𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧

Chapter 6: Alan

Violet seemed more cheery than usual today. I caught her glancing my way a few times, and I thought something was wrong. But I realised that she must have been reading my thoughts and I wished for the umpteenth time that I could read her mind too. It seemed unfair that she had gotten powers and I hadn't. I felt like I deserved to be special. I knew that my mother would say that I already was, but I just didn't feel special.

Being the older brother, I had to push those feelings away. Every time I had those thoughts, my sister scowled at me and I realised that she knew what I was thinking. So I stopped thinking those thoughts. For the moment.

We walked along the riverbank near our hideout. As with all 'nature' in the West Quarter, it was polluted and trash floated in the murky water. After years of misuse, no one had even bothered to clean it up. My father used to say that it was so easy to drop your trash, but more difficult to pick it up. I liked that saying, and since then, I remembered it very well.

One thing that Freddy told me was that the Upper Quarter citizens had the luxury of having perfectly maintained 'nature'. However, all of it was synthetic. It was so much easier for the maintenance crew to tend to synthetic nature, no matter how absurd it sounded. Although it sounded more appealing, it still wasn't real. I suddenly felt grateful that we still had real nature in the West. Freddy had missed the true nature of the world.

"--and then do you remember, we were dancing in that garden of flowers?" Violet was saying. I was confused for a moment before Violet spoke again. "The drawing you did for me reminded me of it." She pulled out my drawing from her sleeve.

She could definitely sense my happiness because she smiled back. "I really like it," she said. I was happy but slightly puzzled. The odd thing was that I felt like I was under pressure to do a drawing for her. It had been a while since I'd last done one for her. I usually did better drawings when I wasn't under pressure. When I had no expectations of my skills, I could draw so well. It was the opposite of Violet. She performed especially well when she was under pressure. I wasn't sure how she did it, but it made me jealous. Out of both of us, she got the better qualities and skills. It wasn't fair. 

My thought process was interrupted when Violet spoke. "Alan, can you hear me?"

I turned to look at her. "Uh......yes? I can hear you."

"Look at my mouth," Violet said. My gaze went downwards.

"This is going to surprise you, but I just discovered this," Violet spoke, yet her lips remained still.

Shock hit me. What? Her mouth didn't even move. Not even when she had spoken. Was this some kind of trick?

"No way," I said. "What just happened? Did you just get some ventriloquist skills all of a sudden?"

"I actually didn't think that it could work. And, no, it's not ventriloquism - it's something similar. But you know how a ventriloquist can just project their voice into thin air? It seems like I can do it, but mentally. I can project my voice, but into your mind. I don't think anyone else can hear it."

Too many thoughts were racing through my mind. Why was Violet the one with all the power? Was it accidental or was there a cause? Why was it happening now of all times? Did that mean that she could read my thoughts and talk to me in my mind?

Violet nodded in assent - she'd heard my thoughts and was confirming my suspicion. So now she could talk to me without speaking. Great.

I tried to do it back to her but in vain. It was as if there was a solid brick wall, preventing me from reaching her mind. Violet looked at me with what seemed like sympathy. You'd never know with her, what she was feeling. "I'm sorry, brother. I wish you could do it too." She turned her head down, looking half guilty and half amused.

However unfair it was, I decided to take it in stride.

"Actually, this could be a good thing," I said. "We can take advantage of this because when you're waiting at the hideout while I'm out, then you can actually warn me if anything happens. I won't be able to say anything but you will, and that's good enough."

That seemed to surprise Violet, if anything did. Her brother, not being jealous all of a sudden? It seemed too good to be true. But I guess that's what happens when you don't let people know your next move. 

As quickly as she showed her surprise, she masked it again. Her face was back to a blank mask as if nothing ever happened. It was so infuriating how she could mask her emotions and thoughts from me. I couldn't do it and I felt so exposed, compared to her. I blamed her powers for it and I wished that she had never gotten them in the first place.