Powers

Chapter one

Matthew Harrison hurried down the hallway to room 102, fishing a key out of his pocket as he did so.  As soon as he reached the room he knocked firmly on the door.

"Mr. Wallace?  Is everything alright?  What happened?"

There was a pause and then the grumpy old voice of Mr. Wallace came back,

"No, I'm not all right.  Do you think I would have rung you up if I was alright?  I've fallen out of that infernal bed again!  Get in here and help me up!  I haven't got all day, you know. "

Matthew, who knew perfectly well that Mr. Wallace had all the time in the world, did as he was bid and went in. 

Sure enough, there was Mr. Wallace spread out on the floor with the normal, sour expression on his face.  At least this time he was fully dressed.

"Alright, come on," he said, gently lifting the all but weightless old man to his feet.  "Let's get you back in bed."

Mr. Wallace snorted.

"You know how long I've been ringing you young man."

"No," replied Matthew as he tucked the man back into bed.  "How long Mr. Wallace? "

"A long time! " snapped grouchy Mr. Wallace.  "That's how long.  Now, get out of here!  I need my sleep! "

Matthew nodded and  left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

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Daphne Porter sat in her changing room behind the club and gazed into the mirror on her makeup table.  She was drop-dead gorgeous and she knew it.  She had short, curly blonde hair that she had piled up on top of her head, a pair of deep green eyes that seemed to dazzle as you looked at them, and smooth, porcelain skin.

She looked at her lovely reflection for a few moments before applying a thick layer of deep red lipstick to her full lips. 

There was simply no doubt about it.  She was God's gift to men.  But there was no time to linger on that thought, at least, not right now.  That could be saved for later.  Right now she had a show to put on!

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Neal Harrison frowned across his desk at his business partner.

"I'm sorry Norman, but I'm cutting you out, and there's simply nothing you can say that will change my mind. "

"You- but- you can't do that!  I'm a part of this company!  I helped found Quin Tech!" spluttered Norman.

"Well, not on paper," replied Neal, calmly.

"You- YOU!" Norman was speechless as the truth hit him.  "You signed all the paperwork.  You settled all the legal stuff.  You signed off on the lease to the building, all so you could one day cut me out! "

"Now, for the record, I didn't know that it would come to this at the start, " Neal reasoned.  "I merely felt the need to plan ahead, just in case, and now I've come to realise.  The thing that's holding Quin Tech back, it's you old friend."

"Friend?!" Norman demanded.  "Were we ever friends Neal?!"

"Ah, good, so you understand that our relationship was strictly business.  Well, now it's ended.  You have an hour to collect your things and then you shall be escorted off the premises.  Good day."

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Maria Rodriguez sat, shivering in her cell.
She couldn't believe it!  What was happening to her?!  Was she even human still?!  Or had the monster inside truly taken over?!  And the things she had done!  Her family!  All of them gone, and it was her fault!