The Psychic Circle: Chapter 13

When Alexia entered the basement, Casey had taken her position in the centre, ushering everyone to the edges of the room. “You guys need to back up, or I will hurt you.” She said in a matter-of-fact tone. Alexia still had a scar that showed that she meant what she said.

“Casey, wait, let’s have some order to the madness shall we?” Alexia said, and was rewarded with an impatient glare from Casey. Alexia ignored the look and carried on talking. “Casey, since you’re clearly going to go first, explain to Nikki what your power is, and then carefully demonstrate it.”

Casey shrugged and turned to Nikki. “I’m an Outer, meaning my mind affects matter. I can move small objects with my mind.” Then without hesitation she stretched out her left hand towards a shelf, and a can of mosquito repellent was flung off seemingly of its own accord.

Naomi squealed and everyone ducked as it headed in Casey’s direction. Wide-eyed, she ducked out of the way, and it flicked Hanson’s ear before bouncing off the wall behind him.

Alexia stood up with a gasp. “Casey that was not what I meant by carefully!”

Casey looked sheepish for once but was unapologetic as usual. “Well, y’all were warned, I said I’ve been getting better! So stay out of my way.” She glanced at Nikki for a millisecond when she said the last sentence.

Alexia sighed in frustration at the continued hostility towards a new member, especially when Casey herself was so eager to get accepted when the Psychic Circle began.

“Why didn’t you move the can away from you?” Unexpectedly, Nikki spoke up, and everyone immediately turned to her.

Casey blinked, as if seeing Nikki for the first time. Up until this moment, she had not addressed her directly. Clearing her throat, Casey responded. “My powers are limited to controlling stationary objects. Once it starts moving, my powers are cancelled out by the momentum of the object’s trajectory.” Casey watched Nikki closely and saw that she nodded with understanding and fascination. Casey stood a little taller, with the unmistakable air of pride in her posture. As much as she made a show of proving that she didn’t need anyone’s approval, it seemed she revelled in it when she received it.

“Hanson is also an Outer and his powers are telekinetic too,” Alexia further explained to Nikki, “But his seem to work only on objects with a certain amount of kinetic energy already. Hanson?”

Casey stepped aside to reveal a squirming Hanson, seeming to shrink under the attention. He timidly picked up the can from where it had landed, and threw it gently into the air. He narrowed his eyes up at it, focussing his breath, and before it began to fall again, it responded by floating slightly further upwards than the initial force of the throw would have permitted. Then it dropped to the ground with a clatter.

“Oh Hanson, don’t be such a show off.” Casey said with a sarcastic grin. She turned to Nikki. “He can do a lot more than that.”

“I think it’s great! Especially in a game of golf.” Nikki said, with a cheeky grin. Everyone looked at her with their mouths open and then erupted with laughter. Alexia felt the tension easing for the first time. Even Jake couldn’t suppress a chuckle. Nikki had a few icebreakers up her sleeve, who knew?

“Ok, who’s next?” Alexia yelled after the hysteria had calmed down. She looked at Jake purposefully and his face darkened as he shook his head slowly. He was still in a mood.

Naomi boldly stepped forward to the centre of the room, oblivious of their exchange. “Well, as most of you know, and Nikki is about to learn, I’m an Inner, which means my power affects other minds. It’s not as showy as Hanson or Casey’s powers so it’s a bit tricky to demonstrate.” She put an index finger to her lip dramatically, and turned around the room slowly. “I will need a volunteer!” she pointed at Alexia, quite gleeful about her choice.

Alexia shook her head and smiled, stepping up to Naomi and standing a metre away while facing her. At the corner of her eye, Alexia could see Nikki watching them with her open curiosity.

Naomi winked at Alexia before turning to face Nikki. “I’m going to ask Alex to think of a random phrase and then think it to me. You see, I’m a low frequency mind reader. I pick up on other people’s surface thoughts. Alexia, if you may.” Alexia suppressed a giggle when Naomi accentuated her speech with exaggerated hand gestures, like a magician.

She quickly made a straight face and made eye contact with Naomi. She thought to herself for a moment, until she decided what phrase to think at her.

She decided on a nonsense phrase. Ok. Potato skins are skins of potatoes and no one knows it but me.

Naomi raised her eyebrows and let out a brief laugh, then shrugged and got serious. “Alright Alexia, I want you to say your thought out loud now.”

Alexia took a breath and began “Potato skins are skins of potatoes...” and Nikki spoke the words at the same time, not echoing her, but joining her in an in sync chorus of nonsense. “...and no one knows it but me.”

Nikki gasped and giggled, clapping her hands, and everyone else chuckled about the ridiculousness of the words. In the midst of it all, another unbidden thought came up to the front of Alexia’s mind.

I bet you’ll never have time to cook your baked potato for me, Mum.

“I bet you’ll never-“ Naomi began echoing her thoughts. Alexia panicked and sent an urgent thought back. Don’t say that!

Naomi shut her eyes in a wince. She hadn’t braced herself for the intensity of Alexia’s urgent thought. Alexia quickly glanced around at the others. Thankfully no one had noticed. She turned back to Naomi. Sorry. Naomi gave her a weak smile of forgiveness. She walked away back to Nikki’s side, who immediately began asking questions enthusiastically. Alexia composed herself, aware of the warmth rising in her face and knowing that her skin was looking closer to the shade of a tomato at this point. The Psychic Circle didn’t have to know about her absent mother.

“Ok Jake, you’re up.” Alexia said briskly, eager to move on. Jake was seated on a box under a wall where the tools were hung. He was leaning against the wall in a relaxed stance, but stiffened when Alexia addressed him.

He cleared his throat. “My power has stage fright today, I can’t seem to summon it.” He said. Alexia noticed his glance in Nikki’s direction. He had never been so intimidated by anyone before.

“Fine.” Alexia said, crossing her arms and losing her patience with him. She turned to Nikki. “I guess I’ll do mine. I’m an Inner, and my power is communicating. I can send signals to multiple people but these are like sirens, and I can’t articulate words using them. We have decided on a code though, which can enable us to tell one signal from another, defined by the urgency.” She moved to the centre of the room. “I used such a signal to call the Circle together when I met you.”

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. On her exhale, she Blasted to everyone in the room to which they all simultaneously winced and lowered their heads.

“Jeez Alexia! Thanks for the migraine.” Casey snarled. Alexia ignored her and looked at Nikki to gage her reaction. But Nikki seemed like the least affected, simply blinking a few times, as if clearing her eyes of mist.

“So that’s us Nikki. See? Nothing to be afraid of.” Alexia said, referring to Nikki’s reaction when entering the basement. “Now, would you like to introduce yourself and show us your powers?”

The room was quiet as everyone focussed on Nikki again. Her expression dropped and she fiddled with her fingers, her right hand unconsciously tugging on her little left finger. “I...” she fell silent and looked down.

Naomi jumped in. “It’s ok Nikki, if you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to-”

“No. I will speak. My name is Nikki Br-“ she took a deep breath, “Brown. I ran away from home and have been living on the streets for two months now.” She paused to observe their reactions. Casey and Hanson glanced down to avoid eye contact, Jake was unmoving, and Alexia and Naomi has similar expressions – Alexia’s of pity and Naomi’s of a fierce compassion. Nikki continued. “My powers... I want to tell you that I don’t want to show them to you, but that would mean you’d trust me even less. So I will tell you.”

She saw Casey and Hanson exchange nervous glances. “When I touch people, I make them feel what I feel. It’s similar to Alexia’s thought transference, but I pass on pure emotion.” said Nikki.

Casey let out a snort. “That sounds like the most butterflies and bunnies power out of all of us. Feelings? You turn people into your own personal diary?”

Nikki faced her. “All I feel is pain. What I’ve been through-” she shook her head as her bottom lip trembled. “I have to hate you to make you feel what I feel.” Casey’s eyes narrowed but she kept her mouth pursed shut and crossed her arms.

Alexia walked up to Nikki. “Ok, we understand. Now, what can we help you with? I promised to help you in that bathroom, remember?”

At this, Nikki straightened up, and a passion lit up her eyes like an explosive flame. “I want you to come with me to my father.” Everyone, even Jake looked at her curiously. Nikki was glad she had their attention this time. She wasn’t aware that her hands clenched into fists

“I want you to help me punish him.” She said without a shadow of doubt.