Free To Be

by Adam Lynch

  “I know you’re scared to involve her… and I know you feel awkward being around her after your last encounter with her… so… I’ll go get her, and bring her over to join our discussion… wait here.”

  He climbs to his feet and walks over to her. I immediately blush and have to look away, feeling super self-conscious. It’s stupid, I know. Kagami and I had such an amazing encounter last time we were alone together, but… what if it doesn’t go like that this time? What if I mess things up somehow? I’m scared of undoing everything I had worked so hard to build. Furthermore, so much happened since then… terrible, terrible things… it’s just really awkward timing. I don’t know if I can handle it. I don’t know if she can either.

  “Is he going to ask her out for you?” Yumi asks as all the hairs on my body spring up. “I get it. Might as well. We’re all gonna die soon anyway probably.” I blush so bad I feel I could pass out.

  I spin my head towards her. “H-huh?”

  She meets with my eyes, her facial expression sincere. “You like her, don’t you?” My lips part, but nothing comes out. I can’t even think of what to say. “I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

  “I… I...”

  “She’s not the only one, though, right?”

  “H-huh?”

  “Isn’t there anyone else? You know… that you have feelings for? We’re a small village, but... there are other pretty girls…” she pauses, studying me. I gulp. “Don’t you think so?”

  “Uh… y-yeah.”

  She smiles slightly. “Okay, so then… who else besides Kagami do you find attractive?” She flips her hair and plays with it, raising her eyebrows and grinning. My mind goes blank so I look away a second to prevent myself from panicking. But I quickly look back at her again so she doesn’t feel like I’m rejecting her in some way.

  It’s too late—she turns to face the ground, laughs nervously, and wipes her face. “Ah ha, sorry. I forgot I’m a total mess—definitely not my best…” Then, I look away and face the ground, suddenly feeling sad and guilty about making her feel insecure. “But I guess... you wouldn’t know... because you never look…”

  Yuuto returns, sitting next to me, and having Kagami sit next to him and Yumi, forming a circle. I stop breathing and feel my heart pound out my chest. I… no I… I’m not ready for this… I can’t…

  My body trembling, I keep my eyes glued to the ground, unable to lift them up. But I have to lift them up… I don’t want to be rude… I don’t want her to feel like I don’t like her… like she once thought...

  Ugh! Why am I even acting this way? Why do I feel so unbearably nervous and inhibited around her right now? Stop it, Taiyo. You’re going to undo everything you’ve worked to build. She liked you before, but she’s gonna change her mind if you don’t shape up. Don’t make her regret her last encounter with you...

  I have to shape up. I have to stop being weird. Otherwise, I’m gonna mess up my connection with her… then she won’t want to have anything to do with me anymore. Stop acting so weird. You’re confusing her. Look at her. Smile. Wave. Say hi. Say anything.

  I lift my twelve-ton head up to look at her. I can feel the frozen and unbearably awkward look on my face. I do everything I can to hide and ignore these anxious feelings, and force myself to lift my hand and wave. “H-hi, Ka-kagami.”

  She forces an unconformable smile… I’m making her feel uncomfortable. “Hi... Taiyo..”

  She quickly shifts her eyes at Yumi. She greets Kagami with a warm smile and hug. “Kagami,” she says, wrapping her arms around her.

  “Yumi… thank you...”

  “Can you believe it, Kagami?” she asks, crying. “What they did to Katsu and the others?”

  Tears run down Kagami’s eyes. “No I…” Yumi, pulls away so she can see her face. “I can’t...” she pauses and they empathize silently. “I… I’m so sorry, Yumi… I’m so sorry for what happened them… to Akio…”

  “They’ll pay, Kagami… I swear this isn’t over. It’s not. As long as I’m still breathing, I’m gonna keep trying. I’m not giving up.”

  “I-I want to help…” I say, everyone turning to face me. With so many eyes on me suddenly, I forget what I was going to say next, so I just repeat myself. “I want to help.”

  “You do?” Yumi asks.

  “Yes.”

  “We want to help,” says Yuuto, everyone facing him. “That’s actually why we gathered everyone in this circle to talk about...”

  “Oh? You guys have a plan or something?”

  “Not yet… but we have something very important you two need to know…” As the girls scope their attention, he takes a deep breath. Suddenly, he looks scared, studying them both carefully a second time. “Listen… what we’re about to share with you cannot be passed on to anyone… no one… except Katsu and Sadao…” Eyeing them both, he takes a deep breath. “I know you’re not going to believe me, but… I-I’m the... mind-reader...”

  Kagami gasps.

  “What?!” Yumi asks. “Mind-reader? There is no mind-reader. That’s all just lunacy the Darkane made up.”

  “I told you you weren’t going to believe me.”

  “I don’t have time to deal with crazy people. I’m already losing my mind as it is.”

  “Will you give me the chance to prove it to you?”

  “I don’t know, you tell me, mind-reader?”

  “Yes, you will.”

  She draws her face back. “Fine. Then when will I meet my true love?”

  “I didn’t say I was a fortune-teller.”

  “See, I knew it. I’m wasting my time.”

  “Wait,” says Kagami, angling her body towards him. “Try me. What am I thinking?” They make eye contact. He gazes at her a long time... seemingly longer than he usually does. I mean... normally, he knows what someone is thinking upon a second’s glance, doesn’t he? Like turning to see a face? So then, why are they staring at each other like they’re falling in love or something? They’re not… right? Right?!

  “Uh…” He hesitates. “You’re uh…” He coughs. “Wondering how Taiyo feels about you looking at me right now...”

  Her face flushes like a ghost, and she gasps. “H-huh?!” She turns away.

  “Sorry… I know it’s not the thought you intended to think, but that’s what came up… and I wanted to make sure I proved my ability to you… but I see you believe me now.”

  “L-liar…” she mutters.

  “I knew it!” shouts Yumi. What game you trying to pull here? You think this is a joke?”

  “Wait! How about I prove that my power is real?” I announce suddenly, everyone turning to face me, alarmed.

  “What? Power? Taiyo, what are you talking about?” Yumi asks, looking at me, and then Yuuto. “Have you both lost your minds?”

  “Taiyo has a power, too, that no one in your village knows about,” says Yuuto.

  Kagami gasps again. “He can’t read minds, too, can he?” she asks Yuuto.

  “What?!” Yumi asks her. “Do you believe them?”

  “No,” Yuuto says to Kagami. “Taiyo can talk to animals, the sun, the moon, the clouds, the stars, the trees, the flowers, and the earth beneath this stone ground. Not only can he talk to these things, but he can hear what they’re saying back to them. He can even tell them to do something for him, and they’ll do it.”

  “Now I know you’re crazy,” says Yumi. “I’ve known Taiyo my whole life and I’ve never seen him do anything like that.”

  “You’ve seen him talk to flowers several times throughout your life.”

  “So what? Just because he talks to flowers, doesn’t mean he can—wait a minute. How would you know what I’ve seen him do?”

  “Because I can read minds.”

  “Alright, now you’re pissing me off.”

  “How do you think he saved you and Akio from the Starlights?”

  “I-” she stops herself and faces me, her eyes suddenly wide with surprise. “I… totally forgot about that...�
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  “Taiyo, why don’t you just demonstrate? Pretend nobody’s watching.”

  Everyone silences and faces me. I gulp. I immediately cast my eyes to the ground so I can think. “Uh… o-okay...” I look around and try to think of what I need to do… but I can’t—my mind is blank. Then suddenly, a rush of energy pours through me, accelerating my heart beat and frying my concentration. I look at my hands and see them trembling. No. No. Not here. Not in front of them... not in front of her. My face tenses up in order to hide my inner panic, protecting myself from life-ending public humiliation—I can’t let them see… I can’t let them notice...

  “Take your time, Taiyo,” Yuuto says. “It’s alright. Just slow down… and take your time.”

  I feel better hearing Yuuto’s empathizing voice. It also helps knowing he can read my every thought and understand how I’m feeling.

  “Inhale and exhale slowly.” I listen to him and do it. “Do it one more time.” I do it. After the second time, I actually feel a lot better. I feel more calm... and I can focus. I can actually think about what I’m doing now. Amazing. It’s incredible how much panic can fog my brain, preventing me from initiating even the simplest tasks. I know it makes me look dumb or mentally handicapped in some way. I’m sure that’s probably what Kagami and Yumi are thinking right now. I’m sure that’s what everyone from my village already thinks of me. After seeing me like this, Kagami and Yumi probably find me less attractive...

  Anyway… what am I doing? Oh yeah. I look around until my eyes arrive at the porthole. the moon. That’s it. I’ll speak to the moon.

  “Come on,” Yuuto gestures the girls. “He wants us to follow him to the porthole.”

  I lead them there and fix my gaze on the luminous moon. “He-hello. Good evening.”

  “Good evening, Taiyo. It’s been a while.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. Things have been rough. But on a lighter note, I’d like you to meet my friends.” I turn to face each of them, pointing at them with my open hand. “This is Yumi, Yuuto, and Kagami.”

  “I’m glad you’ve found friends, Taiyo. It’s good to meet them.”

  I turn to Yumi and Kagami, grinning, but their reactions aren’t what I expected. They stand attentive like they’re still waiting for something to happen. “Did-did you guys hear that?”

  Kagami shakes her head. “N-no...”

  “Hear what? Did I miss something?” Yumi asks.

  “Taiyo, nobody can hear what the moon is saying back to you,” says Yuuto. “Only you can hear, remember? Ask her to do something for you. Have her summon an animal or something.”

  I nod. “Oh right. Sorry.” Wow. I feel stupid. I should have known that. I gaze at the moon again. “I forgot nobody can hear you, except for me. But I’m trying to prove to my friends that I can communicate with you.”

  “Would you like me to do something, Taiyo?”

  “Yes. Can you summon an animal?”

  “Sure, Taiyo. What animal?”

  “Any animal. Whichever one is closest. Are there any nearby?”

  “There is one hiding just outside the fort. He’ll arrive at your destination in a few minutes.”

  “What animal should we be looking for, Taiyo?” Yuuto asks.

  “Oh uh… sorry. Hold on, I’ll ask her…” I face the moon again. “What animal are you sending?”

  “A purple viper, Taiyo.”

  I face Yuuto. “A purple viper.”

  “What? Is that a snake?” shrieks Yumi. “Well actually… we’ll see if one even shows up.”

  “Where is it coming from?” Kagami asks me suddenly as I shudder, making awkward eye contact with her.

  “Do-do you want me to ask?” My face feels frozen again—I feel like I look stupid. And why did I ask such a dumb question? Of course she wants me to ask.

  “Look!” says Yuuto with peeled eyes, pointing at the porthole. “It’s coming from outside the porthole.”

  Kagami gasps, her body flinching and tensing. “Ah!” screams Yumi, jumping and then cuffing her mouth. This attracts the attention of the other Leferians in the cell. They face her with curiosity, but since they are unable to see anything in the dark, they lose interest and go back to sleep—thankfully, no one but us noticed the snake. “Is it poisonous?” Yumi asks.

  “Do you want me to ask him?” I offer.

  “What? You can talk to it?”

  “He can talk to all animals, Yumi,” says Yuuto.

  “You better tell it not to bite me…”

  “I’m sure he’s friendly,” I say. “Even though most animals I meet are scared at first, they’re always friendly after I speak to them.” I look at the purple viper. His body stretches to about four inches, fairly wide. His head is sharp and pointy. When he sticks out his tongue, it comes out far like a lizard’s. His underbelly is white, while the tip of his tail is black. His eye color is hazel. Coming into the moonlight, he raises his head and looks at me. I approach him, but don’t touch. They don’t like to be touched if they don’t know you.

  “You sent for me, Taiyo?”

  “That’s right, I sent for you. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, too, Taiyo.”

  “My friends want to know if you bite, and are poisonous.”

  “I’m one of the deadliest snakes in the world. My venom can kill those I bite in seconds. I’m very proud of that.”

  “Don’t tell the girls that, Taiyo...” Yuuto warns me.

  “What? Why? What did he say?” asks Yumi.

  “But don’t worry,” the viper continues as I face him again. “Nobody messes with me so I’m a very chill snake. I almost never attack. I never need to.”

  I nod and grin. “That’s awesome.”

  “You’re amazing, Taiyo,” says Kagami suddenly, pulling my attention and surprising me. “I can’t believe you can talk to the moon and animals. You can even tell them what to do… I never knew this about you. How come you never told anyone?”

  I look down, trying to gather my thoughts. “I… well I…”

  “Because he didn’t know that what he could do was special,” says Yuuto, everyone facing him. “He thought that everyone could hear what animals were saying back to them. He often saw people talking to animals—you know it’s normal for people to talk to animals, especially their pets. But he thought that some people didn’t like to do it, especially when it came to speaking with flowers, clouds, the sun, or the moon. People didn’t do that as much—unless that person was odd. This didn’t help boost Taiyo’s confidence. He’s always been a shy person already. He rarely talked to anyone in his village and didn’t build relationships with any of them. So nobody ever found out his secret. He didn’t know he was special until he met me and I told him about his power—I knew about his power because I could read his mind. This was also around the time he learned he could tell things of nature what to do and that they’d do it without question.”

  “Wow… this is all really hard to believe…” says Yumi. “But wait…” she turns to face me. “Is this how… is this how you were able to carry me, Akio, and Talden back home that day you saved us? It was you that saved us, wasn’t it? You summoned animals to help?”

  I nod.

  “What happened that day by the way? What attacked us? How did you save us?”

  “We’ll answer that another time, Yumi,” says Yuuto.

  She turns to face him. “So you really can read minds then?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re the one the Darkane have been after this whole time?”

  “Yes, but they’re not just after me. They’re after everyone with supernatural gifts.”

  “You mean there are more people like you guys out there?” She pauses. “Why have I lived my whole life never seeing anything like this before? I mean for earth’s sake, Taiyo has powers?! Since when? How have I never known about this? How many other people I know have super-powers? Do I have super-powers?”

  “No.”

 
“Is that all you have to say?!”

  “None of that is important right now. We’re telling you about us so you know how we can help you.”

  “Help us? Are you kidding me? You guys have super-powers!”

  “Yes, but Fraisha is a lightning god now…”

  “Was he always? I’ve never seen him demonstrate before earlier tonight.”

  “It’s a lot to explain, but right now, Taiyo and I want to plan an escape with you guys. We don’t know what to do on our own, so we need your help, even if just for that.”

  “But I’m confused. Have you guys really had your powers this whole time?”

  He hesitates to answer. I shift my eyes to the ground, gulping. “Uh, y-yes…” he replies.

  “Then why didn’t you… do anything? You know we could have used your help a long time ago. It would have changed everything. It would have… saved lives…”

  The cell silences. “I-I’m sorry, Yumi…” I say suddenly, everyone facing me. “I’m sorry, Kagami. I’m sorry everyone...” I pause. “I should have done something… I should have helped...”

  “But you didn’t know you had powers until you met me, remember?” says Yuuto.

  “Yeah, but even after, I still didn’t do anything… because I’m selfish. I’m stupid. I’m useless…”

  “You were scared… and you doubted yourself… it’s no different for me...”

  “But there was nothing you could do, Yuuto. You can read minds, but you can’t summon animals and tell them what to do… there are so many things I could have done… but I didn’t do a thing. I’m stupid and selfish…”

  “No, there were things I could have done, too, but didn’t… it’s because like you I was scared…”

  “But at least you’re trying something now…” says Kagami suddenly, my heart skipping a beat at the sound of her voice. I lift my head to face her, and find her facing me—I almost gasp.

  “Yeah…” says Yumi. “Don’t beat yourselves up. It’s okay. I get it. You guys never asked to be born with super-powers. You never asked for so much responsibility and expectations. And besides… I… I never got a chance to thank you for saving me and Akio that day… so thank you… Taiyo.” Then, she faces Yuuto. “It also has to be scary knowing that people are traveling the world in search of you because of your powers. It makes sense why you’re afraid to let anyone know about it.”