Walking Among Humans

Chapter 1 - Part 1

Mona

I knew this test was coming today, and yet I still wasn't prepared for the challenge. As I stand here in the middle of the gym, I can feel them watching me. Their stares are burning my flesh like lasers as they wait for me to complete my test so they can go to breakfast.

"I said focus, Lockhart!"

My eyes fly open and I'm staring into the coach's ice blue eyes, less than an inch away from my face. He's standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest, the aroma of his morning coffee filling the space between us. I grit my teeth and glare back at him.

"I am focusing."

"Not hard enough. Try harder."

"I can't try any harder." My head is throbbing, I'm hungry and exhausted. "I need a break."

"I don't care who your parents are, you will not leave this gym until you pass."

"Coach..."

"I don't want to hear another word from you until you've succeeded."

Frustrated and embarrassed, I close my eyes and focus my attention once again on projecting a simple thought into the coach's head. He's convinced that since I can hear other people's thoughts, I should be able to send mine out as well. But even after four years of training, my telepathy still only goes one way. In.

What a loser.

It didn't even take me this long to pass my first test.

Why does she get so much extra attention?

Under normal circumstances, I don't hear them anymore. After years of practice, I've become quite skilled at blocking them. Today, however, I'm unusually tired and I need all my attention to focus on the task at hand. I don't understand why he is doing this to me. It's not like I can help it if I only got half of a trait.

I can't focus anymore. I open my eyes and see everyone staring at me. One of my classmates giggles, and another rolls his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Coach, there are too many distractions in here."

"You have to deal with distractions. If you don't, you'll never graduate, Lockhart."

"Maybe I am not supposed to be able to do it."

"You're going to have to try a lot harder."

I square my shoulders and give a curt nod to the coach. I refuse to let them see me cry. They already think I'm a freak.

"Class dismissed. Lockhart, I'd like to see you in my office."

My classmates scatter. Excited whispers fill the air as they hurry off to breakfast.

Coach Baxter leans back in his chair and stairs across his desk at me. "Normally you have impeccable control. What's going on with you?"

"I'm just tired."

"Well, you better get it sorted out."

"I will."

"You are a telepath, Mona. Yours is one of the most dangerous traits our people have. It is also the hardest to control."

"If you know that then why are you so hard on me?"

"Because if I'm not, people will think I'm going easy on you because of your parents."

My parents died on Talonia when I was still a kid. I don't remember them since I was sent to earth the day after I was born. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if they hadn't sent me away.

"So all of this is because of who my parents were?"

"You have so much potential, everyone can see it. We hold you to a higher standard, we admit that. One day you will thank us for being so hard on you. In the meantime, please spend some time outside of class practicing."

As if I don't already. "Yes, sir."

"Now, go get some rest. You can try again tomorrow."

Most Talonians only get one trait, some get more depending on their lineage. I have two marks and I'm only sixteen, still two years from full maturity.

In addition to having more traits than most, mine are more powerful. My telepathy is so strong that I can hear every thought within a six-block radius when I'm not actively blocking them out. Even in my sleep I can hear them. Good thing I don't need much sleep. Nobody in Talonian history has ever had telepathy this strong, so we're covering new ground in trying to control it.

It's taken four years of intense practice and training to achieve the amount of control I have. That control, however, is fragile at best. If I'm even the slightest bit tired, the thoughts begin to get in. The only times I have total peace is before sunrise when everyone is still sleeping, and when I have Ben take me to a clearing in the woods about twenty miles out of town.

About a year ago I had a dream – well, it was more like a nightmare. Turns out I have the sight trait. My dreams will always come to pass. I may not know when or even where, but they will happen. Occasionally I can alter the outcome by convincing someone involved to do something different. Only a handful of the adults around here believe me though, so often I am forced to sit by and watch fate take its course.

John says I must be meant to do great things in my life since I was given such powerful traits. Personally I see it as a punishment for something I haven't even done wrong yet. I have to work harder than anyone else at the school, and twice as much is expected of me. Just because of who my parents were. It isn't fair.

It's time for breakfast, and the cafeteria is filled with my classmates. I must be more tired than I thought. The closer I get to my destination, the more thoughts I hear and the louder they become. I promised my roommate Lucy I'd have breakfast with her today or I would be upstairs eating with John and Lois like most mornings.

As I take my first step into the room filled with my classmates, their thoughts overwhelm me. Does he love me? I'm so going to dump her soon. I hope I pass my exam today. Damn she's fine—I should ask her out. One of these days I will beat her. I wish he'd stop staring at her. I can't believe he's late.

As I scan the groups of students for Lucy, the thoughts start fading away. Out of nowhere a feeling of dread consumes me. I have to find Ben.

"Ben!" I scan the room but can't see him. My heart starts to race, and the room begins to spin. "Ben!"

Everything is getting so quiet I can barely hear anyone's thoughts. Where is he? I have to find him.