Ciarán?" a voice queried from the side of the room. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIeMC9B2rOF
The person in question, a boy currently in his teenage years, stares blankly at the John McLaughlin painting hanging on the wall in front of him. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruiDqx64kH
It was the only splash of color that he could see in the otherwise pristine white walls or perhaps even in the whole sparsely decorated room. The settee provided for him to sit on was upholstered in soft white velvet. The smooth linoleum floors glistened like cold hard marble. The table in front of him, though made of stainless steel was topped with white-ash wood, tinted and glazed to an almost-white color, muting down any hint of warm hues from its natural state. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPYYwWlq0DM
Ciarán lowers his gaze for a moment, watching how the meager rays of sun light floats into the room and hits the glass covering the painting. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAxMyQ5c4x
He frowns. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDsn2CKA5l
Though the painting was a truly a classically modern work of art in its contemporary genre, he still felt the colors were too subdued.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhdWaHOzn9w
Too structured. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqlvAjy6ZG
Too pale. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYJ95kr27U
Too enforced to be in their respective place. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxfoEzNUoJF
For Ciarán, his preferences were more widely attuned with the abstract, where warm and cool colors collide while the viewers' eyes are captivated by the vibrantly wild and raw quality of the piece at hand, never truly sure of whether where it belongs or stay in one place. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrqh8oARW9
Even he would prefer a Noland. Though similar in style it at least had a vivid quality that would contrast well with the sterile whiteness of the room. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkzjmWdwJ6
Ciarán could see it now, images begin to swirl in his head.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IjN1GssTx
Colors all around him, hazy and blurred, they appear almost like sfumato except for a form that sharpens in the middle. Its shape resembles a silhouette, obscured by the bright light at its back yet Ciarán could still make out the details. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNysQb7io9
Closer and closer, he manages to focus his eyes to the silhouette.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp25smPdcZr
"Mr. Byrne." The voice calls again. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PLGK5RTMj
This time, the tone laced in subdued impatience.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRP7JQ4xhJZ
And like a pin bursting through his bubble of thoughts, Ciarán snaps back to reality and to the white-clad room.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAw5wqE1oox
Slowly, he lowers his eyes further until they land on the stern-looking figure behind the table1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLBfq1KmiN
His wayward gaze meets her cold calculating stare. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWge3CkpcOJ
The same stare she had gifted him the first time he met her a few weeks ago. The same stare that always made him feel like there's something more lurking from her albeit reserved appearance and charismatic smile. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡADZiitmn9i
It made him feel like she's waiting – waiting for something to happen. Only, he wasn't sure what it was. It was times like this that he always dreaded the past few weeks, having to attend sessions with her. Sitting on the same old chair and facing her as he pours out all his thoughts of delusion while she writes them down, each paragraph labeling him closer to being mentally insane. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfHjuxeW2v
" Ciarán, are you with me?" She asks, a slight crinkle etched on her brow.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bcY7MStMA
"Yes?" He hesitantly replies, his voice a bit too husky for his age.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQFtdd1AzZ
"Do you know why you're here?" 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuCbBddeL5
It was always the same question she asks to start their session. One that which Ciarán always fail to answer coherently.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU3dRxfCCW
"Uhh," he gulped, the sound almost audible in the room. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D7zpBZ3BN
He looks around, his eyes darting from side to side, as if the whole room was closing in. He never was good at being asked on the spot. Or being the center of attention – be it in a crowd or with just another person. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuUAdakeVy
With a deep inhalation, he replies "No."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiuiZkRXP8
He watches as she scribbles something on her notepad. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LcdGOGN2z
He glances at the clock on the right side of the desk, listening as it ticks away by the second.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAGtYSMSD6
TICK! TOCK! TICK! TOCK!1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxS8gMqLYo
" Ciarán, are you aware of the events that led you here?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7RqKYN181
He gives her what he hopes to be a sheepish smile. "Honestly Doc, I don't really kn-"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hU9sUIa0p
TICK! TOCK! TICK! TOCK! 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAlPCpWDKZ
The clock goes on. Louder and louder like an echo.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpIsCfaXdPc
Like being in the deepest depths of the sea, it drowns his ears until all that he could hear was the drumming sound of his own pulse.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAf41Fbimh
" Ciarán?" The doctor asks again, her pen dangling a few centimeters from her notepad. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ437Ww7DCbl
Ciarán barely hears her, as if the very waves of sound were stuck, suspended on the surface as the waves they were. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDInM7u5RY
Ciarán rubs his temple as a new sound begins to appear. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0p3slaKDl4
This time, it was a piercing sound, almost like a slow drumming of static before turning into a constant ringing. His childhood physician had jotted it down as a mild case of Tinnitus but he knew it wasn't the case. The ringing kept on occurring in sporadic rates throughout the years. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlr6drNRL6x
He continues to rub his temple, shaking his head until it finally disappears. At least, for the meantime.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsbOgqKGtR
He clears his throat. "I'm sorry, you were saying something?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbhdHJDJghK
She sighs and walks around the table. She stops in front of him, leaning gracefully on the side of the table. Arms planted by her sides, she looks down and looks at him again in the eye. This time her expression lacks most of their icy reserve.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06sLpnJiOL
"Ciarán, I know our last few sessions didn't exactly start on the right foot. I also know that you don't want to be here but please remember that I'm just trying to help you."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48jgkiOlbE
Right, as if he hadn't heard that spiel before. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBX04uO6gn
"Well, I don't exactly recall myself asking for help." He mutters, unable to conceal the bitterness in his voice. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTnnOf7BmwA
He turns his head away, not wanting to see her reaction. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaMlrw4SBH
When he did glance her briefly through his periphery, he adds, "So you might as well just write that down because that's all you're gonna get."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC1UCjj9vnW
He didn't see her gaze softening but he did hear her sigh. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuVgrqRTDw
"Unfortunately, I can't do that." 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7ylqB1ed8
She reaches in the right pocket of her slacks and pulls out a small silvery object. When she raises it to his view, it got caught in the reflection of the light. The fleeting bounce of light was enough to catch his attention.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbau8MSlShA
"Ciarán, what do you see?" she asks, holding up the object closer to him.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWhugd6ZwPV
"A quarter?" he responds skeptically, not sure of where the sudden shift of subject would lead to.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuW6PLYW1W
"Now, that's where you're wrong. This," she gestures at the coin, "is more than just a quarter. It's a memorabilia passed down through generations and it holds a certain part of a past almost like a story." 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3oZNx3Trq
She places the coin on the table by its rim where both sides can be seen. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEnODYmTloQ
Still not letting go of the coin, she adds, "In fact, on my grandfather's word and many of those before him, had sworn that they still see glimpses of the past and helps them remember. Now, I don't particularly believe in such phenomena that can't be logically explained and experienced in a non-vicarial manner. Shall we try to find out?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEgCO7pBbPr
Ciarán merely shrugs before the doctor spins the coin. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcY29RmBmL
Round and round, it goes, until all the naked eye could see was a flashing blur. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QZvWRrSU3
"Ciarán, if you may, I need you to look at the coin. I want you to focus on it and slowly, take a deep breath and let it out."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaddSljCpv
Eyes transfixed, he follows the instructions of her lulling voice. Breathing deeply, he exhales, letting go of the tensions that once knotted his shoulders.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP573NbPmgz
"Good. I want you to keep on doing that while I ask you some questions. You're gonna answer them, won't you Ciarán?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AXQSAPxX2
"Yes," he breathes out.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0Ng14ECil
"Very good. Now, let's start all over again. Why do you think you're here?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILkdKh1ziY
"I," he licks his lips and gulps, a slight a hesitation in his voice. "I'm here because-because... I can move stuff with my mind."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfnqkkWTxh
"What sort of stuff?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGvx2bByMT
Another gulp. The clock ticks twice before he answers. "Anything. I 'pushed' the end of a crane to crush Sam's dad. I-I swear I didn't," he breaks off, his chest shaking at the memory, "I didn't mean to... do it."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0RiwoQs00
The doctor lays a comforting hand on his shoulder. Its warmth temperature brought a much-needed respite to calm the cold vicious nerves entangling his lungs. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUgmskZZFo
"Hush, relax, Ciarán. Nobody thinks that you did it on purpose."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUhaGccLSa
"But they do." He mutters harshly, "you should've seen them. Sam... Mike... Mrs. Lopez...the other kids at school, even- even my sister. They've always looked at me like I'm some sort of a freak." 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTunjCsLplQ
He bites out the last word, remembering the cruel words the others had called him. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd8pfOYL2HP
"But are you?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZo63Yuzgd
"No!" He breaks his gaze from the coin, facing her squarely and shrugging her hand off his shoulder. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPQymrOD61F
He looks her straight in the eyes before turning his head back towards the coin, "At least, I don't want to be. Maybe I am a freak, I wouldn't know if I were one."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0j4m7ClZF
"I don't." 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBE67uxdrup
His eyes, while never leaving the coin, widen in surprise. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Pa6eWF7Vw
"How would you know?" He snorts incredulously. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqhkRFnHEv
The doctor merely shrugs. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrdb6iwqCeK
"I don't know for sure. But what I can say is you're a special young man."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i3I0GJ0ae
"Come on, doc. You can't possibly think I would believe that nonsense. You're just saying this for my sake." 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3eyVLSo9V
She tilts her head to the side, a confused expression on her face. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNw6OoxLkv
"You keep insisting that gift of yours is a curse, and here I am telling you otherwise. Yet, you still won't believe. What really eats you up from the inside? What else makes you think that you're a freak, besides the telekinesis?" 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gL477rEbZ
He shakes his head, his voice rough, "No, you just don't get it doc. It's not just the mind-moving-telekinesis-shit you're going on. I'm a freak!"
Out of nowhere, the painting hanging on wall dropped on the floor in a loud thud. The glasses on the wall vibrating in a moderate hum, cracks threatening to break the surface. The forgotten glass of water on the table bubbles, slowly tipping off the rim of the glass.
Ciaràn leans in, his eyes clouded with an eery gleam. The coin spins faster than ever, losing its own shape in its motion and appearing like a blur.
He grits,"I'm a freak because whenever I sleep inside my room, I always wake up in who-knows-where. The recent one was in my neighbor's house. In bed. With his daughter. I'm a freak because wherever I go, I see her while no else does– and she distracts me like hell!"
CRACK!
The glass from the windows finally breaks, the water spills upward.
He can feel it now. The power he had been keeping at bay flows through this veins in an electric rush. He clenches his fist to reel it back in. He barely succeeds.
The water stops in midair, the splashes like rain drops floating above them. It suspends on an invisible force.
He motions his head to her and asks bitterly, "So you tell me, doc, do you still deny that I'm a freak? An insane freak?"
"Yes." She simply replies.He grunts and takes a deep breath. Slowly the water falls back down to the glass. The cracks on the window recedes.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcldVlWsEEb
Ciaràn grits his teeth, his gaze unblinking and still focused on the coin. As if by looking away, he would lose grip over his sanity and temperance.
"From what you've just told me, I don't think you're special,"
Ciaràn scoffs.
"Rather, you are a very special young man who had been through so much pain and enmity and in need to relax." 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIQK2lmMng
She places her hand again on his shoulder, applying a bit of pressure this time. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslggk3SHuF
"Breathe."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDyJODYWHK
He defiantly does so. Again and again he breathes until the flow of air comes easier into his lungs.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1AuqlE8PAg
"Better," she remarks. "Now, about the girl. Can you tell me more about her?"1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSNKLyhVhx
"What about her?" he asks, unsure at the turn of their conversation.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42VLgqdqcb
"Anything. Any thing you can think or remember about her."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡow5djwBGqg
"I don't-" he tilts his head to the side, "I don't know what to say."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15QDH7p6sV
Ciaràn thinks back to the blurred form earlier, to the silhouette who had her back against the bright light. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyALlBBd2u
Slowly, he can see her clearly now. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwJ8sb8dYp
The haze disappears, showing the fine details of her face kissed by the warm sunlight. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksUbJGc9J0
Threading across a field towards him, floating like a nymph. Hair as dark as grey ash whipping wildly against her ethereally stunning visage. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHCFHyg9Hg
He blinks, and all of a sudden he finds himself mere inches from her. She slowly turns her back to him, silently urging him to follow her. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolkegm0TOs
He respires as he watches as her movement in the wind causes the silk strands to lightly caress a pair of wide sensuous lips. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEiBfeECd0a
Her eyes. Christ, her eyes! 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qDAmMzIoT
Like the misty sky from the mountains tops after a cold wintry night and speckled with light silver-grey specks, captivates his senses. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTz4X3JlUKe
And when she smiles sensuously, when those beautifully curved lips meet, a merest hint of a dimple appears and he finds his jaw slacks.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡanlGb1YYkH
He really was insane. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVjO59q4UZ
He had to be. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyYuA1VPCF
No one could be that beautiful as her and still be real.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliycDdDske
"It's alright, take your time. Just think and say something about her like a"-1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNyHeYthjz
"Like a story?" he inquires, the side of his mouth quirking as if amused at the idea.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6JwjTkFgW
"Yes. Exactly. Like a story," she nods encouragingly.1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20cXt4PooA
Ciaràn lets out a shaky laugh to himself. 1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpCpiF7QPd
"I don't even know where to begin."1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbtzUvODnx
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Copyright © 2018 by Andrea Cassandra Lei Meñosa1075Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZxhFXNb7B
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