Chapter 2—Michael
“So it is starting to come back,” he said out of relief.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRWnSPRP9e
“What’s coming back?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbReiyoy7f
“Your memories,” he said. “All of these images, they’re your memories. Pay closer attention to them,” he added, stepping aside. I walked up to an image and placed my hand on it.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8jR2ZkCZ3
In a flash of light I was watching a birthday party, where a younger version of me was blowing out the candles on a cake. In the spots my parents were supposed to be, though, were two blank, white spots.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNtdXxk0iT
“What’s with the blankness?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnoJcLxZ4g
“The memory’s been blocked,” he explained. “Somebody doesn’t want you to know the truth about who you are.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XpxbrZXCf
“Who, though?” I asked him, even though I thought he was just a figment of my imagination.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCpTxOBhfK
“No, I’m not somebody you’re imagining,” he told me, almost as if he was reading my mind. “I really am dead, but this is the real me that you are seeing in front of you.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEKnbEZXW6
“Wait, what?” I demanded.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkNqCe7JKV
“You have a powerful gift,” he told me. “You are a Bridge.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqA6Bt7ZHW
“A what?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuV1tqM3CI
“A Bridge,” he repeated. “A Bridge is a person who can communicate with people who have died.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKm7FzQBNHa
“Are you serious?” I demanded. I was sure right then that it was a dream.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvScbFYLSr
“Very serious,” Michael told me. “I am very glad to see you awake, though. I couldn’t contact you when you were in the coma, or else I could have explained this all to you then.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0cWJPe5Xn
“No problem, big bro,” I replied, feeling strangely light-headed for being asleep.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHN3fRPC4L
“That’s another thing,” he said. “I’m not your brother.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WlZKTRkNq
“What?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkA71o2qmSN
“Everything my parents told you was a lie,” he told me. “They aren’t your parents, either.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBZ9r0QnBP
“What are they doing, then?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2tLYRFNUn
“They are Destroyers,” he told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr6FWDD9j6
“You lost me.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZFtHM6gFg
“Destroyers are the only people able to get rid of a Bridge’s power,” he told me. “That’s why they call themselves ‘Destroyers’. They ‘destroy’ Bridges.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0svv3b9wfh
“What does this have to do with me?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdiEPaodY4
“My parents are special kinds of Destroyers. They take a Bridge into their home and try to ‘rehabilitate’ them so that they don’t need their powers anymore,” he explained. “That’s what they tried with you. They took you in when you were small and raised you as their own, hoping to erase any trace of Bridge powers in you just by keeping you ignorant of them.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWG6aYNTMtp
“What happened, then?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl45aPBsUJH
“It didn’t work,” he told me. “Now, so that you don’t get confused, some, but not all of what they said was true, but very little of it. About a month before the ‘accident’, they discovered that you had been Bridging with Dad’s ancestors.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQY7yoZI9Tn
“Bridging?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZHR3SPseq
“‘Bridging’ is when a Bridge uses their power like you are,” he said. “When they discovered this, they tried to keep you busier to prevent you from having a chance to Bridge, but then you started doing it in your sleep, like you are now. From then until the accident they had been preparing a Wipe.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvbVu2MS1b
“What’s a ‘Wipe’?” I asked him, confused by all the terminology.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44Uv45ltMl
“It’s when they wipe your memories and start you over from scratch,” he said. “It usually blocks a Bridge’s powers without getting rid of them, which kills the Bridge.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7i5BodqR2
“Why didn’t they?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeUvsrxelO
“I helped you escape,” he told me. “I had already known you were a Bridge, so when I found out they were going to Wipe you, I helped you escape. I snuck you out of the house and we managed to get five miles away before they found out. They sent out vehicles to stop us, and one of them ended up pushing us over a cliff, which caused the wreck. They were heart-broken when I died, but relieved that you had lived. The people they sent after us performed a Wipe on you before anybody could get there.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7teUn08gC
“How is a Wipe done?” I asked.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1yujxyzjR
“They inject a chemical into your brain, which causes permanent memory loss,” he explained.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwd94SsIRm
“How is it I can see all these memories, then?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbm1V1z68UC
He sighed and sat down in a chair that appeared out of nowhere. “I saved your life,” he said. “When the car was going over the cliff, you weren’t buckled in. You were about to go flying out of the car, which would have killed you for sure, but I pulled you back in. I don’t remember it exactly, but whatever I did, it cost me my life. That sacrifice, a life for a life, created a bond between us.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamFDSIe925
“Think of it as a backup for a computer. We had each others’ memories. When they performed the Wipe on you, I still had a copy of them all, so I kept them safe until I could return them to you, which I am doing right now as we speak,” he told me. “Also, because of the bond, I can still contact you, which restored your connection to your powers.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86Icb3h0wa
He was about to say more, but my vision flickered to darkness and back.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4d1uASOj9C
“We don’t have much time before you wake up,” he said nervously. “I’ll contact you tomorrow night. If my parents spend the night at your room tomorrow, don’t hold your coin. If they leave for home, hold it in your left hand over your heart as you fall asleep. This will let me know it’s safe for us to talk without them knowing.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEBRjjnehR
“What am I supposed to do during the day?” I asked him as it started to fade.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡizUXT2xUzr
“Act like you did yesterday,” he told me. “And do not tell anybody of this.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfk5lgulo2
He waved goodbye to me and I barely had a chance to return it before I woke up to a knocking at the door.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCDG8LOnYK
“Come in,” I said, eyes flashing open.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvLkTKoFsT
“How did you sleep?” the nurse asked as she walked in to check that my vitals were still all where they were supposed to be.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3iOZ0MeOD
“Like a log,” I replied, stretching as much as I could.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxIF8RlSs6
“Looks like we can detach you from some of these machines,” she told me with a smile when she saw all the results, which were fine.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqzpTAiwLV
“Thank you,” I told her. She detached me from the EKG and an IV drip.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJuVGHerWl7
“If you need anything, just press the button,” she told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Gs2ILaA6s
“Thank you,” I replied. When she left and had the door closed behind her I got out of bed and raced for the bathroom as fast as I could.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoL3vVOJImp
As soon as I was done I grabbed a pair of boxers from the bag ‘Dad’ brought from home and pulled them on to give myself a sense of privacy before going back to the bathroom and looking into the mirror.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwynOlvAFC
“Who am I?” I asked myself as I looked into the mirror. I pondered over that question for ten minutes before deciding that I would ask Michael the next night, if his parents weren’t at the hospital then.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesMpSgs8RT
“How did you sleep, honey?” Mom asked me when they got there. They may not be my parents, but it’s easier to put it down like this.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdyAnSO6ku
“Good,” I replied. “How did you sleep?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTc31Y9w2g
“Very good, thank you,” she said. “Has your breakfast arrived yet?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgLdv9fgxO
“No, but it should be soon,” I told her. “Where’s Dad?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUpBtomeoF
“He had to go to work,” she said. She showed me a bag she brought with her. “I brought more stuff from home,” she told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyIZ497l3h
“Thanks,” I replied, taking the bag from her. Inside the bag were a couple of books, a model car and a packet of papers.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeMwYa1WFA
“What the packet for?” I asked her.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNdmSDoPNh
“Slips that need to be signed,” she said. “I just put them in there because they’d be easier to carry,” she added, pulling them out.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViWgGgUJSF
I pulled out the model car out of the bag. “1969 Charger, right?” I asked Mom, holding it up to the light.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX3BsMWqBE
She dropped the papers. “How do you know that?” she demanded.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAUp2CEiPx
Oops. “I may not have my memory, but I can still tell you the year of any car you place in front of me,” I said, making up something fast.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFme6YAMix
She smiled. “That’s good,” she said. “That means you still have your fundamental knowledge.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EhJujEaro
She was right about that. From what I could recall, every time I would make another model car, I’d study up on the make, model, and model year.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qcIFoPeNR
“That was the first model car you ever built,” she told me. “You worked on it with your father.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6afYaH5ic
“It’s cool,” I commented. I set it on the bedside table right before there was a knock at the door.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJMn2bFlvk
“Come in,” I said. The door opened and someone came in with my breakfast.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UAxXpZxpQ
“Thank you,” I replied. The person nodded and set the tray on the table before walking back out.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdDo4GU0H1
“Do you want me to bring it over to you?” Mom asked me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5E7dzdnkl6
“No, I’ve got it,” I told her. I climbed out of bed and managed to make it to at chair that was sitting next to the table.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWneXi7hZr5
“You’re looking a lot better today,” she told me when I finished eating.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwlAG7J0Lg
“Thanks. A good night’s sleep can do a lot.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeGqfditm9
“Did you have any strange dreams?” she asked.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLLDCcU2tn
“Nope,” I replied, not missing a beat.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTmr3WIfqe
“That’s good,” she said.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1aprQz7xa
Over the next hour another psychologist came by to check on me and they drew some blood to run some tests on.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡziZCn2pHdC
“If the results are good, you should be able to leave tomorrow,” the doctor from the beginning told us. “We just want you to stay after one more night to make sure.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXl2IdqG4H
“That’s okay,” I said.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOox2mpv3xU
We got comfortable and Mom ended up having to leave for work, and Dad wouldn’t be there for four hours, so I took a nap, not caring if Michael decided to communicate or not.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWHPq5MMHl
“I thought I told you to hold the coin,” Michael told me the moment I closed my eyes.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBAnVhslxG1
“That’s for tonight,” I told him. “I was just planning to take a short nap before your dad gets here in four hours.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2KhrhSmHO
“Do you know if you’re going home tonight or not?” he asked me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIKKXCsfz4
“No idea yet,” I replied. “If the results are good, though, I’m being released tomorrow.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbMmd8819e
“Have you found the flash drive?” he asked me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWqa3moXfQ
“Yeah. Why?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HTAOLSnSx
“Those of us who are have a bond with a Bridge can influence events in the real world slightly, so I had my mother grab the journal with the flash drive in it,” he explained. “When you get home and have a good chance, plug it into the computer in your room and play the video.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHHiBk27ju
“What is the video about?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sufHmM7IE
“It’s you,” he told me. “You made a video before we left, knowing that there would be a chance of a Wipe being performed so that you will know who you are.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8v2fu6wXaO
“Who am I, anyway?” I asked.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWJdRmZWRKk
“You’ll find out in the video,” he told me. Everything started to fade again.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpg8RFfTFtR
“At least tell me my real name!” I told him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44eIcLnh28
“Liam!” he yelled as he faded even more. “Liam Fisher!”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJlGvve3Eq
“There one check off the list for my identity,” I told myself when I woke up to an empty room. “Liam Fisher,” I mumbled. “Sounds nice.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZHQMSyCmu
A few minutes later Dad walked in. “Hello, there,” he said when he saw me. “How was your night?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbCERDMyZq
“Good. How was yours?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55ALU0f3i2
“Good, thanks for asking,” he told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ThZ1GXH1x
“Anytime.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvP5lfpr88
He sat down in a chair and I adjusted my bed so that I was sitting upright enough to be comfortable.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n71uKU06B
“What did your mother bring from home?” he asked me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwqe8I9QGau
“Some books and a model car,” I told him, gesturing to the bag and car.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XO9NVfmo7
He smiled when he saw the car. “Do you know what car that is?” he asked.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFYwdPTYJFz
“1969 Charger,” I told him. “I had almost the same conversation with Mom.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡikSmWTrKzy
“Does this mean your memory is coming back?” he asked me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmvGSK1pPF
“No. I just know what kind it is,” I replied.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxrcGtHtpR
“It’s also the first model car we ever built together,” he added.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0iFqjgE4K
“Mom told me,” I told him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hkOC43d1j
He nodded and sat down in a chair, looking at me strangely.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qEckL5ziY
I did my best to ignore the look as I pulled out a random book from the bag Mom brought that day. Fortunately, this book wasn’t hollow, so I opened to the first page and started reading. It was one of those mystery novels with hidden passages mentioned every other page. I had reached halfway through the book when I saw a picture slipped in between the pages.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvyOXuoOK9
Making sure Dad didn’t see it, I adjusted it so that I could see it. It was a picture of me at a birthday party, the same as the memory Michael showed me, but this time, instead of blank spaces, two people were standing behind me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKabx74A6g
My real parents.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcWZ5kybNd
I almost dropped the book out of shock, and I would have if my mind weren’t thinking back to the memory, replacing the fake picture with the real one in front of me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKl4c2RhwJk
I quickly recovered and slid the picture closer to the beginning of the book before I continued reading.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADIqROjuZ2
“What book is that?” Dad asked me a few minutes later.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsG90loGwy
I showed him the cover.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiFzOTAyA6
“That’s a good book,” he told me. I nodded and turned the page.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQviNqm0aIt
About an hour later I finished the book mere moments before there was another knock at the door.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOP9KbatE1
“Come in,” I said, tossing the book back into the bag.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFwY2MDSflw
The door opened and in came the doctor with a clipboard.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W0t0R3lJf
“What are the results, doc?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73BEz63RNY
“All of your tests results are great,” he told me. “I just need your father to sign some forms and I need talk with him privately.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGdvZnSuTS
Dad and I thanked him and they left to discuss whatever needed to be discussed.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHY7xy7cKsm
When the door closed again I grabbed the second book, flipping through the pages quickly in case I had hidden anything in it before the accident.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6hrdYrxLx
I had searched through it twice and was about to give up when I saw a slip of paper flutter out of it and land on my chest.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTqTiGTnyB
I picked it up and read the tiny, cramped words in it:708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqgA9EFMsV
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgxnbt5u49
Top shelf, exact middle. When you pull it out, push the button behind it.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gBHp3ff8c
“So that’s how you get to the hidden room,” I mumbled. I slid the piece of paper into the other book, next to the picture, and started reading the new book.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Cjy4jvl6m
“We can leave tomorrow at noon,” Dad told me a few minutes later as he walked back in.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs6c4rddrW
“That’s good news,” I replied. “What did he need to talk with you about?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO28zS9wgP
“He just needed to make sure we had a psychologist that can do a few check-ups to make sure you are mentally healthy,” he said. “Not much.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKmIrcjQPH
“Okay,” I replied, turning the page. A few minutes later somebody came by with my lunch, so Dad went down to the restaurant downstairs to eat while I ate in the hospital room.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXeLIy8EeQ
“How’s the food?” Michael asked me, appearing suddenly.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQfFF0WxfG
“Whoa!” I said loudly. “Did I fall asleep?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpf7K0y8vZT
“No, you didn’t,” he said, laughing lightly. “Bridges can use their powers when they’re awake or asleep. It just takes a bit more concentration while awake.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XpWgVJOTs
“How is this happening, though, when I don’t even know how to use my powers yet?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilFjWibxLV
“Did you already forget about the bond?” he asked. “Because of the bond we share, I can start the conversation without you having to do anything.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEJvJh5AzND
“Why are you here, though?” I demanded. “If your dad walks in, it won’t look good.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqQFpvhvTj
“Calm down,” he told me. “He just got to the restaurant downstairs. It’ll be at least ten minutes before he gets back.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvKE0ihG7g
“You’d better be right,” I told him. “By the way, thanks for having your mom grab those books.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucv1XxsL8Z
“Anytime,” he replied. “You should eat, though. I don’t want you getting sick any more than my parents do.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnC7iYHYCrs
I glared at him for a second before picking up my burger.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQSiUJpZKm
“You never answered my last question,” I told him between bites.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUyaQSSmKq
“I came here to help you gain control of your powers,” he said. “You see, Bridging is more than communicating with dead people.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KDm0bXyQO
“What else is there, then?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zVCHUol0P
“First of all, you can see what I can see,” he told me. “If you can talk to a person who has a bond with a Bridge, even if that Bridge isn’t you, then you can see what they can see as long as they are in this world. If they are where I was last time we talked, you can’t. For example, if I were to go down to the restaurant, you would be able to see Dad eating with a very low chance of him seeing me. He has very low sensitivity to usage of Bridge powers.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2MmN2mEzX
“Is there more than that?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaQ4tefYYn
“You can borrow the strength and knowledge of a person like me,” he explained. “A perfect example of this would be you borrowing my strength, which adds it to your own, and using it to break through a barrier.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOWu91TKvE
“This is sounding better by the second,” I said.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1waBWfZ2j
“The trick, though, is accessing those powers,” he said. “Every Bridge needs a specific item to give them access to those powers, almost like an amulet of sorts. That’s why I want you to hold onto that coin tonight if my parents aren’t here. That coin is your amulet. All of those materials it’s made of are conductors of Bridge energy. They enhance your powers enough for you to access them. Once you do it, it’ll be hard to forget.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExb5QCxnG7
“That’s another benefit for the Destroyers with the Wipe,” he told me. “It gets rid of the memory of how to access the powers so that, even if they realize what their powers are, it’ll be almost impossible for them to access their powers without a mentor.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pBd5g3JVJ
“Can’t you give me the memory when I access my powers so that I know how?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cbys4QXXs
“I can only give you so many memories at once without overloading your brain, which could turn counter-productive for you,” he told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8lB9MPjebB
“Where are you when you aren’t here?” I asked him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFhRRuZmL5
“Where all dead go,” he said simply.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThdsuYPUbC
“And that is…?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAC7Fi2T9t
“There is no name for it,” he told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpL7F4VrjB
“Okay, then,” I sighed. “Is there anything about home that your parents didn’t tell me?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmha2srQh4G
“A few,” he said. “First, the house is about four floors, has ten bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms. It’s huge.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBLEkuTRTFY
“Do I have any pets?” I asked.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJXsSRl1Jf
“Last I knew, you had a turtle,” he told me. “I’m not sure what happened to it after the accident. He was a cute little guy, about a year old. He was a birthday present after your goldfish died.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNTJfsvBZ7
“That was nice of them,” I commented. I grabbed the coin off the table. “So…how does this thing work?” 708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpksDEEIMu0
“I’ll show you that tonight,” he assured me. “It would take too long in the short time we have left.” He took a step back and closed his eyes. “Dad’s fifty feet down the hall,” he said. “Goodbye. Remember what I told you,” he added, fading the entire time.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkIaVIkVnd
Less than a second after he faded completely Dad walked in.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe0wT0yloWL
“How was lunch?” I asked Dad.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJhTJ1YHRc
“It was good,” he replied. “How’s yours?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sycog6En6
“Same,” I said. I finished my bottle of water and set the cover back onto the tray before going back to the bed.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFCnQtKWUE
“How far are you in that book?” Dad asked me when I was comfortable.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vdpRX1PJV
“Almost done,” I said. “It’s a good book.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryM3rcRsMN
“I’m glad you like it,” he told me. “It was your favorite.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVcgnbc18R
“I can tell why,” I replied. “It’s a good book.” I turned to the next page as Dad grabbed the remote and turned on the television and changed the channel to a news station.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuvNzR69ZN
“Would you like your mother or I to spend the night with you?” he asked me about an hour later when I had finished the book.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynzaTo2L3K
“I should do fine by myself tonight,” I told them, trying to not sound very eager.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbgm6P5N0Q
“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ94uQp8Thzu
“I’m sure,” I assured him. He stared at me for a few more seconds before looking back to the television.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1eRlvKePA
The next few hours were pretty monotonous, but not long after dinner Dad left to go home for the night.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY6sza9xvTP
“We’ll be back tomorrow at ten o’clock,” Dad told me. “Your mother and I are going to be spending the rest of today preparing for your arrival home.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebmUhoCEBN
“Okay,” I replied. He stood up and grabbed his coat, hugging me tightly before leaving.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqoEe9f9Cey
“You should get some more sleep before you leave tomorrow,” a nurse told me a few more minutes later as she came in to detach me from another machine.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijBXgHxd7U
“I probably will,” I replied.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4tbpIJcAf
When she left I snatched my coin off the bedside table and did as Michael said, holding it in my left fist, which I had positioned over my heart.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPbDTqd89i
“You fell asleep early,” Michael said when I closed my eyes.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06X9lGek0C
“Your dad left and neither of them will be coming back until ten tomorrow morning,” I replied.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtT3kZzLB2H
“Good,” he told me. “That’ll give us more time.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsayB2LSp5
“The first thing I am going to teach you is what your amulet does,” he said. “It is a conduit for your powers. It’s what allows you to focus. The materials have to be specific, or else it won’t work. It took you a while to find this coin online. Also, Destroyers have never been able to discover the exact materials need to make one, so they were clueless when you ordered the coin.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWukNMLUPh
“How do I use it, though?” I demanded.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXQwyLIyfg
“Hold the coin tightly,” he told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78Pd4TJI6E
“Already done.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2ULuiCdJg
“Now, the next part is a bit trickier,” he added. “You need to focus inside yourself, to every memory you have of somebody you know that has died. It would be easier if you use me since we’re already communicating.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURtw5o5sTY
I did as he said, going to every memory he gave me of him, from my first memory of him to the day before the accident.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF0TLG54G2
“Now that you have them all, focus all of that memory into a small part of yourself. Because of the coin, though, you can focus on that,” he told me. “Just imagine every memory flowing from your head into the coin.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYjQXMMtVr
I did this, too, and soon the coin began to glow dimly.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20a70SAzMq
“Good,” he murmured to himself. “Now, disconnect yourself from the memories.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7SFSCUyh4M
“What?” I demanded. “How is that possible?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbEaLZctLj
“You have a connection to all of your memories,” he told me. “If you look at it as an outsider you can see it. Imagine the connection being cut.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9LXj7mUgLj
I tried. I saw each memory as he said, and when I did I could see a connection, almost like a fine silver thread, leading from it to my body. I cut the cord. I did that with every memory until they were all disconnected.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoVmf2lj95Y
“That’s very good,” he said. “Now that you have essentially ‘downloaded’ your memories of me onto the coin, you are now able to contact me at any time. All that you need to do is be in contact with the coin. Once you do that, just focus on me and you will be able to do it.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpNNPxIk2o
“How was I able to contact the people who lived in the house a while ago, though?” I asked him. “I had no memories of them.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLioBImnNNg
“Before the accident, you had become quite skilled at Bridging,” he told me. “You could take in memories just by holding onto something that a deceased person held once. Almost all of your spare time was spent up in the hidden room, Bridging with people long dead.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIeoDlVO0c
“Impressive,” I said.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5a8QI98Lv
“Yeah. I’d show you how to do that stuff, but I don’t know how you were able myself,” he told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXxdskuxav
“Looks like it’s a mystery I’ll have to solve myself,” I replied.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHmByGrPoh
He spent the rest of the night teaching me how to tap into his former strength and to see through his eyes.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxEuaEyG7Dz
He was right about to tell me some of the secrets of the house when I woke up abruptly to knocking at the door.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTzLCI2pE3
“Come in!” I shouted, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDRqkTPP0u
“I’m here to take out the rest of the IV’s and disconnect you from everything else,” a nurse told me, opening the door as she spoke.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC3mDiqEAh
The first thing she did was unhook the needles for the IV’s that had already been taken out. Fortunately they were both in the same arm so that he didn’t have to use two bandages, only one large one.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqEVPDG4p8
“If this hurts, just let me know,” he told me as he unhooked and removed the last two IV’s. Fortunately, it didn’t hurt at all as he removed them quickly and painlessly, covering them both with a single bandage.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBMdcfelPR
“If there’s anything else you need, just let us know,” he told me before walking out.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOyTRRoE4mK
When he closed the door I grabbed the bag with clothes in it and went to the bathroom to get dressed.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjPjsYd0e7
“Was my sense of fashion really like this?” I asked myself. The clothes all looked like they were from designer stores, which they probably were. I’m not bashing that style, but I just prefer the more casual look.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZ3wtsd9Hu
I didn’t really have any other choice, though, so I pulled on the polo shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsauaZf6uFl
“Well, you look nice,” Mom asked as she and Dad walked in at ten o’clock exactly.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMq6NQe6Ak
“Thanks,” I replied.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvBqf2BBsI
“We got your room cleaned and back to the way you had it before…” Dad hesitated. “Before this all happened.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdQ2nwGdy4
“Thank you,” I told them.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FrTRfYx2l
“It’s nice to see you off of all the machines,” Mom told me, smiling widely.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPuDPq4MYF
“It’s good to be off all of them,” I replied. “What’s today’s date?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47gNCAt9in
“February 27,” Dad said. “Your birthday is in three weeks, on March 20.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1w0t1tNpu
“Cool,” I replied.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ebo2fTVZ2
“Is there anything else you want or need to know about home?” Mom asked me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVzQJfKSENS
“Did I have any pets?” I asked them, even though I already knew the answer.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WdFaHe2hf
“Yes, you do,” Mom answered. “You have a painted turtle, just over a year old.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNAayx7uC6N
“What happened to him after the accident?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMShZyaeUsd
“The housekeepers looked after him,” Dad explained. “He’s still doing fine, although he’s a bit bigger.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubVDylTa69
“That’s nice,” I said. “Where’s my room compared to the rest of the house?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh8R3G397b
“Your room is actually separate from the house,” Mom told me. “The tower your room is in was originally a guest suite. The bedroom part is on the second level, the first being a bathroom and sitting area. You loved it the moment we gave you the choice of moving into a different room. It’s in the far back left corner of the house.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLx20HQUB5X
“Sounds awesome,” I replied. I checked the clock. It was about 10:30.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkmDi9NBXg
“We still have some time before you can leave,” Mom told me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEaIA87P4W5
During those 90 minutes Mom and Dad taught me the names of the house staff from the housekeepers to the gardeners.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEv02pKzLO
“You are now free to go,” a doctor told us when he checked my vitals to make sure I was still in good condition.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fBdfRwrMK
“Thank you,” I told him.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSY3kkjHkmi
Mom and Dad grabbed the bags after I had put all of my extra stuff in it and we walked out to an elevator, which we took down to the lobby.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKetbmurtNq
Once the front doors to the hospital opened a blast of cold air came at us.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡer5zp88kAw
“Oh, sorry about that,” Dad told me. He pulled a coat out from a bag that had been sitting in the room since before I woke up and handed it to me.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGknLsIkMW
“Thanks,” I replied, pulling it on quickly. It blocked the wind very well.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmIzjxf9Q4
“The car’s over here,” Mom told me, directing me to a black SUV.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jGmeGegWr
They placed the bags in the back of the car as I got into the backseat, buckling up once I was comfortable, making sure I had my coin as well.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYgP9vBb38
“Are you comfortable back there?” Dad asked me when they were inside the car.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTirFxsrpP3
“Yeah.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yCU40c3pT
“All ready to go?”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTB2zDZJs05
“Yeah,” I repeated. They buckled themselves in and soon we were cruising along a highway.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwgZ8q37i3
Even though I could remember the house, it still caught me off guard when we arrived.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBd8XYQ5Ora
“Whoa,” I gasped when we pulled up to the house.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9HJ62ld5R
It looked like an old castle that could have jumped right out of the medieval times. It was three stories tall except for a tower at each of the four corners, which appeared to be two stories with a large conical roof starting above the top level (I took this to mean that every tower featured a ‘hidden room’).708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ5tqGTAl2
“It’s very large,” Dad told me. “Ten bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms. If you need help getting around, just say the word.”708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrmzpH5XWp
“Thanks,” I replied, getting out of the car.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsqcNywleS
“Welcome home!” the entire staff cheered as I walked through the large front doors. They were all gathered beneath a banner that had the same words printed on it.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV5hHp2mic
“It’s good to have you back, Mr. Murphy,” a tall man in a suit told me, shaking my hand.708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡse87LXVzt9
“Um, good to be back,” I said, surprised by it all.
708Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgPnt5p2Xt
