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Cheryl

It seemed as if the world were crashing down around her. The only friend she had in the world was in trouble. Cheryl looked down at the amethyst in her palm feeling it's surface before clutching it in her hand.

"I have to help her," Cheryl said to herself.

"Who are you kidding?" said a voice in her head, "You're locked in a house with no way out, your finished!"

"Shut up,"Cheryl said to her inner-self. Cheryl stood up from the bed and began to pace around the room, since she had nothing else to do. Cheryl thought back to a few moments ago when she had heard Chyrese's voice in her head. She knew it was real and not just her imagination. She stopped in the middle of her pacing and put her hand up to her face and thought. A minute later Cheryl came to a conclusion about hearing her friend's voice, but her conclusion seemed impossible. Could she have sent that message to me telepathically? she thought. No that's impossible she continued, Chyrese doesn't have weird powers like I do, she's normal. No, no, it can't be true, but then the realization completely kicked in and Cheryl knew that was the only besides her being insane that she could have heard Chyrese's voice. Cheryl sat down on the floor cross legged and closed her eyes, breathing in and out deeply. If she can send messages to my mind, thought Cheryl, then I should be able to do it too. Cheryl breathed in and out deeply for a few more seconds before sending out thoughts, she hoped would reach her friend.

"Chyrese?, Chyrese?"

"no response"

She thought harder, "Chyrese are you there?"

"Cheryl?," responded a week voice.

"Holy crap!" she thought and she could hear a weak laugh come from Chyrese.

"Is this for real?"

"Oh yeah, it's for real."

"Okay well, if this is for real, then tell me why your in a dungeon and why I can hear your voice in my head."

"You want the short or the long version?"

"Let's start with the short and go from there."

"I'll start with the voice in your head thing, that seems easier to explain." Cheryl waited.

"I have telepathy." "I started noticing it when I was thirteen." "I would hear people's thoughts." "I didn't notice it at first that they weren't actually speaking." "I finally got up the courage to tell my mom about it and instead of sending me to the looney bin like I thought," Chyrese paused, "She told me all about our family history and told me that telepathy has been in our family for generations."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"My mom said I had to keep it a secret."

"Why?"

"She said if anyone found out we would have to move, or they would find us."

"Who's they?"

"The Valomori," answered Chyrese, "They are an ancient group who have been after our family's and others of our group's powers since they first came to be."

"Our group?" said Cheryl confused, "What are we called?"

"I lettori di mente." "Translation, The Mind Readers."

"Woah."

"I know it's a lot to take in."

"Okay so we've got the why I can hear you in my head covered, but I still need to know why you're in a dungeon."

"Remember that day when I told you I was moving?"

"Yeah."

"The reason I was leaving is because my mom told me that the Valomori had found us and we had to leave immediately."

"Let me guess," said Cheryl, "They found you anyway."

"Yes, we were almost to Virginia when we stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank and use the bathroom. "I was washing my hands in the bathroom and when I looked up from the sink to grab a towel to dry my hands, I saw someone in the mirror." "It was a man in dark clothing and without hesitation he grabbed me and we disappeared." "I never saw my family again after that." Cheryl could hear Chyrese struggling not to cry.

"Oh Chyrese, I'm so sorry."

"I've been in this dungeon ever since I was taken,"she continued, "I don't know why they haven't killed me yet, I've refused to tell them anything about me ,or our group, or you."

"Wait a second, you knew about me?"

"Yes your in another branch of our group because of your other power of seeing the future." "Your branch is called I cassieri di fortuna, that means The Fortune Tellers."

"How did you know about me?"

"My mom told me, but she said I couldn't tell you because when you first started to experience your powers that your mom would explain it all to you."

"She never got the chance," Cheryl said holding back tears.

"What do you mean?"

"You know that dark man you saw in the mirror?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Well, his name is Carlisle and two months after you left, he came to my house and murdered her right in-front of me."