Extraordinary Mistakes

17. Impressive

June 2008

Thomas holds Mary's hand while they both look at Emily. Joshua keeps playing by himself nearby. They are all in their small garden in their two-bedroom house, waiting for the moment of truth.

Emily just turned seven. Would she have any ability?

Please, something useful... make her powerful. Thomas smiles at Mary and kisses her forehead.

Emily is sweating, the sun hits her face, and she has her parents' eyes heavily focused on her. 

"It's okay, honey, you'll feel it. You'll just know," Mary tells her. What if there's nothing to feel? Seven years we wasted...

Emily breathes in and out. Nothing is happening. She can hear her brother laugh in the background. Pretending that he's playing rather than mocking her. Tears begin to form in her eyes.

I don't have it. She looks up and sees the smiles from her parents' faces slowly disappearing. The laughter of her brother echoes, but it isn't the same as before. She looks around and a bug passes in front of her in slow motion, this scares her, and everything returns to normal again.

"It's okay, honey..." Mary tries to hold in the tears.

Emily gets up, focuses on the tree nearby her, it starts happening again, everything is slower.

"Having an ability isn't everything," Mary tells her and she hears every syllable being pronounced.

Lights begin to form around the tree and she knows it in her heart what she can do. She breaks one of the branches and sends it flying all the way to her feet. Time goes back to normal.

"Was that you, Emily?!" Thomas asks.

Emily looks at her father and smiles.

"What did you do? Do it again!"

Thomas and Mary take a deep breath and smile. Emily does the same, this time with the law mower and moved it a bit. Thomas smile grows bigger when he realizes it.

"What's her ability?" Mary asks.

"Telekinesis." 

"Impressive!" Mary cries and runs to hug her daughter.

"Can I rest now? Watch my cartoons?" Emily smiles and holds her mother tight.

"No, Emily, someone important is coming tomorrow to see you. You have to practice a bit more. You have to be at your best." They both go inside to call Edward Hall.

Joshua creeps in from behind and fires his toy gun. It'll hurt her, and he smiles, thinking about it. She stops it, sends it back surgically close to his face.

On the next day, Mary greets in Edward, Saif, and a mental controller. They all watch Emily using her ability on the garden.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Mary brings a glass of ludicrous expensive wine to them.

"Yes," Edward takes a sip and pretends that it isn't the least tasteful wine he had in a while.

"Telekinesis is such a useful ability for the war," Thomas makes a toast.

"That is true."

"We feel that we can do more for our government, Edward. And Emily... she could be useful in the war!" Thomas smiles.

"It isn't up to me." It's up to them. "Saif, the results, please?"

Saif calls the mind controller, and they speak briefly. He calls Edward and the three men speak for over thirty minutes in a distance.