

"Yeah. I just have to find her, you know, outside of the school. I wonder if she's related to that preacher, you know, the one we saw on all the flyers?"

"Maybe. Only one to find out." Just then, his cellphone rang. "Excuse me." He went into the other room. "Hello . . . OK, so, what's the deal?"

About at that time, Claire's cell rang. She checked the number and saw it was Zack. "Hey Zack, what's up?" she greeted.

"Claire," he said in an exhausted voice, "I had to talk to somebody. I couldn't sleep last night."

"What is it?"

"The rumors about Gavin are true. He practices black magic."

Claire actually scoffed. She heard that rumor, but she didn't believe it. "What? You're kidding!"

"No! I was talking to him yesterday, and suddenly he was staring at me and Jackie was suddenly talking with us. Somehow, he brought her back from the dead!"

"You sure it's not a girl who looks like Jackie?"

"Positive. She wore the same cheerleader uniform, had that same prissy attitude, implied the same . . . assumptions."

"I don't think it's black magic. I can see him playing D & D every night, but we pass his van every Sunday morning going to Church."

"Maybe his family just forces him to go."

"He eats peanut butter and jelly every day for lunch."

"So?"

"That just didn't strike me as–"

"Hang on." Claire heard a voice in the background. Suddenly, she remembered when Gavin asked her about the paper factory. He might be one of them, just like Peter and Harmony and–

"That was Mom," Zack said. "She said Gavin ran away."

"Zack, I gotta go." She promptly hung up and ran into the other room. "Dad, I think there's–"

"Claire, this call's kinda important. Why don't you go on to school? We'll talk later."

"OK," she said rather reluctantly and backed out.

Bennet got back on the phone and said, "Go ahead . . . Uh-huh. . . . Well, that does make things convenient. Alright, I'll look into it. What's his name? . . . Gabriel . . . No, I won't forget."

Gabriel Bonhomme–Odessa, Texas

The way that this guy was talking about wasn't specific direction; it was Christianity. Gabriel tried his best to listen, but it wasn't stuff that he hadn't heard before. He tried to tell this man his predicament, and he wasn't sure if the guy understood or if he believed him. Gabriel didn't have much to add, until he spotted a copy of "Activating Evolution" on this preacher's desk.

"C'est interressant," he mumbled.

"Beg pardon?" the preacher asked.

"I just think it's interesting that a religious man such as yourself is reading a book on evolution."

"Oh yes. Well, I'm just a curious individual. Some things have happened in the past year, and there are all sorts of rumors going around this little town regarding our own citizens. A lot of people here, myself included, are asking questions. If this kind of thing interests you, you might like to know that we're hosting a symposium with Mohinder Suresh."

Gabriel's eyes grew big. "The Nobel nominee?"

"Uh, yeah. I've been reading his books and papers from Mohinder and Chandra, and I am interested in the Christian undertones both of them have. Mohinder, for instance, quoted Ecclesiastes in one of his papers."

"I'd be thrilled to meet him. He changed the world."

The preacher laughed. "I'm not sure I'd say that."

"Yes he did! He's nominated for the Nobel, isn't he?"

"True."

"Sir, can I use your restroom?"

"Oh yes. We have one down the hall in our activity room. Aggies for Christ are doing a devotional in there if you'd like to join them."

"Maybe." He got out of the room quickly and took a deep breath. He walked down the white, empty hall and listened to his steps echo. As he came closer to the activity room, he heard distant singing. It was very soft at first because only the women were singing, but then tenors joined in, and then everybody. As Gabriel got closer, he stopped and stared at the group of young men and women singing together. It sounded very lovely, but something about the song got Gabriel's attention. He felt as though it was speaking to him:

There's a stirring deep within me.

Could it be my time has come

When I see my gracious Savior

Face to face when all is done?

Is that His voice I am hearing,

"Come away, My precious one"?

Is He calling me?

Is He calling me?

Hanami Nakamura–Tokyo, Japan

Kimiko was taking her girl to the mall. In the middle of the trip, Hanami pointed and yelled, "RAINBOW!"

"Darling, where did you learn that word?" Mrs. Nakamura asked, but Hanami ran past her to a manikin of a girl with hair pulled in pigtails tied with rainbow ribbons.

"Hmm, that's nice, dear. Now, let's go see about makeup." Hanami kept turning back. It worried her mother.

Gabriel sat on a pew by himself. That song made him think. He could remember that somebody was calling for him, someone who needed help. But who? And what did they need him to do?

Something fell by his feet. He picked up a big Lego block. He looked around and saw a girl with red hair sitting on the floor playing Legos just in front of him. She was making a circle of Legos. Each block was a different color, all the colors of the rainbow. And the interesting thing was it was in the exact order that Gabriel learned--red at the top, then orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Gabriel cleared his throat. "Excusez-moi," he said softly, but she didn't look up. "La petite" (little girl) he addressed her, but she still didn't acknowledge him. Finally, Gabriel got down from the pew, got on his hands and knees, and crawled toward her just a few paces, and reached out the stray block. She then looked up, leaned over to him, and reached for the block.

In those few seconds, something bizarre happened. Gabriel heard a low hum in his ears. It was as though somebody rang a tuning fork right behind him. Then he looked down at her hand and saw it was glowing red. What was more, his hand was glowing a bright sky blue. It kept getting brighter and brighter as the hands came closer, and the hum grew louder. At the moment the girl took the block, there was a sudden flash of purple light in between their fingers.

Gabriel quickly drew his hand back, and the humming stopped. "Qu'est que-c'est?" he thought.

"Je ne sais pas," a female voice said in his mind.

He looked up at the girl in astonishment. She looked as frightened as he did. Then he saw, just beyond her shoulder a dark-skinned, ominous man walking toward him.

Primatech Papers Plant–Odessa, Texas

Candace went in to meet her new boss, and she was completely taken aback who she saw sitting in the office–a kid. "How'd you get in here?"

"He told me the password," the boy said softly, pointing to the office chair. It was turned away from her, but suddenly it spun around to reveal a man with silver hair who was reading a mystery novel.

"Candace," he said with a big smile on his face. "Nice to see you well."

"Thompson?" she said. "Pardon my bluntness, but I thought Bennet blew your brains out."

"Details, my dear, mere details." He put the book down and gestured to the boy. "Now, this young man wants to work for us."

"He's just a kid!"

"He who is not against us is for us, right?"

"But at this stage, aren't we supposed to–"

"No, we can use him," a new voice said behind her.

Candace did a double take. "Bennet?"

"No," he replied with a British accent. "We kinda look alike. It's the glasses, I think." He peered over at the boy. "It's Gavin, right?"

The boy nodded. "Yes sir, Gavin Wright."

Mr. Nakamura came back from work and gave his wife a kiss. "How was Hanami at the mall today?"

"She was fine," his wife answered. "She said a new word today–rainbow."

"Oh, how sweet."

"She was pointing to some rainbow hair ribbons."

"Great. That would make a wonderful birthday present for her after the ceremony. She'd look so pretty–"

"MAYONAKA!"

Mr. Nakamura looked cautiously at his wife who was scowling at him. "What's wrong?"

"Think about it. Our little girl is about is about to become a little woman. She needs to be comfortable with uniformity. Rainbow hair ribbons aren't going to be on the dress code."

"But dear–"

"No! We agreed to prepare our daughter for the real world. Don't lose her in a wold of make-believe. That's what Hiro would do." She walked out of the room. Mr. Nakamura looked at his daughter in her room, and he couldn't bring himself to agree with his wife on this one.

The next thing Gabriel knew, he was strapped into a cot with this eerie light around him. The same dark-skinned man stood over him as well as a pale man with horned rimmed glasses, who didn't look unlike the man Gabriel saw in California.

"Do not be alarmed," the pale man said slowly. "We just want to ask you a few questions."

"Je ne comprends pas," (I don't understand) Gabriel answered. "Je ne parle pas anglais!" (I don't speak English) He was bewildered that for the first time in so many days, somebody was speaking another language.

The pale man looked over at the dark-skinned man. "Maybe it's best that you step into another room . . . for the moment. I'll let you know when you're needed." The other man nodded and walked out of the room. The pale man now looked at Gabriel. "Me comprenez-vous maintenaut?" (Do you understand me now) he asked.

Gabriel, still very confused, nodded. "Oui, monsieur."

"Tres bien."

There was something about the way this guy talked that was different than the man in California. Gabriel couldn't put his finger on it. Still, there was something about him that he didn't trust.

"So, your name is Gabriel?"

"I don't see what business that is of yours. Unless you're another American spy, and if that is so, I'm not going to talk to you."

"It is my business. As to whether or not I'm an American spy, that's not your business. And you don't have to talk. I have ways of finding out."

"What are you going to do, torture me like Jack Bauer?"

"You know, there is another man named Gabriel. He created quite a stir last year. He was a serial killer, and he nearly blew up New York. Few people know that his real name was Gabriel Gray. He went by the name of Sylar. You heard of him?"

Gabriel turned his head away in disgust.

"We all thought he was dead, but somehow he survived, probably not as strong as he once was but still strong enough. I bet, though, that he has fans, maybe even followers. Because he's a very powerful man. Some would say a power hungry man, but maybe there are a few sick, twisted individuals who may even think he's a messiah."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"Oh, I just think it's rather interesting that someone appears out of nowhere from a country that currently does not harbor good feelings regarding this nation, who just so happens to bear this man's same moniker."

Gabriel turned to him again, his eyes wide with fury. "You think I'm a terrorist!"

"Your words, my friend. Your words."

"I know nothing about him. I was named after an angel."

"So was he."

"I don't want to kill anybody! I want to change the world!"

"Sylar thinks he's changing the world."

"I want to win the Nobel!"

"Don't you know that Nobel invented dynamite?"

"Of course I do! I'm not stupid! But I want to do something good. End world hunger. Cure a disease. Make the world better for autistic people!" Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light. For the first time, a plan started coming together in Gabriel's head. For the first time, he knew what to do to make his dream come true.

"That does it," the man said. He knocked on the glass.

"What is it? What did you do?"

The dark skinned man came back in. The pale man gave him an order before he walked out, but he was speaking English again, and Gabriel didn't know what he said. He repeated his question, "QU'AVEZ-VOUS FAIT?"

The dark skinned man came closer. He put a finger to his lips and whispered, "Shh. Pacifez." (Calm down.) And he smiled.

"So, he's like the kid from 'The Sixth Sense?'" Candace asked.

"Not exactly," her new boss said. "He doesn't only see dead people. He can make other people see dead people."

"So it's a contagious sixth sense."

"I guess you can say that."

"Well, how's that useful."

"For one thing, as Gavin demonstrated today, he can use them to give him information he wouldn't know otherwise."

"And it sure scares people out of their wits,"Gavin added.

The man laughed and nodded. "I'm sure it does. But the main thing is I believe it could lead us to privileged information. If he chooses the right people to interact with others, they can reveal their deepest secrets. It's a hypothesis, anyway. I'm still thinking it over. And, incidently, he's--" The man whispered something in Candace.

"Oh!" she said. "Why didn't you say so?""

"Uh, there may be a bit of a problem, sir," Gavin said. "I don't really control which people come to me, and I can't make them say what I want them to."

"That's alright, Gavin. You need a little work, and we'll help you. Even if we can't work it out, I am sure you will still be dead useful.

"So, you're saying–?"

"Welcome to the team." The man shook his hand. "Now Candace, why don't you take him home and inform his mother that Gavin has accepted a well-paying internship with the paper company."

"Take me home? Why can't I stay here?"

The man looked at him as if Gavin was clueless. "People will get suspicious. We want you to live as normal a life as we can allow. Come along." He and Candace walked out of the room.

Gavin turned back to the office chair. "I wanted to stay here!" he said annoyed.

"It's alright, Gavin," Thompson replied. "That's the way we do things."

"But I wrote that note to Mom telling her I wasn't sure if I was coming that."

"Yeah. You should have thought that through a bit more," Thompson said carelessly as her turned his chair around again.

Peter was even more worried about the Piano Man, who seemed to be stuck in a loop, playing "Moonlight Sonata," which is only supposed to be a few minutes long, for twelve hours straight, without stopping. His face looked so pale. Peter tried to offer him food and a place to rest, but he just wouldn't stop. Peter was starting to wonder if he was playing his music to hide from something in his head.

"If only I knew who he was. If only I could unravel this mystery," Peter whispered to himself. Then a thought occurred to him. Of course, he'd have to have information! Peter ran up and dialed his number.

"Hello?" a voice with a mixture of an Indian and British answered.

"Hi Mohinder, it's me."

"Oh, hello Peter. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes. Tell me, how is that list of yours sorted?"

"Oh, the list? By name and location. Why?"

"Does it say anything in that list about potential ability?"

"No. Father merely searched for the evolutionary gene, not necessarily the ability. He felt he'd see that as he studied the people who he found with that gene."

Peter groaned. "Well, it may not work, then."

"What may not work?"

"I have this guy here that I taken in because he had nobody and he needed help. I don't know who he is because he can't talk and he has no ID, but I found him in Central Park playing the piano and he's clearly a piano playing genius.

"That does sound rather familiar, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"2005, a man in Europe appears out of nowhere. He didn't talk, and he shied away from people. When they gave him a pad of paper to write down who he was or where he came from, he drew a picture of a piano. They gave him a piano, and he played classical pieces for hours. People called him a genius and a prodigy and fondly called the Piano Man. Just months later, it was revealed that the whole thing was a hoax. The guy had a sound mind the entire time. He was trying to get some attention."

"Oh, I do kinda remember that! I had no idea it's a hoax. Well, there's one difference with this guy--he has a power that I've been able to emulate."

"What is that?"

"Well, have you ever read 'Harry Potter'?"

Mohinder laughed. "I'm a professor and a serious geneticist. Do you think I have time to read a children's story?"

"It's not a chi–well, that's beside the point. There are these characters in Harry Potter that are called Animagi and Metamorphmag, and they have this branch of magic called transfiguration. It's all about changing into things changing things into other things. That's what he can do."

Mohninder paused. "Do you mean he is . . . a shapeshifter?"

"Yeah, something like that. Oddly enough, I can emulate some of his autistic stuff, too."

"He's . . . autistic, you said?"

"Yeah. I was told he's an autistic savant, like 'Rain Man,' you know."

"Then he won't be on the list."

"What? But, he's gotta be. I mean, he's supernatural."

"I'm not saying that he doesn't have the evolutionary gene. I'm saying he's not on the list. In his case, there's quite a difference."

"What do you mean?"

"It's part of my father's unfinished research. He theorized that the autism gene and the evolutionary gene have a unique interaction. If he would have lived longer, he might have located people like your friend and added them to the list, but . . . he didn't. I was hoping to start that kind of research at the auction, but that didn't go very well."

"Oh yeah. Sorry I didn't make it. I got sidetracked and–"

"It's alright. What happened wasn't your fault.

"Thanks. So there's nothing you can do."

"No, I didn't say that. I could come see him for myself. Perhaps I can bring some more of my father's research to a close."

"Alright, but I'll warn you, he's rather uncomfortable around visitors. He hid from the last one who showed up."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. It may be a little while before I can make it. I'm writing a speech for a symposium I've been asked to speak at over at a church in Texas. I just want to make sure I don't blow it again."

Peter laughed. "You're not going to blow it."

Gabriel walked alone in a white hallway. He could see something in front of him, but he couldn't tell what. He walked quickly toward the object while listening to his footsteps echo loudly. As he came closer, he saw it was a person, a woman with long, silky black hair wearing a large straw hat.

"Bonjour, Gabriel," she said without turning around.

"Bon . . . jour," he replied.

"Comment t'allez vous?"

"Bien, merci. Et vous?"

"Je suis . . . preoccupe." (I am troubled.)

"You're actually speaking it," he said as he came closer to her. "You're not speaking English. You're not butchering the pronunciation. You really are French."

"Actually," the girl said turning around, "I'm Japanese, but you can understand me here."

Gabriel came closer to her and looked at her face. She was about as tall as him, which he knew was unusual about a Japanese lady. Her eyes, though they were still slanted, were also big and lovely. Her silk gown had many vibrant colors and butterflies.

"Vous ette . . . tres . . . belle," (You are very beautiful) he whispered.

"Don't get used to it," she replied. "I'm really more than ten years younger than you."

"I don't understand."

"My name is Hanami Nakamura."

"Nakamura? Are you related to Hiro?"

"He's my uncle. He sent me from the future because here we'll not be in as much danger of time rifts."

"In here?"

"In your mind. You're dreaming, Gabriel."

"So you're not real?"

"No, I am real. I'm here to talk some sense into you."

"Sense into me? What do you mean?"

"Don't you realize what kind of person you have become? Do you see how your proud and bitter attitude hurt those who try to help you? This isn't who you are, Gabriel."

"Well, can I help it? I didn't ask to be in this stupid country!"

"What evidence do you have that this is a stupid country?"

"Their president can't string two words together. They're in a meaningless war. Pretty much all they do right is music, and even that's not as great as it used to be."

"Don't you realize that you're hurting people more than you are helping them, your own brothers and sisters?"

"I don't have brothers or sisters."

"Yes, you do. You have millions of them. I am your sister."

Gabriel looked at her harder. What kind of people were they? How does this relate to him? "What do you mean?"

"I know you, Gabriel. You don't know me yet. You will, but I know you. You want to be a servant of righteousness. You want to be a 'Bonhomme,' a good man."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I want to change the world. Papa always told me that I could if I wanted it badly enough."

"Do you want to change it for better or worse?"

"Better! Bien sur!" (Of course!)

"If you want to change the world for the better, then perhaps you should start with yourself."

"I don't know what you're talking about! I'm fine!"

"Do you know why you came to America, Gabriel?"

"No, I don't! Do you?"

"You came because somebody called you, someone who needs your help."

"Yes, I know. I remember. Who is it?

"You haven't found him, not yet. You have to look for him. I can't tell you much, but I'll say this. If you want to change the world, if you really want to help someone, find the Piano Man."

"Why?"

"You'll find out."

"Who is he?"

"I can't say."

"Where should I go?"

"Follow the call. You'll hear it again. And stay with people who understand your power, like Hiro. They'll help you. Oh yes, this is important." She gave him a hard look, and her eyes filled with tears. "If you need help, for goodness sake, swallow your pride and ask for it!"

"Fine, I will." Hanami nodded and turned to leave. "Wait. Let me thank you first." He reached for her hand to kiss it in a gentlemanly French manner, but as he touched her, he saw a bright green light just between their hands. He gasped and pulled his hand away. Hanami looked at him and gave him a mysterious smile.

He woke up on a pew in the same church building. "L'homme du piano," he whispered. "Qui est l'homme du piano?"

To be continued . . .