The Golden Eye

Chapter 16

I bit my lip.
Whoops.
I immediately ran over to Alex, who didn't get any cuts because his broad shoulders shielded him from the glass.
He brushed some debris out of his hair and looked up at me with his gorgeous eyes.
"Why did you make that explode?" He questioned.
"Oh, I, uh, stubbed... My.. Ear."
"You stubbed you ear?"
"Yes."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw El smirk.
"What?" I snapped.
"Nothing," she said, keeping the smirk on her face.
"Well, Jon, I think El and I are set with training and using our weapons, at least we know what we're doing-no offense-" Alex said, quickly looking at me."But now we need to teach YOU."
I gulped nervously, but I nodded.
They both stood on either side of me, while I stood 15 feet away from a target dummy.
"Okay, we need you to feel a strong emotion Jon," El quickly decided.
"Um.." I didn't know what to use.
"C'mon! A single memory where you felt a powerful emotion?"
"I'm sorry I don't-" I began but stopped. A distant foggy memory was trying to break through the surface of years of therapy. I heard a faint laugh, and felt a warm glow of the sun.
Then the memory broke through.
It was the first day I met Alex.
I remember my 8 year old self biking home from another pointless therapy session, feeling depressed and sad, missing someone who I couldn't remember. I had become too lost in thought and lost control of my bike, which crashed into a tree. I flew off my bike and landed in the grassy area. I let out a tiny moan and sat up.
"Are you okay?"
I turned my head to the source of the concerned voice and saw a boy. He had hair that flopped in every direction and piercing eyes.
"Uh.." I had forgotten how to speak. He gave me a lopsided smile and walked over to me, extending his hand. I hesitantly reached up and took it.
The warmth from his hand and his contagious grin caused my lips to raise in a smile, my first one since El had disappeared.
It felt amazing.
I had felt so happy just staring at this boys smiling face.
Suddenly, my memory faded and I was back in the living room with El and Alex by my sides.
"Well?" El asked, lightly tapping her foot and fiddling with the bracelets on her left wrist.
"Y-yeah, I have a memory," I said, trying to remember that feeling of joy.
I closed my eyes, and thought of nothing but Alex's smile, letting the warmth radiate through me.
C'mon Jon, c'mon! I mentally urged myself.
Suddenly, my eyes flew open, and a blast of gold light shot off my body and straight through the head of the practice dummy
We stood in silence.
Just as Alex was about to cheer, El cut him off.
"Again." She looked at me with a stern look.
"But it's tiring," I complained, already feeling drained of energy.
"Fredrick won't care if your tired Jon! Now come on!" She clapped her hands for emphasis and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Since when did she become my mother?
Memories, memories, memories.
I closed my eyes again and racked through my brain.
Ooh, here's one.
I was 10 and I had just entered my house, having enjoyed a fun afternoon playing and talking with Alex.
"Where have you BEEN?" My fathers voice boomed through the hall.
"At a friends house," I muttered, trying to get past him to run to the safety of my room.
"Ha, little pathetic Jonathan has a friend?" My brother Timothy teased, polishing his fifth trophy of the month.
"Shut it," I said with clenched teeth, my hands formed into tiny fists.
Then my father started again in his endless rant about how awful this 'Alex boy' was, the spark of anger in me growing larger with each word. I remember wanting to see something explode, but the only thing that happened was a vase shake lightly.
Not this time.
I felt electricity run through my veins, and opened my eyes and saw a larger blast off light burst at the dummy.
It didn't even have a head anymore.
"Yes! That's what I'm talking about!"
Alex cried, giving me a high-five.
"Yeah but he spent almost ten seconds on that memory!" El shrieked.
"So?" Alex and I said in unison.
"So," she said."Ten seconds in a battle? Anything could happen in ten seconds!"
"Well, what am supposed to do?"
"Jon, we can't have you thinking in battle. We just need you to snap!"
"How!?" Ugh, why was this so hard.
"You need to feel emotions without the memory. Just snap! And let out a burst of emotions. You need to just and a quick reflex without thinking."
"Uh, okay..?"
I raise my hand in front of me, my palm facing the dummy.
I shut my eyes and snapped them open letting out a rush of air. A great big light shot out of my hand and right through the targets heart.
We stared at my hands to the target, then back at my hands.
El lightly spoke up.
"Bingo."