"Naru, what were you thinking?" Lin's voice was the first thing I heard as I woke up. He was furious. "How you aren't in the hospital I will never know!"
I opened my eyes and found that I was lying in the middle of my office. As I looked around I noticed the mess I had created from my tantrum. I couldn't believe I had let myself lose control like that. She was the only one who had that effect on me and I hated it.
"How long was I out?" I asked concerned at how much time I had lost.
"Ten minutes at the most. As soon as you passed out I got through your barricade. I thought I taught you better control than that! You could have seriously hurt yourself, or brought the building down on top of everyone. You know how dangerous you get!" Lin was right that was childish of me.
"I spoke to her." I said audible only to Lin.
"Everyone give Naru some space." Lin knew I wanted to speak to him alone. Everyone cleared the room.
"How did you speak to her? You can't astral project." Lin was fully aware of the powers I possessed and which ones I didn't.
"She did it. I didn't know she was that strong." I was shocked she was able to pull it off.
"She did it to Masako so why does it surprise you that she could do it again?" Lin was confused at my amazement.
"I didn't pass out because I was using too much PK. She knocked me out. She was strong enough to completely knock me unconscious."
"How..." Lin began only for me to interrupt.
"I don't know. I've never run across someone that could control someone else's consciousness. Gene wasn't even that strong." I couldn't help but wonder if the kidnapping had triggered a power increase or if she had always been that powerful.
"What did she tell you?" Lin said derailing my train of thought.
"Not much, but she's alive."
...
I needed clues to who kidnapped her. In my vision it had seemed as if she knew this man, but I couldn't see his face clearly. I was getting frustrated. I had very little to go on, and I wanted to talk to Mai again. If only she could tell me how she knew this guy. All I knew was that the longer it took to find her, the less likely we would find her alive.
Why would anyone want Mai? She was just an average highschooler. No prettier than any other girl around here. Maybe this man knew she was gifted. But why would that make her a target?
"Lin?" I yelled from my office.
"What?" He replied. I could tell he was trying to figure everything out as well.
"Can you bring me Mai's desk?" I wanted to check her desk for anything that might help. I wanted it my office so I could isolate the mess that was sure to come out of her poorly organized space. It wasn't large so I wasn't concerned about him being able to lift it.
"Here." Lin said as he place the desk in my office. He didn't even bother asking why I needed it. He shut the door as he left the room.
Maybe she left something that could help. I pulled out every stray paper and examined them quickly, searching for anything that could be a lead. Eventually the desk was completely empty. And my office was now flooded with crumpled paper.
"Why does it not surprise me that you are as useless as ever." I huffed talking to myself.
"Look again." Gene said shaking his head. I hated when he popped up out of no where like that. "She keeps a diary. I've seen her write in it."
"If you've seen it, you should know where she keeps it." I was getting frustrated. I glared at him while he tried to remember.
"Its in a secret pocket on the inside of her coat." He said finally.
In my vision I remember being cold cause she had forgot her coat. I left my office and went to the main lobby of SPR. Her coat was still hanging on the coat wrack. I took down the long black coat an examined it. Since when did she wear black? I shook away the thought and began to fumble to the inside pocket. The coat smelled strongly of tea. Clumsy girl probably spilled it. Running my hand along the lining of the coat I managed to find the zipper that concealed the secret pocket. I opened it and retrieved a small black notebook.
The majority of the pages had been ripped out. I wanted to get the information quickly so I could move on if this was a dead end, but curiosity got the best of me. I thumbed through the remnant pages until I something caught my eye. My name was printed at the top of the page. It was a letter she never bothered to send.
...
Dear Naru,
I constantly keep asking myself why you haven't came back. I don't know why I when I know it is simply because you don't have a good enough reason to. I only have one question that desperately needs to be answered though... Why did you reject me? Was it something that I did, or was I just not good enough?
Forever Yours (Not Gene's),
Mai
...
I should've stopped there but I couldn't put it down. For some reason I felt like I needed to understand how my leaving made her feel. I continued scanning and stopped when I came to a poem similar to the one we found at the school.
...
Asleep
Life's better lived asleep
In a world where you can't feel.
Where everything surrounds you
But none of it is real.
Life's better lived asleep
Where nothings as it seems.
Evil, haunting nightmares
Give way to soothing dreams.
Life's better lived asleep
In a place where you can thrive.
This alternate reality
Is how I will survive.
Life's better lived asleep
Where you don't have to care.
It's my peaceful solitude
Wake me if you dare.
...
She completely shut down when I left. My stomach hurt with guilt. She didn't deserve any of this. I should have been here for her then she would still be here.
"That's how she got so strong." Gene cut through my pity party. "She decided it was easier to sleep, and without knowing she has been strengthening her abilities.
I tried to regain my focus on finding clues. I tried to find a legit diary entry. I got to the end of the book and there was nothing in it that would lead to anything. I threw the book at the wall, and it hit with a thud. A feeling of hopelessness closed in on me.
I had to find her. I couldn't break my promise.