Savior of Ages

Strange New Powers and Strange New People

Back in the car Bill drove as he was more familiar with the city streets than anyone. It wasn’t long before conversation started to break out in the stop and go traffic.

“Does it hurt when you start glowing?” Bill asked.

“No, It feels natural. I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t even know what’s happening until it happens. I get no warning at all.” Ben explained

“It’s almost like this Jewel in my chest is some kind of defense mechanism.

“What about the mind reading? Can you hear what we are all thinking now?” Concern for his brother flooded Lenny’s question. He barely choked it out.

“That seems to require physical contact. Like when you touched the stone while I was knocked out. It’s not as intense when the contact is skin to skin, but when Bill touched the stone earlier his thoughts crashed into my head like a run away semi truck.”

Then Jimmy turned in his seat to face Ben and said. “I want you to take my hand and see If you can get thoughts from my mind that I don’t tell anyone. You know, stuff I’m not thinking about. Like memories.”

“I don’t know Jimmy. I don’t want to invade your mind”

“Don’t sweat it cousin. There ain’t nothing in there that I can’t trust any of you with.”

“Well I guess it couldn’t hurt to explore what I’m capable of.”

Jimmy held out his hand so Ben could take it. Ben firmly gripped Jimmy’s hand as though they were shaking on a bet. Ben could hear the thoughts Jimmy was thinking at that moment like he was speaking out loud. Ben closed his eyes and concentrated on pushing into Jimmy’s mind. In his mind’s eye Ben could see what appeared to be paths. Only one path was unblocked and that’s where the current thoughts were coming from. Not only could he hear the thought, he could see them playing out. 

The realism of this mentally conjured visualization was uncanny. Ben approached one of the blocked paths and pushed on the barrier. At first it seemed like he would get straight through but then it slammed shut on him. Ben pushed harder but to no avail. The barrier wasn’t going to budge.

Ben raised his mental arms and focused on the gate before him. Willing it to open. The barrier began to shake and glow with a pulsing blue light. Ben was reveling in the power. He really enjoyed what he was doing. Ben felt another mind enter and turned to see his brother Lenny. Lenny began to call to Ben. Telling him to let go of Jimmy’s mind, that he was hurting him. Ben dropped his arms and stepped back from the barrier. It stopped glowing and shaking the moment Ben let his arms fall. Ben released Jimmy’s hand physically at the same moment he let go mentally.

Jimmy was pale and winded. Sweat ran down his face and his shirt was soaked through. He looked at Ben and smiled then started laughing. “Boy, they need your ass down there in Guantonimo. Two more seconds of that and you would have had access to everything in my head. Hell you probably could have found stuff I haven’t been able to remember for years. That is some gift . But I don’t think I will be your lab rat anymore. It felt like you were kicking in my head with a pair of spiked climbing boots.”