SPECTRA

Breaking the fourth wall

The next day, Alex, Tommy, and Billy sat in the living room, trying to play a video game together. However, the consoles kept glitching, the controllers morphing into older and older models with every reset.

Frustrated, they ran up to their mom's room.

Wanda was hiding under the covers of her bed.

"Mom, are you coming down soon?" Alex asked, tapping lightly on the doorframe.

"Our game is freaking out," Billy added, glancing back at Tommy, who was silent for once.

Tommy squinted at the bed. "Is she asleep?"

Wanda's voice came muffled from under the blanket. "Mommy's not sleeping, honey. She's just resting her eyes."

Billy frowned, his face more concerned than the others. "Mom, my head feels weird. It's, like, really noisy."

Alex chuckled softly. "Welcome to the club, little bro."

"Well, I don't like it," Billy shot back, rubbing his temples. "How long has this been going on for you?"

Alex shrugged. "Not sure. Time doesn't really work normally here."

From under the covers, Wanda's voice was soft but firm. "Resting. Her. Eyes."

The three kids exchanged glances before slowly backing out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Once they were in the hallway, Billy clutched his head tighter, wincing. "You're just completely fine with hearing everyone all the time?"

"It hurts," he added, his voice strained.

Alex gave him a sympathetic look. "I don't really hear them," she explained. "It's more like... I can see them. Even when I'm not focusing on it. It's like having double vision. I can see you clearly with my eyes, but at the same time, there's this... other vision, in the back of my mind."

"That sounds... freaky," Tommy chimed in, raising an eyebrow.

"It is," Alex admitted. "It's like astral projecting while awake. I can see things happening around us, even if I'm not trying."

Billy's eyes widened. "So you're always... like this?"

"Pretty much," Alex nodded, offering a small smile. "It takes time to get used to, but you'll figure it out."

The kids made their way downstairs. Billy reached for the remote, but Tommy, using his super speed, snatched it up before he could even blink.

Tommy laughed. "Snooze you lose!"

"That's not fair! You always get it first!" Billy yelled, lunging to try and grab the remote back from him.

Alex, watching her brothers, smirked. She held her hand out, a small golden orb glowing in her palm. The remote flew out of Tommy's grip and landed smoothly into hers.

"Think smarter, not harder, boys," she joked, sitting down on the couch with a grin.

"Hey!" Tommy protested, crossing his arms.

Billy chuckled and plopped down next to Alex, clearly enjoying the momentary victory.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs. Their mother appeared at the bottom, dressed in sweats and a robe, looking more disheveled than usual. Without saying a word, Wanda headed straight into the kitchen, avoiding the kids altogether.

Alex frowned, glancing at her brothers. "What do you think she's doing?"

Billy shook his head. "Not sure. I can't get a read on her."