Powers

Chapter 6

I wake up the next day with the most terrifying thought a person could ever have in their lifetime. This thought sends chills down my spin, and makes me want to crawl into a hole from this realization. That thought is this:
It's Monday.

Oh Monday, the most evil of all days, your reminder that the wonderful weekend is over, and the long week ahead is beginning. Grumbling to myself, I get out of bed and start to get ready for my day of training with Adam. Before I get dressed, I notice my drawing of Peter is still out in the open. I quickly grab it and hide under my bed before someone could possibly get the chance to see it.

I don't know what Adam expects me to do in training, but I go ahead and dress like what I feel like would fit the situation. I pull on leggings, combat boots, and a black tank top. I pull my hair back into a braid, and then I head out the door. Training doesn't start till 12:00, but I want to go through town and catch up with Cassia and Susan. I never got to talk to them after my examination yesterday.

I find Cassia out for a run, so I sprint ahead and catch up with her. "Good morning," I say to her while running. "Julia!" Cassia exclaims. We stop running, and she asks the same question over and over. "What power did you get? What did you get? What did you get?" I smile, tell her to calm down, and I show her my palm. "The power of domination," I say. To my surprise, she fakes a smile and tells me congratulations. "Cassia, I know a fake smile when I see one. What's wrong?" I ask. "It's the most important power there is, Julia. It can be dangerous, and besides, you know what happened to Gwyneth," she replies.

I am at first a little hurt about my friend's wariness, but I brush it off because I know she's worried just like my parents. "I'll be fine. They assigned me a mentor, so I can have help. But enough about that, have you tried out your power yet?" I ask her. Cassia's blue eyes sparkle with excitement as she says, "Well, I was swimming in the lake yesterday, and I scraped the bottom of my foot on a rock. I got out of the water, and I touched the cut. Instantly, the skin started to mend back together, and once it was done, it was like nothing had ever happened. Not a scratch."

"That's amazing Cassia. I wish I could do that," I tell her. "You'll be able to soon," she replies with a smile. I laugh, but then I remember another reason why I came here. "Where's Susan?" I ask Cassia. "She got sick yesterday. Apparently, she's got this bad case of the flu," she replies. I am a bit baffled by this, considering Susan doesn't get sick often. "Well, I'll go check up on her later. I have to go to training right about now," I reply. Cassia nods, we say our goodbyes, and head our separate ways.

Susan is sick? Susan is the last person I would think of as getting sick. I've known her for eight years, and I can't ever recall her coming down with something. It's probably nothing to worry about, but I am naturally a very suspicious person.

I make my way to the tallest building in the city, check in, and head for the room Adam said training would take place. When I get there, he stands in the middle if the room with his arms folded and an annoyed look on his face. "You're late," he says. "What do you mean? It's exactly 12:00," I reply as I point to the clock on the wall. "When someone assigns you a time to be somewhere, they really mean be there fifteen minutes before that. Fifteen minutes, Julia. I was waiting for you at 11:45," he says, clearly annoyed. I throw my hands up in frustration, and say with an edge, "Can we just get started?" "Very well," he replies.

"The person who has the power of dominance has to learn to master all of the powers. There are fifteen, and I will ask you to master one a week, and sometimes two if I think you're ready. Today, you will learn to start mastering the power of senses. Are you with me so far?" He asks. "Just one question: how are you going to teach me to do this when you yourself do not have the ability to do what you're teaching me?" I ask. "I have the power of knowledge. Even if I can't do something in particular, I know how to do it anyway. That's why the Council appointed me your mentor," he replies. "Now, the key to mastering your power will require looking inside yourself and reflecting upon who you are more than physicality. This will take patience," he tells me. I am terrible at being patient.
"I'm ready," I say, in spite of the fact that I know this will be a disaster.
"Let's begin then," he replies.