Chapter 1: Me Versus the Universe


Two Months Ago

Sometimes I wonder if I am part of some elaborate joke the universe is pulling on mankind. Not only did my dear and lovely roommate not return to our room last night—apparently her boyfriend's top bunk is far more comfortable than her own bed. Pity on the boy on the bottom bunk, I say—but I was going to be late for class.

Why was I going to be late for class? Oh no reason, just a minor breakdown involving a freak-burst of wind which scattered my research report to the four corners of Hell. Hell being, of course, my petit dorm room. A freak burst of wind which was not quite "freak" but more of a reaction, as I found out after repeated, successful, attempts to recreate it.

What can I say? I'm the curious sort. Feel strong emotion, strong wind blows from nowhere in an enclosed space… my mind leaps to the impossible before it ever reaches the possible. Which is all the more curious this very morning since the impossible was actually the possible… I will just stop myself there before I get another headache to deal with.

"Goddamnit!" Was that puddle there before I stepped into it? I could have sworn it was perfectly solid—dry—sidewalk. Yes, the universe definitely had something against me.

Thankfully the sun was already peeking through the morning fog as I jogged to my first class, blessedly nearby. Perhaps I would not be late after all?

Isn't that something? More worried about being late to class than the sudden appearance of…what exactly was going on? Was this magic? What else could it be? Am I going insane? Was there something wrong with me? Was the government going to find out and kidnap me into some secret underground facility and—

No. Stop. Mairin McDonough stop right there. Breathe, that's right. Take it easy. Just take a seat in the back of class. Take your notes. Then at the end of the day you can figure out what on earth is going on with you.

Maybe you'll wake up enough by then to realize you dreamt it all?

Maybe?

Or maybe not, I thought as I watched my collection of pens clatter back to the tiled ground. Sighing, I glared at the writing utensils as if they were the sole cause of my woes.

Twirling my finger, concentrating less than I had an hour earlier when I began this series of "tests," the pens gathered themselves into a tight pile. Slowly, my fingers curled into a fist and lifted, the pile of pens mimicking the upward motion. They remained firmly together as I motion for them to move throughout the room, snaking behind the leg of one desk, up the side of the bookshelf, and finally back to the center of the room where I released my fist, a smiling grimly at the sound of them clanking once again on the floor.

Surely if I can see it and hear it, it means I am not insane?

The day, despite its peculiar beginning, was oddly normal. A chuckle escaped into the small room. That normality merely seemed to provide a stark backdrop for what I was doing.

And what was I doing? Well, to the best of my profound knowledge, I was controlling the air? Or maybe it was the molecules in the air? I don't know, I'm a liberal arts major not some godbedamned scientist. The fact was, if I moved in a certain way and urged the air in a certain way, it reacted. If I did one without the other it was…uncomfortable.

No, that's not quite the right word. Clumsy. Yes, clumsy. Like going through motions you had once known, but had forgotten over time.

Put the two actions together however, and it was amazing. It might not be magic, but it certainly felt magical.

Do you ever feel a pressing need to do…something? As if you were searching for some ultimate purpose which was just outside of your reach? Imagine fulfilling that desire, for that is what this feels like.

I jumped off the bed as the door creaked open. Crap, thank god the pens weren't flying through the air!

"Um…Mairin? I know you aren't a neat-freak or anything, but do you think you could pick some of these pens up off the ground?" My wonderful roommate has returned, folks. Lord helps us all.

"Sure, Claire. Sorry, I kind of forgot they were there. Finals coming up and all, you know?" I ran a hand through my hair. Winter break was so close, and yet so far.

Maybe she would decide to move out next semester?

Nah, how could I forget? The universe hates me.

"Yeah, whatever." She flopped her designer backpack onto her desk. "Hey, is it okay of Johnny comes over here tonight? We were thinking of getting pizza. So we can, like, study while eating, you know?"

If she flipped her perfect blond hair over her shoulder one more time, I swear I was going to flip it back in front myself.

Which I could apparently do now, actually. The temptation was killing me.

"Right, okay. Yeah that's fine. I'm actually going to…to…" Come on, come on. These powers haven't fried your brain have you? Use those bullshitting skills that you are so proud of! "…to go to Main Street with some friends tonight. Celebrate the last weekend on campus and blow off some steam. I probably won't be back until late, so as long as he's gone by 1 or something. Is that good?"

Her eyebrow arched for a moment before slowly falling back into place, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. Perfect, she bought it. "Oh that'll be just perfect!" I wonder what octave her voice is in right now? "Have fun out there tonight!"

"Yeah, 'course." I swear this would be so much more convincing if I actually had friends to go out to the bars with. What on earth was I going to do for five hours tonight?

As it turned out, there's a lot to keep a suddenly magically gifted girl busy late at night. And for many nights after that.


This is all for tonight, folks. Mairin's got some fun times ahead of her! If the definition of "fun" includes a number of mishaps and a shocker or two. It is the real world out there, and the real world at night? Pretty sketchy.

If you're wondering where Narnia is, we'll get there. She's got to be prepared for her new job, right?

Any suggestions or comments? Please leave them in a review! It would be much appreciated!

(Unless it's about how poorly written this is. Because I really don't care. We all need our fun fics.)

Nighty night my lovelies!