Two Sides Of A Coin

6~Erik

I turn my eyes from the road to glance over at the man in the seat beside me. Just moments ago he was whimpering and begging the voices to stop. Now he is quiet and calm. I listen as his quiet and steady breathing is the only sound in the vehicle. He is propped up against the window and I can even hear the beginning of a snore as he sleeps. Perhaps he will recover quicker this way... I can cope with him gathering a few minutes of rest. It is not like I need him in order to drive.

I feel a slight prickling in the back of my mind. I am very familiar with that sensation. Somehow, in his slumber Charles has found my mind and has accessed it. Charles...if you can hear me...You are not permitted to be in my mind now... If I am going to sit in this car in silence I want to do it in the comfort of my own thoughts without the invasion of Charles. I wait for his response, but recieve none. Instead what was once a gentle whisper in the back of my mind turns into a striking pain that proves that he has not only entered my mind, but he has also accessed my memories. This cannot continue...

"Charles."

I gently nudge him until I see his eyes open. He grips his head and quickly closes his eyes in response to the pain I know he feels.

"Does driving require me to be awake?"

I almost combat his question with some snooty remark, but I realize that the tone in his voice is not arrogance or mockery. In fact it is a simple request of logic and reasoning which he wishes to discuss.

"No. It does not." I mutter.

"Then why did you disturb me? You know I need my rest as my powers return. "

Charles...this is not a matter of disturbance...You cannot just freely roam in my mind whenever you please...the first time it occured I said nothing...you were not in control of yourself and it could not be avoided...however, now I believe you can prevent this from happening....

"It isn't that simple Erik."

My grip on the steering wheel tightens. He did it again. He is in my mind listening.

"Charles, get out." I order.

He places his middle and pointer fingers on his temples and leans forward in the seat. He moans quietly as he tries to focus. He looks at me and I see that his eyes are filled with sorrow and hurt.

"I am sorry to have inconvenienced you. When I fell asleep my unstable powers focused on the closest psyche--yours. It was unintentional. I would never choose to roam your mind. As I'm sure you can imagine your thoughts are an unpleasant place to be. I pity you Erik."

I don't need his pity...I require the pity of no one...

I focus on the road.

"Never get inside my head again unless I give you permission."

Charles doesn't reply. Instead he stays with his head down and his eyes closed.

"You need rest. I...I know I was wrong to be inside your head, but I know you are tired no matter how much you pretend otherwise."

I haven't slept in sixty four hours...What difference does he think it would make for me to stop now? Naturally, as soon as the prospect of rest is mentioned all of my stamina melts away from me and I find myself barely able to keep my eyes open. Charles seems to pick up both my exhaustion and my resistance to his proposition so he decides to argue his point with logic.

"Erik. You are the only one that can drive. Our venture would be pointless if we perished in a car crash. Besides the fact that I cannot defend us from attack. That burden again lies on you. You should rest for a couple hours. I will stay awake and keep guard. You said it yourself, I have better control now."