Chapter 2—Michael
“So it is starting to come back,” he said out of relief.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmuN6MgBWE
“What’s coming back?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaDR5MiBrDu
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ufpOftdu5
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEKOQQ6fBq
“What’s with the blankness?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzGd0C5KVW
“The memory’s been blocked,” he explained. “Somebody doesn’t want you to know the truth about who you are.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypu4BMCv2T
“Who, though?” I asked him, even though I thought he was just a figment of my imagination.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeifBDOgVoA
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7plyOzfOY
“Wait, what?” I demanded.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMYMhM0vbA
“You have a powerful gift,” he told me. “You are a Bridge.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1QZFqKS4Xc
“A what?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjNMckrLY9
“A Bridge,” he repeated. “A Bridge is a person who can communicate with people who have died.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3tGHhbL8e
“Are you serious?” I demanded. I was sure right then that it was a dream.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2shw81J1hr
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLT1Cd1Aq9
“No problem, big bro,” I replied, feeling strangely light-headed for being asleep.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg8pPU7jEc
“That’s another thing,” he said. “I’m not your brother.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclXjNyAUF0
“What?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8dO4W0RUS
“Everything my parents told you was a lie,” he told me. “They aren’t your parents, either.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ19ujn164j
“What are they doing, then?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOpbokZY97
“They are Destroyers,” he told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJf1zRzJZSl
“You lost me.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wVgLORGOf
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTttnf6ag9
“What does this have to do with me?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzKS6N3hBN
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pPmW1tjqC
“What happened, then?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEUaIoWQ1y
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeNt9JthBk
“Bridging?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8o5PkPo7Kn
“‘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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QMbJbn5uD
“What’s a ‘Wipe’?” I asked him, confused by all the terminology.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgecz4fOtt
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiR6RXnoTgq
“Why didn’t they?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZGYaBNsa3
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJY2aQ9RVS4
“How is a Wipe done?” I asked.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyXr5Zmyx08
“They inject a chemical into your brain, which causes permanent memory loss,” he explained.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5O9CZAoqm9
“How is it I can see all these memories, then?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWbVvxV8Dz
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BeWZkCTei
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrOF3mgpsf
He was about to say more, but my vision flickered to darkness and back.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRULuVwa7PS
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5ZbUfOiJN
“What am I supposed to do during the day?” I asked him as it started to fade.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw7idfdHDS
“Act like you did yesterday,” he told me. “And do not tell anybody of this.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YAMITgnhA
He waved goodbye to me and I barely had a chance to return it before I woke up to a knocking at the door.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWKIK2rZjUl
“Come in,” I said, eyes flashing open.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQX4Cp4jK9b
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGTx43qHq2
“Like a log,” I replied, stretching as much as I could.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2quLEwrJw
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8N0DfP2I9o
“Thank you,” I told her. She detached me from the EKG and an IV drip.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvitSpnOAMo
“If you need anything, just press the button,” she told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFolXOwLaeF
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4omkp3gcK
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCVpIUE85K
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vK07cg2GS
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyrx3H45hV
“Good,” I replied. “How did you sleep?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnscUhJJeZ
“Very good, thank you,” she said. “Has your breakfast arrived yet?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg1tScn5WQk
“No, but it should be soon,” I told her. “Where’s Dad?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDjGPGOVtu
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKT8jsj21RD
“Thanks,” I replied, taking the bag from her. Inside the bag were a couple of books, a model car and a packet of papers.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3JSVhB36k
“What the packet for?” I asked her.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMkgJaeTJt
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclVmF8KnIx
I pulled out the model car out of the bag. “1969 Charger, right?” I asked Mom, holding it up to the light.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKzlTIaoJo
She dropped the papers. “How do you know that?” she demanded.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93bjwG4XtY
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrRrKO3D8i
She smiled. “That’s good,” she said. “That means you still have your fundamental knowledge.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsB5k0OGPv
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wnX63iW5F
“That was the first model car you ever built,” she told me. “You worked on it with your father.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvSg3szT2g
“It’s cool,” I commented. I set it on the bedside table right before there was a knock at the door.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ExqhmhNA9
“Come in,” I said. The door opened and someone came in with my breakfast.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCaJKRZnP5a
“Thank you,” I replied. The person nodded and set the tray on the table before walking back out.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTu2nj342a
“Do you want me to bring it over to you?” Mom asked me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OcAnlsL2I
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDSDYlMJUi
“You’re looking a lot better today,” she told me when I finished eating.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzLg0keqzGg
“Thanks. A good night’s sleep can do a lot.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkY10IeBDWc
“Did you have any strange dreams?” she asked.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI25AP2nEQc
“Nope,” I replied, not missing a beat.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCFAf2Itlw
“That’s good,” she said.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPniPtiYaf1
Over the next hour another psychologist came by to check on me and they drew some blood to run some tests on.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzmFedywzp
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHwcsEAJv8
“That’s okay,” I said.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3BKhAkE86
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1QVpmjpZZ
“I thought I told you to hold the coin,” Michael told me the moment I closed my eyes.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtmc3s2U4g
“That’s for tonight,” I told him. “I was just planning to take a short nap before your dad gets here in four hours.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrxrmN4hCF
“Do you know if you’re going home tonight or not?” he asked me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL73NKIkUgn
“No idea yet,” I replied. “If the results are good, though, I’m being released tomorrow.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvsTnDHqef
“Have you found the flash drive?” he asked me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqsQsyYYR4
“Yeah. Why?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwoBc6UhuyJ
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3fg2E1EmY
“What is the video about?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5HXN6wKPZ
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xQhGVbGY4
“Who am I, anyway?” I asked.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYHGk8m2B6
“You’ll find out in the video,” he told me. Everything started to fade again.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaO4p69E97
“At least tell me my real name!” I told him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWI7Fs96Ce
“Liam!” he yelled as he faded even more. “Liam Fisher!”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8e9wOiks9
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6R4t68NjWu
A few minutes later Dad walked in. “Hello, there,” he said when he saw me. “How was your night?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqATVgiQmbF
“Good. How was yours?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3uGeCoHGD
“Good, thanks for asking,” he told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATvULtybfX
“Anytime.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjWI9A8G3m
He sat down in a chair and I adjusted my bed so that I was sitting upright enough to be comfortable.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IYwvXMNY3
“What did your mother bring from home?” he asked me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDya5UzWsXV
“Some books and a model car,” I told him, gesturing to the bag and car.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXGL2HRw25
He smiled when he saw the car. “Do you know what car that is?” he asked.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlIhXQCHdA
“1969 Charger,” I told him. “I had almost the same conversation with Mom.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0HpusbRNx
“Does this mean your memory is coming back?” he asked me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLNWrJuvoyy
“No. I just know what kind it is,” I replied.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6LK1afdby
“It’s also the first model car we ever built together,” he added.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ddQJExo5h
“Mom told me,” I told him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqKGZyvPb7
He nodded and sat down in a chair, looking at me strangely.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6jA0Ug0RY
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7GLMrBboc
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfd2NLs1oFI
My real parents.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpO3MfFo8oU
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8SuCcsxAl
I quickly recovered and slid the picture closer to the beginning of the book before I continued reading.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSXLBsjWbp
“What book is that?” Dad asked me a few minutes later.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmgRrSAgkW
I showed him the cover.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTQWYL0tHG
“That’s a good book,” he told me. I nodded and turned the page.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifRqo7RKkR
About an hour later I finished the book mere moments before there was another knock at the door.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvSxm167JX
“Come in,” I said, tossing the book back into the bag.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsniWBVflf
The door opened and in came the doctor with a clipboard.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6lkqasEfc
“What are the results, doc?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIadU8Wkft
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLN5QsanLP
Dad and I thanked him and they left to discuss whatever needed to be discussed.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnG2wtHRAu
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z1bZHr4mX
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TfKKxio03
I picked it up and read the tiny, cramped words in it:710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcDh7VzaRs
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZskK7qqem
Top shelf, exact middle. When you pull it out, push the button behind it.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCT3frofWd
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUW45aeLhD
“We can leave tomorrow at noon,” Dad told me a few minutes later as he walked back in.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlG980y6N3A
“That’s good news,” I replied. “What did he need to talk with you about?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmdILZyB4L
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtxDB5RmCT
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUlarfa9du
“How’s the food?” Michael asked me, appearing suddenly.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraTc9EsVP9
“Whoa!” I said loudly. “Did I fall asleep?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq81sy274z6
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7feocBB3vp
“How is this happening, though, when I don’t even know how to use my powers yet?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPtCMvKg87
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFXdrJPahzx
“Why are you here, though?” I demanded. “If your dad walks in, it won’t look good.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3T5i33OXk
“Calm down,” he told me. “He just got to the restaurant downstairs. It’ll be at least ten minutes before he gets back.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LJ9bsqIE4
“You’d better be right,” I told him. “By the way, thanks for having your mom grab those books.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYiArc6vbf
“Anytime,” he replied. “You should eat, though. I don’t want you getting sick any more than my parents do.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGm3UWh51v
I glared at him for a second before picking up my burger.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSnJcP1GSW
“You never answered my last question,” I told him between bites.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUJDY7Erly
“I came here to help you gain control of your powers,” he said. “You see, Bridging is more than communicating with dead people.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvdFQqzew3w
“What else is there, then?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8wtDCo72Gl
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgL1r76065q
“Is there more than that?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuWhp9YqeW
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDycBA5tlLn
“This is sounding better by the second,” I said.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87gYBGVkIG
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bNLY1zaiH
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0sA18EQMg
“Can’t you give me the memory when I access my powers so that I know how?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1UYbqSDho
“I can only give you so many memories at once without overloading your brain, which could turn counter-productive for you,” he told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ4xI7WEXI
“Where are you when you aren’t here?” I asked him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJv4vUUnjp
“Where all dead go,” he said simply.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYXJPqn597
“And that is…?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5IItQdUfc
“There is no name for it,” he told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvyhIL1YTO
“Okay, then,” I sighed. “Is there anything about home that your parents didn’t tell me?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFmT85699n
“A few,” he said. “First, the house is about four floors, has ten bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms. It’s huge.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRhKHkpENb
“Do I have any pets?” I asked.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObxMeaObC5
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFaL6vHDii
“That was nice of them,” I commented. I grabbed the coin off the table. “So…how does this thing work?” 710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJfHVnEJXh
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDfNLUn1SY
Less than a second after he faded completely Dad walked in.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1CSke4j7B
“How was lunch?” I asked Dad.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfqPJYMzbo
“It was good,” he replied. “How’s yours?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2lqcKFufd
“Same,” I said. I finished my bottle of water and set the cover back onto the tray before going back to the bed.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouK7BNfF2R
“How far are you in that book?” Dad asked me when I was comfortable.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1O6A0i6FGx
“Almost done,” I said. “It’s a good book.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSYI4ZOIAl
“I’m glad you like it,” he told me. “It was your favorite.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF9LL0eLL7
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3r1FXc1ab
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNRIoKIgbF
“I should do fine by myself tonight,” I told them, trying to not sound very eager.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RSnV58mb3
“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWye6vONrLq
“I’m sure,” I assured him. He stared at me for a few more seconds before looking back to the television.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbBEwKouBH
The next few hours were pretty monotonous, but not long after dinner Dad left to go home for the night.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKzdqehz9HO
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mKl7uurXk
“Okay,” I replied. He stood up and grabbed his coat, hugging me tightly before leaving.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmspFD4gQM
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRaTVl9x1p
“I probably will,” I replied.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDFcMFoiPm
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKH0hhX8tl
“You fell asleep early,” Michael said when I closed my eyes.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWAKFdLeS87
“Your dad left and neither of them will be coming back until ten tomorrow morning,” I replied.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sMGwDmkme
“Good,” he told me. “That’ll give us more time.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bcjKMYusy
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4LRti6XPc
“How do I use it, though?” I demanded.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAreZ1xRlky
“Hold the coin tightly,” he told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBTOu8zVnk
“Already done.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKE5sF3joKQ
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyeXehbB70
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGf3Lq69LN
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWdI8oHQw4
I did this, too, and soon the coin began to glow dimly.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3ZhHjtJOP
“Good,” he murmured to himself. “Now, disconnect yourself from the memories.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc116hUx0m
“What?” I demanded. “How is that possible?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMjO3Bvpk6Q
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2PmSvuuNb
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CeWSY7Zxg
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHCl48ACw6
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUxLKsYCNA
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡproaLKvVQY
“Impressive,” I said.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyvchtXqQr
“Yeah. I’d show you how to do that stuff, but I don’t know how you were able myself,” he told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYsxij2aZ5
“Looks like it’s a mystery I’ll have to solve myself,” I replied.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkktlc1mpP2
He spent the rest of the night teaching me how to tap into his former strength and to see through his eyes.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU75gwqcfyr
He was right about to tell me some of the secrets of the house when I woke up abruptly to knocking at the door.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8miT1Sbd6P
“Come in!” I shouted, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10wEGypxfr
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBrnIeRZQu
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCcDI0H9Obr
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoTQzIDnDj
“If there’s anything else you need, just let us know,” he told me before walking out.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkNYWQuXZM
When he closed the door I grabbed the bag with clothes in it and went to the bathroom to get dressed.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUuHBheEEy
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4zEoD5V38
I didn’t really have any other choice, though, so I pulled on the polo shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMN1iGWcUOy
“Well, you look nice,” Mom asked as she and Dad walked in at ten o’clock exactly.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLwTaRwmCi
“Thanks,” I replied.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgeQokED6nu
“We got your room cleaned and back to the way you had it before…” Dad hesitated. “Before this all happened.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Qxgi4uamV
“Thank you,” I told them.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkw3cpDAwmo
“It’s nice to see you off of all the machines,” Mom told me, smiling widely.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcSVAQL0m3
“It’s good to be off all of them,” I replied. “What’s today’s date?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSSzBVYBpA1
“February 27,” Dad said. “Your birthday is in three weeks, on March 20.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOnzoW73ZY
“Cool,” I replied.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡthJZBcqTQL
“Is there anything else you want or need to know about home?” Mom asked me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvOt2zYX0a
“Did I have any pets?” I asked them, even though I already knew the answer.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLT29idfE2
“Yes, you do,” Mom answered. “You have a painted turtle, just over a year old.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhIYFmzHJh
“What happened to him after the accident?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99iLFOsCGv
“The housekeepers looked after him,” Dad explained. “He’s still doing fine, although he’s a bit bigger.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJCUo8O1cK
“That’s nice,” I said. “Where’s my room compared to the rest of the house?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4SyB3h5Ki
“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.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBAtxj32lL
“Sounds awesome,” I replied. I checked the clock. It was about 10:30.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq5nQDtKkqK
“We still have some time before you can leave,” Mom told me.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJMPrq3ua4
During those 90 minutes Mom and Dad taught me the names of the house staff from the housekeepers to the gardeners.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNtxRl5TmaW
“You are now free to go,” a doctor told us when he checked my vitals to make sure I was still in good condition.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRxt3xYx0y
“Thank you,” I told him.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCzCYSFnmx
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgojPMiRgb
Once the front doors to the hospital opened a blast of cold air came at us.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAOHiNA27A8
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ92jkN2QV6D
“Thanks,” I replied, pulling it on quickly. It blocked the wind very well.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQVsGnd027
“The car’s over here,” Mom told me, directing me to a black SUV.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEG5KngpoH
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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrpvptDWCf
“Are you comfortable back there?” Dad asked me when they were inside the car.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡospYhYP6Kr
“Yeah.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6u9jhJCX3
“All ready to go?”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXEBcMABGY
“Yeah,” I repeated. They buckled themselves in and soon we were cruising along a highway.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgbI2P4gTu
Even though I could remember the house, it still caught me off guard when we arrived.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGfBuzl5a5
“Whoa,” I gasped when we pulled up to the house.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRehxRo2Ghg
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’).710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKaV8cgThS
“It’s very large,” Dad told me. “Ten bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms. If you need help getting around, just say the word.”710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlqF20ydfYL
“Thanks,” I replied, getting out of the car.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Jbv8TcLLm
“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.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIGIuFy3nx
“It’s good to have you back, Mr. Murphy,” a tall man in a suit told me, shaking my hand.710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIa9zOiyWK
“Um, good to be back,” I said, surprised by it all.
710Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUT2IBrUu8A
