Master of the Storm

Chapter Seven: Paper People

A/N: this is another chapter from Beatrix's POV! In this, a lot of stuff will be explained lol, including her powers

"Is this some kinda prank?" he asked.

I sighed. "I know it sounds like it, but I promise you it's not," I told him. "Can you really tell me you haven't been experiencing anything strange lately? Any new.... abilities?" I asked, trying a different approach.

There was silence on the other end. Then: "Maybe I have. But why should I trust you?"

That was a difficult question to answer. If I was to be entirely truthful, I would say there was no reason for him to. There wasn't really any reason for anyone to trust me. I betrayed everyone who got close to me without even planning to.

But I wasn't about to say any of that.

"Because I can help you. I can help you understand and wield these abilities."

"What if I don't want you to?"

I sighed. Usually, I wouldn't have been this direct but I had already talked to two people today, and they had both assumed it was a prank call.

"Because if you don't learn to control them, they might kill you."

I probably shouldn't have said that. I didn't want to scare him. But, to my surprise, he didn't hang up. "What do you mean? How?" he sounded worried.

I sighed. "It's not something I want to explain in depth over a phone call. But, basically, if the powers get too strong, and you're not able to control them, they.... tear you apart."

He took a moment to process that. "How do you know?"

"It happened to someone I know. Or, knew. And it wasn't pretty."

I felt a pang as I thought of gentle, quiet Cashlin. She had deserved so much better.

"Look, even if I do believe you, I can't do this right now. I have a life, okay? I have a family, and friends, I can't run off and-"

"I know," I told him. "Get your life together first. And call this number when you're ready to meet up."

We said goodbye, and I picked up my pencil, trailing it down the paper until I got to his name. Then I wrote beside it.

Marcus Coleman, partly successful

The three others I had talked today hadn't wanted to believe me, so I had to consider him at least a part win.

I heard faint sirens, and looked around nervously. I was sitting in the park Damira and I used to go to, when we lived here.

At first I had thought it might not be safe to go there, considering how close it was to the motel where we lived, since I knew it was probably being watched. But then I had realized Thomas would know I wasn't stupid enough to go to the motel, so he probably wasn't watching it as closely as he had.

I got off the bench, pulling my jacket tighter around me. I picked up my notebook and laptop, stuffing them in my bag, then I hurriedly walked out of the park, heading for the buildings.

I had come back into the city a day ago, having been unable to live in the abandoned house anymore. But it was dangerous here, but then again, it was dangerous everywhere which was why I had gone into hiding.

No matter where I went, I couldn't shake the feeling something was chasing me. I kept seeing people in the crowds, only to see it wasn't them at all. Fake people, I had called them. Paper people.

I had seen Thomas multiple times, standing in front of me with an evil smile, before I realized it was another man, who wasn't even looking at me.

Then I saw my mother, leaned against a stop sign, her hair blowing in front her face. My heart had leapt in my chest before her hair blew back again, revealing a stranger.