When He Calls (Moons of Nibiru - Book #1)

chpt - 39: hay and decay

AS REGINALD COMETA'S CAR DISAPPEARED OFF the road and into the dark trees, Wren's pickup drove past the almost-invisible dirt road and headed forward to their assigned destination.

Kendrick sat in the back, earphones blocking out the wind caused by the moving vehicle.

The radio stations were horrible at playing anything entertaining that night, so Olivia settled for an hour-long soft guitar instrumental. Wren had her window rolled down, the cold air from inside infiltrating the truck. Olivia didn't complain; after all, it wasn't her vehicle.

"When we get to the farm, I'm gonna look around for any signs of someone being awake." said Wren, her voice like a jumpscare to Olivia who hadn't realized she was dozing off. The soft hum of the moving truck, the gentle music from the stereo, and the careful whistling of the wind from Wren's window made for a beautiful collection of sounds to put anyone to sleep.

"What, you gonna use your powers to sniff out anyone awake?" Olivia asked absentmindedly, shuffling in her seat to sit upright before she found herself falling asleep. Why was she even tired? She had taken a nap earlier that day in case their trip took longer than expected.

"No, I'm gonna see if there's any lights on in the house." Wren replied slowly, her eyes never leaving the road. "I don't always use my abilities, you know?"

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend." Olivia said, slightly blushing. "It's just... I've never met anyone with... actual superpowers."

"It's okay," Wren said. There were a few beats of silence between the two as they exited the collection of woods and were welcomed to the open countryside with wide spreads of fields and hills.

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you get your powers?" Olivia asked after a few seconds.

Wren shrugged. "I dunno, exactly. Nan never had a solid explanation for the origins of the Bless. She was told it originated from an angel, and then she just stuck to that. At least that's better than all the other origin stories made up over the years."

"What does it feel like when you use your powers?" Olivia asked, looking out her closed window at the dark hills.

Wren struggled to answer as she thought of a perfect example to use, "It's kinda like hot and cold fingertips against my naked scalp, if that makes sense?"

"Does it hurt?"

Wren shook her head. "It just feels weird. If I use it too much, however, it does end up hurting."

Olivia nodded knowingly and just continued staring out at her window. When a good enough silence resonated between the two, she decided to ask another question, giving enough a pause between each question so that she doesn't overwhelm Wren.

"I don't mean to offend with this," she started, "But how do we know your powers won't hurt us? Even by accident?"

Wren inhaled and sighed slowly before answering the girl, "Because I've been controlling the Bless for years now? I don't use it at all, really, only when I'm in actual danger. Other than that, I'm just a regular person. You don't need to worry if my abilities might go haywire or not."

Though her words were comforting, Olivia couldn't resist the urge to ask, "Have you hurt anyone with your powers before?"

Wren let out an awkward laugh. "What's with the question all of a sudden?"

"Sorry, but I've just never met someone with superpowers." Olivia said again. She turned to Wren. "Just when I finally accepted the reality that children can turn into dirt and dust, an old friend is revealed to have psychic abilities."