by C. S. Harte
I’m not in Texas Hill Country anymore.
The car stopped before the steps to the mansion. Kayla’s palms became sweaty, her dizziness returned mixed with trepidation. Beyond the car door stood her kidnappers. She strained to look out the window.
On top of the stairs waited a young woman not much older looking than Kayla. This woman was fair-skinned, with long black hair dropping past her shoulders, and a slim, but curvy figure. Her makeup was alluring, accentuating her large, round eyes. She was wearing a form-fitting dress seemingly made from gold fabric which reflected the sunlight around her, creating a glowing effect. From certain angles, she disappeared from view. Kayla squinted from the brilliance of the light around her, covering her eyes with her hands.
It never occurred to me that my evil slave captor would be a woman. A freaking HOT woman.
Kayla heard the trunk slam. The driver opened Kayla’s door and unfolded a wheelchair next to her. “Don’t be scared,” he said. “I’m going to lift you onto the wheelchair.” He placed Kayla gently on the wheelchair and lifted her, wheelchair and all, up the stairs.
“Thank you, Mr. Scott,” the mysterious woman said.
“Hello, Ms. Odachi. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Helen Elizabeth Hart, governess of Eden House.”
Kayla's mouth hung open but did not respond.
“It is my great pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.” Her face glowing as she smiled.
Kayla’s face was fixed in a blank, dull stare.
“It’s understandable for you to be confused. I promise to explain everything to your fullest satisfaction.” She turned to the driver. “That will be all Mr. Scott. Have a good day.”
Mr. Scott nodded and returned to his car without saying a word.
Kayla and the governess stared at the limo driving away.
That was my ticket out of here.
Kayla crossed her arms. “Mrs. Hart, why am I here? Where are my friends? Tommy, Izzy?”
“Please, call me Helen. Everyone here is on a first-name basis.”
Kayla shrugged. “OK, Helen. I would like to go home. Or at the very least, know the status of my friend Izzy.”
“I’m afraid that is not possible at the moment. But if you will allow me, I would very much like to explain everything that I can to you.”
Kayla nodded and sighed. Do I have a choice?
“Please, if you would follow me inside.”
Her forehead wrinkled as she stared at her wheelchair. “Um.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. It’ll go where you want it to go. Follow me, please.”
Helen walked into the house without looking back.
The confused look remained on Kayla’s face. She raised her hand and was about to yell for Helen, but the wheelchair moved forward on its own. Nothing here makes sense.
“Stop. Stop!” Kayla yelled at the wheelchair. It stopped as she requested. She turned her head towards the estate entrance. The wheelchair followed her head movements and turned. “How do I get out of here? I don’t even know where I am.” She stared at her legs. “I can’t even walk.” Kayla's eyes began to tear. She was alone, afraid, and far away from anyone who could help her.
15
Kayla entered the grand foyer of Eden House. “Whoa!” she said as her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. The first detail which caught her attention was the double staircase that lead to the second floor. One staircase twisted to the left. The other, an exact mirror, twisted right. Intricate wrought-iron banisters capped with dark wooden handrails followed the rise of the staircases connecting them to the second floor. Nested chandeliers, one inside another, hung in the center of the foyer providing both illumination and amazement.
Four massive stone columns supported an iridescent ceiling. Earth-toned furniture, leather sofas, oriental rugs, heavy wooden tables, and bronze lamps filled the space.
Helen opened her arms wide. “Welcome to Eden House,” she said with a bright, cheery smile.
“This house is so beautiful. It’s like I’m in one of those travel magazine, five-star destination spots,” Kayla said. Her head tilted up, enthralled by the shifting patterns of light on the ceiling. “I was expecting something much more… classic.”
Helen placed her hand on Kayla’s shoulder. “You meant boring?" She winked. "Eden House is far from boring, my dear. You will learn very quickly that perception is often not reality here.” She turned her head, talking to someone over her shoulder. “Mr. Williams, would you please bring tea and crumpets to my office. Kayla and I will be there shortly.”
Kayla raised her eyebrows. Was there someone else here? I don’t remember seeing another person when I entered.
“Yes, Ms. Hart,” said a voice behind Kayla, causing her to yelp. A man dressed in butler attire walked in front of Kayla. “Hello, Ms. Odachi. Apologies if I frightened you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.“
Kayla shook her head. “Oh no, I wasn’t scared. Just didn’t expect anyone to be behind me is all.”
“That was Mr. Williams, our houseman,” Helen said.
Kayla looked at Helen for a second as she spoke and glanced back at Mr. Williams, but he disappeared. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she scanned the foyer. The houseman was nowhere in sight. “Where did Mr. Williams go?”
“I would imagine he left to bring us crumpets and tea as requested.” Helen gestured to follow her. “Shall we continue our discussion in my office?” She walked away without Kayla confirming.
Kayla indulged in one last sweeping look around the grand foyer. Her wheelchair swiveled as her head turned. So many things don’t make sense about this place. For a house this size, where are all the people?
Kayla crossed the threshold into Helen’s office and stopped. Her lips parted as she surveyed a room larger than the cafeteria at Wolf Creek High. “This is an office?” she whispered to herself.
The ceiling was vaulted and painted with an outdated map of the world, before the discovery of the Americas. Dark wood paneling covered the lower half of the walls from floor to midpoint. Oil paintings of the English countryside and British royalty lined every inch of available space above the paneling. The center of the office featured a white marble fireplace capped with statues of Greek goddesses. Above the mantle, hung a discordant painting of a teenage Asian boy standing in front of Big Ben.
Kayla found herself staring at the painting, the oddest of oddities thus far.
“Please join me over here,” Helen said. She was sitting at a table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the garden.
Kayla’s wheelchair glided over.
“Once again, I want to reiterate how happy we are to have you here at Eden House. As promised, I will try to answer all your questions. Which, I’m sure, there are many.”
Kayla stared into the garden while Helen poured tea.
“Earl Grey. I can get you something else if you prefer. Do help yourself to a crumpet.”
Kayla pushed away her cup.
“I see. Well. Shall we begin then?” Helen took a sip of tea. “First, I am going to tell you things which you might find utterly incredulous. Impossible even. However, when I finish, I assure you I can prove everything is true.”
As if this can’t get freakier. Kayla nodded her head ever so slightly.
“Let’s answer the question about why you are here. Tell me, child, have you experienced things that you simply cannot find an explanation for?”
Kayla shrugged her shoulders.
“Perhaps, I can jog your memory. Do you recall your final football game when you kicked the winning goal? Or the young man who you thrust into the petrol station shelves? How about the gate that miraculously opened and closed by itself to release your dog?”
A gasp left Kayla’s mouth. “How did you know? Were you following me?” Her voice became angrier with each question.
Helen shook her head. “Not me personally, but one of our agents.”
Kayla pushed herself away from the ta
ble. “Who do you work for? Which government are you with? You can’t keep me here!”
Helen frowned. “If I may continue with my original line of questioning — I asked about your abilities. We call them ‘talents.’ Every individual in this house has a talent. You obviously do, and you’ve acknowledged as much. My talent is the ability to control light. Allow me to show you.”
Kayla raised her eyebrows while leaning in slightly.
Helen closed her eyes. In the next moment, her body gradually became translucent, fading away, allowing Kayla to see through her. Helen continued until her figure completely vanished.
Kayla rubbed her eyes and looked for clues that could give away Helen’s location. No trace of her was visible.
“You may not see me, but I’m still here,” Helen’s disembodied voice said.
Kayla's mouth opened wide, her head shaking in disbelief.
As quickly as she disappeared, Helen returned to the visible spectrum. “One of the many things my talent allows me to do. Your talent, so far as we understand it, is Telekinesis. You can control objects with your mind. However, you are far from proficient. This is partly why you are here.”
Kayla’s gaze became unfocused as a memory entered her mind. I never actually kicked the game winning goal against the Ravens. It just kinda went where I wanted it to.
Helen smiled. “Do you have any questions thus far?”
“You said ‘partly the reason.' Why else am I here?”
“We want to help train your abilities. At the very least, we want to help you control it so that you are not a danger to yourself and others around you. I’m sure you would agree with me when I say that you have no idea how to control your powers.” Helen sipped her tea. “Telekinesis is a rare talent. Exceptionally rare, in fact. You are the first person I’ve met to possess this talent.”
“If you never met anyone with my ‘talents’ how do you expect to train me?” Kayla asked in a smug tone.
“I suspect you will find the answer to that when we explore the rest of the house.”
“Can I leave here whenever I want? I need to see if my friends are OK. And my dog, Charlie. He’s my only family. Please.” Kayla clasped her hands together, begging.
Helen walked to Kayla’s wheelchair. She took Kayla’s hands, wrapping them in her own. “This is going to be difficult to hear. I understand your connection to the world you left. I understand completely. I once came from that same world. However, the sooner you accept this truth, the sooner you can adjust to your new life… here.” She leaned into Kayla. “The world as you know it is no longer meant for you. Knowledge of your talent will change that.”
Kayla stared into Helen’s eyes, looking for signs indicating the veracity of her claims. This has got to be a dream. In a very brief amount of time, Kayla went from high school hero to losing her legs, to being kidnapped by an eccentric British woman. Kayla pinched herself. Ouch. She gazed out the window at the garden, shaking her head. If she’s telling the truth, then I’m trapped here. She fought to hold back her tears.
Helen stood, pulling Kayla's hands with her. “Have you noticed peculiarities with this house? Please trust me when I say this. There is nothing wrong with your legs. You are perfectly healthy.”
Kayla looked at Helen, blinking rapidly. “I can’t. I was in a car accident where I fractured my spine. The doctors said —”
Helen placed a finger to Kayla’s mouth. “Please, try.”
Kayla returned a blank stare while shaking her head. “Um…”
Helen wrinkled her nose. “Mr. Williams would you please remove Ms. Odachi’s wheelchair so that she can stand with confidence.”
Kayla quickly panned the room. “He’s not in the —“
Mr. Williams appeared behind Kayla, grabbed the handles on the wheelchair, and flashed out of existence.
“— room,” Kayla finished her sentence. Her wheelchair vanished beneath her. She screamed but did not fall. Her legs instinctually supported her weight, with a little assistance from Helen. Kayla stared at Helen dumbfounded. “But how?” Her voice shaking.
Helen released Kayla’s hands. “As I said before, perception is not reality.”
Kayla walked around the room, giddy, smiling. She jumped up and down testing the strength of her legs.
A loud gong emanated from the grandfather clock in the room, repeating twice more.
Helen beamed a smile at Kayla. “Six o’clock already. I have somewhere I need to be. We shall continue our conversation tomorrow. Mr. Williams will show you to your room.”
Mr. Williams flashed into the room and held out his arm for Kayla to take. Kayla took his arm, blinking out together.
16
Kayla and Mr. Williams flashed into her new bedroom.
“This is your private suite, Ms. Odachi. I do hope you like your accommodations. We can rearrange anything to match your preferences,” Mr. Williams said.
Kayla dropped to her knees as her legs gave way. Her head was spinning. Visions of the new room blurred with her old room. She rubbed her temples.
“Give it a moment. It will pass. The first time blinking is always the hardest.” Mr. Williams stood motionless, waiting for Kayla to reacquaint herself.
Kayla pushed herself up. “This is how you travel everywhere?”
“Yes, I can blink to anywhere on this estate. Is there anything else I can answer for you, Ms. Odachi?”
“Can you tell me about my friend Izzy? And my dog Charlie? Where is this house? How long has it been since I was in the hospital? Everyone here has talents? What are they?”
“I must apologize. I do not know the status of your friend Izzy, your dog Charlie, nor any information before your arrival. As for the house itself and the others living in this house, you will find answers to those questions shortly.” His eyes darted to the left. “Ms. Hart has summoned me.”
“Wait —” Kayla reached for him, but he flashed before she could stop him. “I need to get used to that.”
For the first time, Kayla was alone in Eden House. She took an extended look around her new bedroom, nodding her head as she examined. “Not bad.”
Kayla’s living quarters was essentially a warehouse loft with tall ceilings, an open floor plan, and slanted glass windows overlooking the garden. The interior featured exposed brick, wood beams, stainless steel, and aluminum — urban chic. There were two floors. The bottom floor had a living room, kitchen, dining room, enclosed full bathroom, and two closets. The upstairs, accessible via a spiral iron staircase, overlooked the first floor and was the private area for sleeping, showering, and other activities. All the furniture had a clean, modern aesthetic where everything was black, white, gray, clear or chrome. Not exactly my color palette, but I’ve lived in worse.
Kayla walked up the stairs, exploring her bedroom.
The doorbell rang.
She ran downstairs and spun around, looking for the door.
The doorbell rang again.
“I’m coming! I have no idea where the door is, but I’ll open it as soon as I find it.”
Kayla heard snickering and used it to guide her to the entrance. She stared into the peephole. Three people stared back, two girls and one guy. The girls appeared to be twins with platinum blonde hair down to their shoulders, turquoise blue eyes, and tall, athletic bodies. The guy was much shorter than the girls, the top of his head only up to their chests. He had fiery red hair, triggering bad memories of the Ginger Brothers. His face was freckled with a slightly left-leaning nose and a sly smile. He’s kinda cute — in a boyish way.
Kayla opened the door. “Hi, new girl! We’re your welcoming committee.” The left twin pointed to herself. “I’m Emily. This is my sister Haley. And that goofy face belongs to Jaime.”
The twins laughed.
“She means, handsome face,” Jaime corrected. He extended his hand.
Kayla greeted him first. His handshake was a little too rough for comfort. “I’m Kayla.”
“It’s certainly a
pleasure to meet you.” Jaime bowed.
Emily gave him a sideways stare.
“Mind if we come in?” Emily asked.
“Sure, I guess.”
They all moved to the living area. Emily and Jaime sat in the love seat. Haley and Kayla chose separate armchairs, opposite from each other.
Unsure of who should start talking, they waited in an uncomfortable silence.
Jaime smiled, staring at Kayla throughout the silence.
Kayla fidgeted in her seat.
“So, Kayla…” Emily said.
“Yes?”
“You’re Telekinetic? The first one ever at this house, huh?”
“According to Helen. I just learned this today.” Kayla laughed awkwardly.
No one else laughed.
Oh God, why did I laugh? It wasn’t funny.
“Can you pick up that apple?” Haley asked.
Kayla reached for the apple on the coffee table and picked it up.
“No!” Haley laughed.
Everyone but Kayla was amused.
“I think we found someone goofier than you Jaime,” Emily said.
“She meant, pick it up with your talent Kayla,” Jaime said.
“I… I don’t know how.” She placed the apple back on the table.
“Try this.” Jaime walked behind Kayla, kneeling down beside her. “Close your eyes.”
Kayla followed his lead.
“In your mind’s eye, picture the apple lifting off the table, like it’s your hand picking up the apple.”
Practice picking up an apple. And they say I’m goofy.
“OK.” Kayla’s face scrunched, her body visibly tensing.
The apple didn't move.
Emily yawned.
“Stop for a second before you get constipated,” Jaime laughed. He took a few steps away from the group. “Watch this.”