Somehow, I can feel Liz down in her study, so I lead Zee there. I knock at the door and she looks up as we walk in. "Hey guys, what can I do for you?"
"I'm like to meet him." Liz puts her pen down and folds her hands.
"I'm glad."
"Yeah, when am I going to?"
"Well, how about tomorrow after dinner?" I nod.
"Sounds good, thanks." I turn and walk back out of the study, heading to the common room. I sit on the couch and lean back into the arm, Zee sets my feet on his lap.
"So, tomorrow night huh?"
"Let's talk about something else."
"Okay.. When did you find out about your.. ability?"
"Hm.. since my 16th birthday. So about a year now. You?"
"Earlier this year. It kind of ties in with what happened." I sit up a little.
"What did happen?" He takes one of my feet and starts massaging it, looking down as he talks.
"I don't really remember how it happened. I just remember being mad, really mad. I was at home with my family, it was after supper sometime, I was in my room. I remember these flames coming out of nowhere, they were moving all over the place. I ran downstairs to warn everyone, cause by then some of them had caught in my room. We all got out, but the house was destroyed."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Zee shrugs.
"I was kind of ostracized after that. Everyone thought I did it on purpose. It was even found that the fire started in my room. My friends and my girlfriend all left me. Funny as it is, Will was the only one that stuck around. He already knew about what he could do, so he kind of understood, in a weird way." I look up at the ceiling. "Weird, huh?" I nod and look back at Zee.
"So what happened after that?"
"I was sent to shrink after shrink. They all thought I did it on purpose. Only through findings of my own have I discovered what really happened."
"And what was that?"
"It's all tied in with my emotions. Really strong, negative emotions set it off. Getting that mad that night, things got out of control. I think if it was just the fire part, or the telekinetic part, it wouldn't have been as bad, but both together just turned out really bad."
"Well, if it was just the fire, wouldn't you still have burned your house?" Zee shake his head. He sits still for a few seconds before holding out his hand. "Wha-"
"Shh, just watch my hand." I watch and for a few seconds nothings happens, except that Zee breaks out in a light sweat. Suddenly, a round purple flame appears over his palm. I watch as he moves the flame around his fingers. "Hold out your hand." I look at him.
"What? Are you insane?"
"Hold it out." I hesitate, but then hold my hand in front of me. My heart hammers in my chest as his flaming hand moves closer to my own. I'm crazy. I'm going to get third degree burns. When his hand finally comes in contact with mine, nothing happens. No burning, no blistering, nothing. It feels comfortingly warm. I look quickly at Zee then back at our hands.
"What is this?" Zee smiles, totally enraptured by the purple flame.
"It doesn't burn if it's touching my skin." He digs a piece of paper out of his pocket and takes his hand away from mine. The lack of sensation takes my breath away. He takes hold of the paper with his hand, and the same nothing happens. Then he moves the paper away from him and flicks his finger with the flame. A small spark lands on the paper and it burns like any normal piece of paper would had it come in contact with fire, except with a purple-ish tinge. After a few more seconds the purple flames fade from his hand. He looks at me.
"Wow.. that was.. incredible."
"It's the warmth, right?" I nod slowly and he wipes his forehead with his sleeve. "That's about as much as I can do when I'm not mad."
"I don't even know what to say, that was amazing." Zee blushes.
"Oh, don't do that, you'll embarrass me."
"Move something." He looks around the room and decides on the remote to the t.v. It floats up slowly and then suddenly zips across the room and lands on a chair beside the door. Zee shifts a little and concentrates again on the remote. It floats up a little easier this time and he moves it over to himself, catching it before it drops. He's panting lightly as he looks over at me.
"Again, that's about as good as it gets when I'm not mad. I might have done more, but I used up a lot of energy with the flames."
"Are they always purple?"
"They seem to be. One time I got a bit of orange." I shake my head and lean back against the arm.
"I've always known that kind of stuff exists, but to see it done in front of your eyes, was just wow."
"Why don't you show me what you do." I look at him.
"I don't know. Remember once I'm in there I can see whatever I want."
"I trust you." And he does, too.
"Okay. Lean back against the couch and close your eyes." He does as I say. "When I tell you to, think of the word I tell you to think about. Envision the word in your mind. This is the easiest way for me to get in." He nods.
"How will I know you're in?"
"You won't until I make myself known, probably by talking to you. Ready?" He nods again. "Okay, think of the word hippo. See it in your minds eye."
"Hippo?"
"Shh, in your head, okay?" He nods for a third time. I think of the word, imagining a hippo, and I'm in his head.
Boo.
He startles but keeps his eyes closed.
Wow.
I smile.
Tell me about it.
What is this like for you?
Normal, I guess.
What do you see?
Nothing since I'm not looking and you're concentrating on me. Well, other than hippos.
I shift in my seat.
Think about something.
About what?
Anything. I won't go looking around unless you want me to.
I can see images filter through his mind before he chooses something specific. He's showing me the night his house burned down. I see and feel it through his point of view. There's rage and then terror as he sees flames sprout out of his hands. He looks around his room and the flames are shot across the room, landing on various things. The absolute terror that fills me nearly makes me black out.
I retreat from his mind and give him a hug. Until now I hadn't noticed the tears falling down my face. I kiss him on the cheek as his arms go around me. "I know," He soothes me, "I know."
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