Chapter 15: Buy Something Will Ya?
Tazmily in the Nowhere Islands had once been a small village where citizens would spend their days humbly coexisting peacefully. Everyone had been well acquainted with one another and shared responsibilities, taking their own important roles to function as a small society, from the shop owners, to the Inn keepers, even the typical stray dog had an influence. But when the Army had made their way into the lives of the inhabitants, patrolling the town or spreading their propaganda, the residence had slowly begun drifting away from one another.
The bond had never been restored completely since then so only few still kept their close relationship with friends, two of which were gathered in Town Square at the moment. They never missed a day of gossip as long as there was something to talk about. Even when it seemed like there was nothing new, they always found a topic to bring up and the conversation would go on from there. But this morning was different, the previous day had enough commotion to get the snowball rolling and start an avalanche of discussion, it might as well been enough to last the entire day.
". . . And I'm sure you heard the frightening thunder from last night Lisa?"
"Oh yes, that was awful Jilly, I saw the light flash though the windows and in the way it made them rattle, I'm sure it woke up half the town. Ritchie had trouble falling asleep last night. What I find odd is that it was a clear night so what could have possibly caused lighting like that?"
"Well I'm certain you know about yesterday's incident, have you seen Elmore's lawn? And the remains of that poor tree?"
"Well the whole town knows about that, but what does that have to do with last night's—"
"Think about it Lisa, he created a lightning strike in broad daylight and incinerated an entire tree without so much as a second thought. Then last night, there was more lightning that came from the direction of the forest where there are tons of trees. Obviously the two are related." She hushed her voice. "Actually, Word on the Wind says Flint's boy has been practicing his lightning shots in the woods in the middle of the night, apparently so the next time he tries that on someone, he won't miss."
"Oh come now Jilly, you don't think Lucas actually wanted to hurt—"
"Shhh don't mention his name so loud!" Jill waved her hands downward. "If you look at the facts, it all make sense. He's been honing his skills all this time. I mean it's no wonder Flint's house was nicknamed 'The Lightning House', that boy had been attracting it to that home like some sort of human lightning rod and his unhappiness was so strong that he made the lightning spread. I'm almost sure now he must have been the one responsible for the rest of the lightning strikes, like the ones that hit Reggie and Nippolyte's homes all those months ago."
"No, I don't believe it, Lucas is—"
"Now Lisa," Brenda had stepped into the conversation, "You can't still be trying to defend that delinquent. Jill is right, he's as guilty as they come. Elmore has the right hunch about him, in fact it could only be a matter of time before he becomes trigger happy and goes on a rampage, lighting fires all over the place."
"Oh Brenda, not you too!"
"Good on you Brenda, I know I'm not the only one who believes that boy is headed on the wrong path." Jill said proudly.
"Well, I'm still defending the poor boy."
"Why?" Brenda huffed. "Is it only because Thomas wants to defend him? Have you seen what yesterday's commotion did to him or have you not noticed how nervous he seems this morning?"
Lisa paused. "Well, now that you point that out, Tommy has been a little preoccupied and shaky since last night when he came home, but that's only because his work is stressing him out."
" 'His work'? Or the fear that the shop may be next on his list of buildings to burn. I think you're just desperate on finding any excuse to defend him. You sound like Jonel, taking Flint's side on everything. I've tried convincing him otherwise, but some men are just too hard-headed."
Jill began again, "Face it Lisa, that boy is troubled and most of the town seems to agree. It's reassuring news to hear that if he makes any amount of ruckus, he will have to face the authorities."
Lisa looked back and forth to the other two women, before placing her hand over her lips to hide her open mouth. She was beginning to think that both of her friends may have been right.
"Speak of the Tazmily Devil." Brenda's distasteful tone rang as she turned to see a notorious bobbing quiff of blond hair come into view. "How can he even show his face in town after what he did yesterday? That shows his lack of remorse for you." She directed her last phrase at Lisa."
"So odd, why is there a foreign bird on his shoulder? And what's it carrying, a message? That can't possibly be meant for him." Jill tapped her finger against her cheek.
"Hmph, who knows, he might actually be intercepting the mail now. Someone should notify Bateau." Brenda placed a hand on her hip.
"But Bateau doesn't use carrier pigeons anymore . . ." Lisa began to defend.
"Well if neither of you two are going to do anything then I will. I'm still going to inform the authorities so they keep an eye on him." Brenda faced away as she adjusted her glasses.
The boy and his two animal companions continued to tend to their business, quickly approaching the Bazaar. Pidgey had been adjusting the strap over its back and under one of its wings, securing the tube more comfortably by using the magnetic clip. It gave a sharp click when the opposite poles snapped together. (There, I hope it'll be more secure now.)
He yawned. "That strap looks pretty strong, I'm sure it'll be okay." Lucas began, he then felt a slight prickle in his temple, causing him to raise his hand over it. He grunted in annoyance.
(What's the matter?)
"I don't know, but I'm picking up some sort of disturbance." He began to look around, expecting to find something unknown that might have been causing him to feel this way. He looked further ahead then found them. The usual gossipers, their eyes fixed on him. Jill and Lisa quickly averted their eyes while Brenda with a sideways glance narrowed hers, still watching his every move. Lucas quickly became uncomfortable and was forced to look away.
So, they were the source.
(Does your head hurt?)
"Hmm? Nah. There's just a little discomfort. It's not a big deal, I'll be fine."
(Is it because of your powers?)
"Uh, yeah, I guess. It happens sometimes, but I can manage. There's just some things I don't have complete control of yet, and sometimes those things can interfere."
(Well good thing you can restrain it, I would worry if you became unstable like a Psyduck.)
"What's a—"
"Arf, arfff!" (We're here!) Boney's tongue hung out of his mouth more than usual. The dog's excitement replaced Lucas's feeling of discomfort.
They were welcomed by a familiar 'Open' sign that hung at a slant by the window. Lucas causally walked through the doors, the automatic ones were still out of commission. The common ringing of a bell filled the air with a pleasant jingle.
He walked over the orange checkered mat that contrast with the pale blue tiled floor, being careful not to trail in too much dirt. The bright red counter was lined with a variety of house wares and other goods, appealing to browsing buyers. Though something was missing from the counter. Even though it was an eye-catching object, he couldn't remember what it was. By the front counter were two display cases, different knick-knacks could be seen through the glass. Towards the back in the corners of the room, were two lamps that were currently off. To the left was the newly installed back room of the shop where inventory was most likely kept, the door was shut.
Thomas the shop keeper had his back to him while on the small ladder, organizing items on the top shelf. Oh the first customer! "Welcome, welcome to the Bazaar! Today's special— oh uh, hello there Lucas." Thomas cut himself off.
"Good morning Mr. Thomas." He greeted as he made his way to the counter. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the faded strip of paper. "I brought the coupon, you said it's good for half off my purchase of five items or more right?"
"Th-that's right!" He blurted out nervously. Actually that was not my final say, but whatever you say Lucas!
"Okay, great! I'm just going to look around for a bit if you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind! Take as long as you need!" Why did you say that to him you idiot! Well I don't want to make him mad, that's why! Who knows the level of his temper, one word, and it could set him off like a firecracker! Of all people, why did he have to be the first customer of the day? Well it's your own fault you know, why did you give him incentive to come back? What else was I suppose to do last night, ignore him? What if by ignoring him, I accidentally ticked him off? You saw how creepy he was acting last night! But by not ignoring him, you basically invited him to your front door! So all you can hope is that nothing happens, you are at his mercy if anything sets him off.
Lucas did his best to ignore Thomas's fast paced internal monologue that was bouncing back and forth in his mind. He really considered telling him telepathically that everything was okay but finally thought against it, believing it would only make him more nervous, plus it was rude to suddenly invade like that. It went against his morals after all. The less he used his power, the better off it would be, any use of it would result in a negative effect. Telepathy would only make Thomas feel the absolute opposite emotion that Lucas intended so he acted natural, pretending like he could not hear his conflicting inner thoughts. Instead, he tried to apply his focus elsewhere and scanned the shelves for anything of interest. His eyes quickly became set on the new items by the door so he made his way to them. He picked up the bag that was closest to his reach and read:
Trailing Trail Mix! Just can't decide on what snack to pack? Your other foods not providing enough variety or lack that extra kick? Then try some of this trail mix for your energy needs. Take it on the go and share it with friends, or just much on it when you feel like vegging out. We guarantee you won't be disappointed! Just below off in the corner of the package in bright orange letters he read: WARNING: Do Not feed to sparrows, unless you are looking for trouble. You have been warned.
"Hey Pidgey, you don't happen to be related to sparrows are you?"
(What, Spearows? No, I'm sure I'm not. No one in my family is a Spearow. The only Spearows I know are some of the wild ones, and they can be very rude sometimes when they visit the aviary.)
"Oh, okay I was just asking." He sensed the bird become irritated, its low tolerance for 'Spearows' seeped into him.
Thomas had been idly watching him. Oh no, he's talking to that bird as if he knows what its thinking. Next he'll be reading my thoughts. No Thomas, what are you thinking, of course he can't, that would be insane, you're thinking insanity now. Wait a minute, if he can hear an animal's thoughts, can he—His eyes seemed to become blank.
I shouldn't have said that out loud. Lucas thought as he resisted the urge to turn around and look at Thomas after panic overrode his mind. He almost wanted to say, Uh yeah, I can hear everything you're thinking, but he couldn't freak him out any further. He had to pick up the pace, get what he needed and get out of there as soon as possible, knowing that is presence alone was enough to disturb others. This was nothing new of course but after what had happened the previous day, it made people feel the need to anticipate a reaction from him. So he picked up a shopping basket and placed the trail mix inside.
Boney had wandered to the other side of the shop. He stood on his hind legs and leaned against one of the shelves. "Bark, bark!" (Hey if you're getting a snack for him, get something for me too!)
"Boney, I think you already had a snack." Lucas snapped at him. Boney only looked at him with his usual clueless expression, and temporarily pulled his tongue in. Lucas scanned him, and found that Boney had already forgotten about the theft of the Soggy Jerky, so he sighed and conceded to his whim, placing a box of Doggy Biscuits into the basket as well.
Okay, three more items to go.
He remembered the warning sign he wanted to place by the train station, so he went to the hardware section and found a variety of paints of different sizes and in a selection of colors. He picked the smallest one which was bright orange and the size of a large cup. Then another thought crossed his mind. If Kumatora was there, it was most likely she had tagged the entire message board with a warning sign. But he decided to buy the paint, just in case. Even if he did not end up using it, he knew it would be useful for his dad, Flint had wanted to highlight some sections of their house and the sheep's pen. The roof of Boney's dog house could use a touch up too, most of the paint had been chipping away. After briefly scanning the label, he set it in the basket. Nothing else he needed was coming to mind.
That is until he noticed Thomas's recently added section, the Happy Cooling Box section. It was a large refrigerator with two transparent glass doors and he was able to get a clear view of what was inside. He thought about it, and knew he needed to get something for himself. His eyes met the desserts towards the front. With the increased number of headaches lately, this did not seem like a bad idea. He wasn't entirely sure why, but sweets always helped ease his headaches after a day of using PSI. So he decided on a pack of two Strawberry Puddings, one for him and Kumatora. He normally would have bought this from the Bakery, the fresh kind was always better tasting, but he needed to cover the number of items in order to use the coupon. As he opened the fridge, the vent blew a rush of cold air and breathing it in reminded him of riding in a Happy Cooling Box and sliding down the turning slope on the edge of Snow Cap mountain. One of the many strange events of his journey.
Just as he was about to close the door, he saw large bottles of water or as the label said: PK Water, Pinnacle Knether Water is bottled at the source from the Mountains of Knether. The 'K' is silent. After drinking this clear, crisp, refreshing H ² Oh, you gain more than hydration. It is as if your metaphorical power, we'll call it 'PK' for short, is slightly revitalized, increasing your endurance. Perfect if you are planning to run a marathon or on a hike up the mountains.
That description was oddly specific . . . But anyway, could it be possible for his Psychic Points to increase just by drinking water? It was one of his favorite beverages after all and in the past, drinking water had led to the feeling of a small amount of power return to him. This water was a must-have, he could not allow himself to become dehydrated again. After the final item was set with the rest of his goods, he closed the door and made his way to the front of the counter. As the glass door shut heavily, a thin layer of dust that had settled on the counter became air borne Pidgey caught a whiff and sneezed, while it slowly crept to Lucas.
"Ahh . . . AHHH . . !" He placed a hand in front of himself.
Take cover, he's gonna BLOW! Thomas crouched behind the counter, lunging down in such a way he was on the brink of slamming his forehead on the edge of the counter.
He held back the sneeze.
As casually as he could, he placed the basket on the counter and began taking out his items. "Uhh . . . Mr. Thomas?"
He was still cowering behind the counter. Ah! This is embarrassing. How should I explain this to him? I jumped down 'cause you were about to sneeze? No nothing like that. Oh I know, I'll simply say that I was squishing a bug, yeah! That's a valid excuse, I reacted fast so the bug wouldn't get away. But then that will give the implication that the shop has an infestation! Then word will get around and you know how easily rumors spread around town. That's it, I'll just say that I thought I saw a bug, that should work!
Thomas's thoughts were worse up close. There were very few people in town that had this erratic thought pattern and speed while thinking. Thomas had always been jumpy, but never on this level.
"Oh pardon me Lucas, but I thought I saw a bug down here, that's why I moved so fast, but it was definitely not a bug or because of the possible explo— I-I mean, because of a sneeze!" Oh darn, I was about to say it!
"Oh . . . Kay . . ." He shifted his eyes to the side a bit before reaching into his pocket to retrieve the coupon. Lucas tried to straighten it out, but it had become too winkled, aside from the print being almost gone. "Uh, the coupon is kind of faded, I hope it's still okay."
"N-not a problem! It's fine!" Thomas said as he glanced at the first item. "Oh, uh, paint?"
"My dad needs some, you know, for parts of our roof we just fixed . . ." He didn't want Thomas to get the wrong idea, but it was already too late. The rest of the items went without question.
As he added up the total for the items, Thomas had one last look at the PK Water. "Heh, heh. This water reminds me of the time at Club Titiboo when you asked that beautiful waitress for ordinary water." What ever happened to Violet anyway? "That sure was an odd request while at a place like that . . . N-not that there is anything wrong with that though!"
"I like water."
Oh no my big mouth, I must have upset him! Quick, think of something nice to offer. "The store does carry cheaper drinks, how about a Fizzy Soda? It's only 6 DP!" He quickly said after feeling the need to suggest a better deal.
"Just the water is fine."
Great, now I've done it. I offered soda to him when he clearly doesn't have the money for it. But there is no doubt he wants it, no one ever rejects soda! Unless they are unable to pay for it. I know, I'll just give it to him. "So 10 for the water, 15 for the puddings, 12 for the trail mix, 25 for the biscuits and 50 for the paint. The total is 112 DP."
Lucas slid the coupon closer to him. "Oh and with this it's only gonna cost you 56 DP! And I almost f-forgot today's special! Your purchase today comes with a Fizzy Soda! It's on the house!"
"No Mr. Thomas, really it's oka—"
"I insist!" Please just don't target the shop!
He disliked that Thomas felt the need to give him things, just because of the incident. "M-Mr. Thomas it's alright really, I'll just pay for the soda too, I mean you were nice enough to give me the coupon in the first place, so I'll at least buy something else." He took out the amount of DP necessary plus the added amount of the Soda totaling 59, and began recounting in on the counter. He handed him 60DP.
The shop owner seemed to calm down. Lucas really is humble. I don't know why I've been getting so worked up about him. He's been very polite since he got here and he's always been nice and one scenario shouldn't be the one thing that defines who he is, everyone has a bad day once in a while. Maybe I've just been the one overreacting. Besides, he hasn't done any magic so far like they say. Thomas accepted the money and began placing it into the register, then began withdrawing the change.
As Lucas collected his items into the basket, the back room's door swung open. A boy around Lucas's age had come from the room, carrying a large glass sphere that he could barely wrap his arms around and that was filled with colorful gumballs. He was holding it with the opening facing upward. His light brown hair was longer than most boys as it reached a bit below his ears, and was partially obstructing his eyes. His dark teal dress shirt had a few wrinkles and the black bow-tie on his collar was to the side as it was being pressed against the glass. He was not facing ahead and used the side of his face to hold the large fragile sphere steady, his glasses were close to slipping off of his nose. "They're all ready Dad, where do you want them?" He seemed to be struggling.
He wasn't facing his son yet. "Great, just take them around— whoa Nichol, are you sure you can carry all that?"
"Yeah I'm doing just fine Dad." Nichol took a few steps forward to sway his balance.
"Hold on son, I'll help you out in a minute, let me just finish up with Lucas—"
Lucas?! At the sound of the name, Nichol stumbled on his own legs. The glass sphere slipped out of the boy's grasp, the multi-colored balls of gum flung out of the top opening.
The blond boy caught the action as it was about to happen. On reflex and within the time span of a blink of an eye, he swung his arm around and extended the reach of his telekinesis just as the large glass ball reached the peak of its launched height. It was the first to be suspended in mid-air before over a dozen colorful balls slowed down in succession. Lucas mentally held on for a good while, having to focus his telekinesis on multiple tiny targets simultaneously proved to be a challenge. He furrowed one of his eyebrows as he focused, unintentionally of course. He soon figured there was a limit to how many he was able to hold at once, so a few gumballs clattered onto the floor, bounced and rolled away, the mental grasp on his stick also had to be withdrawn. The wooden piece joined the rainbow balls as they rolled along the blue tiles.
While stiff, Thomas stared with wide eyes at the floating marble-like figures over his head, quickly darting his eyes back and forth between the balls and the psychic's sparking hand. Lucas was unable to hold them completely still so they continued to slowly drift through the air, being carried by their remaining momentum. Nichol now on his knees, adjusted his glasses before joining Thomas and looked to the floating balls. He was not awestruck like his father. Eventually, all the balls became still so Lucas gripped his open palm into a fist, which made the gumballs clump together, then pulled his fist back behind his ear which drew them into the opening of the glass sphere. Once they were in, he lowered it slowly until he heard a soft clink touch the floor. "Pheww, that was a close one." He looked up.
When he faced the shop owner is when he realized this had been a mistake. Thomas was left pale-faced while Nichol remained expressionless. No one said anything, no one even moved. The one who seemed more confused was Pidgey, who quickly shifted its head to look at everyone. When it saw they all remained still, it fluttered off of Lucas's shoulder and began picking up some of the gumballs that had rolled away and set them in front of Thomas. One by one it made a formation, almost seeming like a mosaic of marbles on the counter. Boney noticed what it was doing and began picking some up as well, placing them beside the ones the bird had collected. Each one he took hold of became enveloped in a clear coat of the dog's mouth fluid.
Finally the one to move was Nichol, who pushed his glasses in before standing. He faced the ground and one thought that could have been mistaken for being spoken aloud, sound in his mind in a spiteful way. You should've just let them fall . . .
Lucas faced him with a neutral expression at first, knowing that Nichol had not wanted him to intervene. He couldn't help but furrow a brow, this time in annoyance. He took a step towards the counter as he had moved back while stopping the glass sphere. Thomas gulped, and made a defensive jerking motion, pulling back an inch. He was afraid of making eye contact with the boy, but he had already done so, catching a good glimpse of their luminescence.
"Can I have my change?" He said in monotone. It took a moment for Thomas to snap back and extend his hand, Lucas noticed it was trembling. As he reached out to receive the money, Thomas thought he saw a slight instant spark emanate from his open palm. He dropped the change into it and quickly withdrew his hand.
"Thanks." He said blatantly, gripping the basket tightly, bending the woven handle. There is no use in trying to hide it anymore. The door flew open behind him but no one had been there. Only being manipulated by his unseen mental force. He partially turned around, just enough so they could see the side of his face and his motionless mouth as he stated, "Your welcome." Pidgey had not finished with the gumballs but saw the boy on his way out so it placed the one in its beak on the counter and flew out the door ahead of the boy. Boney spit the many gumballs on the floor that he had been gathering and took the Better Stick instead. The labrador made his exit after the boy, the door shutting heavily behind them, but there had been no wind to close it.
The father and son were left disturbed with the psionic display. Thomas was more flabbergasted with the way the blond's mental voice had sound all around the room and in their minds. "W-we're soooo gonna be in trouble." His voice quivered.
Nichol crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Dad, it's Lucas, he's too much of a wuss to do anything to anyone." He said as he picked up the glass ball, now being lighter due to the missing gumballs. Though he had said this, he did have his doubts linger in the back of his mind.
Thomas now stared at the gumballs that had been placed in front of him, beginning to recall the conversation he had with Flint the night before . . .
The three walked out of the Bazaar one at a time, turning the corner. In the shade between the Bazaar and Bronson's shop, Pidgey landed on the ground as it could not find anywhere to perch. Once Lucas was beside it, he set the basket down and leaned against the wall, knowing he would have to come back to return it, also having to pay Thomas another visit. He sighed as he thought about why he had felt the need to display his powers. Once Boney caught up he joined them in the shade, sat and dropped the stick onto the floor.
(What was that all about? Why were those people so startled?)
Lucas took a deep breath, Pidgey was so naïve but he did not mind explaining. "Abilities like mine are rare so they are not use to seeing my powers at all."
(So that's why the man in the hat stared at the candies when you used Psychic on them. He must have thought that what you did with those little balls was amazing, because I sure did! Also they looked so pretty the way they glowed.) Pidgey smiled, expecting Lucas to have one too. It looked over to him, catching his head hung down.
"Yeah, but they didn't think so. I'm beginning to think it wasn't the right call."
(I-I'm confused, didn't you help?)
"Yes but, the thing is, they didn't want my way of helping."
(So you were suppose to do nothing? Pokémon always help one another, I don't understand why humans would refuse assistance.)
"It's complicated. One of the main reasons is that they don't like the idea of my powers even existing so I should've just stayed out of the way."
(When you say, 'existing' do you mean powers like yours or powers in general? Don't all creatures of this world have abilities?)
'Of this world'? Could this mean that this bird was from a different world? That would explain its extraordinary abilities and how the letter was addressed to the "EarthBound Universe". Maybe he misinterpreted and it instead said 'different lands'. He didn't want to think of the idea too much at the moment. "No, no one around has powers like mine and I know only one other person who's psychic. And the general public doesn't have 'powers' at all, neither do animals." At least not average ones.
(Oh now I see, so they must have been startled when they saw something they were unfamiliar with. I know how that feels. But you still helped them. If you did nothing, then the glass would have shattered and there would have been shards scatter everywhere and balls would have been rolling all inside the Mart! What if another human walked in? It would have been a hazard for anyone who was inside, especially the Jumpy Man. I feel like they needed the help whether they wanted it or not.)
Lucas looked up, a realization hitting him. This whole time, there had been a pattern to all this. He was the one to give the little bird some words of encouragement that morning and now it was returning the gesture with some reassurance. He saw it with Mrs. Kokko, Steve, Kumatora and Fuel the day before and now with Pidgey. So this is what it meant to have friends on your side . . .
"I-I think you're right Pidgey . . . " Why the heck would I be doing all of this anyway? It's just like I told Fuel. I'm here to help everyone whether they like it or not. And if that involves having to show my powers, then fine. It's not like I can pretend they're not there. And like Kumatora said, I can't hide who I am anymore. Even if it's little by little, they might understand. I can only be . . . Optimistic . . . One of his mother's favorite words needed to be further integrated into his personality. He wouldn't allow anything to convince him otherwise. It would be a rough road but he would ride every bump and crack all the way to the end.
Lucas didn't need to say thanks, his gratitude was felt by the little bird who fluffed its feathers almost proudly. "So, let's take this back home really quick, Kumatora's probably waiting for us."
"Woouurff." (Does he have to come with us?)
Boney . . . Lucas scolded.
"Prrridge?" It tilted its head. (Who's Kumatora?)
Before he could answer, Boney surprisingly cut him off. (She's this really scary lady that can do tricks like my boy. You wouldn't want to meet her, she likes to play target practice all the time and freezes anyone she meets. Just ask Lucas, she almost froze him yesterday.)
Tricks? Lucas raised an eyebrow. Who's the one who needs to do tricks around here again? He was ignored.
(F-f-f-freeze? Like an Ice Beam? Oh, n-no thank you. I really hate the cold.)
What are you trying to pull here? He asked Boney.
(Nothing!) The dog licked his nose. [All I'm trying to do is get rid of him for now, he's been taking all of my screen time! Easily over five chapters . . .]
Lucas had no clue as to what Boney was thinking about. But it was obvious he was growing a little jealous. "Don't listen to him Pidgey, Kumatora isn't about to freeze anybo— well, she won't freeze you."
The boy's shift in words convinced the bird otherwise. (Thank you for inviting me but I think I'll sit this one out. Besides, I do want to take it easy before my departure.)
"Oh, right." He looked disappointed.
(And since I'm on my way there, I can take the basket for you, drop off the items at your house and give it back to the Jumpy Man.)
"You'll do that? Well, thanks! Let me just take the paint and—"
Don't bother, the warning message is already up.
His heart skipped a beat as the familiar voice invaded his mind. "K-Kumatora?"
No it's Salsa— of course it's me. Will you hurry up, I've been waiting for you all morning.
Kuma, don't scare me like that. He knew his thoughts would reach her if he sent them out there as she was able to extend her telepathy further than he was able to.
(What was that?)
"Awoooof." (I told you, it's her.)
The bird tensed up a bit, discovering that it was in the presence of another psychic. One who apparently liked to freeze others. (I-I think I should go now.) It hovered over the basket's handle as it prepared to lift it off.
"I guess we won't be needing anything. When you want Pidgey, you can have the trail mix I bought."
(What do you mean we won't be needing anything?) Boney stared at the box of biscuits.
"I mean we won't be needing anything right now." Lucas emphasized to his dog.
(He gets to have trail mix and I don't get anything?)
Lucas ignored the thought. "We'll try to be back by this afternoon, just relax in the meantime."
The bird bowed its head and purred. With more effort, Pidgey lifted off with the basket and made its way to the house overlooking the sea, Lucas was left impressed with its strength.
He had watched for a minute until it was over the trees by his house, conveniently it was not far. As he turned to make his way to the Train Station, he looked down to Boney who rest his head on the ground. "Hey once we get back home, then you can have a biscuit okay?"
(A biscuit?)
"Alright fine, two biscuits, but no more sneaking food, got it?"
"Aroof?" (Who's sneaking food? Whoever it is, I'm gonna chase 'em!) He got into his sprint-ready position then bit down harder on the Better Stick.
Boney really had no clue that Lucas was referring to him. The boy shook his head and smiled, he couldn't bring himself to ever be mad at his best friend. As they stepped out of the shade and continued moving onward, he felt a large shadow swiftly pass overhead. He looked up and quickly blocked out the sun, missing a glimpse of whatever had caused it. Balding Eagles never tended to fly this far out from the mountains. It could have been cast by a seagull, maybe even the one who he had asked for directions once. But then again they were too small, so it could have been a pelican. Perhaps. For some odd reason, this shadow felt darker and heavier to him. How could a shadow have weight? Whatever it was, it was gone now and he had no time to ponder the thought.
He approached Town Square and luckily, one of the gossipers was gone: Brenda. "Oh he's coming, act natural." Jill tried whispering to Lisa. He stayed quiet as he normally passed them by, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Good morning Lucas." Lisa greeted with a sincere smile. Jill only stared at her.
He weakly waved back. "M-morning."
As he continued, he heard her quietly say, "See Jill, there's nothing wrong in saying a friendly greeting."
"That's what he wants you to think, so don't let your guard down. Brenda said he could strike at any minute."
"Oh posh, what does Brenda know anyway."
Before he left Town Square, the morbid sight had come into view. Even during the day the damaged tree was a desolate sight. More of its thin branches had broken off and lay in the ashes below, most likely the wind had finished the job over night. The sign now hung at an angle as if someone other than himself had shoved it aside. Lucas tried to hurry along in hopes he would not make contact with the residence of the house. He felt relieved when no one was in sight— until two others walked out from behind the tree, not Pusher or Elmore but the next worst possible people. His stomach sank.
Two officers stood in front of the large house, apparently surveying the area. There was no way he could have gone around them and there were no hidden paths to sneak through. He turned to head back, maybe he could ask Kumatora to meet him in Town Square instead. But it was too late.
"Hey-hey, you there, kid! We would like to have a word with you."
He flinched.
"Come on don't be shy, it'll just take a minute, we promise." The other said. Heh, kids always come 'round when you 'promise' them things.
"He fits the description, doesn't he?"
"Hmm, blond hair, stripped-shirt, wimpy lookin' with a brown dog, yep it's definitely him." One whispered to the other.
"This kid looks way more than just wimpy, sure it's him? I was expecting someone a little tougher lookin' than this. Seems to me like he'd burn himself if he lit a match. I doubt he'd so much as make a spark without hurting himself."
"But the report says there were a number of witnesses who saw him cause the fire spontaneously, who knows, we may be dealing with a tiny psycho here. That or they may all be the ones who are hopped up on something to go as far as to say a kid did this. Hey, we'll do what we always do with kids. We'll just intimidate him a bit, allow the fear to settle so he'll think twice about causing anymore trouble."
The other chuckled. "Don't be too rough on him, we wouldn't want him to wet himself." They both laughed.
He did not have to be psychic to have heard it all, these two were obviously the type of adults who had no experience handling teens' behaviors and believed that all kids were some snot-nosed little brats that could easily be influenced. Maybe this was for the better, they personally had no suspicion of him and were only going after what was in the report which also was under question. To them, it was not possible for a child to have started a fire of that scale, especially after seeing who was to blame in person. More the reason for them to be skeptical. But still, he found unusual degradation at the thought of being underestimated.
Overall, it was better to face this now than to try to avoid it. It would only be worse the longer he put it off, as incompetent as they seemed, they may have figured he was trying to avoid them.
The first Officer pulled at his belt. "Hmph, Lucas was it? I'm officer Ka— you know what, we'll keep our names simple for kids so you'll just refer to me as Officer Kay. He's Officer Dee. So according to about half the town, you're the one who apparently did this yesterday." He gestured to the tree. "You caused quite the commotion and damage with your pyrotechnics, and endangered many people."
The other, Officer Dee who was slightly shorter, crossed his arms smugly. "Don't forget about the mayor's claim as well. If it wasn't for your father's interference, you would have been in serious trouble with us, probably even be in a cell right now. But lucky you huh? Only got off with a warning." And we're here to reinforce that warning.
Was he suppose to act scared? Because the usually shy boy did not find this menacing in the slightest. This was just an annoyed bitter feeling, trying to rub more salt in the wound. Wasn't the gnawing feeling of guilt enough? He needed to show them his humility and display his remorse. All he did was look down, his gesture of submission, that way they could execute their 'authority' over him and finish their pointless scolding so he could be on his way.
"What, you're not gonna say anything? Answer us boy. Don't you feel like apologizing?"
Apologize to you? I didn't do anything to you. He mumbled something that was barely audible.
"Oh, what was that?" In an exaggerated motion, Officer Dee placed a hand behind his ear.
There was a rise of anger now, beginning to hate their patronizing manner.
"I-I'm sorry. It was an accident." He didn't face them. Was it really though?
"And . . ."
"It won't happen again." These words came with a burning feeling in his throat.
"There was that so hard? Hopefully this warning will be enough for you to (fall back into place) think twice about messing around with fire. You should know that when kids like you play with fire, you're bound to get burned. And if we feel this is still not enough to get the idea through to you then, there are always other means." Officer Dee rested his hand over his holster.
Oh, guns . . . That's cute . . . The psychic's thought flickered.
After seeing no reaction, both men looked at each other. Had they performed their intimidation technique wrong somehow? So Lucas had to play along, make them think like they were the ones in control. He widened his eyes and stared at the weapon tucked in its holster, feigning his fear toward the 'dreaded' firearm.
That's more like it. Officer Kay's thoughts rang clear.
The labrador saw his boy's motions and let out a low growl. Any people who had a problem with his boy, also had a problem with him.
"Don't think we forgot about you dog, you're this boy's accomplice so if you follow his actions, we won't have any problem impounding you as well." Officer Kay saw the stick locked in the dog's jaw. "What's with this?" Do you make your mutt carry your tool of crime commitment?
"It seems like a dangerous blunt object that can be used to carry out all kinds of delinquencies. We may have to confiscate that."
He panicked somewhat, he needed to have his stick with him from now on. "Th-that's actually Boney's toy. He really loves to play fetch so he likes to carry it wherever we go." He replied quickly.
"Oh really? You sure—" Officer Kay began.
His partner tapped his shoulder, then whispered something in his ear. "Just let him keep it. It's just a stick, the most he can do with it is bash a few windows. It's probably better if he keeps it anyway, it'll give him a means of committing his petty crime and when he does, it will be the perfect opportunity to detain him."
Kay nodded. "Very well. You can keep your toy, dog. Just know, we'll be watching you. Both of you, but for now you are free to go." He dismissed them.
Lucas forcefully bowed his head before moving on. In this instance, he only did it to get out of the situation and believed those who belittled others did not deserve much respect. Now he began to feel like they deserved little to no respect at all, but he was not going to sink down to their level. He found that most times, kindness was the way to go, even in situations were he was victimized. This had been his mother's influence and he was not about to go against a moral that had been ingrained into his personality.
When they saw the blond wimpy kid out of earshot, (even though he could still hear them) they chuckled together. "So how do you think that was?"
Officer Kay shook his head. "It was a little too much when you touched your gun. If you had withdrawn it, he might've even passed out."
"Hey, I'm not that bad of a guy. I'm surprised he didn't cry though. According to the report, his alias is 'Crybaby' but the kid didn't even tear up at all."
"He must've done enough cryin' yesterday. So he's probably all cried out." The two officers laughed together, not caring that their laughs most likely reached the boy.
People never tended to get on his nerves, but the Tazmily Police were one of the few exceptions. This had not been the first time he had to put up with their comments and knew it wouldn't be their last. He reached the end of the house, making his way to the crossroads.
"Psssst hey, Lucas!" An inconspicuous whisper hissed from behind the house.
He stopped, recognizing the voice. "O-Ollie?"
"Yeah, come quick. Make sure the police don't see you." The young adult stepped back into the shadows.
"They're too busy laughing, even though they said they'd be watching me." He shoved his way through the bush that grew a bit higher than his waist, Boney right behind him. He found Ollie squatting, he had removed his glasses to wipe them clean from residue that came from the surrounding plants.
He fixed his own blond hair before putting his glasses on. "I just wanted to make sure I could talk to you real quick without anyone noticing. Once the cops, I-I mean, police showed up, I thought I'd miss the chance."
"Oh, okay." What did Ollie want to say? Lucas felt unsure at first but after not feeling any resentment from the young man, he calmed down.
"I heard them talking to you, pretty unfair if you ask me."
He hesitated as he kneeled. "In their position, I would hate me too. I mean after what I did yesterday, I kind of deserve all of it from everyone."
"No, no you don't. You might be surprised after I say this but, I believe you. I know you would never intentionally hurt anyone. Even if it was my father without proper cause. I know how much he hates the thought of you, all this time thinking you were the source of misfortune that struck the town. It's a stupid idea if you ask me, and don't even get me started on my mother."
Lucas was more than surprised. He did not expect the son of the two who despised him would be coming to his defense.
"Anyway I'd better say this quick, it's best if we're not seen together." He took a deep breath. "They're planning something. I don't know what it is, but they're looking for a way to get rid of you. In the meantime, they're trying to find any excuse to make you seem seem like a danger. You should really watch out Lucas, my folks can get carried away sometimes so don't give them the excuse they're looking for."
Lucas thought to himself. He should have anticipated something like this. Meanwhile, Boney had sat down behind him. He had grown tired of holding the stick so he dropped it. While he was waiting, he might as well place it along the boy's back, it should stick on its own. He grabbed it, tilting his head so the stick would be in the proper position, the way the boy liked to have it along his back. He let go— and the stick fell on the soft grass with a quiet thud.
"If you ask me, it's the complete opposite. I know this town isn't safe without you. I could never tell them what I really think though, no way would they listen to an idea like that coming from their son. They may go far as to say that you're the one making me believe that thought. Or say that you're forcing me though a threat or something. Overall, it's probably best if I stay quiet about this, I don't want them to suspect that I'm letting you in on this information."
Lucas remained silent. There was no way yesterday's incident would have no repercussions. Now the Mayor's household and possibly the entire town were sure to be paranoid. But fear of him only took the focus away from the true threat. But were the Chimeras the only threat? "O-Ollie . . ."
The young man's round glasses cast a reflected light as he adjusted their position.
"Why . . . How can you believe me? I could've struck your dad yesterday. What I mean to say is . . . I did think of hurting them. Both of them. You shouldn't trust me."
Ollie, who had always been the one to smile, now remained steadfast. "I was in the top room when it happened. I heard everyone's voices through the open windows before the fire, and I was in the group after the fire. My father was the one being disrespectful and my fabulous mother said some awful things to you, things that she should be ashamed of. To be honest, if I had powers like yours and someone said things like that about people who are now at peace, I wouldn't have hesitated to show them what I can do, just to serve as a warning. But that may be a reason why none of us have powers and you do. It's because you have an incredible sense of restraint Lucas, I can't say that about most people."
Lucas only held his breath. Then he sighed.
"And besides, any one of us could go around waving a weapon like a maniac, they only fear your means a lot more because it's foreign to them. And only a true maniac would actually use that weapon. And I know Lucas, that you would be the last person to do something like that."
Boney tried and tried again. The stick would not prop up against the boy's back like it always did.
"And then there's the Chimera situation Flint told everyone about yesterday. Do you know if they're really back?"
He stood. "Yes. Yes the Chimeras are back Ollie. I just fought three last night, and they're dangerous. Please, you have to get the word around."
"I've tried bringing it up to a few people, you know just subtly during conversation, but my dad has convinced most of the town otherwise. He's also trying to ruin some of your father's credibility, you being his son and all."
Lighter was right, his own actions had also set Flint back a step.
Ollie peeked around the corner of the building. "Those two officers are gone, now's probably the time for you to go. I should get back too, someone might be looking for me."
"R-right." Thanks Ollie. There was a shimmer in his eyes.
On the dog's last attempt, the boy activated his PSI for the stick. "*Pant, pant*." (Oh, finally! It worked!)
The young man seemed to pick up on the vibe. "I'll see ya Lucas." Ollie made his way around the other corner.
He peeked himself, no one was in sight so he rushed out from behind the house and quickly approached the Train Station.
He saw her back to him, her magenta hair had been brushed to her own style. She was looking up at the message board with her hands at her hips. Once he reached her she said, "Tag up the whole wall huh?"
"Huh? W-what?"
"Tch, never mind. Well, what do you think?" She pointed to a large sign that not only covered up a large portion of the board, it also overlapped with some of the old messages. He then read:
WARNING! Chimeras Seen In Sunshine Forest. Be on the look out for any suspicious activity. And STAY OUT of the forest you DUMB ASS.
"Did you really need to insult the reader?" He said as he scanned the rest of the messages quickly, attempting to spot any news from Steve the Friendly Ghost.
"How else will they listen? People tend to read obscenities as much as they pay attention to warning signs. So now they can't ignore it."
She's not wrong.
Kumatora finally faced him, she seemed tired. "So, they're really back huh?" He didn't have to say anything. The mere thought and worry in his aura was enough for her to catch up on recent events.
"Damn it." She rubbed her scalp and pulled at her hair, messing the recent brushing of it. "Ghhrraahh!"
He sidestepped away from her.
"Let's just go." She began leading the way back to Town Square. Looking up to see the side of her face again, Lucas noticed a small worried smirk, as if Kumatora wanted this news to be true. He suspected she wanted something to use her PSI on, and if Chimeras were back— Maybe it was best if Pidgey didn't come along with him.
As the three made their way to the Elder home in eastern Tazmily, behind them on the message board, perched a small raven-like bird. Its long pointed beak opened, revealing a series of jagged tips lining the edges of its beak. It crowed to the sky, the black folded crest on its head became upright. The white lining around its irises was overshadowed by the intense crimson glowing of its eyes. It flew off, making its way to the southern ridge, black and purple shadowed orbs trailing off of it.
Sorry it's been a while. I don't know how consistent I'll be with updating chapters, but I don't plan on stopping. For those who have stuck around this long, Thanks A Lot. Really.
These past few months I've been cracking down hard on typos and grammatical issues. I hate typos, especially if they're my own. It really messes with the immersion and flow of the story. And the longer the story gets, the more content there is to read over.
Also thanks for the first review! I appreciate the nice compliments. You guys can also critique the story or just provide feed back if you'd like. Anything to help me improve.
Anyway, until the next update. Se Ya! :)