Blank Girl - (Book One)

Chapter 8 (Part 1) - So, I'm Psychic?

Greg

I took her gently by the hand and guided her into the cabin. I moved her to one of the couches and made her sit. Her face was void of emotion and her body seemed unwilling to do anything, save the most basic functions. She blinked and breathed, but there was nothing of substance. All of her energy was in her mind and I could hear it with alarming clarity. She screamed and cursed and cried and wailed. I had never seen someone so broken look so alarmingly blank.

JACK!

With her screaming in my head, I tried to focus on blocking her out, bit by bit, but it was too hard. I used every method my father had taught me. Singing nursery rhymes, solving mathematical problems, reciting historical figures by date of assassination, the works. Nothing helped. 

"Cassie, I need you to calm down."   I knelt down in front of her and took her hands in mine. 

My father's tricks were obviously not helping, so it was time to try a different approach. If Cassie had broken down like this in front of my mother, she would have put the kettle on and rifled through the pantry for something sweet. Then a long talk and a lot of hand patting and "there there's". I could never hope to be so gentle, but I could at least try to be a calming influence.

I stroked Cassie's palms and gently pressed a feeling of quiet into her mind. I projected the steady beating of waves against the shore and one by one  slowed them to a gently lapping on a serene beach. 

I can't lose anyone else.

She whimpered in my mind. The screaming had stopped at least... I kept the image of the beach clear in my mind and looked into her eyes to push the image in further. I knew she couldn't see me, but the eyes were a powerful tool in the Psychic's arsenal. The blue in her eyes had faded even further and the pale ice was dominating. The frozen reflection drew me in, deeper and deeper until I finally realized that I was looking at my own projected image. My beach was in her eyes.

I've never been to the beach. She looked directly at me, with perfect clarity and spoke into my mind. 

I don't know if she actually saw me but the fact that she could actually see the image I projected was incredible  and a little bit terrifying. The image was a catalyst, not actuality, but she had seen it in her own mind and turned it back to my own. Cassie was definitely not a normal girl and she was certainly more than an Animal Empath. 

"So what if I'm not normal!" She frowned. "I knew you were just like them. You're-"

"Cassie wait!" I gripped her hands so she couldn't get up. "You heard me just now?"

"Yes of course I did. You said I was terrifying and not normal."

And what if I said being terrifying and not normal was a beautiful thing?

"I would say you're trying to dig yourself out of a hole."

"I knew it! I knew you were special!" I scooped her up in a hug before she could push me away. "We'll find Jack and I'll take you back to Blackburn Bay. My father will be furious that he was wrong about you, but I told him you were the one I was looking for."

I set her down as I realized just how insane I was probably sounding and I knew, almost instantly, that if she thought I was crazy, I'd never get to be with her. I was never like this. How was I so wrapped up in this girl?

"Greg... You're freaking me out." There, she said it. I knew I was being an ass.

"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. You are a Psychic, you obviously have more aptitude with animals, but that's okay, we can work with that." It looked like she was going to interrupt me. "And before you go calling me insane, I know you talk to Jack. Not how most people talk to their animals, but actual conversations. He hears you and responds in a way that you understand. Now that I think about it, that's probably how you "see" so well given that you can't actually see at all. Is that right?"

"How did you-"

"Because you are a terrible liar and I am an awesome Psychic. I'm like you except I've been doing it a lot longer and I don't have to hide it in my world. My parents are Psychics too." 

"Your parents are doctors."

"Doctors can be Psychics too. My mom is a surgeon and a Telekinetic, and my dad is a psychiatrist and a Telepathic Empath. I've tried the telekinesis thing, but it's actually quite difficult to move things with your mind." I trailed off, quite aware that I was going off topic, but not entirely sure how to steer the conversation back to where it should be.

"So, I'm psychic..." She brushed her hair out of her face and sighed. "I'm not crazy and I don't imagine Jack's voice." 

I smiled. "We use that to find him."

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Author's Note - Chapter dedicated to LlamaUnicornChick for being a great reader, voter and commenter! Let her actions be your guide and Vote, Comment and Share! ^_^

Sorry this took so long guys! My computer crashed and I have to get it repaired. I have a borrowed laptop for now, but all my notes are still on my computer.

Please also note this is only Part 1 of Chapter 8... I will be posting Part 2 (Jack's Rescue!) later on.