Beyond the Horizon

3. Ground Rules

Shion stood at the top of the stairs. His fingers clenched around the strap of his backpack. He'd filled it with two pairs of clothes, a first aid kit, his wallet, his phone, and a few croissants wrapped in plastic. His eyes stung as he forced down a second wave of tears. The light in the stairwell flickered. Not now, he told himself. Keep it together just a little bit longer. He could cry all he wanted later, once he was far away from the bakery.

          Squaring his shoulders, Shion descended the stairs.

          In the foyer below, the stranger stood waiting for him. He leaned against the banister with his arms folded over his chest. His dark hair and leather jacket bled into the shadows.

          Shion froze as the boy's silver eyes shifted toward him. Shion had never seen eyes that color before. Not a pale blue or green, but the dangerous color of thunderstorms.

          "It's about time," said the stranger.

          Shion swallowed the angry lump in his throat. The stranger―He said his name was Nezumi, didn't he? It doesn't suit him at all―had saved him. He'd saved Safu and Shion's mother. If he hadn't been there to turn those agents away with only a thought, there was no telling what would have become of them.

          Shion's mind was a mess of confusion and frustration. He could feel the prickling sensation in the back of his skull he attributed to his powers. He could also feel the lingering sensation of fingers dragging gently across his frontal lobe. He'd instinctively shoved them aside, but it still made him reel to know there was someone out there who could touch his thoughts.

          An uncomfortable chill raced down his spine. If Nezumi could reach into his mind, did that mean he could read his thoughts as well?

          Shion gnawed his lower lip. He'd never felt self conscious about his thoughts before. A bit scared by some of the negative ones when he was having a rough day, but his thoughts had always been his own. If Nezumi could reach into his mind and read them, Shion wondered what he would hear.

           Oh, God, can he hear me right now? He looked at Nezumi and thought, Can you hear me right now?

          "Are you just going to stand there all day?" demanded Nezumi. "We've got to get moving."

          Shion jolted backward. "Right."

          Nezumi exhaled and muttered something that sounded like, Seriously? Shion tightened his grip on his backpack and breezed past the stranger and out the backroom.

          The sunlight struck him in the face as the door clicked shut behind him. Shion squinted into the alleyway behind the bakery. The dumpster sat at his right, overflowing with black bags and flies. The disposers hadn't come for the third day in a row. A small gray cat stretched out across the alley and dozed in the late spring warmth.

          Nezumi came to stand beside him. The strands of his dark hair glimmered in the sunlight. It almost looks like metal, Shion noted. He wondered if it would cut his skin if he were to run his fingers through it. He glanced away, his face flushed at the thought.

          "First thing's first," Nezumi said. "Shut off your cell phone."

          Shion reeled back at the cold command. "What? Why?"

          "Once the Lab realizes you ran away, they'll try to use the GPS in your phone to track you down."

          "Oh." Shion swallowed. It made sense, of course, but... "You mean... I can't turn my phone on, ever?"