The Creative Process

Chapter Four: I Won't Freak Out

    Three days had passed and the weekend had come. Almost every day that week I had hung out or had dinner with Kate. Then on Thursday and Friday, Thomas had joined us in our apartment, and then yesterday out at a restaurant. We had invited him over for dinner and a movie at our apartment that night, but neither of us had any plans before that, so Kate was sitting with her feet up reading at the kitchen table and I was sprawled across the couch with a bag of goldfish on my chest and Netflix on and playing the great British baking show. Kate judged me when I turned it on but I knew she was secretly enjoying it behind her book.

    It felt good to not hide in my room whenever Kate was home, it felt nice to relax sprawled across the couch watching TV on a Saturday afternoon. Even though Kate and I weren't communicating at all, it still felt like hanging out, just both chilling in the same space.

    "That was an unfair judgement!" Kate suddenly shouted at the tv screen, "The cake had been out in the sun for half an hour!"

    I sat up immediately, throwing the goldfish off the couch, "I knew you were watching!" I shouted over the back of the couch.

    "Oops-" Kate slid down in her chair and hid her face behind her book.

    I laughed and flopped back down on the couch, picking up my goldfish on the way.

    "Hey Arthur-" Kate sat up in her chair again, "I've been curious since Tuesday, when that whole debacle went down in the antiques shop,"

    "Yea I remember, whats up?" This time when I sat up, I set my goldfish on the coffee table rather than tossing them on the floor.

    "How did you manage to get the gun away from him without even being near him, and how did he end up unconscious without any visible injury? I've thought it over so many times and I just cant seem to make sense of what happened,"

    "Kate, I really want to tell you, I do I promise," I got up and sat across from her at the table, "But this is the biggest secret I have and also the most important thing to me. Last time someone found out, I ended up homeless for months before my grandma found me and took me in. You have to promise not to tell anyone, no one in the world knows this secret,"

    "What about your grandma?"

    "She died when I moved in here. Please try to accept it at least a little,"

    "Ok Arthur, I trust you. I wont freak out,"

    "I highly doubt that," I hesitated, staring at her closely, "ok," deep breath you can do this, she wont go anywhere, "I have these, supernatural abilities." I closed my eyes out of fear for her reaction.

    "You- what?" I took a peek and all I could see was the confusion on her face.

    "I can move things with my mind and read peoples thoughts," I sat up a little straighter. Kate was silent, "Look, I'm really hungry and I want some goldfish," I raised my hand and the goldfish shot across the room into it.

    "That's impossible, that shouldn't be possible, that's ridiculous, this is a dream," Kate seemed to explode in a patchwork of unfinished thoughts.

    "No no no no, its ok I've never hurt anyone or anything I promise-"

    "Did you say you could read peoples mind?" Kates confusion turned to awe as fast as the lights come on when I flick the switch.

    "Well yea, but I don't-"

    "What am I thinking about right now?" She closed her eyes as if she would be able to feel me reading her thoughts. She asked me to do it, so it seems ok to take a peek for just a second. I allow myself to push through the layers of her thoughts. The first layer is like a gas that clings to the outer surface, its effortless to read and often times I read it subconsciously without even trying. It's a persons core mood, happy, sad, angry, confused. Kates is curious, with a hint of fear but she seems to be trying desperately to keep that at bay. I realize now that every time I see Kate there's that tiny bit of fear that is fighting to take over, but I've never seen it win.
    I push past the first metaphorical "layer" and into the surface thoughts, the ones that the person is always aware they are thinking, sometimes when I read its pictures or images and sometimes its words or numbers. However the person's brain finds it easiest to comprehend its thoughts, that's how I see it. Small kids are all photos and adults are normally just words. Kate's head is full, just the surface layer of her thoughts is a lot to take in. Theres a good amount of both pictured and words and its very easy to follow. Even though, at first glance, it seems like an overwhelming mess, it almost sorts itself out as I approach and I am immediately directed to the "thing" that Kate wants me to guess.