Aberrant Trilogy 1: Super Charged

by Franklin Kendrick

“I’ll be careful,” I say.

  “Good. And remember, there’s still a piece of the Vestige missing.”

  I reach up to my shirt collar and tug at the Vestige, running my finger across the missing piece. Where is it? We were hoping to find the shard, but have turned up empty handed.

  What little happiness was in my chest is now replaced with a rapidly beating heart and a chill.

  “Don’t remind me,” I say, tucking the Vestige in my shirt. “I have enough to worry about. And that piece could be anywhere. At least I checked the predictable locations, which means that if Flagrant is looking for it, he’ll have a heck of a time hunting it down.”

  “Good,” says Mae.

  A voice over the intercom announces that my train is boarding, so we share one last look.

  “Alright,” I say. “I have to get going.”

  I’m going to head straight onto the train when Mae hurries forward and wraps her arms around me. It’s a tight embrace and I am a little surprised when she rests her head against my chest.

  “Be careful,” she says. “Even in the woods, you can always get into trouble.”

  I smile and return the embrace, squeezing her shoulders.

  “Don’t worry,” I reply. “I’ll be careful.”

  We part with a smile and I hurry to get a seat on the train. Minutes later the train is pulling out of the station and whisking me out of the crowded city and into the countryside.

  I settle into my seat after the attendant comes through, collecting tickets. The movement of the train is comforting and I am hypnotized by the scenery passing outside my window. I begin to drift off.

  On the edge of dreaming, suddenly I’m snapped awake by an odd sensation.

  My eyes open and I sit up straight.

  It feels like I’m being watched.

  I look over my shoulder at the other passengers in my car. There are many commuters on the train. Most of them are reading on their tablets or checking their emails on their phones. None are looking at me.

  So, why was I suddenly awoken by such an uncanny feeling?

  An image of Bill Flagrant flashes in my mind.

  I can hear his voice echoing in my ears.

  The Vestige…

  He knew exactly what it was. I could tell by the way he said it.

  I give the train car one last look around then settle back into my seat with my hand around the Vestige. I don’t let it go until I am safely in Grandpa’s car a few hours later.

  27

  Testing The Visor

  Over the next few days I can barely focus on anything except my superpowers. I am itching to get away and just be by myself so that I can test out my limits. I manage to get Monday night free, but Robby keeps pestering me to hang out. He will stop by the house and knock, asking if I am at home. I don’t know where else I could be. At first I do my best at hiding. This works for about a day. Then I try my best to let him down easy, but Grandma notices how much I’ve been brushing him off and forces me to spend time with him.

  I groan, but I can’t blame Robby for wanting someone to hang out with. There’s not much else to do besides go to the lake, and unfortunately it’s been overcast most of the time since the weekend. That means I won’t be learning to swim any time soon. Instead we spend some time at his house playing video games. I suppose that taking a break from all this testing is good for me. Still, my mind doesn’t stray too far from using my powers. There’s still the visor to test out, and I can only do that on my own at night.

  Finally I get a chance to be completely by myself on Friday evening.

  Grabbing the visor, I sneak out the back and decide to head farther into the woods this time since the moon is full.

  A good two minute walk and I come to a small clearing. In the distance I can hear the lake and the sound of people outside. With trees all around me I shouldn’t be bothered.

  “Okay, visor…” I say, balancing it on each ear. “Let’s see what you can do for me.”

  I press the power button and immediately my eyes are blinded by the bright flash of the display coming to life. A few seconds later my eyes adjust and I see all the information clearly.

  There’s an altimeter in the upper left corner of the visor. Below that I can see names flashing, depending on which way I look, and the distances to get to them. Surprisingly there’s one that’s listed as “Dad’s House” and I laugh. This is definitely something that my father must have had commissioned. It’s too high-tech.

  But, what does it do besides being a glorified GPS?

  I look around the right side of the screen. There I see something that’s shaped like the four buttons on a game controller - two at the bottom, two at the top. Inside each of these lit circles is a percentage number. At the moment they’re all listed as zero.

  When I blast some energy out of my hands, the top two percentages go up. Slow at first, maybe only ten or twenty percent. But, as I concentrate my energy and send more power shooting to the grassy ground beneath me, the numbers shoot up to about fifty percent.

  When I try the same thing with my feet, the bottom numbers go up. I lift off the ground and go soaring into the air. As before when I saved Mae, I am wobbly.

  But, when I hold out my hands and use that energy to direct myself, I end up course correcting. The numbers on the screen reflect that. I’m most stable when they’re closer together. The only time they drift apart is when I do a drastic change in direction.

  I land myself softly on the ground, the first time I have done this successfully without falling on my butt, and breathe out a cool sigh of relief.

  “Wow,” I say. “Dad had some cool toys.”

  Now that I know what the visor is good for, I manage to fly with much more ease. I practice for about an hour and a half, soaring over the lake just high enough that nobody will notice me down below.

  It feels exhilarating. I’m able to lay nearly flat on my stomach in the air as if I’m tobogganing across the clouds. My clothes become damp with all the moisture up here.

  Starting to get tired, I come back down to the clearing in the woods and trudge back to the house so that I can dry off my clothes.

  I leave the visor on to get more use out of it. The GPS goes crazy when I’m in the woods, keeping track of all the trees around me. I wonder if this thing can detect enemies like in the comics.

  When I make it to the end of the woods I look at the house and see energy signals for Grandma and Grandpa. But, there’s a third energy signal that I can’t determine. It’s up on the second floor.

  I sneak back into the house and make my way up the stairs towards the light.

  I come to a stop in front of the spare bedroom at the end of the hall. The light hovers just behind the main wall. I figure that means that the energy is coming from inside a chest of drawers on the other side of the wall.

  But, when I step into the room to look for the source of the energy, there is no chest of drawers. The light signal is still attached to the wall.

  Maybe the light is some animal that is traveling in the wall. It could be a mouse. This home is old enough that I wouldn’t put it past my grandparents for having a mouse problem on occasion.

  Thankfully the mice aren’t in my bedroom wall.

  Still, the fact that I can detect the energy of living things with this visor is incredibly handy. It will make looking out for villains like Bill Flagrant - The Drone - a heck of a lot easier.

  Glancing at my watch I read the time: Eleven O’Clock.

  Mae is going to be coming up to the lake tomorrow, so that gives me a reason to rest.

  I put the visor and the Vestige in my bedside drawer and make a mental note to show Mae the visor’s energy seeker tomorrow. I’m sure she’ll point out something new that I haven’t even noticed yet.

  She’s good like that.

  28

  Learn To Swim

  The next morning I’m awoken super early by the sunlight streaming into my bedroom. Even though I could fall back asleep
and doze for another few hours, I’m too anxious for Mae to get here with my flight shoes. There are too many things I want to show her, including my refined flying abilities, so I kick the covers off of me and jump in the shower.

  Fifteen minutes later I am dressed and hurry downstairs for some breakfast.

  My grandparents are already awake. Grandma is washing a few dishes and Grandpa looks like he was working on his truck in the garage. He wipes some grease off his hands with a dirty rag.

  “You’re up early,” he says. “I thought all boys liked to sleep in on Saturdays?”

  “I’m too excited for Mae to get here,” I say and pour myself some cereal and milk.

  Grandpa glances at the clock on the stove and chuckles.

  “Her train’s not going to get to the station until noon. You still have at least three hours until we have to head out to get her.”

  I chew a mouthful of chocolate cereal and swallow.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I say. “I can’t sleep right now.”

  “Maybe you’ll find something else to do,” suggests Grandma as she finishes the dishes and dries her hands on the dish towel.

  As if on cue, a knock sounds at the front door.

  I stop in mid-chomp as the three of us share looks.

  “Speaking of which…” says Grandpa as he walks to the door and answers it.

  I can’t see who it is from where I’m sitting, but suddenly I hear Robby’s voice.

  “Great…” I mutter under my breath. Grandma hears me and gives me a stern look. “What?” I say with a shrug. “It’s like he’s trying to be attached to me at the hip. He does realize that I’m heading back to Boston for good next week?”

  “Be kind to him,” says Grandma. “It’s not every day that he has a friend out in this part of the neighborhood. Most of the houses on the lake are summer properties. Be the bigger man and give him a little time before you’re gone.”

  I get to my feet with a groan.

  A little time? I think. How about every afternoon this week?

  Still, I trudge to the door to find Robby smiling at Grandpa as they talk. You can’t knock Robby for his charisma. He’s always bouncing around as if living in the woods is a grand old time. I force a smile and say, “Hey.”

  “Hey, Shaun!” says Robby. “I was hoping you would be up.”

  Again, I force another smile.

  “Yes. I’m up,” I say.

  Grandpa turns to me.

  “Robby was wondering if you wanted to go spend some time at the lake,” he says. “I think it would be a good idea.”

  I raise my eyebrows.

  “The lake?” I make a clicking noise with my tongue. “But, I’m supposed to go pick up Mae in a few hours.”

  “I can handle that,” says Grandpa. “Mae knows me. We’ll meet you back here.”

  “But -” I start to say, until my voice catches in my throat.

  Kimberly comes walking down the front path towards Robby. She’s wearing cutoff jean shorts and a tank top. As she walks she ties her hair out of her face.

  Robby gives me another smile.

  “Kim said we can hang at her place,” he says.

  I look to Grandpa and he gives me a wink.

  “Like I said,” he goes on. “I think it would be a good idea.”

  I gulp. Can’t argue with that.

  ___

  “Just jump in!”

  I am standing on the edge of the wooden dock, staring down into the green water of the lake. I don’t hesitate because the water looks dirty. It isn’t - I know that the green is the reflection of the trees all around us. But, the water is cold. I dip my foot into the water and quickly pull it back.

  “This is freezing!” I say. “I can’t just jump in.”

  Robby and Kimberly are already in the water. Robby has no qualms with swimming, though he is wearing an oversized pair of swimming shorts and a baggy t-shirt that clings to his chest. Kimberly, on the other hand, looks much more comfortable in the water. She’s sporting a two-piece swim suit that screams confidence.

  Getting in the water seems like it could be a bad idea.

  But, Robby splashes some water up at me. I jump back, crossing my arms over my bare chest.

  “Hey!” I say. “Cut it out!”

  “Just jump in!”

  I roll my eyes.

  He is being way too forceful, especially to someone who doesn’t know how to swim yet.

  Kimberly, thankfully, is a bit more tactful.

  She comes over to the edge of the dock and looks up at me.

  “You can climb down if you want,” she says, pointing to the wooden ladder that extends into the water. “It’s not deep out here. Only up to my chest. So, it’s safe. I promise.” She stands up and shows me how high the water is.

  This eases my nerves a bit and I nod, deciding that climbing into the water is much easier.

  Slowly, painfully, I step deeper and deeper into the water.

  I let out a shocked groan as I step off the ladder and my feet come to rest on the sandy bottom. The water is definitely up to my chest, and I hold my arms out to my sides, keeping them out of the water. The top of the water makes my skin tingle as the wind catches the areas of my skin where the water has just lapped. Goose bumps break out on my arms.

  Kimberly and Robby both laugh.

  “See?” says Robby. “Not so bad, is it?”

  My jaw is quivering in the chill, but I nod, just to get them to stop beating me with how “easy” it is.

  “Yeah,” I say. “Piece of cake.”

  Kimberly makes her way over to me and, to my great shock, reaches up and takes my arms, guiding them into the water. She holds them there.

  “You’re ninety percent there,” she says. “We just have to teach you how to get around. Are you ready to learn how to swim?”

  As long as my lower half stays in the water, I think uncomfortably.

  I nod.

  “Yeah,” I say. “Let’s do this.”

  I hate to break it to the two of them, but I doubt I’m going to be a master swimmer after only a few hours of trying. Still, it doesn’t stop Kimberly from giving it her all, and Robby from cheering me on.

  She teaches me how to float on my back, which is easier said than done, and I’m able to stretch my arms out ahead of me and pull them down to travel head-first across the water. This, she says, is the most crucial move to know because it’s the one to use when you’re exhausted. I have to admit, it’s the easiest.

  The most energy-consuming swimming technique is treading water. I hate that with a passion.

  I am guided out until the water is up to my chin and then instructed to kick my feet in a bicycle pedaling motion while I move my arms and hands horizontally near the water’s surface in a figure eight motion. This is supposed to keep my head above the water, but boy is it tiring.

  I’m thankful to head back into shallow water after a good fifteen minutes of treading water.

  Next I’m taught the traditional overhanded swimmer’s stroke. This one is kind of fun, and it gives me an excuse to be close to Kimberly as she helps me to stay horizontal in the water.

  I really don’t know how Robby is able to be friends with Kimberly without it being awkward. If it is awkward, she doesn’t let on that she notices. The tone of the entire morning is easy-going and fun. There is a lot of laughter and joking around.

  After a while Robby stops us in our horsing around.

  “Hey, who’s that?” he asks, pointing up to the shore.

  I look up past the dock to the spare-tire steps that are built into the hillside and am surprised to see Mae coming down them.

  “Oh boy,” I say, suddenly self-conscious that one - I’m in nothing but a bathing suit in front of her, and two - how did I lose track of time so quickly? I was supposed to meet her at the house when Grandpa got home.

  Mae gives me a wry smile when she spots me in the water and is holding my pair of shoes in her hands. As expected, they look pris
tine. She is quite a craftsman.

  “Forgetting something?” she asks as she makes it to the dock.

  Kimberly and Robby look at me, and I give them a sheepish grin.

  “Who’s this?” asks Kimberly.

  “I’m Mae,” Mae replies, not waiting for me to introduce her. “Shaun’s friend from Boston. He was supposed to spend the day with me.”

  Robby, who has swam up beside me, gives me an elbow in the side, nearly knocking me completely into the water, and smirks.

  “Spend the day, huh?” he says. “Sounds like a lot of fun.”

  I give him a stern look and reply, “We’re working on a project together.”

  This doesn’t quell Robby’s innuendo, and he keeps at it.

  “Sure, sure, sure…” he says.

  I go to get out of the water, but Mae stops me.

  “Oh, don’t get out on my account,” she says. “It’s pretty hot out here. I think I might join you.”

  “But, you don’t have a bathing suit,” I say.

  In response, Mae reaches down and pulls off her shirt, revealing nothing but her under armor. She drops the shirt onto the dock as Robby’s and my own jaw drop as well.

  That is the most daring thing I’ve ever seen Mae do, and I’ve seen her do some daring things. She’s in front of complete strangers and here she is stripping down to go swimming.

  She’s already wearing shorts, so she kicks off her sandals and perches on the edge of the dock near the deep end. Without hesitating she dives off and slices into the water, disappearing for a few seconds.

  Then her head breaks the surface and she blows the air out of her lungs, gasping for breath.

  “It’s pretty crisp!” she says. “But, refreshing.”

  She swims back over to us in the shallow end, brushing her dark hair out of her face.

  “You must be Robby,” she says.

  “Ah, so you’ve heard about me,” says Robby, giving me a wink. “Good things, I hope?”

  “Of course,” says Mae, playing along. “If they were bad, I’d have to check with you to see if they were true.” She turns to Kimberly. “I haven’t heard of you, however.” I can’t tell if it’s just me, but there sounds like there’s a bit of bite in Mae’s tone as she addresses Kimberly.