Jane woke early the next morning with a slight pain in her forehead. The pain, though, was the last thing on her mind. The familiar feeling of guilt was there, lingering inside her like an unwelcome guest. It was worse than it had been before, when she had just been testing herself with books and coffee cups. It was a feeling she couldn’t understand, and she vowed that she wouldn’t use the power again to that extent unless her life was in peril. Every time she did, that same image of the teddy bear—a simple child’s toy—falling from behind her rose into her mind unbidden. Its image would then haunt her.
There was something else. On the road, just before she had used the power, she had seen him, and he had seemed just as unusual as she remembered from the dream.
She knew her mother and Jack had been talking, as she had listened to some of their conversation from upstairs; she knew they were planning to go to the cabin in Wexford.
She looked at her clock. It was five a.m. She tried to go back to sleep, but couldn’t. Instead she got up, dressed and quietly left the house. She crossed her street and entered the grounds of the local park. She took a side road that led to a beautiful walkway through a forest surrounding the back of the grounds. She pulled her collar around her neck, despite the still morning air and walked through the gate towards the long road.
When she reached the clearing that led to the road, she paused as a slight wave of dizziness came over her. Her stomach churned a little, and she put her hand to her head and looked forward. The road was a flat, straight surface illuminated only by orange street lamps overhead. The branches of the bare trees reached out on either side like vines and met in the centre. In the dim winter light, she felt a fearful tremor run through her, but she ignored this; the need for clear air overcame her desire to return home.
She walked down the small road, heading towards the walkway that went through the woods. However, as she got closer the feeling overcame her again, stronger this time, and the space around her seemed to warp slightly, as though it were a thick liquid, disturbed. She put her hand to her forehead again.
Ahead of her now, fifty feet away, somebody stood on the road; it was Max. Against the perfectly normal backdrop, he seemed incredibly strange and out of place. He was wearing the clothes he had worn on the footpath the evening before; they were similar to what he had been wearing during the dream of her youth. She gasped when she saw him, but she did not move. He began to walk towards her slowly. She realised who it was and relaxed, though around her the air seemed to move with a strange, silent vibration.
Max? she said in her mind.
Yes? he replied.
Why is this…? She struggled to find the words as her head swam with strange thoughts.
Why is it so difficult to communicate? he asked, finishing the question she had been looking for.
Yes. She breathed deeply and relaxed, as she could once again detect his entirely benign demeanour.
We haven’t communicated like this before. It will take your mind some time to adjust, but don’t worry, it won’t take long.
Indeed, Jane was slowly beginning to feel the effect wearing off as the world settled around her once again. She straightened her posture and looked at him. The long black coat stretched to his feet and moved around him as he walked towards her, but he cast no shadow on the ground. His face was exactly as she remembered it: clean, bright and angular. He smiled at her as he walked towards her; she felt an eminent peace.
I remember now that we used to talk in dreams.
Yes, but I see no need for that anymore. You are older now…your understanding of things is better…and I…I don’t care about breaking the rules anymore.
Rules?
He paused. It’s complicated, Jane. I’ll tell you another time when we have the opportunity. The wind picked up slightly, and the branches creaked around her in response. Max continued to walk towards her. The man who came to your house ten years ago is coming back in response to the incident involving the car. You have to leave as soon as possible. I’ll create a distraction for them to give you time to get away, but it may not work.
Should we still go to the cabin, in Wexford?
Yes. It’s the best chance you have to evade them.
When will they be here?
In two hours. Their plane is landing shortly. They’ll come straight to your house. Like I said, I’ll create a distraction.
How will you do that?
They have technology with them that can detect psionic energy. I’ll create a disruption nearby, and hopefully they’ll be curious enough to pursue that first.
Okay.
He stopped walking when he was twenty feet from her. His presence against the dim, wintry backdrop was truly spectacular—a looming, illusory figment, but in some way, very real nonetheless. She had only moments to take it in before he spoke again.
You don’t have time to wait, Jane. You should be going now.
Okay. Will I see you again?
Yes, most definitely. Go.
Then there was a slight swish of air, and the space he occupied was suddenly empty. For just a second there seemed to be a minute trace of smoke where he had been standing, but then it was gone. Jane looked around her, but there was nothing to see except bare trees and a barren, dark grey sky. She turned and began running back to her house.