Cruel Empathy ✓

Chapter 9

Anna and Rye didn't speak much more for the duration of the ride. He had given her water and tried to give her more to eat, but she couldn't yet stomach it.

She was rather light-headed and ended up having to lean against him as they rode. She hoped he didn't read anything into the action, her body was just no longer capable of holding her up. She thought about his confession. A mage told him years ago where she would be? She thought about the overwhelming thoughts that brought her to the lake that morning. None of it really made sense.

She had strange intuitions her entire life. She had always thought it was something good. They typically led her to helping someone. Just a week ago she had a feeling to pick her roommate up from some frat party near campus. She didn't call her or anything, Anna just knew something wasn't right. It turned out her roommate had been slipped something into her drink. She could hardly stand when Anna got to her.

Anna had also had two dreams that had come true in her lifetime. The dreams were different from normal dreams. They were more vivid and she could feel the emotions of people in them.

The first time she had one she was in the fifth grade. She had dreamt of her foster father getting into a car accident on his way to work. That family had been in the process of adopting her, and she was close to becoming a Mitchell instead of a Holland. She told him not to go to work that day. She cried and begged him, but he went anyway. She hadn't tried hard enough, he left for work and he never came back. The next day Anna was removed from the home. She wasn't able to attend his funeral or say goodbye to the girl she had considered her sister. That event left a mark on her soul. She was determined to never let anything like that happen again.

Her second premonitive dream happened in the summer before ninth grade. She dreamt about a disgruntled former employee for a realtor's office. The man, Larry Drummer, brought a large semi automatic firearm back to the office determined to shoot everyone inside. Thankfully she woke before the shooting actually happened.

She did three things the next morning. She called the realtor warning them to close the office that day. The woman flipped out on her, but she took the threat seriously. Anna called the police and left a tip, and third she found Larry's number from the realtor website and called him and left a message on his phone. Larry, my name is Anna. I know you are planning on doing something terrible today. You feel betrayed, hopeless, and angry. I see you. You are not a bad person. You don't have to hurt anyone. You can make a better choice. Things can get better. Please get help. The only person Larry killed that day was himself.

Anna was only fourteen at the time. She didn't have the tech savviness to hide her identity when she made the phone calls. The police tracked her phone and brought her in for questioning. She made up some story about overhearing him tell his plans at the bus stop. They didn't believe her. Larry and her lived nowhere near each other, and he had his own car and didn't ride the bus. They brought her in several more times, but they eventually let it go. They found the weapon, suicide note, and threats he made on social media. The evidence was there, and Anna was a meer child who most likely helped prevent a worse tragedy.

Sadly, her foster mom at the time wouldn't let it go. She accused Anna of somehow having an inappropriate relationship with Larry. She took away her phone and grounded her for weeks on end. She was really just scared of her. Thankfully she was eventually removed from that foster placement from the recommendation of her social worker.

Anna startled when Rye stopped the horse. "We are making camp," he murmured to her. Anna looked up and saw Ostiel and Ashuek already setting up tents. Rye swung himself down, and then pulled her to him. The moment he let her go, she collapsed. He cursed while he caught her.