Chapter 9: the truth
I went over to Hailey's house that night around seven. I had told my parents that it was for a school project, but I think Jack saw right through my lie.
"Hey," Hailey said as she opened the door, "lets get started shall we?"
"Let's."
We went down into the basement where there was a large den. It was dimly lit with about two dozen candles.
"Romantic," I smirked.
"Shut up Slater," she glared, "electric lights are to bright and distracting. Candles have been used in training sessions for shifters for centuries. I guess I'm just old fashioned."
"How did you know about the candle thing?" I asked, curious.
"Back in Chicago I found an old document that taught me how to put up barriers by Dr. Salaski. But when I moved here I left it there by mistake."
"Did you say Dr. Salaski?" I asked.
"Yeah why?"
Wow, my grandfather sure got around. If there was documents in Chicago, who knew how many more were out there.
"He is my grandfather, my father's real last name is Salaski. He changed it when society started to call my grandfather crazy. I still have most of his other documents."
Hailey's eyes lit up, "That's incredible! He is such a brilliant man, I would love to meet him some day."
"Right now he's back in Carmel living like a vegetable. He doesn't talk much."
Except to Suze it would appear…but that's different.
"I'm sorry Paul, it must be hard to see him like that."
I shrugged, "we were never really all that close. I guess you could say he doesn't exactly agree with some of the things I do."
"Who does?" Hailey smirked.
I sat on the couch beside her, "Lets get back to lessons shall we?"
She nodded, "to get this to work you have to clear your mind completely."
She pulled a pencil out from behind her ear and placed it on the table in front of us.
"Once your mind is clear, I want you to focus not on the pencil, but the air around it. Concentrate on getting it to thicken into an invisible wall around it. You won't be able to see it, but you should be able to feel it working."
I nodded. Concentrating as hard as I could, I pushed all of my other thoughts into the back of my mind. I could begin to feel my power build. I released the power slowly and the pencil lifted off the table.
"Stop Paul," Hailey set her hand on my shoulder, "you are concentrating on the pencil. Concentrate on the air. Do it again."
I must have tried it at least a dozen times, and each time all I managed to do was lift the pencil. Leaning back in the couch I took deep breaths. I felt a little bit drained.
Hailey leaned over the arm of the couch and opened a cooler. She pulled out two cokes and handed one to me.
"Here, this should help get your energy back."
I nodded, "how about I teach you how to lift a pencil then?" I asked.
She nodded, " I think I get how to do it. I have to concentrate on the object, not the air right?"
I nodded, "concentrate on every molecule of the pencil and imagine lifting it, and it will."
Hailey set her pop on the table and took a deep breath. She looked at the pencil and I could feel her power rise. When she released it, nothing happened. I stuck out my hand and hit the air around it to find a barrier.
"You are to use to concentrating on the air, try the pencil again." I said.
She nodded and tried again. This time she actually made the pencil move a little.
"Good," I said, "now lift it."
Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as the pencil shook a bit and then slowly started to lift. I looked at Hailey to see a huge smile on her face as she watched the pencil rise. She let the pencil drop and looked at me, "I did it!"
"That was pretty good but don't forget that its just a pencil, larger objects will be harder," I said.
She rolled her eyes, "your turn."
Putting down my pop I sighed and concentrated. I sat there for a few seconds.
Nothing is happening…
Hailey stuck out her hand and tapped the air around the pencil. Her hand hit solid air.
"Good job Paul," she smiled, "I think that's enough for today."
Suddenly there was a crash from upstairs that caused us both to jump. I could here at least four pairs of feet running toward the stairs.
"Who is that?" I asked softly as we both slowly got up.
Hailey shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that they know your friend Chris."
Pulling Hailey behind me I watched as four guys in black masks came down the stairs. On the forehead of the mask was a symbol.
"They are the Gemini," Hailey whispered into my ear, "the symbol on their head stands for Gemini."
I nodded.
When they noticed us they slowly started to approach.
"What do you want?" I asked.
On guy who was rather largely built stepped forward, "we understand that you were asking questions that you shouldn't be asking."
That's a mouth full…
"What, you guys got something to hide?" I spat back, "we just want to talk to the guy who transferred from Chicago."
A guy in the back stepped foreword, "I'm him. What do you want?"
Hailey stepped out from behind me, "You were a part of the Scorpio back in Chicago. Your friend was in with you and you killed him. You have ring of his that I need."
The guy smirked, "and how did you know about that baby?"
I could sense her fuming beside me.
"I have my sources."
"We talked to Chris. He came to us telling us that you guys had some freaky powers," the large built guy said.
The guy from Chicago took a step back, "powers?" he seemed nervous, "you are one of them aren't you?"
Oh shit.
"One of what?" Hailey asked.
"A mediator. Kevin claimed he was one, said he could talk to the dead and shit like that. That guy was a freak and deserved to die."
"That's why you killed him?" Hailey asked, "because he was a mediator?"
The guy smirked, "my kid sister was one of them too. Ruined her life. She was always afraid of the dead. She was so afraid of them that she killed herself when she was fifteen. Then you crack heads started popping up at my door, wanting to know what it was that made her stay on earth. You are nothing but pains in the ass that stick your noses where they don't belong. So yeah, I guess you could say I killed Kevin because he was one of them. Just like I am gonna kill you freaks."
With that they all charged into the den, but they ran into an invisible wall. I looked over at Hailey to see her hands up as she concentrated.
"Shift out of here Paul!" she gasped.
"Not without you," I said.
"I can't shift without letting the barrier go!"
"Then let it go, I have you covered!"
Hailey released the barrier and all four men dove at us. Hailey screamed. I wrapped my arms around her and imagined her driveway.
There was a moment of absolute silence and then all I heard were birds and Hailey breathing heavily.
"Thanks," she said into my chest.
"No problem."
I looked around for my car and saw it parked where I had left it.
"Oh my fucking god my car!" I exclaimed.
All of the windows were broken and the roof to the car was caved in. I noticed that they had slit all of the tries as well.
"Hey over there!" I heard a voice yell.
When I looked I noticed three other guys wearing masks across the street. When they saw us the began to run toward us. The front door to Hailey's house burst open and the four guys ran at us as well.
"Come on!" I exclaimed, "give me a break here!"
This time Hailey grabbed onto me and shifted us to my house.
"Wow that was unexpected," I said.
"They will come here to Paul, if they haven't already. We have to get your family out of there." Hailey said as she ran to the door.
We ran inside to find everyone sitting at the kitchen table, eating desert.
"Mr. Slater, Mrs. Slater, Jack, my name is Hailey and you all have to get out of here," she said quickly.
Everyone looked at me with questionable expressions on their faces.
"Paul, honey, what did you do?" my mom asked.
"Nothing," I said, "but I think we should go on a holiday!"
"You still have school son," my dad said.
My heart stopped when I heard the squeal of tires in the driveway. I looked at Hailey.
"I'll keep them from getting in," she said, "but get them out!"
Jack came up to me and said under his breath, "does this have to do with our…powers?"
that's when it really hit me. They were trying to kill us. Actually kill us. Because we had some dumb powers. And that meant that they would kill Jack to.
Over my dead body…
"Yes Jack," I said softly.
I looked at my parents.
Oh boy…
Judgment time…
"Mom, dad, this is going to sound unbelievable but. I can see and speak to the dead, and so can Jack. And there are people outside who want to kill us and they will probably kill you to if we don't get out of here now!"
They just stared at me.
Say something damn it!
"Your grandfather use to claim the same thing," my father said.
"And he's telling the truth dad! He's not crazy and neither am I! I'll prove it!" I yelled.
Concentrating on the vase on the table I lifted it and threw it at the wall. It shattered into a million pieces. My mom screamed.
"Paul that was your mothers favorite vase!" my father got up from the table.
"Do you believe me now!"
They seemed to be pondering it.
"How did this happen? Why didn't you tell us?" my mother asked, "all this time. When Jack claimed to see the dead, you said nothing! You agreed that he was lying!"
"That's not important right now!" I yelled.
Walking up to my mom I hugged her tightly and shifted to the school yard at my high school. When I shifted my mom started screaming.
"Stay here I have to get the others," I said.
Shifting back I grabbed Jack and shifted back to my mom.
When I went back to get my dad I had to hold onto the table to stay upright. I used way to much power, but I had to get my dad out. Hugging my dad, who was still yelling, asking me where I went, I shifted to the school yard.
"Time to explain son," my father said.
"I …have…to…get…Hailey," I forced out with great difficulty.
"You are to tired Paul!" Jack exclaimed, "you won't have enough power!"
"I'm not leaving her."
Gathering all the power I could I shifted one last time to my house.
"Hailey!" I called out.
There was a large crash as Hailey ran into the kitchen, breathing hard as well.
"Where is everyone?" she asked.
"I shifted them to the school. Come on," I held out my arms to her and she embraced me.
When I tried to use my power to shift, nothing happened.
"What's wrong?" Hailey asked.
"I used to much power, I can't do it!" I said.
Hailey closed her eyes and tried. It didn't work either.
"I used up to much power to!"
"We have to get to my room and hide," I said.
We went as fast as we could to my room and locked the door. Through it I could hear the Gemini turning table and breaking things, looking for us.
I sat in the corner and Hailey sat beside me, we waited to for them to find us.
"I'm not giving up yet," Hailey whispered.
She looked at me, her eyes were filled with fear and determination.
"Shift," she said.
"I can't!"
"Just do it! We'll combine our power!" she exclaimed.
And with that she pressed her lips to mine. I could feel her power run through me like a wave and so I concentrated on the school.
Suddenly there was silence, and when I opened my eyes, we were lying on the pavement, Hailey's lips still on mine.
And then all I saw was black.