Floating

Chapter 1

Warsaw, September 1st 1939

Willa held her mother's hand tightly, as they walked through the streets of Warsaw. The day was warm, but the sky was grey and pale. They were heading to the market to pick up some food.

Her mother was going to make one of her favourite dishes, Gołąbki. Willa thought of the delicious cabbage rolls steaming on her plate, filling her nose with the warm and comforting fumes. Until the clicking of her mother's shoes went silent, pulling Willa out her lovely thoughts. She looked up at her mother, who was standing still in shock, gazing into the grey sky. "Mommy?" she asked gently, tugging on her mother's coat sleeve. Willa followed her mother's gaze, as planes flew over them dropping strange objects across the city.

Once they hit the ground, an explosion of orange filled their eyes. It sent a wave of heat, dust and wind, destroying everything in its path. The people's screams echoed through the streets, as people ran for their lives. Willa's mother picked her up and ran as fast as she could, holding her daughter's face into her coat.

But the wind's power knocked her mother off her feet sending Willa flying as the ray of heat passed through her body. She landed on the ground hard. Black suddenly crept into her vision, and her eyes slowly closed.

The screams of people were no longer heard, as her eyes blinked open to a world of ash. The bottom of her mother's heels came into focus. "Mommy?" Willa whispered, as she crawled toward her. "Mommy?"

She caught a glimpse of her mother's face, and her eyes filled with tears. Her mother stared ahead emotionless, her face black with ash. Willa couldn't control her tears. She closed her mother's eyes gently and hugged her, burying her face into her mother's shoulder.

Willa slept soundly, as a few soldiers walked up to them. "Alive?"

The one soldier knelt down, and placed his fingers around the mother's neck. "Dead."

The other soldier placed his fingers on Willa's neck, and gasped. "What?"

"She's alive." The soldier replied.

"How did she survive?"

"Not sure."

Willa's eyes blinked open slightly. But they were quickly closed again as the soldier placed a fabric bag on her head.

Helsinki, Finland December 22nd 1942

The two doctors examined the lined photograph of a brain. "The brain should have fried from that 3 years ago!" The doctor exclaimed. "The Parahippocampal Gyrus couldn't have taken that much radiation."

"Indeed," agreed the fellow doctor. "But you do see that—right there that's a-" The doctor stopped, as the General entered the room.

"Are we ready?"

"Yes, sir." The doctor guided the way to a metal walled room, with no windows. There, sat Willa at a metal desk with her hands pinned to it, and her head covered with wires.

She noticed the General, and her jaw clenched.

"Find him." The General directed.

The doctors left the room and entered another, where they watched her.

Willa shut her eyes reluctantly. Her mind's eye ran through the streets, then stopped at a prison cell, where Heinz Harro Schulze-Boysen sat inside.

Tears streamed down Willa's cheeks, as the General, the table, and objects around her began to float. "She's doing it again!" Cried the General. "Do it!" He yelled.

Willa stared at Boysen breathing heavily, the General's voice an irritating echo in her head.

Boysen's eyes widened with shock, as he grabbed his neck. He struggled to breathe, and his very last breath only a slight choke. Finally, he collapsed to the ground.