Chapter 2—Michael
“So it is starting to come back,” he said out of relief.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7bFuuHFaFW
“What’s coming back?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvS3MeLXx2
“Your memories,” he said. “All of these images, they’re your memories. Pay closer attention to them,” he added, stepping aside. I walked up to an image and placed my hand on it.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYMNRl6c4o
In a flash of light I was watching a birthday party, where a younger version of me was blowing out the candles on a cake. In the spots my parents were supposed to be, though, were two blank, white spots.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqzUfaVY0t
“What’s with the blankness?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpVSbCjpgQ
“The memory’s been blocked,” he explained. “Somebody doesn’t want you to know the truth about who you are.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OVe5Hooxh
“Who, though?” I asked him, even though I thought he was just a figment of my imagination.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU03Oo5uqj8
“No, I’m not somebody you’re imagining,” he told me, almost as if he was reading my mind. “I really am dead, but this is the real me that you are seeing in front of you.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRPzAjLx6C
“Wait, what?” I demanded.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvI5zXhpknU
“You have a powerful gift,” he told me. “You are a Bridge.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9aI8Y2Mfc
“A what?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLubIhTWDbQ
“A Bridge,” he repeated. “A Bridge is a person who can communicate with people who have died.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPrTmukfUR
“Are you serious?” I demanded. I was sure right then that it was a dream.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0awYQel70f
“Very serious,” Michael told me. “I am very glad to see you awake, though. I couldn’t contact you when you were in the coma, or else I could have explained this all to you then.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sCSgYnwFc
“No problem, big bro,” I replied, feeling strangely light-headed for being asleep.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLU2Vu7RzH
“That’s another thing,” he said. “I’m not your brother.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7IFwSzwVm
“What?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkEHJJOX05
“Everything my parents told you was a lie,” he told me. “They aren’t your parents, either.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYhObIDZrf
“What are they doing, then?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHKTtjO6IV
“They are Destroyers,” he told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjzSvdbdvT
“You lost me.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFARWKpaxl9
“Destroyers are the only people able to get rid of a Bridge’s power,” he told me. “That’s why they call themselves ‘Destroyers’. They ‘destroy’ Bridges.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKc5idEyLci
“What does this have to do with me?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafr4rDLlbu
“My parents are special kinds of Destroyers. They take a Bridge into their home and try to ‘rehabilitate’ them so that they don’t need their powers anymore,” he explained. “That’s what they tried with you. They took you in when you were small and raised you as their own, hoping to erase any trace of Bridge powers in you just by keeping you ignorant of them.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcgc6iJ1Mik
“What happened, then?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhQ2Unvm19
“It didn’t work,” he told me. “Now, so that you don’t get confused, some, but not all of what they said was true, but very little of it. About a month before the ‘accident’, they discovered that you had been Bridging with Dad’s ancestors.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCiqye9Bcv
“Bridging?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOVXlFhI4W
“‘Bridging’ is when a Bridge uses their power like you are,” he said. “When they discovered this, they tried to keep you busier to prevent you from having a chance to Bridge, but then you started doing it in your sleep, like you are now. From then until the accident they had been preparing a Wipe.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEGVoMM6dNe
“What’s a ‘Wipe’?” I asked him, confused by all the terminology.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfS6xCDy5Y6
“It’s when they wipe your memories and start you over from scratch,” he said. “It usually blocks a Bridge’s powers without getting rid of them, which kills the Bridge.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMl0HpvQ9e
“Why didn’t they?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJYQHLVtRV
“I helped you escape,” he told me. “I had already known you were a Bridge, so when I found out they were going to Wipe you, I helped you escape. I snuck you out of the house and we managed to get five miles away before they found out. They sent out vehicles to stop us, and one of them ended up pushing us over a cliff, which caused the wreck. They were heart-broken when I died, but relieved that you had lived. The people they sent after us performed a Wipe on you before anybody could get there.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGkrh6GE8Yy
“How is a Wipe done?” I asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcIAW8VAIF
“They inject a chemical into your brain, which causes permanent memory loss,” he explained.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKr1wPNMop
“How is it I can see all these memories, then?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVy7h6pVoI0
He sighed and sat down in a chair that appeared out of nowhere. “I saved your life,” he said. “When the car was going over the cliff, you weren’t buckled in. You were about to go flying out of the car, which would have killed you for sure, but I pulled you back in. I don’t remember it exactly, but whatever I did, it cost me my life. That sacrifice, a life for a life, created a bond between us.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTsAxAorL5
“Think of it as a backup for a computer. We had each others’ memories. When they performed the Wipe on you, I still had a copy of them all, so I kept them safe until I could return them to you, which I am doing right now as we speak,” he told me. “Also, because of the bond, I can still contact you, which restored your connection to your powers.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaCKpep0Hz
He was about to say more, but my vision flickered to darkness and back.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dC9jUtp3A
“We don’t have much time before you wake up,” he said nervously. “I’ll contact you tomorrow night. If my parents spend the night at your room tomorrow, don’t hold your coin. If they leave for home, hold it in your left hand over your heart as you fall asleep. This will let me know it’s safe for us to talk without them knowing.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW1tDRQUdeX
“What am I supposed to do during the day?” I asked him as it started to fade.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43PCdDrCU6
“Act like you did yesterday,” he told me. “And do not tell anybody of this.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu7PdRfMX5
He waved goodbye to me and I barely had a chance to return it before I woke up to a knocking at the door.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQ9cQ1h76T
“Come in,” I said, eyes flashing open.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8kwGytGhP1
“How did you sleep?” the nurse asked as she walked in to check that my vitals were still all where they were supposed to be.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn57V0SHXFz
“Like a log,” I replied, stretching as much as I could.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrExFJNaN1U
“Looks like we can detach you from some of these machines,” she told me with a smile when she saw all the results, which were fine.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMh7KgVisjj
“Thank you,” I told her. She detached me from the EKG and an IV drip.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4vqLgFRrtD
“If you need anything, just press the button,” she told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGNdyY5Zml
“Thank you,” I replied. When she left and had the door closed behind her I got out of bed and raced for the bathroom as fast as I could.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62o4l5N46u
As soon as I was done I grabbed a pair of boxers from the bag ‘Dad’ brought from home and pulled them on to give myself a sense of privacy before going back to the bathroom and looking into the mirror.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHe0iqcV5T
“Who am I?” I asked myself as I looked into the mirror. I pondered over that question for ten minutes before deciding that I would ask Michael the next night, if his parents weren’t at the hospital then.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVBARHUx1D
“How did you sleep, honey?” Mom asked me when they got there. They may not be my parents, but it’s easier to put it down like this.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3Cn8j064n
“Good,” I replied. “How did you sleep?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkGP9FWcLx
“Very good, thank you,” she said. “Has your breakfast arrived yet?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NrVbwLwy7
“No, but it should be soon,” I told her. “Where’s Dad?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtbGnT71bS
“He had to go to work,” she said. She showed me a bag she brought with her. “I brought more stuff from home,” she told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡukpAiSYzX6
“Thanks,” I replied, taking the bag from her. Inside the bag were a couple of books, a model car and a packet of papers.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFp1vBMJEI
“What the packet for?” I asked her.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XBuLu729I
“Slips that need to be signed,” she said. “I just put them in there because they’d be easier to carry,” she added, pulling them out.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkiUoMycFS
I pulled out the model car out of the bag. “1969 Charger, right?” I asked Mom, holding it up to the light.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcC8ZFLusCz
She dropped the papers. “How do you know that?” she demanded.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGC47nnx5gN
Oops. “I may not have my memory, but I can still tell you the year of any car you place in front of me,” I said, making up something fast.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYnnuQvtye
She smiled. “That’s good,” she said. “That means you still have your fundamental knowledge.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbgFjgpN2n
She was right about that. From what I could recall, every time I would make another model car, I’d study up on the make, model, and model year.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkgCyelVIq
“That was the first model car you ever built,” she told me. “You worked on it with your father.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeTbEaRVYR
“It’s cool,” I commented. I set it on the bedside table right before there was a knock at the door.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9oUscoNmLd
“Come in,” I said. The door opened and someone came in with my breakfast.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfY9D21c2Yq
“Thank you,” I replied. The person nodded and set the tray on the table before walking back out.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Uh7dI7TAF
“Do you want me to bring it over to you?” Mom asked me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjRJBNF1GI
“No, I’ve got it,” I told her. I climbed out of bed and managed to make it to at chair that was sitting next to the table.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2SVzFqZWo
“You’re looking a lot better today,” she told me when I finished eating.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiEGSdz9gl
“Thanks. A good night’s sleep can do a lot.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0qfs7zKkq
“Did you have any strange dreams?” she asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qtxG4rwdW
“Nope,” I replied, not missing a beat.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNxQpMfKom0
“That’s good,” she said.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSVt1Mrkkx
Over the next hour another psychologist came by to check on me and they drew some blood to run some tests on.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6r2OgJ4D6r
“If the results are good, you should be able to leave tomorrow,” the doctor from the beginning told us. “We just want you to stay after one more night to make sure.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7gIT4oALo
“That’s okay,” I said.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxKc6XpyHZ
We got comfortable and Mom ended up having to leave for work, and Dad wouldn’t be there for four hours, so I took a nap, not caring if Michael decided to communicate or not.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8LQliA5Rz
“I thought I told you to hold the coin,” Michael told me the moment I closed my eyes.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr13x9TYKjR
“That’s for tonight,” I told him. “I was just planning to take a short nap before your dad gets here in four hours.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZOCn95gkg
“Do you know if you’re going home tonight or not?” he asked me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxqY9NWi2V
“No idea yet,” I replied. “If the results are good, though, I’m being released tomorrow.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoc7NYWZnm3
“Have you found the flash drive?” he asked me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCTVu024V3
“Yeah. Why?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkTcHi9tsy
“Those of us who are have a bond with a Bridge can influence events in the real world slightly, so I had my mother grab the journal with the flash drive in it,” he explained. “When you get home and have a good chance, plug it into the computer in your room and play the video.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1meA1RNGci
“What is the video about?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOInODhhI0s
“It’s you,” he told me. “You made a video before we left, knowing that there would be a chance of a Wipe being performed so that you will know who you are.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FGfJoCmpG
“Who am I, anyway?” I asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RYkLsPZ5x
“You’ll find out in the video,” he told me. Everything started to fade again.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZzZAvE8O1
“At least tell me my real name!” I told him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP0CFRGWj04
“Liam!” he yelled as he faded even more. “Liam Fisher!”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0O2aVfRMyd
“There one check off the list for my identity,” I told myself when I woke up to an empty room. “Liam Fisher,” I mumbled. “Sounds nice.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡps96K2uU6D
A few minutes later Dad walked in. “Hello, there,” he said when he saw me. “How was your night?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdva6DbxdSr
“Good. How was yours?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavxG32MeW1
“Good, thanks for asking,” he told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2oUngopj6S
“Anytime.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfItpcohtPP
He sat down in a chair and I adjusted my bed so that I was sitting upright enough to be comfortable.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHpIy9NvCL
“What did your mother bring from home?” he asked me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvJgoQ7ySS
“Some books and a model car,” I told him, gesturing to the bag and car.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRRsMxNFsN
He smiled when he saw the car. “Do you know what car that is?” he asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRfr79oIVaj
“1969 Charger,” I told him. “I had almost the same conversation with Mom.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9biPnRHFzP
“Does this mean your memory is coming back?” he asked me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8diJKB7S8E
“No. I just know what kind it is,” I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo4bHKlbHfF
“It’s also the first model car we ever built together,” he added.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbh74oUWLk
“Mom told me,” I told him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvq3C8A7ZHA
He nodded and sat down in a chair, looking at me strangely.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtvp1Bstql
I did my best to ignore the look as I pulled out a random book from the bag Mom brought that day. Fortunately, this book wasn’t hollow, so I opened to the first page and started reading. It was one of those mystery novels with hidden passages mentioned every other page. I had reached halfway through the book when I saw a picture slipped in between the pages.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK94zCG4TXn
Making sure Dad didn’t see it, I adjusted it so that I could see it. It was a picture of me at a birthday party, the same as the memory Michael showed me, but this time, instead of blank spaces, two people were standing behind me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuu3wR3HMt2
My real parents.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKZaqEbx1o
I almost dropped the book out of shock, and I would have if my mind weren’t thinking back to the memory, replacing the fake picture with the real one in front of me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA7xaWJjqKB
I quickly recovered and slid the picture closer to the beginning of the book before I continued reading.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs0vCC1yyw
“What book is that?” Dad asked me a few minutes later.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUTAWwSpMe
I showed him the cover.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjSFUDqe0R
“That’s a good book,” he told me. I nodded and turned the page.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VmD4uwkG1
About an hour later I finished the book mere moments before there was another knock at the door.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOOwNgz6zS
“Come in,” I said, tossing the book back into the bag.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDhZbn9mWH
The door opened and in came the doctor with a clipboard.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsu2NBsNy09
“What are the results, doc?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckRwjjbcEw
“All of your tests results are great,” he told me. “I just need your father to sign some forms and I need talk with him privately.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoo6u7hl6R
Dad and I thanked him and they left to discuss whatever needed to be discussed.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPSK76LZVh
When the door closed again I grabbed the second book, flipping through the pages quickly in case I had hidden anything in it before the accident.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSN2nkYAViT
I had searched through it twice and was about to give up when I saw a slip of paper flutter out of it and land on my chest.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDSYUximtz
I picked it up and read the tiny, cramped words in it:849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyOgoHHzE2
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIIeGRvuGm
Top shelf, exact middle. When you pull it out, push the button behind it.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjYp7uN6Nl
“So that’s how you get to the hidden room,” I mumbled. I slid the piece of paper into the other book, next to the picture, and started reading the new book.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLeLCw1vISX
“We can leave tomorrow at noon,” Dad told me a few minutes later as he walked back in.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdb99XkaRb
“That’s good news,” I replied. “What did he need to talk with you about?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXm752mv3uM
“He just needed to make sure we had a psychologist that can do a few check-ups to make sure you are mentally healthy,” he said. “Not much.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyPtIqG6Fi
“Okay,” I replied, turning the page. A few minutes later somebody came by with my lunch, so Dad went down to the restaurant downstairs to eat while I ate in the hospital room.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Ng6P7XrKN
“How’s the food?” Michael asked me, appearing suddenly.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GlS4xAAWL
“Whoa!” I said loudly. “Did I fall asleep?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjt8VxCqDO
“No, you didn’t,” he said, laughing lightly. “Bridges can use their powers when they’re awake or asleep. It just takes a bit more concentration while awake.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmuWPiJmgY7
“How is this happening, though, when I don’t even know how to use my powers yet?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKJMzSDHZ6
“Did you already forget about the bond?” he asked. “Because of the bond we share, I can start the conversation without you having to do anything.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoS4d7irqSH
“Why are you here, though?” I demanded. “If your dad walks in, it won’t look good.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhMfizuRcu
“Calm down,” he told me. “He just got to the restaurant downstairs. It’ll be at least ten minutes before he gets back.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UOJVmnuKx
“You’d better be right,” I told him. “By the way, thanks for having your mom grab those books.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiI3CleHDAb
“Anytime,” he replied. “You should eat, though. I don’t want you getting sick any more than my parents do.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTOaAhDVO6
I glared at him for a second before picking up my burger.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2u3ITOLGZY
“You never answered my last question,” I told him between bites.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0FGGG8EOZ
“I came here to help you gain control of your powers,” he said. “You see, Bridging is more than communicating with dead people.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzPzu75Dtn
“What else is there, then?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjEoGY6gqn
“First of all, you can see what I can see,” he told me. “If you can talk to a person who has a bond with a Bridge, even if that Bridge isn’t you, then you can see what they can see as long as they are in this world. If they are where I was last time we talked, you can’t. For example, if I were to go down to the restaurant, you would be able to see Dad eating with a very low chance of him seeing me. He has very low sensitivity to usage of Bridge powers.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGBLVd8eqG
“Is there more than that?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNGPXYlr9m
“You can borrow the strength and knowledge of a person like me,” he explained. “A perfect example of this would be you borrowing my strength, which adds it to your own, and using it to break through a barrier.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxb5zhbhPD
“This is sounding better by the second,” I said.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPMswwBUDnj
“The trick, though, is accessing those powers,” he said. “Every Bridge needs a specific item to give them access to those powers, almost like an amulet of sorts. That’s why I want you to hold onto that coin tonight if my parents aren’t here. That coin is your amulet. All of those materials it’s made of are conductors of Bridge energy. They enhance your powers enough for you to access them. Once you do it, it’ll be hard to forget.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5llATwACk
“That’s another benefit for the Destroyers with the Wipe,” he told me. “It gets rid of the memory of how to access the powers so that, even if they realize what their powers are, it’ll be almost impossible for them to access their powers without a mentor.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNu41j2gzVd
“Can’t you give me the memory when I access my powers so that I know how?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YyXEELX93
“I can only give you so many memories at once without overloading your brain, which could turn counter-productive for you,” he told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9522sLsCS
“Where are you when you aren’t here?” I asked him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dwWSr8Eb1
“Where all dead go,” he said simply.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡszS7wn8Gjn
“And that is…?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBo7C2KGBZ
“There is no name for it,” he told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLgPRs0A82
“Okay, then,” I sighed. “Is there anything about home that your parents didn’t tell me?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsRjiC2kIC
“A few,” he said. “First, the house is about four floors, has ten bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms. It’s huge.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ798ieXTfxT
“Do I have any pets?” I asked.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbxGJITEkq
“Last I knew, you had a turtle,” he told me. “I’m not sure what happened to it after the accident. He was a cute little guy, about a year old. He was a birthday present after your goldfish died.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9Xrr4lOeo
“That was nice of them,” I commented. I grabbed the coin off the table. “So…how does this thing work?” 849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasUIm2R5jl
“I’ll show you that tonight,” he assured me. “It would take too long in the short time we have left.” He took a step back and closed his eyes. “Dad’s fifty feet down the hall,” he said. “Goodbye. Remember what I told you,” he added, fading the entire time.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wP1HZaHKI
Less than a second after he faded completely Dad walked in.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSpsGtuSlR
“How was lunch?” I asked Dad.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCTwHsGNtx
“It was good,” he replied. “How’s yours?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqjT3Jxpiv
“Same,” I said. I finished my bottle of water and set the cover back onto the tray before going back to the bed.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLQCbwowi6
“How far are you in that book?” Dad asked me when I was comfortable.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxSfv3vdcB
“Almost done,” I said. “It’s a good book.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zEIMlEnc1
“I’m glad you like it,” he told me. “It was your favorite.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSFOARLxSW
“I can tell why,” I replied. “It’s a good book.” I turned to the next page as Dad grabbed the remote and turned on the television and changed the channel to a news station.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv46vW2oCdk
“Would you like your mother or I to spend the night with you?” he asked me about an hour later when I had finished the book.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUz4ihQ2nDj
“I should do fine by myself tonight,” I told them, trying to not sound very eager.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtZRx5ViVE
“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Z4Ju1XFw8
“I’m sure,” I assured him. He stared at me for a few more seconds before looking back to the television.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNYO1yDoJ8
The next few hours were pretty monotonous, but not long after dinner Dad left to go home for the night.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKVLgEjUlX
“We’ll be back tomorrow at ten o’clock,” Dad told me. “Your mother and I are going to be spending the rest of today preparing for your arrival home.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOyTwMkT0T
“Okay,” I replied. He stood up and grabbed his coat, hugging me tightly before leaving.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX9s2DDiWB
“You should get some more sleep before you leave tomorrow,” a nurse told me a few more minutes later as she came in to detach me from another machine.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxHOy6KqE7
“I probably will,” I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYEPNBq6al
When she left I snatched my coin off the bedside table and did as Michael said, holding it in my left fist, which I had positioned over my heart.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc8XeUrdem
“You fell asleep early,” Michael said when I closed my eyes.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HQqLY4nL3
“Your dad left and neither of them will be coming back until ten tomorrow morning,” I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3MInTGYpc
“Good,” he told me. “That’ll give us more time.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcylrzQvHhO
“The first thing I am going to teach you is what your amulet does,” he said. “It is a conduit for your powers. It’s what allows you to focus. The materials have to be specific, or else it won’t work. It took you a while to find this coin online. Also, Destroyers have never been able to discover the exact materials need to make one, so they were clueless when you ordered the coin.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nwGcpDDhI
“How do I use it, though?” I demanded.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1m9EuZoWJF
“Hold the coin tightly,” he told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXHMo7TX9N
“Already done.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kFIhZq6bq
“Now, the next part is a bit trickier,” he added. “You need to focus inside yourself, to every memory you have of somebody you know that has died. It would be easier if you use me since we’re already communicating.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L8pAFP7EI
I did as he said, going to every memory he gave me of him, from my first memory of him to the day before the accident.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1ug8sbV93
“Now that you have them all, focus all of that memory into a small part of yourself. Because of the coin, though, you can focus on that,” he told me. “Just imagine every memory flowing from your head into the coin.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gbfdVUV3Z
I did this, too, and soon the coin began to glow dimly.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6lTK4rnDa
“Good,” he murmured to himself. “Now, disconnect yourself from the memories.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaYBJD7i54
“What?” I demanded. “How is that possible?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡajAxAenGq7
“You have a connection to all of your memories,” he told me. “If you look at it as an outsider you can see it. Imagine the connection being cut.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPY1n92B9C
I tried. I saw each memory as he said, and when I did I could see a connection, almost like a fine silver thread, leading from it to my body. I cut the cord. I did that with every memory until they were all disconnected.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpqekRvp17
“That’s very good,” he said. “Now that you have essentially ‘downloaded’ your memories of me onto the coin, you are now able to contact me at any time. All that you need to do is be in contact with the coin. Once you do that, just focus on me and you will be able to do it.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehDBNKnxs0
“How was I able to contact the people who lived in the house a while ago, though?” I asked him. “I had no memories of them.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nhlojxjHD
“Before the accident, you had become quite skilled at Bridging,” he told me. “You could take in memories just by holding onto something that a deceased person held once. Almost all of your spare time was spent up in the hidden room, Bridging with people long dead.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7atiofZQ2b
“Impressive,” I said.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NKnWS3IRz
“Yeah. I’d show you how to do that stuff, but I don’t know how you were able myself,” he told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4sZ3nrQ2Qb
“Looks like it’s a mystery I’ll have to solve myself,” I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XSfolnTBU
He spent the rest of the night teaching me how to tap into his former strength and to see through his eyes.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqFarsf8fe
He was right about to tell me some of the secrets of the house when I woke up abruptly to knocking at the door.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfglRK14ed
“Come in!” I shouted, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh2256zStK
“I’m here to take out the rest of the IV’s and disconnect you from everything else,” a nurse told me, opening the door as she spoke.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSo13h3qNg
The first thing she did was unhook the needles for the IV’s that had already been taken out. Fortunately they were both in the same arm so that he didn’t have to use two bandages, only one large one.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9n4kNVWWG4
“If this hurts, just let me know,” he told me as he unhooked and removed the last two IV’s. Fortunately, it didn’t hurt at all as he removed them quickly and painlessly, covering them both with a single bandage.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0JFWPogRZs
“If there’s anything else you need, just let us know,” he told me before walking out.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6AgvT8oFx
When he closed the door I grabbed the bag with clothes in it and went to the bathroom to get dressed.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNPMjl0mmm
“Was my sense of fashion really like this?” I asked myself. The clothes all looked like they were from designer stores, which they probably were. I’m not bashing that style, but I just prefer the more casual look.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7gRivjJu6
I didn’t really have any other choice, though, so I pulled on the polo shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OKGhEB9Hk
“Well, you look nice,” Mom asked as she and Dad walked in at ten o’clock exactly.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTBnIV6UkUP
“Thanks,” I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ93Bwggvi
“We got your room cleaned and back to the way you had it before…” Dad hesitated. “Before this all happened.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeo7ssrnSdJ
“Thank you,” I told them.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBEZW5hNC9
“It’s nice to see you off of all the machines,” Mom told me, smiling widely.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3bfFRP37F
“It’s good to be off all of them,” I replied. “What’s today’s date?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZNz5UI3hX
“February 27,” Dad said. “Your birthday is in three weeks, on March 20.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9t9UyIm5h
“Cool,” I replied.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULASsmz1lL
“Is there anything else you want or need to know about home?” Mom asked me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSQhOdJlM2
“Did I have any pets?” I asked them, even though I already knew the answer.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Pwj8FMfS2
“Yes, you do,” Mom answered. “You have a painted turtle, just over a year old.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6rl4BcqUv
“What happened to him after the accident?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7fDLV8dau3
“The housekeepers looked after him,” Dad explained. “He’s still doing fine, although he’s a bit bigger.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu83legmO0p
“That’s nice,” I said. “Where’s my room compared to the rest of the house?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0woVDjmPbN
“Your room is actually separate from the house,” Mom told me. “The tower your room is in was originally a guest suite. The bedroom part is on the second level, the first being a bathroom and sitting area. You loved it the moment we gave you the choice of moving into a different room. It’s in the far back left corner of the house.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2SAGBofgs
“Sounds awesome,” I replied. I checked the clock. It was about 10:30.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNwDzA3cKc
“We still have some time before you can leave,” Mom told me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV16gj43jZ4
During those 90 minutes Mom and Dad taught me the names of the house staff from the housekeepers to the gardeners.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSl9IUK80Ri
“You are now free to go,” a doctor told us when he checked my vitals to make sure I was still in good condition.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZufuiwkdh
“Thank you,” I told him.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvq8uaD12V
Mom and Dad grabbed the bags after I had put all of my extra stuff in it and we walked out to an elevator, which we took down to the lobby.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ2fQYXxzD
Once the front doors to the hospital opened a blast of cold air came at us.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWcngUMJiWH
“Oh, sorry about that,” Dad told me. He pulled a coat out from a bag that had been sitting in the room since before I woke up and handed it to me.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35mwmlZ1yq
“Thanks,” I replied, pulling it on quickly. It blocked the wind very well.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLetu1tQZ0
“The car’s over here,” Mom told me, directing me to a black SUV.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphLiNJusgY
They placed the bags in the back of the car as I got into the backseat, buckling up once I was comfortable, making sure I had my coin as well.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LztiJeNjW
“Are you comfortable back there?” Dad asked me when they were inside the car.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgakJbLA0S6
“Yeah.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuUG70GBDQ
“All ready to go?”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqTL3BUBQf
“Yeah,” I repeated. They buckled themselves in and soon we were cruising along a highway.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cmqsNXtCR
Even though I could remember the house, it still caught me off guard when we arrived.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXsdaUFOnWA
“Whoa,” I gasped when we pulled up to the house.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3L90JoW8OR
It looked like an old castle that could have jumped right out of the medieval times. It was three stories tall except for a tower at each of the four corners, which appeared to be two stories with a large conical roof starting above the top level (I took this to mean that every tower featured a ‘hidden room’).849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliFPZxXnQs
“It’s very large,” Dad told me. “Ten bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms. If you need help getting around, just say the word.”849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFPBxOJm5n
“Thanks,” I replied, getting out of the car.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5DpNOqFDm
“Welcome home!” the entire staff cheered as I walked through the large front doors. They were all gathered beneath a banner that had the same words printed on it.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6j6cetuLz
“It’s good to have you back, Mr. Murphy,” a tall man in a suit told me, shaking my hand.849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN3s38xe1We
“Um, good to be back,” I said, surprised by it all.
849Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV5Ya4SQcg
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