49I want to add a huge kiss to: sinful-saint, billyez26, Xelena, Marinus, chocolatetuna and Wytess for their reviews. It really made my day. And an extra kiss to Guidacarta Della Sorella my new beta.
PS: Something I forgot in the first chapter and that I could regret latter if I don't do it: I mentioned in the summary that this is a yaoi story. So most of you will already know that there will be mention of male/male relation but for all those that may not be used to fictionpress I wanted to make this as clear as possible. So all the homophobes can keep their comments for themselves and get the hell out. I like the criticisms, as long as they can make me improve in any way, but if there is something I really can't stand it's people to insult me.
So here is the next chapter. Read, enjoy and then review :)Chapter 2: Nathan
The first thing I thought when seeing my new living place was "shit". Of course I hadn't let myself hope, even for a second that it would look like my old place. But I wasn't prepared for that either. Imagine a big, round building, all white with so much glasses you could hardly glance at it and now make it look like if the plan had been made by an architect with a twisted sense of reality and you will understand why I had some difficulties calling this place home. It wasn't a place you seemed to be able to find happiness in. Well, not that the last building I lived in was, but at least, I wasn't alone back there. Here and now, I was. And what frightened me the most was that I would probably be so for a long time.
When I realised what I was thinking, I almost laughed. Me, the guy they had nicknamed steel when I had joined them at the age of twelve the one who was able to survive amongst them for almost six years, I pitied myself at the only thought of being alone. Wasn't there a mistake somewhere?
That's when I saw that there was someone standing in the front of the centre. He was cutting bushes so I assumed he was the gardener. Next to him was a burned bush. It looked like it had burned not long ago. Let's say one minute or two. Before I knew it, I was heading to the man and asked what happened.
When I did so, the guy practically jumped out of his shoes and turned round to face me, eyes wide with surprise as if someone speaking to him was something he had never experienced before.
It made me want to laugh.
The man was neither ugly nor handsome. Actually, he was kind of nothing. I couldn't have described him even if I had had to. Except for a little something in his eyes, like a kind of emptiness. But not the dumb-kind of emptiness, more like a hunger. For what though, I didn't know.
He was still starring at me like if I was some kind of alien so as I didn't know better, I asked my question a second time. His eyes widened again before he started to look everywhere but at me. I thought he would never answer when he muttered "just some kid doing bad jokes" and added louder "may I help you?"
It looked so out of character! I almost laughed again. This guy was really funny in his own way. Like a bear trying to act civilized. To hide the big grin I felt growing on my lips I replied the first thing that crossed my mind. "Yes please, I'm looking for the" And put the sheet Sonia had written for me out of my pocket and in front of my face to hide it "centre of paranormal research. I was told it's around here."
I was relieved, when he answered me, to observe that he hadn't noticed that I was about to laugh at him. After all I didn't know if he had any sense of humour and making enemies wasn't exactly my first priority. Even like that he didn't seem to be very happy with me. I wondered if I had done something to upset him but nothing came to my mind.
It was written on the paper that I had to find a Spencer Newton who would plead my cause in front of the boss of the building. When I had asked Sonia if he was an ex-boyfriend she hadn't answer, so I thought he was. It would be interesting to know what he looked like. Perhaps if I ever came back to my real home I could tease her with it. As sadness attacked me again I pushed it aside to ask the man where I could find this Newton. His reply was brief but short.
"Sure" and he started to lead the way toward the building. And that's when I found out that he suffered from a limp. It looked painful and I couldn't help but to feel sorry for him. But as he guided me trough the empty halls, he didn't complain even once, though I could see him become slower and slower. It really looked painful. I was to the point where I was about to ask him to stop and just explain the way when I heard steps and a woman wearing suit, glasses and bun appeared in front of us. At first she looked ready to pass without even a glance but then she noticed me and stopped right where she was. Once again I felt like an alien without understanding why. Her glance moved from me to my guide, then back to me. And as we arrived next to her, she grabbed my arm.
"Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?" She sounded amazed but I couldn't make out why. A peek directed to my guide wasn't of any help as he stood there with no expression on his face.
"I'm here to see Spencer Newton." Did I finally say preparing myself for every kind of responses she could give, as she didn't look that sane.
But to my surprise, she only looked at me like I was idiot and asked back. "But what are you doing with him." Her finger pointed in direction of my companion.
I looked between them not sure of what she meant. "Nothing, I asked him where I could find Mr. Newton and he proposed to show me." But that didn't seem to calm her.
She was about to say something again when the man interrupted her and said. "I leave him to you. Have a nice day." Then he left me with the woman and headed out, his walk more uneven than ever.
She watched him go and when he had disappeared turned to face me. "Now boy. Do you even know how rare it is for this man to speak? To have him do it, you're either in a very lucky day or really irritating."
"Well, I'm very flattered. But could I see Mr Newton now please?"
She shot me a blank look, like she was suddenly a little annoyed. "Just follow me."
She brought me to some office in which a man in his thirties was working on a computer. The woman left me there without a word. I was now alone with some stranger I wished to be the one I was looking for because I was already fed up with this place.
"Spencer Newton?"
The man left his computer screen to look at me. "Yes?"
"My name is Nathan and I have a letter for you. It's from Sonia."
XXXMr. Newton, who, I knew now, was the accountant of the centre, dragged me to a room occupied by four beds, as many chairs, a table and a closet. And dropped me there with only a "diner in the dining room at quarter past noon".
There was twenty minutes left before diner and nothing to do. No good. When you have nothing else to do than to let wander your mind it's never good.
It didn't take long for me to come to the conclusion that I was very tempted to flee. Even with what was looking for me outside there. I wanted to go back in this place I had once called home. My world was falling into pieces and all Sonia had had in mind was to send me in some crazy house where I would be used as a laboratory rat. Even better, in addition to all the rest, a feeling of discomfort was slowly digging his hole in me. I couldn't place why, but there was something in this building that made all of my senses scream that something was wrong. It was really strange. I had never felt like that before even in the more insecure place.
At noon, there was a big ringing following by the noise of feet running in the hall. The more the sound came close to the door, the more the discomfort grew. When the door flew open, letting at least ten kids came rushing inside at full speed; the discomfort reached a top. But when I managed to grab the wrist of one of the kids to prevent him from falling on me, I found myself suddenly to busy to think about it. Had I know what would happen, I would have let him fall and run the other way.
As I caught him I suddenly felt something inside my mind. It started like a headache but less painful. And then it suddenly was hurting a LOT before pictures of a life that wasn't mine started to wander before my eyes. The world around me faded away and the next thing I knew, there were voices all around me and people I didn't know, holdings presents while a cake was waiting on a table. And I knew it was my birthday and they were all relatives I was happy to see. It was great, the cake was mom's handmaid chocolate cake, everything was simply perfect. Time passed, I was outside, plantings things in the garden with mommy and my big sister Cathleen, it was spring, we were both grumbling about how daddy and our little brother Steve had escaped to go fishing but inside we were glad to be outside by this bright day. Time shifted again and it was winter and we were doing a snowman while daddy tried to throw snowball at us. And the time passed again, letting me see little piece of happiness and everyday life and suddenly there wasn't any smile any more but a loud crash following by screams and awful pain as blood started to flow in front of my eyes. I wanted it to stop, wanted the pain to go away, but it continued until everything went black. I didn't know where took place the next scene but it was dark and cold. There was nobody except this person that was me and wasn't at the same time. And I could feel his sadness, his loneliness and the feeling of betrayal; every one of them like open wounds in my own heart. I knew all my family was dead even if the part of me that was still me did told me that it was stupid since I had never had any family. But the throbbing was simply too much for me to handle and I wasn't able to think past the anger and the need to break something. As I was slowly loosing myself in this other me, I heard someone crying. It was far away but it bothered me and for a second it broke the darkness and I was finally able to regain perception of what was me and what wasn't. As I did so the pictures stopped and I was back in reality.
I was still holding the kid's wrist but I let go as quick as I could, managing to step back a little before my legs let go under me and left me on my knees. I was panting and holding my head with both hands as if it could lessen the pain by doing so. Around me the kids were still, starring with surprise, the kid I had touched more shocked even than his friends. I knew he had seen the same things as me, except that it was his own life and he had had time to adjust to all the feelings I had experienced in less than a minute.
I knew what had happened even if I had no word to name it. Sometime, when I touch people, I can read their mind and see their past. It's something I can normally control but this time it had happened in spit of my own will. Something new for me.
Suddenly the kids were pushed apart by a bunch of older teenagers, the oldest of them about three or four years older than I was. They started to make the kids go out of the room. A girl with long blond hairs no older than fifteen took care of the boy whom I had read the past. Soon there were only the three boys and me left in the room.
They were looking at me but no one of them tried to come closer and for that I was grateful. I didn't trust my power any more and was afraid to touch them and have to pass through what had just happened once again.
We had been starring at each other for a little while when one of them decided to break the silence. "So you're a psychometer?"
I didn't know what he was talking about and it must have shown on my face because the boy at his side thought good to add "Someone who can see the past".
"I suppose." Presented like that at least it made sense. The last one grumbled something I didn't catch and got out of the room. The too others looked between me and the door for a while and the first one spoke again.
"Sorry for Michael but he isn't very at ease around strangers. By the way, I'm Nicholas, and this is John. The three of us are fire starters. It is also known as pyrokinesis. Welcome in our room."
Well, this sure would be interesting.
To be continued