Thursday 16 August 2012

EXCERPT - BETRAYAL BY AMBER GARR






Excerpt 2
“Try that one next,” Daniel mumbled through a mouth full of bagel.
“Stop pointing!” I warned him.  The three of us were sitting on one of the benches in Bennett’s Park that surrounded the largest playground area.  We probably looked young enough that this wasn’t creepy, otherwise the adults would wonder why we stared and laughed at their kids all morning.  I felt kind of bad but it was the only way I could practice.  “What should I do?”
Daniel tilted his head in thought, and I could see the moment he got some demented idea.  “Make him do the chicken dance!”  Kain snorted and I agreed with his sentiment.
“Daniel…,” I groaned.  “Really?”
“Yes, it’s genius because no one would be suspicious if an adult is dancing for a kid.  Plus, you can try to give the command to just one person,” he pointed out.
“Okay, let’s see.”  I did my best to block out all background noises and focused in on one of the few fathers who braved the playground scene today.  It wasn’t like I could find his mind per se, but that’s what I was trying to do.  The more I practiced, the easier it was for me to visualize every individual’s consciousness.  I directed my power towards the jumble of thoughts that I figured belonged to the man and pushed the music into his head along with the command to dance.  A wave of confusion swept over his face and he stopped fiddling with his daughter’s coat.  He stood up and began to sway from side to side.
“It’s working!” Daniel squealed.  The man smiled down at his daughter and brought his hands up to his ribs.  Flapping his elbows up and down like a bird, he began the chicken dance.  I was so excited, I continued to push the command out towards him without realizing that I touched a few other minds as well.  Nearly twenty parents and their children began dancing the choreographed steps and I totally lost my concentration.
“Oh crap,” I moaned.  Kain and Daniel laughed beside me and I elbowed them both.  “Humans are too easy.”  I was learning that the power of suggestion on a human’s mind was way more potent than I could handle at this point.  Pushing out one command to one person with a little too much force indirectly affected all of those around him.  Now half of the playground was wiggling and twisting to an inaudible tune, and Daniel was in hysterics.
“Keep going.  This is too good,” he sputtered out in between giggles.  I ignored him and yelled Stop! in my head to erase their urge to continue dancing. 
Within a few seconds, everyone stopped and looked around in confusion.  My friends were laughing loudly and several parents glanced in our direction.  But they soon went back to their normal business as though they hadn’t just been part of a flash mob.  Mermaid compulsion: got to love it.
“Oh, you’re no fun,” Daniel chided.
 I rolled my eyes at him and slumped back against the bench.  Sipping the latte we grabbed on the way to the park, I looked around the rest of the scenery and tried to think about nothing.  Not an easy task. 
“You try it,” Daniel said.  At first I thought he was talking to me, but was surprised to see him looking at Kain.
“I don’t think so,” Kain said with an edge.
“No, he’s right.  You need to practice too,” I added.  Kain had the ability as well, although for some reason mine had jumped from zero to extreme in one evening.  His power repertoire was building slowly but he still had the skills necessary to manipulate minds. 
“You’re the one they want to see demonstrate,” Kain reminded me.
“So?  You’re a leader, too and the more control you have, the more people will respect you.”

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