His mouth falling open, he gasped, “Did I say that out loud?”
“No,” she snapped, “You didn’t have to. I’m a telepath; I can hear you,” she paused, and speak to you, her voice echoed inside his thoughts.
“Holy shit!” he gasped, thinking to himself, I’m losing my damned mind!
“No, Charlie,” she smiled, taking a step closer to him. “It’s my gift; my talent. I’m a telepath, and you’re,” she hesitated, but only for an instant, “Telekinetic.”
The wheels turning, a cold chill worked its way up his spine, despite the heat of the desert sun. “Oh my God,” the realization of his whereabouts poured over him, “Purgatory is a prison for the Forgotten Angels.” He knew he had to get the hell out of there, and the sooner the better.
What Karma Can Do
Lorren stared at him in surprise, “This isn’t a prison; not really,” she took another step closer, “You can open the car if you want. It’s ok, I know about your gift.”
Glancing at the flashy red vehicle that had brought him there, he considered his options. Deciding to remove his belongings, he released the latch after a moment of concentration and lifted the lid to reveal the empty compartment.
“I already got those for you, mate,” a deep male voice informed him.
“Kari,” Lorren smiled, a light flush coloring her cheeks. “This is Charlie,”
“Hullo, Charlie,” the young man spoke again, his accent hard to miss as he offered his hand.
“You’re from Australia, or England, or someplace like that,” Charlie grinned, despite his recent revelations.
“I am from Australia,” his new friend smiled widely. His dark ebony skin gave his teeth a vivid white sheen, and he placed his hand flat on his chest as he introduced himself. “I am Kari, which means smoke.” When he nodded his head, his thick braids of coarse black hair shifted in clumps. Holding his hand out to indicate the missing baggage, he wafted it towards the house, “I have transported your belongings to our room.”
“Our room,” Charlie shifted slightly, “You’re my roommate!”
“Yes, roommate,” Kari nodded his agreement. “Come; let us have dinner and rejoice in the gathering.”
Perplexed, Charlie followed the pair into the house, noting that the girl appeared quite smitten with the young man who bunked in his quarters. “How long have you guys been here?” he asked when they had made it inside.
Opening cabinets, Lorren bit her bottom lip for a moment, furtively glancing at Kari. Together, they produced hamburger meat, noodles, and vegetables for a salad once the sauce had begun to simmer and the water to boil. Showing Charlie where to find the plates and flatware, the girl informed him, “It’s just us tonight; the three of us, Karma and Phil. Everyone else is away on business.”
Counting out the plates and silverware, Charlie set one of the tables for the group to share the meal they had prepared. He felt angry at being tricked into coming there, but after having met some of the other residents, a sense of curiosity emerged. I did want to find the Forgotten Angels, after all, he rationalized; and here Karma has pulled me into their midst. Could he learn about them before he made his escape?
“You said this isn’t a prison,” he spoke to the girl softly when his chore had been completed. Glancing around anxiously, he could feel the tension radiating from the pair of them, “So why are you afraid to talk to me about it?”
Shaking her head, Lorren stirred the pot of long noodles, “It’s not that I’m afraid. I’ve been here since I was a little girl. Karma brought me here after I drowned.”
“You died,” Charlie gasped, leaning in closer. “What about you?” he shifted his gaze to Kari. The other man only blinked at him a few times, so he pushed, “Look, I got hit by a car, two summers ago. I’ve seen the other plane, and I remember a lot about what’s over there.”
“That’s impossible,” Kari countered evenly.
“It’s not,” Charlie insisted, standing up straighter, “There’s Dark Angels, that are like demons, and Summer Angels that look out for people. And these two great beings that are in charge of them, called Destiny and Fate -”
“That’s enough!” Karma interrupted him sharply.
Turning to face her, his heart pounded. “Come on, you brought me here. Why?” A mixture of anger and fear roiled inside his gut, and he paused to see what she would do. She can hear your thoughts, Lorren’s voice whispered in his head. Glancing at her, he knew that Karma had heard her speak to him, and that nothing inside of him was private.
Pulling himself up to his full height, he nodded at the woman of the house, “All right. I see how it is. Well, if you won’t tell me, then there’s no reason for me to stay here,” he declared as he marched towards the front door.
“You can’t leave,” Karma announced loudly, taking her seat at the head of the table.
“Oh, I can leave,” he assured her, not even breaking his stride.
“No; I’ll call the judge, and you’ll be in prison before the weekend,” she threatened.
“So what,” he spun around, “I’m not scared of prison. I’ve got powers, remember? Anyone who touches me is a bug that I can crush beneath my fist!” He ran his fingers through his brown waves, unsure why he would say such a thing.
“Good,” Karma smiled, serving her plate from the pot that had been placed in the center of the flat surface before her. “You have realized your potential.” The chair next to her scooted out from the table, seemingly on its own. “Come and eat, Charlie. I know you’re hungry; we haven’t eaten all day.”
Refusing to comply, he inhaled deep breaths, pushing them out through his nostrils and causing them to flare. Watching while the pair who had prepared the meal joined her, he glanced around, “Where’s Phil?”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s sulking around here somewhere,” Karma sighed. “Come on, hun; dinner will be cold before you can enjoy it.”
At that moment, the door that exited the kitchen from the rear opened and Phil entered with a disgruntled expression on his face. “Did you save me any?” he demanded curtly before preparing his plate.
“There’s always plenty,” Karma grinned at his displeasure, then gave Charlie a long stare.
“I want answers,” he insisted, watching the four of them enjoying their dinner as if nothing were wrong with anything that had happened.
“Yes, Charlie,” Karma twirled her fork for a moment, “You always do, right? Have some patience. There is much that I can give you, if you only give me the chance.”
Angrily stomping forward, Charlie snatched up his plate and filled it with slippery noodles. Spooning the bright red meat sauce over it, he retrieved his glass of tea from the counter in the kitchen and plunked down onto the chair, scooting it up to the table noisily. “I think you’re a real bitch,” he hissed at her, noticing that Phil paled three shades when he did it. The other two members of their party stopped moving and only stared for a moment before resuming their consumption.
Not giving him a reply, Karma cleaned her plate in silence, and no one dared to say anything before she had addressed the issue. Insubordination was not tolerated at Purgatory, and the sooner the new guy learned that, the better.
When she had finished, she lay her fork across the plate and placed her elbows on the table on either side of it. Folding her hands together, she leaned her chin on them and smiled at him. “Charlie, I realize that this has been difficult for you,” the softness of her tone startled everyone. Sensing their surprise, she grinned even wider, “Let’s play a little game, shall we?”
An uneasy squirm seemed to settle over the entire gathering at once, and each of them shifted and stretched anxiously. “I don’ really like games,” Charlie informed her bluntly.
“That’s ok, hun,” she agreed, “The others can play, and you can take a turn at the end. Right now,” she raised her glass of wine as a toast to Kari, “Tell our new guest why you stay here. What is it that Karma has done for you,” she spoke of herself in the third person, caus
ing Charlie to smirk at his lap before he could hide it.
“Karma is a great warrior; the bringer of justice,” Kari raised his own glass to her. “She has given me purpose in this world.”
“Hear hear,” Karma raised her goblet again. “What about you, Lorren. What has Karma provided for you?”
Cutting her eyes around at the group, one by one, the girl faltered before she replied, “Karma has given me a home. A place that I am accepted and I’m not afraid of my secret gift.”
“Yes, and you will always be welcome here,” their benefactor nodded at her. Giving Phil a long glare, she appeared to be considering whether or not to include him in the discussion, but he blurted a reply before she had officially asked.
“You’re right, Charlie; Karma’s a real bitch, and I warned you about that.”
Stunned, Karma’s eyes grew wide before she narrowed them into slits. “Phillip Parson, you know why you’re here, and I won’t tolerate that attitude. You should leave the table at once, before you get yourself into trouble.”
“Gladly,” he pushed his chair back and got to his feet. Taking the stairs with loud stomps, he eagerly left them to their pointless discussion.
“Please, forgive our disgruntled friend,” Karma smiled at Charlie. “He’s often in a foul mood; a side effect of his talent, I suppose.” She took a sip from her glass, then placed it back on the table, “So, Charlie; what is it that you would like to have most?”
Her eyes twinkled when she stared at him, and he could almost see the dark chocolate color fading, and a soft green taking its place. Mesmerized by the beauty of the transition, he swallowed visibly, but said nothing.
“Come on, sweetheart. I know there is something that human heart of yours desires.”
“My human heart,” he repeated absently. Shaking himself free of his trance like stated, he thought of Clarisse. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to; Karma knew what he wanted, even before he had formed the thought.
“I can get her for you,” she whispered. He sucked his lips in, chewing the bottom one slightly, and she pushed, “I see what’s in your heart, Charlie. I know that you loved her with all of your being.”
Adjusting her glass on the table, she stood, her elegant red gown a robe that flowed around as she moved behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders to grasp him firmly. “I know what it’s like to be separated from the thing that matters most. It is an unbearable pain,” she paused, his thoughts turning to his mother. “Ah, you are concerned for her as well.”
“Stop it,” Charlie demanded, pushing her away from him as he got to his feet. “I don’ know what game you’re playin’, but I don’ want anything t’ do with it!”
Her laugh a deep rumble, her eyes glowed a bright green, “Yes, Charlie, you want so badly for things to be the way they were; when the world was right and you had no knowledge of the truth. You are wise beyond your years, and you know the dangers that it can bring. Go to sleep my child,” she wafted her hand at the stairs, “Rest your body and your mind, and we will speak again when you are fresh.”
In an instant, she disappeared, leaving the three remaining in the room. Charlie looked down at the remains of the meal, stunned to see the plates and flatware vanish before his eyes as well. Walking over to the kitchen, Lorren touched a device, pushing a few buttons, and he could hear the sound of a dishwasher kicking on. “How…?” his eyes darted between the pair.
Giving each other a knowing stare, Lorren smiled, her grin devious as she revealed nothing. Instead, Kari stood, shrugging as he admitted, “I’m a transporter, mate. I move objects from one place to another.”
“No shit,” Charlie gasped, his understanding of the world changed once again. Staring through the clear glass that made up one wall of the dining area he could see that the sun had set outside. Instinctively, he knew that the heat of the day would be replaced by the cool air of the evening. Thinking of the barn, he wondered if that’s where Karma had gone, and what could be so special in there that he would have to be invited to see it.
The Real Deal
The first light of day glinted off the window when Charlie awoke. Across the floor, his roommate lay on his side, staring at him when he looked. “Good morning,” he muttered, hoping to keep things civil in this new place that had only barely made sense.
“Good morning,” Kari grinned, showing his beautiful white teeth. “You rested well?”
“Yeah,” Charlie swung his legs over the side of the bunk, his eyes landing on the empty boxes that sat in the floor. They had been waiting for him when he arrived in his room the night before, just as Kari had promised, and he had unpacked them to calm his nerves before going to bed. Putting his items in the drawers that he had chosen had felt odd, and he now remained almost numb with the fear in his gut that he would never have his old life again.
Picking out a tee-shirt and jeans, he realized that Lorren or even Karma could be listening to his thoughts. Deciding it didn’t matter, he turned the events of the last two days over in his mind, starting with the courtroom and how he had ended up in her custody. Almost immediately, the questions began to form; I’m gonna have to talk to her, whether I like it or not. He needed knowledge if he hoped to escape.
Donning a pale blue shirt and dark denim pants, Charlie shoved his feet into his sneakers and sighed. Glancing up, the bed across from him was empty, the room was empty, and Kari had left without saying a word. I wonder if a person counts as an object. He had never attempted to use his power on a person directly, and the idea of it made him cringe.
Down stairs, a feast awaited him, with each of the twin tables lined with everything a person could want for breakfast, including his favorite, fresh French toast and sweet syrup. Choosing a cup, he helped himself to the coffee while looking around and wondering where everyone else was.
“They’ve already eaten,” Karma informed him, entering from the basement stairs.
“Ah,” he said aloud, “You know it’s rude to read another person’s thoughts.”
“Oh, Charlie,” her laughter tinkled. Moving into the room, she wore a red tank top and knee length shorts, a nice change from her typically stiff choices. “Come and sit with me,” she indicated a chair.
“Hmm,” the young man grunted, glancing around again as he placed his mug on the table and began filling a plate. “So, tell me about those power windows,” he indicated the panes of glass, having chosen something simple to begin his interrogation. “Are they magic?”
“No, they’re not,” she put her hands behind her back and pushed up onto her toes, then rocked back onto her flat feet; she had lost a few inches in the sneakers. “They’re solar; they have all the workings inside of them and gather energy for the house; like a panel, only pretty.”
Charlie’s mind instantly flashed Clarisse standing on the beach and warming herself in the sun; recharging her power with its rays. “I see,” he agreed, having never heard of such a thing.
“You are such a smart man,” Karma praised, taking a plate of her own and adding a few items. Scooting into the seat across from him, the pair ate without another word passing between them, until they had finished. When their plates were clean, the entire service disappeared, and the room appeared spotless, as if it hadn’t been used at all.
“Tha’s a neat trick you have there,” Charlie pointed at her and smiled. “I’m jealous, a bit.”
“You have your talents,” Karma countered, leaning back and crossing her right leg over the left.
“Yeah,” he agreed, looking around him, “But it’s not nearly as impressive as yours,” he grinned at her. “So; care to fill me in on exactly what I’m doing here?”
“With pleasure,” and an instant later, the pair stood on a beach, with the sun rising behind them and clear blue water before them.
Charlie instinctively knew they were on the west coast, and that his mother was not far off, in their little apartment. “Why have you done this?” he asked quietly.
“I had to
,” she informed him bluntly. “Charlie, you are a very special young man. And don’t worry about your mom. You did well, hiding your secrets from her. I had feared that I would have to punish you; that you would bring it upon yourself, but you didn’t.”
“By revealing things t’ her; poisoning her life.”
“Exactly. It’s my job to see that people get what they deserve, and it would have killed me to have been forced to destroy you,” she paused, rubbing her hands together anxiously, “But I take my job very seriously. That’s why only the worthy serve me in my house.”
The wind rustling his hair, Charlie watched the waves roll up onto the shore, then slip back out into the ocean. “Tell me about Clarisse,” he finally said quietly. “How are you gonna get her for me? We both know that Keeper has her locked away somewhere.”
“Yes, but don’t worry about that,” Karma smiled at him. Her deep brown flesh shone warmly beneath the morning sun, the muscles in her arms exposed with her choice of top for the day. Offering him her hand, she continued, “I’ll get her for you when the time comes; when you’re ready.”
Charlie placed his palm in hers, noting the warmth when their skin met, and in an instant they were swept across the world, and stood in an unfamiliar place. Before them, a group of teenagers were talking, laughing loudly a few times in the process.
Watching the group, who were sitting on benches and at tables in a courtyard, he recognized the location to be a school. Their banter appeared friendly, but he soon realized that one of the boys was being taunted, and the laughter at his expense. “Why are we here?” he turned to the woman next to him, briefly wondering if the group were aware of their presence.
“Just a quick lesson, that’s all,” she smiled, “And no, they don’t see us. Or they are ignoring us, I guess would be more precise,” she supplied, a smile curing her lips. “A few weeks ago, that boy lived in another town. He was forced to move here when his father changed jobs.”
“Ok, so why are the other kids picking on him,” Charlie squirmed, a bit disturbed by the memories the scene reflected in his past.
The Karma Set - Summer Spirit Novellas 4 - 6 Page 4