Denise and John

Chapter Twenty Three

After school, Denise made her way home. Turning into her cul de sac, not a lot stirred. No children playing, or neighbors outside. There was a quiet calmness in the air, more than usual. Denise was sure the appeasement she felt was more inside herself than in her surroundings. Since their encounter with Michael, Denise felt more in control.
Approaching her house the door opened and there was her brother standing in the door way, arms folded, and smiling.
"Fuck Denise you take forever." He said.
"Shut up John, you're always home before me."
"Yea and you still take too fucking long." He laughed.
Helping her with her book bag he quickly moved out of the way as she proceeded inside.
"Want me to put your back pack in your room?"
"Go for it. So Michael hasn't shown up yet?"
Heading to her room he yelled out. "Nope not yet. But since he's not here, now would be a good time for us to start practicing."
"I thought we could wait for him." She said.
Heading back toward her John stated. "Yea but we don't know what time he will be here and we don't have to worry about chores until B and J come home so while we have our time let's use it. Remember that son of a bitch will be here any day actually he's on his way, so we really shouldn't waste time."
Denise almost forgot about the killer. "Good point brother."
"Yea I'm awesome like that."
He laughed and headed toward the back yard. Usually on a normal school day Denise arrived home about 10 minutes after her brother and her younger siblings would be home in an hour. She could see from his back yard set up that he must've run home considering he had a small obstacle course set up for them to practice with.
In the middle of the yard John had placed two stakes in the ground, both about four feet from the other. Four glasses each filled to the top with water rested neatly on the small glass table that would normally be used for outdoor barbequing and other family time that they never had, considering their mom was a single mother who worked normally until night. Resting on one of the lawn chairs was a beige sheet John used when he washed his own blankets.
"What the fuck is this John?" she asked pointing to the sheet.
"Actually I thought we could work on your ability first. Cause my shit is based on music and that fucking sucks. Yours is way easier."
Grabbing the sheet Johnny walked up to one of the stakes and began tying the small end to it. Repeating the actions on the other beam sticking out of the ground.
"Ok." He said. Heading to the table he grabbed one of the glasses of water.
"John, mom is going to get pissed when she sees you ruining her sheet."
"She won't even know as long as the sheet doesn't get wet."
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Well, I had this idea." Taking the glass he mimicked throwing out the contents.  "I'm going to throw the water on the sheet but before it reaches it you're going to freeze it so it just falls to the ground."
"John that's fucking stupid, I can't freeze that fast."
"Not yet," he interrupted. "But I think that if you work on it you can, if you already have the thoughts going through your mind and then I throw it, it should come out of you like natural."
"And if this doesn't work?" she asked.
"Then the sheet gets wet and we get into trouble." He laughed.
"Actually if I miss you can do your fire thing and dry it, I mean it's only water mom won't get that mad."
"Yea she will, you know how anal she gets about this kinda shit. And you know how she is, she won't trust its just water.  Besides I will burn it." He chuckled. "I literally have no fucking control. With mine I would rather wait for Michael."
Taking her sweater off she placed it neatly on the chair where the sheet had previously set.
"Ok you ready?" John asked looking intently at his sister.
Shaking her hands back and forth Denise paced. "Ok give me a minute I have to get my mind straight, fuck."
Continuing to pace Denise made her way closer to the stakes allowing her mind to wander in the same direction it has so many times prior in using her ability. Starting first with a cold cloudy day, to a chilled rain then small pieces of hail, from there into soft flurries of snow, and finally the out of control blizzard. Feeling the cold in her palms she looked over to John and nodded. "Ok, now."
With that statement John took the glass of water and threw it in the direction of the sheet hanging there limp. Reaching her hands out Denise quickly allowed the cold to push out of her but not in time. The water splashed over the sheet soaking the middle area with fragments of liquid before falling to the grass beneath them.
"Well fuck." John said. "What happened you looked like you had control?"
"I did, I told you I can't freeze that fast it takes a minute."
"I bet you can Denise, and if it's a life and death situation you will."
Grabbing a second glass of water John headed back toward the sheet. "Again."
"Ok John, seriously bro if it didn't work the first time it's not going to work a second."
"OK I have an idea. Probably should've told you about it before the first glass, didn't really think it through." He laughed.
"Oh yea what's your idea?"
"Well remember the other day at the park and how you were explaining to me and Beastman the thoughts that go through your mind that help you freeze in the first place?"
Chuckling at the new found nick name of Michael, she said. "Yea, what about it."
"Well I'm like that too I have to think of it slowly building up to a forest fire, I think that it might be some sort of subliminal tick. Like your mind has to understand what's going on first."
Staring at him blankly she allowed him to continue. "Basically the only reason you can do ice in the first place is because your mind automatically understands what makes it cold. You build it up and release it right?"
She nodded.
"Well what happens if you add another thought after the last one that hits your mind." Taking a sip of the water he continued. "You know the one right before you freeze shit the blizzard thing add something after that."
"What do you mean another thought? Like what kind of thought?"
At that moment a voice came from the sliding glass door behind her, Denise recognized it instantly, Michael.
"Good job John." He stated. "He's talking about subliminal understanding."
Still confused Denise asked. "What exactly is that?"
"Well, you have it down, as to how you make the cold come from your hands, now you need an understanding of how to push it away from your body. Its basic subliminal understanding which is what causes you to manipulate the cold in the first place."
Still confused Denise smiled "OK, so confused, seriously dumb it down a little." She chuckled.
Making his way toward John and the glass of water he took it from the boy and said. "Ok here's one for you, what happens when you throw steaming hot water into the air in -25 degree weather?"
"Umm… you get really wet and really cold." She looked at John and laughed. "Assuming you threw it over your head."
John laughed with her. She continued, with Michael looking on cynically, she said. "Well, I don't know, fuck, you get frost bite maybe? I don't get it, I don't understand."
Smiling Michael stated. "Umm…. No. Actually when you throw water hot or cold in that temperature it freezes automatically, it doesn't even touch the ground. Get it?"
Stopping his laugh John said. "Oh I get it, Denise..." He looked sternly in her direction. "Make that your last thought."
"What exactly?" she asked.
"The temperature. Make like -25 degree temperature your last thought. Go by all the things you go by but add that one last thought for the subliminal thing that Beast man said."
Looking toward her brother Michael agreed. "Precisely. Except make sure to push the degreed temperature away from you like -25 degree winds or something."
Taking the glass, Michael looked at her and smiled. "Ok you ready?"
Resuming her position Denise allowed the same thoughts to push through her mind. Cold cloudy day, chilled rain, hail and then blizzard going on with the extra thought of the extreme cold weather and winds to follow.
"Go for it." She said placing her hands in the ready position.
Michael threw the water towards the sheet and instantly Denise raised her hand freezing the water before it touched the sheet. The snow particles quickly receded into a white flurry of dust before hitting the ground.
"Bad ass!!" John screamed in delight. "Holy shit that was fucking awesome, do it again."
Denise smiled at her instant progress. She asked. "So does that mean I can do anything consciously that I subliminally understand. I mean because my subliminal mind understands the concept I can recreate it, is that right?"
"Exactly." Michael said grabbing another glass of water. "You see, because you have a subliminal understanding in the first place, your mind has an easier time grabbing the concept of what you're trying to achieve. Therefore like I said, you create your own subliminal limitations. Pull away those limitations and more becomes available to you."
Michael threw the water in the direction of the sheet. Denise quickly held up her hands and repeated the same actions. The water once again turned instantly white into a flurry of small snowflakes before touching the ground.
"That looks so bad ass." John stated unable to contain his excitement. "One more glass, do it again."
"Actually Denise has more of the subliminal concept of what she can do," looking toward John he finished. "Honestly I think we need on focus on you, you barely learned of your abilities, so we have a lot of work to do."
"Alright." John agreed. Denise could see him fidget with excitement.
"Wait what time is it?" she asked quickly, remembering the other children would soon be home.
Looking at his watch Michael said. "Barely three. We still have time."
"And where's your little boy?" she continued with the thought of children still in her mind.
"Actually when I came inside I set him on the couch. Trust me, he's back to being catatonic he will stay there possibly until your younger sister comes home and gets him out of that funk."
Relaxing a little she said. "Ok then continue. Shit all's well." She smiled broadly. Matching Johnny's excitement she was kinda anxious to see what her brother could do.
"Ok," Michael started. "First off, John you have the MP3 player with the music?"
"Right here." He pulled it out of his pocket and proceeded to put the small ear buds in his ears.
"Ok, first thing I want you to start with is creating the same flame you did at the park." Michael said.
Flipping through the music John found something agreeable with his mood and hit play. Placing the MP3 back in his pocket he took both hands palm up and closed his eyes.
Within minutes the small flame emerged in the center of John's left hand. Not long after another flame equally as magnificent emerged in his right hand. Opening his eyes, John smiled broadly. Moving his hands in a graceful motion he took both flames and rolled them around in his palms, followed by tracing them up the length of his arm and back down as though the small fire had a mind of its own.
"Cool." He said. "It doesn't even burn."
Looking over to his sister she smiled in approval.
"Well." Michael said. "For you it's not going to burn because your subliminal mind understands the concept of the heat. Your body works in conjunction with it, as your sisters does with her, hence why she doesn't get cold. Correct?" He looked to Denise and she nodded.
Sitting on the lawn chair she reached for the glass of water taking a sip while freezing the contents inside.
John noticed. "Show off."
Denise choked on the water and wiped the drippings off her chin, laughing she exclaimed. "What?! Nobody wants warm ass water John. I was cooling it."
"No you were just showing off, smartass." He chuckled.
Before their interlude could continue, Michael grabbed John's attention. "Ok focus."
Quickly John stood in attention still playing with the small flames in his hands.
"Now John, your last thought is like a forest fire correct?"
"Yea. Then I can feel like this heat in my palms…"
Before he could continue Michael cut him off. "Yea I get that, but, what I want to do is give you a little subliminal understanding the same as your sister."
"Oh shit right you mean like to carry it away from me."
"Precisely." Michael said. Waving his hand, he gestured for John to put the flames out.
John complied also pulling one ear bud from his ear awaiting further instruction, while Michael quickly unhinged the sheet that John had tied between the posts. Rolling up the sheet, he tossed it to Denise. Placing it neatly in her lap she watched intently for the next part of John's lesson.
"Ok John, I want you to burn the post."
"Ok." John stared blankly at the beams. "How exactly?"
"Through your subliminal understanding."
"And what might that be?" He asked.
"Oh come on John you can figure it out for your sister but not yourself? Think about it, the last thought that goes through your mind, add to it the way your sister adds the wind and degree change."
"Yea but I don't know exactly what to add. I mean Denise's is easy she can think of degrees and temperatures and wind, do you want me to think of wind cause I'm sure the components of fire could spread the same way I guess."
"Actually John I was thinking for yours, well you could use the wind, or use something hotter more fire related. Because with the fire you're going to want to accelerate the heat as it comes from your body. Wind can pick it up and spread it but the temperature of the heat would only remain the same. So you need something to think about with more of a massive, ferocious heat."
"Ok, like what?"
"Well I was thinking you may have two ways to work it. Have you ever heard of a flash over, or maybe a back draft?"
Scrutinizing Michael, John asked. "Wait, isn't back draft like a movie?"
"Well it's a movie about back drafts you could say, but a back draft is an actual term used in fire. First let me explain." Michael continued, pacing back and forth. "With a fire, a back draft results from a rapid re-introduction of oxygen to a fire that's smoldering. In other words if the fire is first depleted of oxygen, re-introducing oxygen to the flames would cause an explosive event or back draft. So if you could find a way to condense the oxygen out of your flames, and then releasing the hold, you could cause sort of your own back draft, at the same time immediately pushing the flames from you. It could be highly unpredictable but successful."
Looking at him skeptically John asked. "And how exactly am I supposed to subliminally understand that? Sounds confusing as fuck."
"Yes but I just gave you the recipe so now..." Pointing to Denise, he finished. "Like your sister I gave you the ingredients so while your conscious mind may not be completely understanding, your subconscious side is fully aware and already working those components together. Kinda like a giant computer. All you have to think about is the pulling and releasing of the oxygen you pulled. Maybe think of something like an air vacuum sucking the oxygen from the flames as your last thought."
"Umm... ok." John said as he placed the missing ear bud back over his ear and began to concentrate.
Stepping closer to Denise Michael said. "You may want to stay the fuck out of the way for this."
Sitting attentively Denise sat up straight watching her brother as he resumed bringing the flames in both sides of his palms. Stepping one foot back he placed his palms together allowing the flames to merge into one singular ball between both hands. Closing his eyes he must've applied the final thought, as the fire simmered and turned into a faint ball of smoke before Johnny opened his palms releasing an explosive gust of flames that knocked him off his feet.
"Holy shit." Denise said as her heart began racing from the excitement. "John, you ok?"
As quickly as the flames appeared they were gone in a flash. Rubbing his palms on his jeans John smiled. "Damn son, did you see that shit, I'm a fucking boss." He laughed.
Michael joined in.
Clutching her chest, she stated. "Fuck John don't ever do that again."
Stopping her quickly, Michael said. "No do that. Do it again and again until you gain full control! Now let me teach you something else. Ever heard the term flash over?"
Picking himself up, he pulled the ear bud from his ear and stated. "No but I'm pretty sure you're going to tell me."
"You're right, I am. With these two things under your control it may save your life." Again beginning to pace, Denise watched Michael as he proceeded to explain. "A flash over is the sudden involvement of an area in flames from one height to another that's caused by thermal radiation feedback." Before Denise could ask exactly what that was, Michael read her mind and continued. "Thermal radiation feedback is the energy of the fire being radiated back to some surrounding area. The radiation of energy to the area will raise 'said' surrounding area to its ignition temperature. Basically a flash over is different because it is a temperature driven event.  It requires that the fires energy be radiated back to whatever is caught on fire in the first place to produce a rise in the temperature and a simultaneous ignition of 'said' surrounding area. Get it?"
Confusingly John answered. "Umm… not really."
Denise laughed. "No seriously that was confusing as fuck."
"Oh ha ha." Michael scoffed. "Well try to apply the principal trust me your subconscious mind got it."
"Ok how do I apply the principal I need a visual of some sort, like the air vacuum thing." He chuckled.
"Ok… um…" Michael quit pacing and turned towards the post. "First try and take the fire from your hands, and, raising the temperature. Imagine a quick wind carrying it to 'said' surrounding area at that heated temperature, hence your post. Then take that fire and carry it onto the second post igniting it at the same temperature."
"Ok so wouldn't it be easier to just think of temperature like really fucking hot?" John asked.
"Yea do that, but focus on pushing the fire away from you. I wouldn't want you to combust or set yourself on fire."
"Wait can I do that?" John looked toward Denise. She shrugged.
"Well let's hope not." Michael said. "Now give it a try."
"No shit, that would fucking suck." John stated before placing the bud back in his ears and resumed the same fighting style position he had with the first experiment.
Closing his eyes John started by placing both palms immediately together. Denise could see the sparks ignite between his hands, John must've felt it, he continued by opening his eyes and pulling his hands apart with one individual flame in each palm. Contorting his hands he placed his wrists together and focused on the post. Denise could feel the temperature rise in the air around her and the heat was overwhelming as though she was standing next to the flame even though there was a good 7 feet between her and her brother.
"That's it John." Michael whispered. "Do it."
The flame grew in John's hands and in one quick instant it traveled through the air and onto the first post, followed by the second one, igniting instantaneously.  As though he was working with clay John began shaping the air, the heat was his to control. Pulling his hands up then down and up again Denise watched as the flames consumed the entire length of the post.
Clapping  Michael broke the silence and walked up to her brother. "Good job John. I knew you would get it."
Realizing the time Denise said. "Ok now he needs to put it the fuck out. B and J will be here any minute."
Gazing at her, Michael smiled unfazed. "Ok then do it. Do it Denise put it out." He stepped back and ushered her forward.
"I can't do that. How?" she asked.
"As hard as it is to believe the atmosphere contains 37.5 million or billion gallons of water in an invisible vapor phase. The fire creates kind of a heat condensation in the air like when you sweat, so use that and freeze it. Like placing water on a fire in a sense, except you're using the air around you as a canvas, and the condensation being pulled from the extreme heat as your liquid concentration. Try keeping in mind with your ability you won't always have a glass of water at your disposal."
Seeing they were running out of time, Denise quickly pulled past Michael and allowed her mind to wander in the same form she had used previously. Feeling the cold in her palms she placed her hands out in front of her thinking of the extreme temperature accompanied by a blustering wind. Quickly she could see the white flurries sparkle and dance around the flames and within minutes the flames began to die down. Taking her hands she manipulated the air making even more flurries and pushing them together in a more condensed solid form. Having an adequate amount she maneuvered the air on both posts quickly extinguishing what was left of John's flames. Creating a small amount of smoke in its wake.
"Nice." Michael said, smiling at her.
Blushing she turned toward the door in time to see Brianna walk out. "What are you guys doing?" she ask.
"Just finishing up." Michael said.
"Finishing up on what exactly?"
Heading back to the house Michael said. "Well nothing now."
Turning toward Denise he asked. "Don't you guys have chores before your mom gets home?"
Snapping back into reality she called to John who was paused in the same manner. "Come on brother, we get a break from the weird."
Smiling at her he made his way to the house. Turning quickly she grabbed Johns sheet and followed him inside.