Chapter 4 - Teleportation
"Would anyone care to recapitulate what we have learned for Fang?" Zeke asked in his newest voice – his I'm-teacher-and-everyone-should-listen-now voice. It wasn't something any of us could ignore. "There are several important Skills he missed that I feel he should at least hear about."
A student raised their hand and Zeke acknowledged that person. "Mind reading is the first ability a Dead person notices. There really is no need for talking when you know each other's true thoughts."
"Yes!" Zeke crowed with excitement. He turned his astute gaze back to the class. "What else?"
"We can walk through walls since we technically aren't physical beings like we used to be; we're spirits," a girl called out.
"More," he ordered.
"Since gravity doesn't affect us, we can sorta fly, even though it's more like floating."
Well, there goes my need for wings, I thought sourly. I mean, why have them in death if you don't need them? When you die, does your spirit appear similar to how you looked when you departed or how you were born? In my case, since I still had my wings, it proved either the first point was true or that I was hatched from an egg. That would be a suckish realization, especially since I always used to tease Max about that.
My death guide nodded eagerly. "Who remembers the last power we talked about?"
Derrick half-smiled, which ended up looking more like a sneer. "Possession. Our spirits can take over someone else's body if they are willing to let us. Allows us live again for a while." Even though his voice was haughty, it did take an edge of solemnity to it.
"Very good, Derrick," Zeke approved. "I hope you were paying attention, Fang. We have to use our time effectively if we want to get through today's lesson." He winked, and I nodded once curtly, aware that I should actually listen. Unlike the time when I was in school at Virginia. Seriously, where were you supposed to use the stuff they taught in real life? Like everyone, especially mutant bird-kids, will be writing papers and doing math equations and learning about the Medieval Ages later on in life.
Unlike regular school, Dead School actually seemed kind of important.
"Everyone open your Death for Dummies book to page 56. As some of you may have read ahead, you will have learned about the basics of this new Skill that I'm going to teach. It's by far the coolest of all the abilities we get: teleportaaaatioooon." He spoke the last word in a sort of creepy, spector-like tone. The class oohed and ahed in approval. I rolled my eyes.
"Now, teleportation is one of the hardest Skills to master, and it is also difficult to use until you understand the basics. I'm sure you're all thinking, oh my god we can go anywhere we want! But it isn't that easy. The Skill is very specific, and if you aren't concise about what location you want to go to, it will take you to the closest thing it can conceive to your idea. Like say you want to go to London, England, but all you think of is the city's name, and you will teleport yourself to London, Ontario! You have to be specific!"
My eyes widened marginally, the tell-tale sign that I was shocked out of my mind. This was the answer to my problem! I could get back to the Flock, back to Max… I should probably pay attention before I get ahead of myself.
The Southern boy raised his hand, and Zeke gestured for him to speak. "How exactly does it work?" he asked in his Texas twang. "Do you have to say where you want to go out loud? Do you picture it in your mind?"
"Good question. Usually you can just think of the place you want to go, because imagining a picture might take you to wherever you saw that picture. Whether it was in a travel agency or a restaurant, you don't want to make that mistake. I have found through experience that it is a lot easier to teleport to a place if you have been there while you were living. So when you first begin, start with somewhere you are very familiar with, like your old home."
I'd never really had a place to call home, except for maybe our home in Colorado, but now it wasn't standing any more. We were constantly on the run, never safe anywhere. For the last year we didn't have a place where we could settle down, a place to call 'home'. Well, unless you considered the School our home, if you have a twisted idea of what a home is.
"Now, to actually teleport from one place to another, you must center yourself and know exactly where you want to go. Then you just will yourself there and let your spirit free. It's a lot easier than it sounds. Now, I'll demonstrate. Is there anywhere in particular you want me to go?" He left the question hanging for anyone to answer.
"Paris!" one of the quiet girls shouted suddenly, and everyone turned on her with mouths hanging open in shock.
"Whoa, she said something," the guy in front of me murmured in disbelief. The looks on everyone's faces reminded me of a fish out of water - eyes wide, mouth agape. I resisted the urge to snicker. If they thought she was quiet, than they obviously hadn't spent enough time around me.
"Okay, Paris it is," Zeke said. His body went still, his arms clinging to his sides. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, like he was saying a prayer. Then, suddenly, he was gone. Only a puff of smoke was any indication that he had been there before. Everyone gasped and I nodded my head in appreciation. I was gonna have to learn this right away.
A few seconds later, Zeke reappeared where he had been standing with a baret on his head. It was like magic, but I'm sure some of you considered being able to blend in to your surrounds as magic, too. Again there was no lack of appreciation from the other students.
"So, before we begin practicing, are there any more questions?" he asked as he took off the stupid-looking hat to bow.
"What if you were somewhere but you don't know exactly where that was?" I asked, causing the awestruck students to silence immediately. "How would you go back there?"
"Would you care to explain further? Maybe this question would be able to apply to the others." His bright eyes gazed at me with attentiveness.
"I knew I was in the Midwest, but we really don't pay attention to state borders when we're flying." I heard a scowl to my right and I looked over to see Derrick's head quickly turn away from my direction. I ignored his unnecessary hatred of me. "We took a break and the last thing I saw before I passed out was a river. I need to get back there because that's where my body is." The students were silent, but I could feel their saddness at my reality - that I was able to return to living.
Zeke pursed his lips, considering my question. "The only real way I know for you to get back there is by trying to figure out what river you saw. If you can find any kind of name, or think of any place that was close to where you were at the time, than that will probably help get you back."
I needed to go immediately, and knowing that I could be back to my body in seconds was sparking some emotion in me I'd hardly ever felt. Excitement? That wasn't a feeling you're accustomed to if you're a mutant on the run. The only time I'd ever felt truly excited was on the submarine when Max had kissed me… Blinking to dispel the embarrassing thoughts around a room full of mind readers, I wished I had my laptop with me so I could look for rivers in the area. It was going to be hard to imagine locations in an area I hardly knew, much less have ever spent much time in.
"Okay, class, let's get to practice!" Zeke announced cheerily.
Sorry for the short length. I wrote this while listening to Nightwish, and if people (*cough* cloudNrain *cough*) will learn anything about me, it will be that I'm easily distracted. I swear I have ADD. BTW, if anyone has time youtube the song "The Islander" by Nightwish. I promise you it is beautiful and lovely, and I just fall in love with Marco Hietala's voice every time he sings. *sighs* Although I have a fan-girl crush on Emppu. :D mwahaha
iBanana, I got the idea for a javelin accident from this one incident that actually happened (youtube "Tero Pitkamaki" and you'll see what I mean). Mo, Fang likes to keep it cool. B) He's not like Max. Haha. Fanglover, sure no problem. Once you have them up I'd love to check it out! Polodo, I wasn't referring to this story. In my other one (Not So Normal) I wrote two summaries for stories I had going through my head. One was Ghost of Me, and the other one (which I might possibly rate M) I've decided to put on hold until I'm done with this story. Thanks for the compliment. :)
More reminders: I have an idea for the next NSN chapter, so expect one out within the next couple days. Do the poll if you haven't. Thanks to Mo's idea, if anyone wants to broadcast to others about my story, please do. I'd love more viewers. And... uh, REVIEW!!!
--biteoutoflife--