***
Aiden led his mother and Vodin into the brick alleyway between apartment buildings. The heat amplified the smell rising from nearby dumpsters, and Aiden's mother wrinkled her nose in reaction. Vodin gave the woman a sympathetic look.
"My apologies, Lisa," he said, stepping up beside her. "We shouldn't be out here too long."
Aiden stopped in the center of the alley and turned to Vodin with an unsure expression. "So... Yeah. You told me to bring you to a safe place. This is probably the closest I can think of," Aiden said, shrugging.
"Aiden," his mother said, her eyes revealing her worry. "I didn't know you ever came out here-"
"Just sometimes, Mom," Aiden interjected. "There's not much else to do in this hood."
Vodin stepped forward, rubbing his hands. "Well, I suppose we should get started. First, let's make sure there are no witnesses."
Aiden wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, but he stood still and watched as the bearded man held a hand in the air and acted as though he were grabbing an invisible pen. With this unseen implement, Vodin seemed to be writing something. In moments, Aiden could see glowing, floating letters--unfamiliar markings--appearing where Vodin wrote. Aiden's mother gasped and took a step back.
Vodin finished his word with an elaborate stroke, then with a wave of his hand, the word duplicated itself until there were four identical words floating before him. As if scooping water with his hands, he wafted each word in a different direction.
One word swam along and collided with the brick wall to the east. It affixed itself to the bricks and turned black as if it had been written there in ink. One word wafted into the western wall, one to the southern wall, and the last word to the northern wall. In moments, each word was firmly written on the walls surrounding the three individuals.
"These are runes," Vodin explained, taking in both Aiden and his mother's surprise. "I've placed a very simple protection around this nearly-perfect square-shaped space. We wouldn't want someone stumbling by and seeing something they shouldn't, would we?"
Aiden walked to the nearest runic word and examined the details of the markings and the heaviness of the ink. He shook his head, not wanting to believe what he'd seen.
"What do they do?" Aiden asked, standing up and observing the words on the opposing walls from a distance.
"It will create the illusion that there is no one here," Vodin said, seeming pleased by Aiden's curiosity.
"But what about sound?"
Vodin chuckled. "Very observant," he said with a smile. "That was the one downfall of this particular runic formula, but some time ago, I fiddled with it until I found just the right combination. It creates a sound buffer, or muffler, if you will. One might hear something very faintly if they approach, but they won't hear what we hear. Not usually enough to suspect."
Aiden's mother swallowed loudly, seemingly glued to the spot. Vodin looked to her and smiled, despite the mixture of fear and awe on her tired face.
"No worries, Lisa," Vodin said. "We're perfectly safe. I realize you're putting a lot of trust in me at the moment, but I assure you, I'm just taking the necessary precautions."
Aiden's mother nodded, but remained unsure.
Aiden had forgotten whatever skepticism he'd had and found himself in awe of the runes that Vodin had placed on the walls. His mind raced with Vodin's comment about finding the right formula.
"Aiden, my boy," Vodin spoke up, forcing Aiden to pay attention. "Time is of the essence. Show us what you've got."
A cold feeling hit the bottom of Aiden's stomach. "Just like that?" he asked. "I can't just turn it on and off..."
"Come stand in the center," Vodin said, motioning for Aiden to move closer. "And face the far wall."
Aiden stood at the center-most point in the alley and looked at the wall furthest from his mother and Vodin.
"Now what was happening, and what were you feeling when you set fire to the tapestry at your school?" Vodin asked, his tone serious.
"I don't know..." Aiden muttered.
"Don't be embarrassed. We all make mistakes. We all have emotions."
"Anger," said Aiden. "John..." Aiden stopped and sighed. He clenched his fists. "It was just after gym class and everyone had left, 'cept John. He tripped me and when I got mad, he laughed and called me Half-and-Half... Like he always does."
Aiden's mother turned to Vodin, only to see the intense concentration in his eyes. She raised her hand, but then pulled it back, unsure what to do. Aiden's fist were clenching tightly and his lips curling in anger.
"Go on," Vodin encouraged.
"He called me some more stuff; Said he'd kill me if I ever thought of telling a teacher... I just started seeing red, kind of. He swung at me again, and I felt the energy..."
Aiden stopped and raised his hands outward. As if exploding from the center of his being, the energy raced around his body, through his arms, and blasted from his palms. The energy ball slammed into the far wall with a crack, causing the top layer from a wide circle of bricks to crumble and cascade into a heap of dust and smoke.
Aiden shook his head and found himself blinking for a few moments, but when he pulled himself together, he realized his mother had toppled over backward from the explosion. He rushed to her side and helped her up.
"Are you alright?" he asked, grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet.
"Your hands," she gasped, still wide-eyed. "They're hot! Did you really do that? I know we've talked about it, but I've never-"
"Yes," Aiden replied, his eyes alive with adventure. "I did do that."
Vodin smiled, standing closer to Aiden. "Such raw power," he said, shaking Aiden's hand. "I want to help you, Aiden. I saw the anger and the pain, but I want to help you gain control of this, so it can be used to help you."
Aiden smiled. "Why would you want to help me?"
"You've got talent, my boy," Vodin said with a laugh. "Do you want to waste that talent on people who aren't worth your time?"
"You mean people like John?"
Vodin simply nodded.
Aiden couldn't seem to stop smiling, despite his mother's worried face.