Ten - Part 1

by Sin Ribbon

  The white-eyed child places the rotted apple back among the batch. The infection spreads to the others instantly. Olivia watches with stunned horror as the entire basket of apples withers into a pile of decay. She takes a slow inhale to regain composure and forces a warm expression.

  “Qiu, is that you?”

  The girl turns to Olivia, unresponsive but clearly astute. Her eyes size the woman up, assessing.

  Olivia leans down to meet her eyeline. “Who am I talking to right now?”

  The white eyes narrow into a hardened glare. Olivia shifts backward, unsure of what to anticipate. Though she stands before a mere child, the woman senses something primeval lurking behind those milky eyes—eons of legacy, a knowledge beyond time. It grips her to the core of her being.

  “You won’t win.” The words slither out—low, derisive—just as the white drains from Qiu’s eyes and she collapses. Olivia rushes to her side, touching her palm to the child’s forehead then checking her pulse. She shakes her gently in an attempt to rouse her.

  “Qiu, come back, honey.”

  The child moans as her eyes flicker open. She bobs her head in a daze.

  “All right, time to go.”

  Olivia has but a foot in height over the eight-year-old, but she manages to help Qiu to her feet.

  The youth staggers with Olivia’s support back to the Prius. The woman buckles a half-conscious Qiu into the passenger seat and checks her vitals again. No temperature and a steady heartbeat.

  Rounding back to the driver’s side, she braces herself against the car and runs her fingers through her hair. The image of the rotting food wrinkles her brow with concern. With a deep breath, she pulls open the door and hops in.

  ◊ ◊ ◊

  The noonday sun hides behind a valley of clouds in the sky. The wind has picked up, gusting against the motel’s aging windows in brief moments of fury.

  Qiu sits on the edge of one of the twin beds, sipping apple juice from a juice box. She slumps forward with eyes half-closed, feeble from exhaustion.

  Olivia exits the bathroom and moves to sit down next to the girl. “Feeling any better?”

  The girl nods meekly as the final remainders of juice struggle to make it through her straw.

  “Okay,” Olivia begins as she claims the juice box. “You have some explaining to do, young lady.” The child meets Olivia’s gaze, blinking in slow intervals. She stares, confused. “I met a different side of you. A white-eyed you.”

  Qiu draws back in surprise. She averts her eyes and brings her knees to her chest, curling into a tiny ball. “I’m glad she didn’t hurt you ...”

  Olivia straightens. “So you are aware of her. I take it this is the one protecting you?”

  Qiu buries her face in her arms, ashamed. A muffled yes escapes through her protective cocoon.

  “And you know she has special powers?”

  “... Yeah.”

  “She didn’t seem to like me very much.”

  “She doesn’t like anyone.”

  Olivia places a gentle hand on Qiu’s back. “Do you think she’s a bad person?”

  The girl shrugs. “She protects me. I dunno how, but ...” She tenses. “I see their faces afterward.”

  “I saw her turn food to dust.” Qiu doesn’t respond, so Olivia scoots off the edge of the bed to kneel in front of her. “What else does she do?”

  “I don’t know!” The child lifts her head, revealing watery eyes. “Whenever she comes, I go to sleep! I only see her in my dreams with the others!”

  Olivia tilts her head, scrutinizing. “Others?”

  “Yeah, the white-eyed girl who looks just like me—she’s the only one who talks to me—and there’s three more. They’re tall. Grown-ups. A lady and two men, I think. They’re always far away, so I can’t see them very well, okay?!”

  “Shh.” The woman pulls Qiu’s tangled bangs to the side. “It’s all right. I just want to help you, sweetheart.”

  The girl sniffles and wipes her nose with her arm. “You’re not gonna take me somewhere, right? Abandon me?”

  Olivia softens with a sympathetic smile. “No, I won’t. I promised, remember?”

  Qiu nods, seeming to calm down.

  “Now, can you tell me more about the dreams?”

  “Um ... It’s dark. There’s lots of steam. Voices. At first, all I saw was four people in the distance. Their eyes would glow different colors. Then the girl with white eyes started coming up to me. She would talk but not with words. It felt like she knew everything about me. The last time I saw her, she put her hand on my chest. It felt so cold, like she was made of ice.” She rubs her shoulders for warmth as she recalls the memory. “When I woke up, I was freezing.”

  The child trembles with fright. Olivia wraps her arms around her, running a hand over her head just as the tears return. She grabs a tissue and hands it to Qiu. “I think I have something that will cheer you up.”

  The girl scrunches her face into the tissue and dries her eyes. With a red nose, she meets the woman’s gaze. “What is it?”

  With a smile, Olivia pulls away. She holds out her palm, and a tiny pinprick of light bursts forth, hovering an inch above her hand. It flickers as it grows into a marble-sized glimmer.

  “Wow!” Qiu leans in, marveling at the magical light. She pokes at it with her finger, but the light bends around it. “Olivia, you have powers too?!”

  She nods. “It’s why I’m researching people with special abilities. For a long time, all I studied and wrote about was human history.” Olivia stares at the steady pulse of light, pensive. A deep sadness lurks in her tone. “But several years ago, I started having strange feelings too. Then I found that I could do this.” The light erupts into a flash before it vanishes. Olivia smirks. “I can do a lot more than that.”

  Mouth agape, Qiu snatches Olivia’s hand and inspects it for any indication of trickery. The woman beams as she watches the sparkles dance in the child’s eyes, pleased that Qiu’s wonder and curiosity so quickly buries her fear.

  “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

  Qiu shrinks back, apprehensive. “But what about, you know, the other me? She wants me to go, um ... you said it was northeast, right?”

  Olivia takes Qiu’s hand, meeting the child’s worried stare. “Are you afraid she’ll do something bad if you don’t go?” She responds with a timid nod. “Well then, I think we should go. I want to find out about this other side of you too.”

  Relieved, Qiu hops off the bed and races into the bathroom to start the shower. After a moment, she pops her head out. “Olivia ... thank you. I really like you now.” She darts back and shuts the door.

  Olivia chuckles weakly before leaning back on the bed. She stretches, allowing her body to relax, and holds up her hand to create another charge of light in her palm. It glows white-hot with a vibrating rim of pinks, blues, and purples. She watches it, ambivalent.

  ~ SIXTEEN ~

  Allister

  Sky blue eyes, free from clouds, open to a brilliant green hue. Allister tries to shift backward so he can focus on the image hovering so close to his face, but he finds himself slumped on a couch with little room to wiggle. He blinks to help his eyes adjust.

  Before him stands a lean, freckled woman. She has soft cheekbones, accented by a short, tousled hairstyle painted in flames. Her stunning emerald eyes stare with irreverent youth. She looks him over like a detached doctor, assessing his condition with a half-bitten lip.

  “Hmm, seems fine to me.”

  “Thank you for your overwhelming concern,” Allister moans, fully opening his eyes.

  “Oh! Good, you are awake. I thought you were doing that creepy, eyes-half-open-but-still-asleep thing.” She stands upright and slaps a hand over her flexed bicep. “You can thank me for helping carry your heavy ass up to our apartment.”

  She’s a mix of dry wit with a fool’s sense of adventure, the kind who leaps before looking. Her small breasts are tucked behind a loose floral tank top. He spi
es a belly button poking out above the rim of her tattered, black shorts.

  The redhead grins from ear to ear and places her hands triumphantly on her hips. “We were worried about you there. It’s Allister, right? You’re safe here.”

  The Brit leans forward, propping himself between his knees as he rubs his forehead. “At least one of us is cheery. What the bloody hell happened? Where’s Sebastian?”

  “He’s in the bathroom, no worries. Everyone else went to get groceries for dinner. You want a beer or something?”

  He grins, tilting his head to meet her gaze. “Where have you been all my life?”

  “In the U.S. You should get out more.”

  Allister cocks an intrigued eyebrow. “And your name is?”

  “Orion.” The redhead strolls into the tiny but open kitchen space just as Sirius bounds into the room and circles her legs. The pup freezes when he spies Allister resting on the couch. He barks to alert his master, but she quickly calms him with a scratch on his rear. “It’s okay, boy. Go say hi.”

  Tentative, the pooch steps towards the blond stranger. He sniffs the air before determining Allister trustworthy enough to approach.

  “Hey, buddy.” The Brit extends a hand. A prideful Sirius bears his teeth. “Or not ...” The pup pulls an about-face and trots back to Orion’s side. She chuckles as she leans against the countertop.

  “He’ll warm up to you.”

  “Mmhmm.” A sarcastic response. The Brit manages to push himself to his feet. He steps into the kitchen as Sebastian exits the bathroom in the hall.

  “Allister!” He rushes to his brother’s side and wraps his arms around him. “Thank Christ you’re all right!”

  “Whoa, hey.” Allister rubs an awkward hand on his brother’s back.

  “Hey?! What the fuck do you mean hey?!” Sebastian shoves Allister back. “You collapsed! You started spewing this, this black cloud! I thought you were dying!” He stammers over his words as his eyes begin to water. “Don’t you remember anything?!”

  “I, um ...” Allister runs his fingers through his hair. Flashes come back to him—the coughing, falling to his knees, then nothing. “I ... remember the park. I started coughing—”

  “You fucking collapsed!” Sebastian shoves his taller counterpart again, fighting back tears. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve never read whatever that was in a medical textbook!”

  “Hey, hey!” Orion interrupts. She steps between the brothers and meets the younger Brit’s eyes with reassuring confidence. “Easy now. Remember what Siha said? We’ve got Madison. We know what to expect. Everything’s gonna be okay.” Sebastian takes a breath. He pauses, flustered when he notices Orion has a couple more inches in height on him, just shy of his brother’s six feet.

  “Someone going to fill me in?” Allister interjects.

  Orion slaps a firm hand on Allister’s back. “Let the psychic explain. She’s better at it. Said she’d lay it all out for us at dinner.”

  The blond rubs the back of his neck, confused but too tired to persist. “Fair enough.” Sebastian exhales to calm himself, but the elder Brit can see the storm still swelling within him. Whatever horrible thing that happened outside Allister’s memory has shaken his brother to the core. He pulls Sebastian in for a genuine hug. Warmed, the young Brit squeezes his brother tight.

  The redhead smirks at their tender bromance and opens the fridge, grabbing a few cans of beer. She passes them out and cracks hers open. “Tonight should be interesting,” she declares with a facetious grin. Exchanging a look of mutual cynicism, the trio clanks their cans together.

  ~ SEVENTEEN ~

  Thane

  Steam billows up from the hot water pouring out of the kitchen sink. Thane stands behind it, washing dishes and preparing for dinner. Next to him sways a bored Allister who dries the plates and glassware. The melody of Siha’s cello permeates the air. She sits in the living room with eyes closed and fingers waltzing along the neck of her instrument. Orion shares the dining room table with Sebastian, Riya, and Madison. Their meager four-person table has been extended to seat six, offering a cramped but intimate social experience.

  Thane spots Allister eyeing the quartet behind them—Orion and the three newcomers laughing and sharing anecdotes—but he lingers on Thane’s fiery roommate. The dark-haired man can only roll his eyes.

  Noticing, Allister turns to him with feigned interest. “Something to say?”

  “Oh, just musing at how you’ll get past the first line of defense.”

  The Brit grins. “So she is available? Wasn’t sure if you two were together.”

  Thane groans and continues washing.

  “Although I do fancy that brunette as well. She’s rather lovely.”

  The dark-haired man sets his current plate in the sink and leans on the rim, leering at the Brit. “Are you just going to hit on every woman you encounter?”

  Allister leans in, confronting Thane’s sullen demeanor. “From my limited understanding, shit is properly hitting the fan right now, so you can’t blame a man for being curious about a bloody date.”

  “Mm, very principled. I’m sure you have their best interests at heart.”

  Allister firms his gaze. “You know, I’m glad you’ve warmed to me. I was concerned there for a while.”

  With a scoff, Thane returns to the dishes.

  Dinnerware clean, Thane and Allister set the table as Orion pulls a meatloaf out of the oven. The smell of beef, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes captivates the hungry group, especially Sirius who paces the perimeter of the kitchen hoping for a lucky spill. Thane pulls a large bowl of broccoli out of the microwave and wafts the steam away. With the food set in the center of the table, the youngsters are the first to reach for a portion. Orion slaps Madison’s hand away which discourages Sebastian and Riya from being too hasty.

  Everyone pulls up their chairs. Thane grabs his therapeutic glass of bourbon while Orion, Allister, Sebastian, and Riya help themselves to beer. As they get comfortable, Siha finally stands and stretches to relieve her back after an hour of playing. She rests her cello and bow in the corner before joining the others.

  “Now?” Madison inquiries, impatiently bouncing in his seat.

  Orion scowls, chastising. “Aren’t you about to be an adult? Don’t you know what to say when someone gives you something?”

  Madison shrinks. “... Thank you?”

  “That’s better. Dig in, everyone!”

  “Yes, thank you. It smells wonderful,” Sebastian chimes.

  Riya lowers her head for a brief prayer before reaching for a share.

  Allister eyes the young Indian woman, surprised. “You eat beef?”

  “Yeah, what’s it to you?” she snaps. The blond shrugs, his expression implying that she’s overreacting. Riya concedes with an exhale. “The prayer is for myself. I never expected to have a place to eat and sleep after getting thrown out, so I think that’s worth a prayer.”

  Siha glances at Riya with a smile of affirmation and nudges closer to the table. She and Thane wait for everyone to serve themselves before fixing their own plates. Their eyes meet briefly as they help themselves.

  “Wonderfully said,” Sebastian adds. Riya lowers her head to hide the subtle smile on her face.

  To Thane’s chagrin, Allister soon finds someone else to engage. “That music was beautiful, Siha. Was that Chopin?” He props his elbows on the table and leans in.

  Siha brightens, impressed. “Yes, actually.”

  Allister turns to Thane, flaunting a wry smirk. “Nocturne in E flat major, I believe?”

  “Indeed. You certainly have an ear for classical music.”

  Thane’s size twelve kicks Allister’s ankle, causing the Brit to yelp and curse under his breath. The two exchange fearsome glares while Orion and Sebastian snicker at their clashing, bullheaded natures.

  Riya rolls her eyes and turns her attention to the cellist. “Anyway ... Siha, I was hoping you might fill us in on those details. You’re psy
chic, right?”

  Siha cocks her head to the side, interlocking her fingers on the table. “Well, not in the same sense you are. I can see parts of the future and past, but I don’t hear thoughts like you do.”

  Sebastian and Allister share a wide-eyed look, all while the younger Brit’s face flushes to a beet red. “Y-you can hear thoughts, Riya?” His voice quivers.

  “No wonder,” Allister mutters.

  The Indian-American nods as a teasing grin crests her lips. “It seems I can. Been having a rough time figuring it out these past few days. Part of me wondered if I was losing it, but I guess Siha just confirmed I’m not crazy.”

  Thane raises his eyebrows in astonishment while Madison and Orion gawk with wonder. Sebastian dabs his mouth with a napkin and turns his attention to the dark-haired host. “Thane, would you point me in the direction of your nearest window so I may leap out of it?” He excuses himself from the table and promptly heads for the bathroom.

  Riya giggles. “Poor Sebastian. He’s mortified.”

  “Yeah, we gathered that,” Allister quips, taking a swig of beer. Riya frowns and kicks him under the table. He chokes on his drink. “Can everyone stop doing that?!”

  “Actually,” Riya continues, “I’m still trying to grasp how to control it. The first time it happened, a million voices flooded into my head, but since then, it hasn’t been so intense. I’m getting the hang of homing in on specific people.”

  “It will get better.” Siha places her hand over Riya’s. “Soon enough, you’ll be able to project your thoughts to us telepathically.”

  Riya’s mouth drops open while the others exchange a mix of concerned and bewildered glances. “Seriously?! That’s insane! So just to you guys or like anybody?”

  “Anyone within a given radius. Over time, that range will increase, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you develop the ability to link to the ten of us no matter the distance.”