The Empath: 7

To catch up, here are the links:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6










And now...

THE EMPATH

CHAPTER VII:

NEITHER HERE, NOR THERE

Saturday, June 20, 1987

Mary recalls the events that has lead up to today.  Sure she enjoys being a cheerleader and going to pep rallies, but she was always planning on not going to prom due to the emotions all around her.

Dances are nothing like pep rallies.  During pep rallies, all is forgotten as you're cheering on your team.  Dances are filled with all kinds of mixed emotions.  Prom is ten times worse in Mary's mind because of all the hormonal energies that senior students tend to have.

Some students are eighteen or nineteen.  Some are still seventeen, waiting to turn eighteen in the summer or fall.  And yet, these teenagers feel awkward and can't open up until they drink alcohol of some sort.

She definitely was dreading prom, but Mallory--her mother--assured her this prom was going to be different than all the rest.

"The prom theme is the early sixties.  You know, like the Frankie and Annette era.  Trust me, it won't be those puffy dresses you've been dreading about."

"How do," Mary paused mid-sentence.  She realized then knowing too much could jeopardize the future.  She was only there to find out why Chartreuse put her there.

"Just out of curiosity," Mallory interrupted her.  "How many times have you traveled into the past?"

"This would be my first."  Mary was starting to feel a little bit worried.

"Without going into too much detail," her mother continued.  "Your name here is Margaret Daniels."

"Okay," Mary said with hesitation.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.  Jeremiah--after having explained to him when he woke up on the couch what was going on--was standing behind the door.  Mary noticed he was dressed in blue jeans, a white t-shirt, a black leather jacket, and black Converse sneakers.

"And you," Mallory turned to Jeremiah.  "Your name is Jonathan."  He nodded at her words.

At that moment, Mary felt like her head was going to fall off.  So much was starting to make sense, but she had to push this all aside.  She had a mission, and she had to find out fast what was going on and why.  She needed to get back to her time.

Mallory smiled and changed the subject.  "This will be easy for the both of you.  Mary, you are my cousin and Jeremiah is your boyfriend.  It's plain and simple."  She paused to think up her next set of words carefully.  "It'll be like taking a random walk through life.  Don't think about it all cause you'll just get dizzy.  Just think of it as a game.  Just play the game."

School came and gone.  Before they knew it, the three of them were getting dressed for prom.

****

Mary agreed to wearing a pink and black tulle dress with a sweetheart neckline.  She has her hair half back, and a set of pearls around her neck.  Mallory decided to doll Mary up with classic red lipstick.  Mary doesn't usually wear too much makeup as she doesn't like to draw attention to herself, but for prom, she caved into Mallory's suggestions.

Mary didn't argue with her.  Besides, she noticed the color red made her lips look like they were somewhat there, and not little like they normally appear.  But none of that matters now.  What matters now is how Jeremiah is staring at her as the nineteen sixty-one song, "The Way You Look Tonight" by The Lettermen is playing.

"Would you like to dance?"  Jeremiah asks Mary.

She smiles and takes his hand as he leads her to the dance floor.

♪♫Some day, when I'm awfully low
And the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight♪♫

"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love," Jeremiah says lowly as he quotes Mother Teresa.

"What?"  Mary asks.  She's having a hard time hearing anything over the music.

"Nothing," he says a bit louder.  "I was just saying how nice you look tonight."

She just stares at him.  She never knows what his true emotions are.

"Not that you look bad any other day," he quickly speaks, interrupting her thoughts.  "You always look great.  I just mean," he pauses for a moment to gather his words.

She smiles at him.  She's never heard him get tongue-tied before.  "It's alright," she quickly answers before he can speak any further.  "I understand what you're saying.  You look nice too."

Jeremiah is wearing a black suit.  The bottom of his pants are cuffed, and you can see his sneakers.  He wore sneakers because upon reading everyone's minds, he was listening to the thoughts of the guys, and they all decided on wearing Converse.  He didn't want to show he wasn't from their era.

He gives himself a mental shake and swallows at what he's about to do.  He gently brushes Mary's cheek and is about to kiss her when suddenly Mary turns around.

Jeremiah doesn't need to ask Mary what's wrong.  He can hear her thoughts.  She feels a set of eyes on her.

As she looks around to focus in, she finds the pair of eyes that are greeting her.  She sees Brave staring at her.  But how?  She thinks to herself.

****

The Empath, Chapter Seven,

The Empath: 6

To catch up on the other stories, click on the links below:


Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

THE EMPATH:

SIX

CHAPTER VI: GOING BACK

Date:  Unknown

Mary's eyes slowly open.  She thinks she may be in her room, but is unsure as the room she's in looks different.

She is certain she is in her home.

"Oh good," a voice says to Mary.  "You're up."

Mary opens her eyes more to focus in better.  She is staring at a young girl that looks familiar to her.  She pretty much knows she's doing just more than sifting through the sands of time.

"What the," Mary begins to say.  She stops to blink her eyes a few times to make sure she's not hallucinating.

The young woman sighs.  "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Mary recognizes that quote from Casa Blanca; that's her mom's favorite movie.

Mary recalls looking at pictures of Mallory--her mother--when she was younger.  The pictures between Mallory and Mary are different. Mary often remembers how her friends were shocked when they met her mother.

Mallory has blue eyes and brown hair.  Her skin is fair, not olive-toned at all like Mary's.

Mary opens her mouth but Mallory speaks.  "Before you go any further.  My name is Mallory, and you are my cousin, not my daughter."

Mary quickly closes her mouth.  She takes a second or two to think about it, and opens her mouth to speak.  "You get visions."

"You seem puzzled by that," Mallory implies.

"I just forget sometimes," she answers.  Mary isn't lying.  The truth is she forgets her mother has any powers because she gave them up long before Mary was ever born.  She's just lucky her mother can't read her mind.  They would be in trouble then.

"Hmm," Mallory puts her finger to her lips, and removes it to speak again.  "Perhaps it's best as well if you don't speak about your past, Mary."

Mary nods.  "Sounds fair."

"The only thing," Mallory begins.  "Is I didn't have a vision of that vampire boy you came here with."

"Vampire?"  Mary practically mutters.  "There's no such thing as vampires."

"Oh!  Have I like not mentioned anything to you about vampires, the supernatural, and such?"

Mary gives her mom a funny look.

Mallory takes note of the funny look on Mary's face.  "Sorry," she goes on.  "The vision of you appearing like totally came as a shock to me.  But I will try my best to not speak so," she pauses to find the right word.  "Valley."

Taking in a deep breath, Mallory breathes out slowly, and explains to Mary about the supernatural.

As Mary listens, she feels like she's a ghost, roaming through the woods.  She suddenly feels hollow, and yet, there is a lot about Jeremiah that is starting to make sense.

"I think Jeremiah can read minds," Mary speaks after Mallory is done explaining.

"Is Jeremiah the boy sleeping in the basement right now?"

"The basement," Mary questions.  She is starting to remember the basement was where she was before waking up in the bedroom.  "Did you find me in the basement too?"

"Yes," her mother answers.  "I brought you upstairs, and put the vamp," she pauses to retract her last word.  "Jeremiah on the couch."

"I don't even understand why I'm here," Mary shakes her head.  "What year have I arrived in?"

"Today is Friday, June nineteenth, the year nineteen-eighty-seven."

"Is today a special day?"

"No," Mallory answers in more of a questioning tone.  She gives it some thought and speaks.  "Tomorrow is prom though."

"Prom?"  Mary thinks out loud to herself.  "Why would she send me to this day, just before prom?"

"Who?"

"I thought you said not to give you too much information."

"Yes," she replies.  "But perhaps you were sent here so I can help you."

"Chartreuse Anderson.  Everyone calls her Char though."

"Anderson, huh," Mallory says.  "That's funny.  There's a Charlene Smith at school, and she's friends with someone named Kane Anderson."

Mary sucks in her breath.  She knows the words she's about to say out loud.  She was given a precognition just last night--or twenty-years into the future now--of her dancing with Jeremiah in her dream.

"I suppose prom will be my raison d'être," she finally speaks as she recalls a memory.  Char told Mary this was the deal, whatever that meant.

Mary gets out of bed, puts on the clothes Mallory already had picked out for her, and heads down to the basement to explain to Jeremiah what's going on.

****

The Empath, Chapter Six,

The Empath: 5

To catch up, here are the links to the following chapters:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

THE EMPATH:  FIVE

Saturday, February 17, 2007


Fresh out of the shower and ready to face the day, Mary lies to tell herself today will be a good day.  She brushes her long, pale blonde hair, and puts on some makeup to make her brown eyes pop.  She has always liked her brown eyes despite what brown-eyed girls think.

It's true, however, there is always that "grass is always greener complex", such as brunettes wishing they were blonde, and brown-eyed girls wish they had blue eyes.  Mary is content with how she looks though.

She has always had long, straight blonde hair.  Over the years, it's grown lighter.  Perhaps it's an effect of becoming an empath, she doesn't truly know, and would rather not to think about it if possible.  Nonetheless, she does like her hair, even if she does throw it back in clips and ponytails.  Her skin tone is different too, but she's learned to accept this about her.

She has olive-toned skin.  She tries her darnedest to keep out of the sun.  Mary is known to get really dark in the summertime, which is why she uses sunblock.  She even uses it in the winter; the UV rays can get you in the winter as well.

She shrugs it off as she picks up the brush to brush her hair some more.  Mary is trying to think of her Saturday plans.  She has none, or at least that's what she thinks.

There is a noise coming from downstairs.  She finds it odd since her parents and brother went out to the cabin by the lake they own.  Since coming into her empathic powers, her family has been leaving her alone.

Mary's mother, Mallory, once had the power of visions.  Mary is sure her mother still has her powers, but she chooses not to use them unless she has to.  There really is no way to getting rid of your powers all together.

Yes it's true that Mallory fell in love with a mortal, Richard, and together they had two children:  Mary and Toby.  All in all, it still doesn't mean that a person with powers are gone.  It only means they disperse when not used on a regular basis.

Mary has often thought as soon as she can master her empathy, perhaps she will give up her practicing her powers as well.  Only time will tell.

She gives herself a mental shake, and heads slowly and quietly down the stairs.  Mary isn't feeling any emotions around her, and she starts thinking that maybe it was nothing more than just her imagination.  It all turns into a different story when she reaches the stairs enough to see over the banister.

Shocked at what she sees, she continues down the rest of the steps lightly.

"You're so light on the feet," she begins.  "It's times like this I really did wish I could sense you sooner."

Realizing what she just said, she quickly changes the subject.  "How did you get in?"

"Shh," he puts a finger to his lips, indicating for her to be silent.  Jeremiah whispers, "The door was open, and I was able to hear a set of voices."

As she walks closer to him, she can suddenly feel an emotion or two.  She feels anger and jealousy.  Mary suddenly becomes impulsive, and before Jeremiah could grab her to stop her, she's already headed for the stairs to the basement.

"What are you doing here?"  Mary asks.  She can sense the jealousy and anger that is coming from her friend/enemy, Char.  What she can't understand is why is she feeling remorse from Brave.  Perhaps he feels bad about entering her house without permission.

Jeremiah slowly follows behind Mary to make sure she's safe.

"Of course you would be here," Char speaks, looking in the way of Jeremiah.  She has a force shield up of some sort.  Whatever Mary felt, she no longer feels.  And whatever Jeremiah could hear in their heads, he could hear no more from Char.  Brave's thoughts are fuzzy, but he can still hear them.  "You seem to be creeping around a lot lately, haven't you?"

Jeremiah breaks his reverie.  He doesn't want to make it look like he's struggling to hear their thoughts.  He decides to just stand still observe the situation.  Right now, he's observing Char's every move.  Every time he notices she looks away, he takes a step closer to Mary.

Jeremiah's silence only seems to anger Char even more.  "Ain't you got a tongue," she speaks in slang mode.

He notices her anger by reading her face--since he can't read her thoughts; what he doesn't know is how to see into the future.  He figures either way, whether he talks or not, she's going to be annoyed.  He decides to remain silent.

"What are you doing here?"  Mary repeats herself, sounding more emphatic this time around.  She tries to move closer but can't.  "And why can't I move?"

"You're strong," Char begins to speak.  "For a newbie.  But I'm older, and therefore," she pauses for dramatic effect.  She wants to show Mary just how evil she can be.  "I. Am. Stronger," she lets out a maniacal laugh.  It truly wasn't the laugh she was going for, but she figures it fits just as well.

"But I don't understand," Mary talks more softly.  "Why?  What did I do to you?"  She looks over to Brave.  "I thought we were friends.  Why are you doing this?"

Brave doesn't speak, but Jeremiah is hearing bits and pieces into Brave's mind.

I swear, Jeremiah, Brave thinks.  I know you can hear my thoughts.  Char promised me something.  Please believe me.  I would never do anything to hurt Mary.  I care for her, but I can't explain.  You just need to see.  I'm sorry, but I am glad you're here.  Change history.  Rewrite the past.

Jeremiah nods in a way to show Brave he understands, and in a way that doesn't give off any signs to Char, who is doing nothing but staring at Mary.  Jeremiah knows Char is jealous, but he doesn't know why.  She is blocking him.

As Brave was thinking his thoughts to Jeremiah, he was basically stammering to speak to Mary.  He couldn't muster anything but, "Sorry."

You'll have to hold on to Mary to travel with her, Brave adds.  Be well.

Char rolls her eyes.  "Ugh. Save your breath, dear," Char speaks up.  "I told you I was stronger.  And now you're going to see why this is happening.  You're going to know everything!  And just remember, 'The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.'"

Before Mary could say anything more, several things were playing into motion at this point.  Mary could see and feel blackness all around her; she felt a hand on her shoulder; and just before she gets swallowed up completely by the black hole, she could swear she hears Char saying, "This is the deal breaker.  You'll see why soon enough."

And just like that, Mary was gone, and so was Jeremiah.

"You sent him off too?"  Brave asks, pretending he doesn't know anything.

"That wasn't the plan," Char says with disappointment.  "But just as well."

****

The Empath, Chapter Five,