These Broken Tears || Kotlc

Chapter Sixteen: Tam

Tam saw Wylie on the floor- shaking. Tam wanted to comfort him- wanted to assure him that everything would be alright- but he couldn't.

Tam had never been the kind, open, easy-going one.

He was too dang much like Keefe, although he'd never admit that. Too stubborn, too mistrusting, and cared too much for one particular person.

One person he might not ever see again.

Tam gulped.

He and Linh had gone through everything together. They had been inseparable. They had faced Exillium, found Sophie, and joined the Black Swan.

Then, he left her.

A stupid decision- the same one Keefe made. And Tam had been stupid too.

He thought Glimmer could've helped. He thought he had truly made a friend he could trust.

But she damaged his and Linh's relationship, and Tam had too much dang pride to apologize.

And now he might never get to.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! If only he had kept to himself and minded his business- if only he had never talked to Sophie in the first place! Maybe things would be different.

"Maruca- she, she wasn't killed randomly," Lesedi choked out suddenly.

Tam's eyes snapped onto her. Wylie looked up also.

"She's dead. . . . and I've kept this a secret for way too long."

Tam didn't want to hear anything more. He somehow suspected that this would be another member added to the "Yay! We have too many weird abilities!" Club. He didn't really care much for the information.

But Lesedi couldn't seem to stop herself.

"She- she wasn't just a Psionipath. She could see the future."

Yep, Tam had definitely gone insane.

"That's impossible," Tam growled, "I don't know what's with this new generation of new abilities, but this is unbelievable. First Keefe's weird psycho abilities and Dex and Stina's freaking Sensetelepis thing- but this is wrong."

"It- it is," agreed Lesedi, "But it's true. I don't know how. I don't even know how it was possible. But I knew I couldn't tell anyone. She deserved something of a normal life. Except there was Forkle. Always Forkle. Seems to me that man is just as much an enemy as everyone else is!"

"That doesn't explain anything," Tam said angrily, ducking as he heard another bomb explode.

Lesedi shook her head and said, "No, it doesn't- because he planned it all."

"Who?" Wylie asked straightening up, dusting off the debris and wiping his eyes.

"Forkle," Lesedi hissed.

"Mr. Forkle?" Tam said, surprised.

"Yes, Mr, Forkle. That psychopath is at the center of everything- isn't he?"

"I don't understand. . ." Tam said.

Lesedi gathered her breath and continued, "He is at the center of it all- haven't you guessed? He created them- he created the Black Swan, the Council, and the Neverseen. He made them all."

"That makes no sense," Wylie interrupted, "Even if he did have some disguises that could be in the Neverseen and the Council- why would he do that? Why would he create rivaling groups?"

"Because he's insane!" screeched Lesedi, "You don't know- do you? You don't know that your lives aren't really your own. That your personalities, habits, abilities- none of it belongs to you? It all belongs to Forkle. Everything. He taunts us- he wants to make us. . . a story. And he knew what he wanted his characters to be."