The Touch

Chapter 8 - Blind Bird, meeting Lacey

It was very hard at first to try and get her to relax enough so I could come through but after a while I could feel her sobbing subside and her breathing becoming calm.

"Lacey. I know this is hard and I know you don't believe me but I can help you".

I could see her turn around as if I was in the car with her and she looked startled.

"Who's there?" Lacey said aloud.

"I know this is hard to believe but I have been present in your life and watching from afar for the past 16 years" . I started. "My name is Blind Bird and I have the Touch just like you do. I know this is hard to believe but I think you have sensed it too".

Lacey didn't believe it at first but looking back it did explain how she would have very vivid nightmares of torture and experiments and the loneliness she felt which didn't feel like it belonged to her.

"Right now all you need to know is that I am here and you are not alone and it is time for you to leave this area. Your parents left you with a plan and you need to now take all the strength that I know you have and drive".

"Am I driving to you? Will you be there?" Lacey said.

"No I can't be there physically for you, but I will tune into you every night at the same time so you know that I am there for you. Right now you have to drive away from here and to your new life. You must make sure you are not caught, that you stay safe and that you have little contact with people. You cannot trust anyone where you are going. It is very different from the countryside and you will have to adapt quickly".

I could feel my strength to keep our connection weakening and I knew that I couldn't hold it for much longer.

"Lacey, I have to go now as it takes a lot to do this. This is something you will also understand when you are ready to learn to do this for yourself. For now just follow your parents instructions and I will contact you at the same time tomorrow night".

"Please don't leave me Blind Bird" Lacey cried. "I'm scared".

"I know you are Lacey but you have to push that fear away and remember the sacrifice that your parents and grandmother made for you to stay alive. Your life is worth more than most people. You have to have strength".

I'm the I could feel a surge of strength come through her and I knew my words had worked. I inhaled deeply and cut the connection between us.

 Over the next year we tuned into each other at the same time each day. This was always when everyone was in their rooms for lights out. It was hard not to laugh out loud sometimes when Lacey showed me things that she had done during the day. Oh how I wished I could be there with her to live a somewhat normal life. I felt that the memories of anything other than the institute had now gone forever and had I not had the connection with Lacey then I would have lost my mind in this place.

Lacey would always make me happy if I had a bad day and I did the same for her. We were both lost people who had the same gift living in a world full of fear and hatred. But we had each other and that was comfort to us both.

I had successfully kept Lacey a secret from the institute for over a year when one gruelling day of testing made me say something that would change my position at the institute. I had tuned into a girl who was doing a jigsaw puzzle in a room with other people filming her. It just slipped out that I wondered why these people were filming this girl.

Dr Martin rushed out of the room and I could hear him opening doors further down the corridor. He then came back and I knew that he had discovered something that no other person at the institute had, that I could locate people with The Touch.