Chapter 2—Michael
“So it is starting to come back,” he said out of relief.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmCL94g9MIK
“What’s coming back?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXI8TWQn8c
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1aya3TcLIM
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4pWu8gtr9
“What’s with the blankness?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPx35C5kax
“The memory’s been blocked,” he explained. “Somebody doesn’t want you to know the truth about who you are.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7CwNq60k5f
“Who, though?” I asked him, even though I thought he was just a figment of my imagination.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgia2OaztQj
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtUfII3iFd
“Wait, what?” I demanded.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZQ9XNDpnC
“You have a powerful gift,” he told me. “You are a Bridge.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fi7GEwUeS
“A what?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ejr9YvU7q
“A Bridge,” he repeated. “A Bridge is a person who can communicate with people who have died.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5KwgcMNcpW
“Are you serious?” I demanded. I was sure right then that it was a dream.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeOOqB432v
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiF8q1JlzpK
“No problem, big bro,” I replied, feeling strangely light-headed for being asleep.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnDC8Rg8T0
“That’s another thing,” he said. “I’m not your brother.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8WnXTMnpx
“What?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNIXIhdtUi
“Everything my parents told you was a lie,” he told me. “They aren’t your parents, either.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxOhKNyScq
“What are they doing, then?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLgAVbx0Bh
“They are Destroyers,” he told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtIQ5XFSSt
“You lost me.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2mHqxesR4
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYi8tBxbFu
“What does this have to do with me?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdLwP7Ec6G
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiK76Q4DwtB
“What happened, then?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJiiRT4w0Ne
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZziIZwXgNg
“Bridging?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPks3MrAWuk
“‘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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr7dfycpYjc
“What’s a ‘Wipe’?” I asked him, confused by all the terminology.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiuBK574FF
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYY4GpWUdpB
“Why didn’t they?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcYKQYqAlq
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF090qk37L4
“How is a Wipe done?” I asked.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10GDyV6Y3m
“They inject a chemical into your brain, which causes permanent memory loss,” he explained.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DvLzZCI16
“How is it I can see all these memories, then?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2la9MfmPR
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rCfTbXAg7
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FpU3h8gqt
He was about to say more, but my vision flickered to darkness and back.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCE1EoWRQ3K
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuV3NC0afm0
“What am I supposed to do during the day?” I asked him as it started to fade.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhO7gfLX6kS
“Act like you did yesterday,” he told me. “And do not tell anybody of this.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmu2SwhFUC
He waved goodbye to me and I barely had a chance to return it before I woke up to a knocking at the door.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhB4r6NfVCM
“Come in,” I said, eyes flashing open.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbcx9ycsgB
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YItSt1czS
“Like a log,” I replied, stretching as much as I could.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtXuYEaMfC
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUfaMNqGLZ
“Thank you,” I told her. She detached me from the EKG and an IV drip.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPU7Wj3wl6a
“If you need anything, just press the button,” she told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpKZ01Tb8n
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTAFMi6XJ5
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1gJvlO1UGF
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFpLjOkYT7
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaivu6cuwsP
“Good,” I replied. “How did you sleep?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2L2xxL8o5
“Very good, thank you,” she said. “Has your breakfast arrived yet?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsuYqH8FbV
“No, but it should be soon,” I told her. “Where’s Dad?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbJshNsz8H
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0JHoHFxa1
“Thanks,” I replied, taking the bag from her. Inside the bag were a couple of books, a model car and a packet of papers.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZOJPc0NoL
“What the packet for?” I asked her.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeFTKEinnB
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TPFHToRPP
I pulled out the model car out of the bag. “1969 Charger, right?” I asked Mom, holding it up to the light.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcYnG5PlTZ
She dropped the papers. “How do you know that?” she demanded.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjx1wafZRM4
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtnOuLxPcD
She smiled. “That’s good,” she said. “That means you still have your fundamental knowledge.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvdOnkgcDE
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjL4WuL0ADQ
“That was the first model car you ever built,” she told me. “You worked on it with your father.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9cdw8NoGS
“It’s cool,” I commented. I set it on the bedside table right before there was a knock at the door.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbbQest1ek
“Come in,” I said. The door opened and someone came in with my breakfast.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqeQmGkjUx
“Thank you,” I replied. The person nodded and set the tray on the table before walking back out.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYb9Ks1ClB
“Do you want me to bring it over to you?” Mom asked me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoycPhZKCw
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpQOxxT9Ao
“You’re looking a lot better today,” she told me when I finished eating.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70O7SuxhHu
“Thanks. A good night’s sleep can do a lot.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBHCGnDEKK
“Did you have any strange dreams?” she asked.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK33tfe3HHl
“Nope,” I replied, not missing a beat.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSDJ06NHmI
“That’s good,” she said.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmPdt0wouJ
Over the next hour another psychologist came by to check on me and they drew some blood to run some tests on.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBI5VkmNL38
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6cypqIQrg
“That’s okay,” I said.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGKudW1mSH
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzL8SAvhhs
“I thought I told you to hold the coin,” Michael told me the moment I closed my eyes.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3oxYtexiA
“That’s for tonight,” I told him. “I was just planning to take a short nap before your dad gets here in four hours.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLaCvRE0Ck
“Do you know if you’re going home tonight or not?” he asked me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcu0PehCe0
“No idea yet,” I replied. “If the results are good, though, I’m being released tomorrow.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP01ft5g0wi
“Have you found the flash drive?” he asked me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPyZ325bzv
“Yeah. Why?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EpJFFX8Aa
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDI3w9Mzpb
“What is the video about?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM7FjiUybE
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxKqNopZjH
“Who am I, anyway?” I asked.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfUQmeX1Qv
“You’ll find out in the video,” he told me. Everything started to fade again.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkNfSMDLZU
“At least tell me my real name!” I told him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTK657hb0uv
“Liam!” he yelled as he faded even more. “Liam Fisher!”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpICenNyqt
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntZe6dgDIl
A few minutes later Dad walked in. “Hello, there,” he said when he saw me. “How was your night?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVjyTixskw
“Good. How was yours?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2NSKm10sx
“Good, thanks for asking,” he told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyvhYQjS4o
“Anytime.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxM3XsLsov
He sat down in a chair and I adjusted my bed so that I was sitting upright enough to be comfortable.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFrfnXWdMG
“What did your mother bring from home?” he asked me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGqY0opffv
“Some books and a model car,” I told him, gesturing to the bag and car.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZrxx3U56R
He smiled when he saw the car. “Do you know what car that is?” he asked.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEudfI0ZSS
“1969 Charger,” I told him. “I had almost the same conversation with Mom.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcey47yw3c
“Does this mean your memory is coming back?” he asked me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uuA94UJQ4
“No. I just know what kind it is,” I replied.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzOIPBCBNw
“It’s also the first model car we ever built together,” he added.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFq8R5R6XD
“Mom told me,” I told him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn4QzrLPyc
He nodded and sat down in a chair, looking at me strangely.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ6pGGlSKGj
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhmQcDwzBK
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjkocU7g6w
My real parents.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuL48KKPxv
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67Q8x3QCQR
I quickly recovered and slid the picture closer to the beginning of the book before I continued reading.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngxZHa1QI2
“What book is that?” Dad asked me a few minutes later.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ66VzvNWN1X
I showed him the cover.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNcMmh1nK5
“That’s a good book,” he told me. I nodded and turned the page.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXjdmEwO2w
About an hour later I finished the book mere moments before there was another knock at the door.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZiCJsd4ys
“Come in,” I said, tossing the book back into the bag.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGX2PuGftoW
The door opened and in came the doctor with a clipboard.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtek7fy8Ji
“What are the results, doc?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCLNWiQS85
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpbbqNZOLws
Dad and I thanked him and they left to discuss whatever needed to be discussed.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTFmBLN1G3
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnFShDwnnj
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJ6QVQGMK5
I picked it up and read the tiny, cramped words in it:733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHCE0k46ks
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOES3KccRLw
Top shelf, exact middle. When you pull it out, push the button behind it.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpt9mg5P1W
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oMrxSjwPW
“We can leave tomorrow at noon,” Dad told me a few minutes later as he walked back in.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FUL7c00ml
“That’s good news,” I replied. “What did he need to talk with you about?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOSAjOBktG
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjZ4VbAJTL
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgRjrjARhs
“How’s the food?” Michael asked me, appearing suddenly.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i2idLXbty
“Whoa!” I said loudly. “Did I fall asleep?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEmGBJpD1v
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj1yWTJVXiz
“How is this happening, though, when I don’t even know how to use my powers yet?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70EJx52C8A
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmMkoDYPUB
“Why are you here, though?” I demanded. “If your dad walks in, it won’t look good.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkla4baPqPI
“Calm down,” he told me. “He just got to the restaurant downstairs. It’ll be at least ten minutes before he gets back.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvF7iG35Ii
“You’d better be right,” I told him. “By the way, thanks for having your mom grab those books.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYLgcQXCmT
“Anytime,” he replied. “You should eat, though. I don’t want you getting sick any more than my parents do.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuMijtMmM4c
I glared at him for a second before picking up my burger.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fPaxyALS9
“You never answered my last question,” I told him between bites.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF6wJ1he7a
“I came here to help you gain control of your powers,” he said. “You see, Bridging is more than communicating with dead people.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4c95ltN613
“What else is there, then?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGGnDxPzsu
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3i3XHhwtfo
“Is there more than that?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQWvav1jAZ
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraEu4MIRMJ
“This is sounding better by the second,” I said.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxW42wrrskz
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCDDWW0NSv
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6nhdrjQUY
“Can’t you give me the memory when I access my powers so that I know how?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK8TP2oCjl
“I can only give you so many memories at once without overloading your brain, which could turn counter-productive for you,” he told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMdBCVPlaY
“Where are you when you aren’t here?” I asked him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMaZxdTQx3
“Where all dead go,” he said simply.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ9a9NZIEa
“And that is…?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8igGRLKwY7
“There is no name for it,” he told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4m4Y3ow16V
“Okay, then,” I sighed. “Is there anything about home that your parents didn’t tell me?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm91uaLYZbA
“A few,” he said. “First, the house is about four floors, has ten bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms. It’s huge.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaeRz68GTm
“Do I have any pets?” I asked.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42RERp4bQ0
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvfyINRdyt
“That was nice of them,” I commented. I grabbed the coin off the table. “So…how does this thing work?” 733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYWtdnaT3Y
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwcjKJznzUn
Less than a second after he faded completely Dad walked in.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVrVagRrz4
“How was lunch?” I asked Dad.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoqNaBEYuPB
“It was good,” he replied. “How’s yours?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3K3MSpVlO
“Same,” I said. I finished my bottle of water and set the cover back onto the tray before going back to the bed.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKhJlidzSm
“How far are you in that book?” Dad asked me when I was comfortable.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeM2iCYTlzg
“Almost done,” I said. “It’s a good book.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZ9MAnFxyu
“I’m glad you like it,” he told me. “It was your favorite.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa93irztfW8
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAX9P4iWxj
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLcoRTC0Ll
“I should do fine by myself tonight,” I told them, trying to not sound very eager.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGhz4yFxuc
“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi1D4sopvm
“I’m sure,” I assured him. He stared at me for a few more seconds before looking back to the television.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtY8dYhUQ2
The next few hours were pretty monotonous, but not long after dinner Dad left to go home for the night.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZdj5GjzWf
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xDDZ1inE5
“Okay,” I replied. He stood up and grabbed his coat, hugging me tightly before leaving.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb64OwKUNr
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorhUvqLfol
“I probably will,” I replied.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRgA1FxOzt
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwVmdeB75A
“You fell asleep early,” Michael said when I closed my eyes.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlULBwxZept
“Your dad left and neither of them will be coming back until ten tomorrow morning,” I replied.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF9SQLYlTN
“Good,” he told me. “That’ll give us more time.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdFRcLGt78x
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFF2RjOOAa
“How do I use it, though?” I demanded.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdG36V0tblb
“Hold the coin tightly,” he told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkhwyy7baA
“Already done.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DFqAQ7LQg
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3pWL3DQsH
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfbWAdoDb8U
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3YaubPT90
I did this, too, and soon the coin began to glow dimly.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kyw5GCPEF
“Good,” he murmured to himself. “Now, disconnect yourself from the memories.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVB917DMGQt
“What?” I demanded. “How is that possible?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKzNOXAUfi
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB3dvUfvkS
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1uUjMkbTU9
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCZ1uabOjJw
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yxZeF6QyZ
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KkksV5Cbe
“Impressive,” I said.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YT4l6wNzW
“Yeah. I’d show you how to do that stuff, but I don’t know how you were able myself,” he told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvgqurCPYt
“Looks like it’s a mystery I’ll have to solve myself,” I replied.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArMJsjocY5
He spent the rest of the night teaching me how to tap into his former strength and to see through his eyes.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmZz1u61H4
He was right about to tell me some of the secrets of the house when I woke up abruptly to knocking at the door.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwCJBN7M3A
“Come in!” I shouted, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgao9gkvSP
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQzw3kyH7xJ
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvWqb0oxsv
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcUOi9dHQTa
“If there’s anything else you need, just let us know,” he told me before walking out.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6g91uRKmsn
When he closed the door I grabbed the bag with clothes in it and went to the bathroom to get dressed.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHA14pI1yq
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Xgy0v2pik
I didn’t really have any other choice, though, so I pulled on the polo shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cv7owdrl5
“Well, you look nice,” Mom asked as she and Dad walked in at ten o’clock exactly.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0W9q6uHlvo
“Thanks,” I replied.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkEIKJnzjV
“We got your room cleaned and back to the way you had it before…” Dad hesitated. “Before this all happened.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfx2Q4QsfE
“Thank you,” I told them.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzd1GPB6V8U
“It’s nice to see you off of all the machines,” Mom told me, smiling widely.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqJR5xAa8i
“It’s good to be off all of them,” I replied. “What’s today’s date?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIyhH6MeGv
“February 27,” Dad said. “Your birthday is in three weeks, on March 20.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14EukZUIVr
“Cool,” I replied.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCwRnowhkb
“Is there anything else you want or need to know about home?” Mom asked me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzFlbJ4wXJ
“Did I have any pets?” I asked them, even though I already knew the answer.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCe63xZs38
“Yes, you do,” Mom answered. “You have a painted turtle, just over a year old.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDCG5ehrkEu
“What happened to him after the accident?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrkJnhxvYA
“The housekeepers looked after him,” Dad explained. “He’s still doing fine, although he’s a bit bigger.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAg3E9Lbkj
“That’s nice,” I said. “Where’s my room compared to the rest of the house?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUIInzgTLy
“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.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUoLw1i66u
“Sounds awesome,” I replied. I checked the clock. It was about 10:30.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlvVAxHSHv
“We still have some time before you can leave,” Mom told me.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtiG3Khko7V
During those 90 minutes Mom and Dad taught me the names of the house staff from the housekeepers to the gardeners.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWoMaWSPZYR
“You are now free to go,” a doctor told us when he checked my vitals to make sure I was still in good condition.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ463jvXGdA
“Thank you,” I told him.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhBr7KzGH7A
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1EKj3LdQO
Once the front doors to the hospital opened a blast of cold air came at us.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyo3cIN6Rx
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVfX5APVnO2
“Thanks,” I replied, pulling it on quickly. It blocked the wind very well.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoPArk60ft
“The car’s over here,” Mom told me, directing me to a black SUV.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCIj4BTEDI
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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvFcHUvt4G
“Are you comfortable back there?” Dad asked me when they were inside the car.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBbSRAxV6J
“Yeah.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi8Uizx4Tz
“All ready to go?”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJRKk2neHv
“Yeah,” I repeated. They buckled themselves in and soon we were cruising along a highway.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUBKd8V92T
Even though I could remember the house, it still caught me off guard when we arrived.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkEhsXQv4S
“Whoa,” I gasped when we pulled up to the house.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4IgtL85ldI
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’).733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7z1AgsfXw
“It’s very large,” Dad told me. “Ten bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms. If you need help getting around, just say the word.”733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMe3IjxLtd
“Thanks,” I replied, getting out of the car.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY3BygWOFC
“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.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5giMjJ2ZV
“It’s good to have you back, Mr. Murphy,” a tall man in a suit told me, shaking my hand.733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlCbqvdk4E
“Um, good to be back,” I said, surprised by it all.
733Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRljMCNYSBK
