Supernatural: Book 3: Yin-Yang's Story

Chapter 14 - Mindscape

(Yang)

    For nights, I was baffled. Something about my gem had changed when it was restored. Not just my outfit, I had lost multiple powers. First, it was my water manipulation. Then, after the fight, during the night, I tried to see if any other powers of mine were missing.
    I had to test them far away from our house, outside the city. I didn't want to show anyone that I was out here, or to wake anyone up. It was already on the news that I had a crisis. I didn't want any more stuff to leak on the news about me.
    I had laid wide awake, only hearing the faint wind, and the vent. It was nearly pitch black, but the streetlights let me see. I twisted and turned for the relief of slumber hours after Yin went to sleep. We had finished my homework before bed.
    She asked why I kept doing extra credit assignments, and I told her that I needed to keep my grades up from tests. I was constantly slipping now ever since I had my powers. I didn't tell her though that it was so I could be distracted. I liked my powers, but they were doing a great deal of damage to myself.
    At around one in the morning, I got up. I needed to know what was wrong with my powers. I transformed downstairs, and went out the front door, which I now unlocked, so I can get back in easily. I flew in the air, silently, only going a few miles before there were not many houses around.
    I first inspected my gem, maybe it was broken. I summoned my bow from my gem so I could see it better. I could potentially find the source of the magic liquid if that's a problem. I looked at my gem on my wrist for a few moments; there was nothing wrong with it. Maybe the magic did something to my gem, unintentionally.
    Next, I tested out all of my powers. I already flew to get here, so that clearly works. I tested out pulses on some trees, and they worked. I tried to jump over to a pond, but I only jumped around a foot into the air. I flew into the air instead, and once I found a puddle of slushy snow, I tried to gently glide down around ten feet. Instead, I started falling, but caught myself with my flight.
    I took a small breather to get back on track, and I held both of my hands out. I focused myself on the water in front of me, and on my hands. I tried to lift the water for a while. It was no use.
    I had a lot of missing powers. Around half of them! I still had hope, maybe my prediction will work! I focus on the future, and I see something. Thankfully, this was a very useful power. What I saw was strange. I had found another power that I had, and I didn't have it earlier.
    Another power that I gained? I tried to focus, my prediction is usually correct unless something intervenes. I wait and wait, trying to focus on different parts of my body to see what happens. Once I move into my eyes, I am able to see. Not like seeing colors, lines, and objects, but I could see.
    I was able to go around my body, and look at myself, I was perfectly still. Whenever I moved my face though, my physical self moved her face. I was able to see my legs and my arms on my... other self, that I was currently in. I was blurry, and glowing white. I looked over the houses, and I was able to go through trees, and after around a mile of just flying, I was tugged, and I saw from the distance that my physical self fell over. I see that a small cord is attached to me and myself. It probably keeps us together.
    I returned to my body, and I stood myself up in an awkward fashion. I looked at my eyes, and they looked like my body. White and glowing. It's strange, it reminds me of someone familiar, but I don't know who I am thinking of. I start getting tired, it must take lots of energy to do this. I get back into my physical body by blinking my eyes, or vibrating them, I don't know. It's strange. What was the use of this new power?
    It has to be useful. All I cared about was that there was something good that I had found out today. I flew back to my house, detransformed, and went to bed.
    Yin wasn't going to go to her swim team anymore. She exclaimed to David about how her swim teacher was abusing her verbally. At least that's what I heard, I don't want to be nosy and ask Yin, Garrett, or David about it.
    The next day, I was thinking about track. Yes, it is a good sport, but I feel like I need to burn off some extra energy. I also don't really have track in the winter, and I get bored.
    While eating dinner with my family, discluding Garrett because he's busy. David won't tell us where he's at or what he's doing.
    "David?"
    "Yes, Yang?"
    "Do you think that I can join another sport?"
    "Of course! What sport are you thinking of joining?" He politely asks.
    "Well, I was thinking of a few of them. I miss getting out and being active. Maybe volleyball or..."
    "Didn't you quit gymnastics only around a year ago? Because you were too lazy to go?" Yin barges in.
    "It was because I wasn't that flexible!" I argue.
    "Girls, stop. She can do whatever she wants that's healthy for her, but Yang, please try the sports you want to do and make sure that you like them."
    "Thanks." I say.
    "Where is Garrett? He's always gone nowadays, we barely see him anymore!" Yin says suddenly.
    "He's... busy. With his schoolwork and... extracurricular stuff." David says broadly. The rest of the time, dinner is mostly silent.
    After I get in bed, it's later than usual because it's a weekend. I hear the door opening. It must be Garrett. I want to say hello to him.
    I wait for Yin to go to sleep, you can tell when she does because she doesn't move. I slowly get out of bed with my pajamas on. David is in his room, getting ready for bed. I creep down the hall, and I start going down the stairs.
    I look for Garrett, and I see him at the table, scrolling on his phone. "Garrett?" I ask. He looks up, and sees me.
    "Hey, Yang." He says nonchalantly, not acting like I was supposed to be in bed.
    "I have a question. Where do you go when you're not in class?"
    "Well, I hang out with my other friends, study, and go get some beers."
    I freeze. That last word. It explains why he's always gone in the afternoon and at night. He goes to get... alcohol. He's not fully conscious or aware at the moment. I shouldn't be talking to him. I need to get back to bed.
    "I have a question for you now. Are you involved in anything magical? Don't touch or... do magic, look what it's done to me."
    I don't answer. What does he mean? How does he know? How is he involved in magic? "Ehh... no. I'm tired, I would like to speak more with you, but I should be getting to bed."
    "Bedtime already? Didn't realize that. Should I say goodnight?"
    He meant tuck in, I know that, but I just carry on, and slowly start up the steps. "No, thanks."
    "Love you! Goodnight!" He says loudly, nearly yelling." I run up the steps and down the hall as silently as I can be so I'm not caught. Before I close the door, I see David opening the door.
    "Garrett, what are you saying?" He says, and goes down the stairs. I wasn't seen, I turned around, and saw that Yin was sitting up, looking at me. I jump back a bit, she's usually a deep sleeper.
    "What are you doing?" She quietly hisses at me.
    "I..." I was going to lie, but I needed to tell the truth. I don't want people to hide secrets from me unless it's necessary, and I don't want to be hypocritical. "I was downstairs, talking to Garrett about your question you had at dinner."
    "Why?" She asked, in a softer tone, but she was still suspicious.
    "I first wanted to say goodnight to him, but he was acting strange. Then I came to realize after what he had told me that..." I stopped. I thought that he was better than that; to drink. I thought I knew him well and what he was like. A hard-working student that never gave up, and was always there for both of us in need.
    "What?" Yin asked.
    "An alcoholic." I bluntly said, walked over to my bed, and laid down.
    "Wait, so my assumptions were correct? Do you know why Garrett's an-"
    "No." I have never so suddenly felt like this before, but I wasn't surprised, I was angry.
    "Okay. I hope we can talk about it tomorrow, and we can get everything sorted out."