Breakfast was just something made up to join people who didn't want
to be together during the morning hours. Or at least that's what Horizon
always thought it was. Jade came into the girls' bedroom at 7:30 AM and
told them to wake up. It wasn't like Horizon slept anyway.
Still in pajamas, the girls and boys sat around a small table in the kitchen eating cereal. Horizon sat between Willow and Jacinth. When she tried reaching for the box of Lucky Charms, she felt a sudden stinging sensation on her mind, like she had been slapped. She could see the wicked gleam in Thorn's eyes as she yelled "Back off!" without uttering a word.
Besides Thorn, everyone else was quite friendly. Nobody really talked, though. The boys introduced themselves to Horizon. There was Rune, who spontaneously bent his cereal spoon throughout breakfast, as well Xander, Claret, and Lyre. Then, there was Evangel. Horizon thought he was very interesting. He had a tattoo of a dragon on his shoulder (She could see it peeking out through his collar.) and many piercings. He had jet- black hair and gray eyes, and was so skinny and pale. Like all the rest, though, he didn't talk.
She noted that silence filled the apartment at most times. It was creepy, eerie.
After breakfast, they were left to do whatever they wanted. Horizon stayed in the living room for a while, watching TV with all the girls and all the boys except for Evangel. Then a small voice entered her mind.
"Hi, this is Jacinth. Horizon, don't be alarmed by this. It's normal around here, that's why it's mostly quiet."
"But how do I do that, telepathy?"
"You have to act like you are walking down a hallway with doors on every side. You open one door, it leads you into a mind. Be careful which door you walk into, though."
"Is that how Thorn knows me?"
"Yes, she got into your mind and searched it for clues to you. Let's hope she didn't get in too far."
"I feel so violated."
"I know, it's terrible. It happens every time. You have to learn how to block it off, though."
"How?"
"Have you ever downloaded music?"
"Yes."
"When a person wants to get music from you and you don't want that, what do you do?"
"Click the cancel button and refuse the connection. How do I do that, though?"
"You will feel a small sensation when someone wants to get into your mind. Just think about blocking them off, maybe even mind-shout a big 'NO!' They'll back off."
"Why didn't I feel you coming into my mind?"
"Oh, that's different. To talk, you don't need a connection like that. It's different than actually trying to get into somebody's mind and search through their archive of thoughts, memories, and personal information. If you don't want anyone talking to you at all or getting into your mind, envision putting a padlock on your mind."
"That's fascinating."
"It is when you first discover it."
"Just wondering, but do you know why Thorn called me 'Crane'?"
"Yes, in fact, I do. She usually locks up her mind so no one can get in, but I slipped in during a moment where it was slightly open and discovered it. She compares you to the animal. You have wings, so to speak. She means that you have an easy flight out of the Matrix, far away from this place."
"Oh, I see."
"Thorn can be very uptight and cruel, but there's reason for that."
"What?"
"Thorn was brought to the Oracle when she was only a few months old, abandoned outside the apartment door. The Oracle took her in, and she's been here her whole life. She knows about the Matrix, we all do, from being in this apartment so long. We were promised we'd be freed. I've seen children come and go. There are always people being freed. Frustration takes its toll after a while. And we know that you're going to be out of here before any of us. That is why Thorn is the way she is. It's jealousy, a desire to be out."
"Why can't you be freed?"
"The Oracle says when it is the right time."
"I'll do whatever I can to get all of you out!"
"That's what many children have said before you. As you can see, it never happened."
"I'm so sorry about that. I promise, I will get you out."
"Promises don't last, they're always broken."
"Jacinth, you must trust in me."
"Trust... sounds like a foreign word to me. Well, I'm going to actually watch this movie now, so I guess I'll talk to you later."
"Okay."
And then Horizon's mind was noiseless again. How strange it felt to have these powers, it gave her a shiver up her spine. She tried watching the movie, but she kept thinking about the Potentials. Thorn had been in this apartment her whole life.
What if she wasn't freed? What if she lived in this apartment the rest of her life? She would not let this happen... and when she left, the rest of the Potentials would too. No matter what, she would talk to Neo and make him free them.
Horizon's mind became cluttered with thoughts, but in an instant it all cleared away when she heard a smooth, unfamiliar voice. "Are you okay? I noticed you were a little spastic in your thoughts. You need to relax more."
"I'm fine. Have you been listening this whole time?"
"No, only after Jacinth let you go. Our minds are like phone lines - you can only take one call at a time unless you have another line or call waiting."
"So you heard my thoughts?"
"Of course. Don't worry, I won't tell..." She could hear the person laughing. It was so peculiar, the person was so peculiar. It was then that she realized that she was talking to Evangel.
"Look," he said. "Why don't you come into my room? It will be easier to talk that way, it's soundproof."
"Okay. Be there in a minute." Horizon stood up and walked out of the living room and down the hall. She opened a door on her left and entered the room. In the room, there was Evangel sitting on chair in front of the computer. She shut the door. He spun his chair around.
"So what would you like to talk about?" She said.
"Anything you want. I am here to listen."
Still in pajamas, the girls and boys sat around a small table in the kitchen eating cereal. Horizon sat between Willow and Jacinth. When she tried reaching for the box of Lucky Charms, she felt a sudden stinging sensation on her mind, like she had been slapped. She could see the wicked gleam in Thorn's eyes as she yelled "Back off!" without uttering a word.
Besides Thorn, everyone else was quite friendly. Nobody really talked, though. The boys introduced themselves to Horizon. There was Rune, who spontaneously bent his cereal spoon throughout breakfast, as well Xander, Claret, and Lyre. Then, there was Evangel. Horizon thought he was very interesting. He had a tattoo of a dragon on his shoulder (She could see it peeking out through his collar.) and many piercings. He had jet- black hair and gray eyes, and was so skinny and pale. Like all the rest, though, he didn't talk.
She noted that silence filled the apartment at most times. It was creepy, eerie.
After breakfast, they were left to do whatever they wanted. Horizon stayed in the living room for a while, watching TV with all the girls and all the boys except for Evangel. Then a small voice entered her mind.
"Hi, this is Jacinth. Horizon, don't be alarmed by this. It's normal around here, that's why it's mostly quiet."
"But how do I do that, telepathy?"
"You have to act like you are walking down a hallway with doors on every side. You open one door, it leads you into a mind. Be careful which door you walk into, though."
"Is that how Thorn knows me?"
"Yes, she got into your mind and searched it for clues to you. Let's hope she didn't get in too far."
"I feel so violated."
"I know, it's terrible. It happens every time. You have to learn how to block it off, though."
"How?"
"Have you ever downloaded music?"
"Yes."
"When a person wants to get music from you and you don't want that, what do you do?"
"Click the cancel button and refuse the connection. How do I do that, though?"
"You will feel a small sensation when someone wants to get into your mind. Just think about blocking them off, maybe even mind-shout a big 'NO!' They'll back off."
"Why didn't I feel you coming into my mind?"
"Oh, that's different. To talk, you don't need a connection like that. It's different than actually trying to get into somebody's mind and search through their archive of thoughts, memories, and personal information. If you don't want anyone talking to you at all or getting into your mind, envision putting a padlock on your mind."
"That's fascinating."
"It is when you first discover it."
"Just wondering, but do you know why Thorn called me 'Crane'?"
"Yes, in fact, I do. She usually locks up her mind so no one can get in, but I slipped in during a moment where it was slightly open and discovered it. She compares you to the animal. You have wings, so to speak. She means that you have an easy flight out of the Matrix, far away from this place."
"Oh, I see."
"Thorn can be very uptight and cruel, but there's reason for that."
"What?"
"Thorn was brought to the Oracle when she was only a few months old, abandoned outside the apartment door. The Oracle took her in, and she's been here her whole life. She knows about the Matrix, we all do, from being in this apartment so long. We were promised we'd be freed. I've seen children come and go. There are always people being freed. Frustration takes its toll after a while. And we know that you're going to be out of here before any of us. That is why Thorn is the way she is. It's jealousy, a desire to be out."
"Why can't you be freed?"
"The Oracle says when it is the right time."
"I'll do whatever I can to get all of you out!"
"That's what many children have said before you. As you can see, it never happened."
"I'm so sorry about that. I promise, I will get you out."
"Promises don't last, they're always broken."
"Jacinth, you must trust in me."
"Trust... sounds like a foreign word to me. Well, I'm going to actually watch this movie now, so I guess I'll talk to you later."
"Okay."
And then Horizon's mind was noiseless again. How strange it felt to have these powers, it gave her a shiver up her spine. She tried watching the movie, but she kept thinking about the Potentials. Thorn had been in this apartment her whole life.
What if she wasn't freed? What if she lived in this apartment the rest of her life? She would not let this happen... and when she left, the rest of the Potentials would too. No matter what, she would talk to Neo and make him free them.
Horizon's mind became cluttered with thoughts, but in an instant it all cleared away when she heard a smooth, unfamiliar voice. "Are you okay? I noticed you were a little spastic in your thoughts. You need to relax more."
"I'm fine. Have you been listening this whole time?"
"No, only after Jacinth let you go. Our minds are like phone lines - you can only take one call at a time unless you have another line or call waiting."
"So you heard my thoughts?"
"Of course. Don't worry, I won't tell..." She could hear the person laughing. It was so peculiar, the person was so peculiar. It was then that she realized that she was talking to Evangel.
"Look," he said. "Why don't you come into my room? It will be easier to talk that way, it's soundproof."
"Okay. Be there in a minute." Horizon stood up and walked out of the living room and down the hall. She opened a door on her left and entered the room. In the room, there was Evangel sitting on chair in front of the computer. She shut the door. He spun his chair around.
"So what would you like to talk about?" She said.
"Anything you want. I am here to listen."