Chapter 2—Michael
“So it is starting to come back,” he said out of relief.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0Qz8rlCZB
“What’s coming back?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pKxC2JIKe
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZMrOBKmrn
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQB9U1qGFHN
“What’s with the blankness?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zFrPDM9MF
“The memory’s been blocked,” he explained. “Somebody doesn’t want you to know the truth about who you are.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mvz4d5Rcf
“Who, though?” I asked him, even though I thought he was just a figment of my imagination.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0RtjfGbku
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRsNJE9XoSB
“Wait, what?” I demanded.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPExttFkB6W
“You have a powerful gift,” he told me. “You are a Bridge.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6EHU0ydQSc
“A what?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZqyhDlhI3
“A Bridge,” he repeated. “A Bridge is a person who can communicate with people who have died.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIPMIPNeLf
“Are you serious?” I demanded. I was sure right then that it was a dream.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu8SiuzSJB
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9LtmiySVU
“No problem, big bro,” I replied, feeling strangely light-headed for being asleep.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvpghtEnGl
“That’s another thing,” he said. “I’m not your brother.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9NKhUHhvf
“What?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqrGORrNa8
“Everything my parents told you was a lie,” he told me. “They aren’t your parents, either.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD0ooXTzZZJ
“What are they doing, then?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGwI3bWoQP
“They are Destroyers,” he told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjhczzSvA5
“You lost me.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8uakxvqwX
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKWN7WEQK2
“What does this have to do with me?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPcoZL4ggZ
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYA7PzMsi3
“What happened, then?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVcp4wls7i
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRWyPcsNDL
“Bridging?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgOD64tFsi
“‘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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg40y0brG3
“What’s a ‘Wipe’?” I asked him, confused by all the terminology.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVS92FFGWXa
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvkhyeaJXN
“Why didn’t they?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xQ6qLB2bU
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBXf3lt5xk
“How is a Wipe done?” I asked.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7moRWyBUd
“They inject a chemical into your brain, which causes permanent memory loss,” he explained.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbecIT1AM2V
“How is it I can see all these memories, then?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeeLkBqQO3
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Xz73hl66d
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYWO9jTw1j
He was about to say more, but my vision flickered to darkness and back.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CUe4WV098
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6VflY0HCU
“What am I supposed to do during the day?” I asked him as it started to fade.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FYiJKmc2V
“Act like you did yesterday,” he told me. “And do not tell anybody of this.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjiF1vDshr
He waved goodbye to me and I barely had a chance to return it before I woke up to a knocking at the door.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXoFfw3Cly
“Come in,” I said, eyes flashing open.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDIpADrrmn
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjChpjjyrEZ
“Like a log,” I replied, stretching as much as I could.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNpAlFo7Yi
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYeUl8Jxv0
“Thank you,” I told her. She detached me from the EKG and an IV drip.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4J2BxiLt5
“If you need anything, just press the button,” she told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKYAjnQq1e
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLb4Cdzrqex
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbhQa8uIT0
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEip2PLyZi2
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWnSvJ1jhD
“Good,” I replied. “How did you sleep?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUFlVKrdnT
“Very good, thank you,” she said. “Has your breakfast arrived yet?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHWe3fdhKq
“No, but it should be soon,” I told her. “Where’s Dad?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepR8NUDY17
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYSg4cADay
“Thanks,” I replied, taking the bag from her. Inside the bag were a couple of books, a model car and a packet of papers.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oDScWls3z
“What the packet for?” I asked her.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwPDr3mzVC4
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsViem3ezR0
I pulled out the model car out of the bag. “1969 Charger, right?” I asked Mom, holding it up to the light.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecukmRqRBy
She dropped the papers. “How do you know that?” she demanded.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5s0osjFNW
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzXgv3iotm
She smiled. “That’s good,” she said. “That means you still have your fundamental knowledge.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6qR9K7IFdd
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTCX4Kwi1h
“That was the first model car you ever built,” she told me. “You worked on it with your father.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2a40lKjqi
“It’s cool,” I commented. I set it on the bedside table right before there was a knock at the door.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjthQckzPv
“Come in,” I said. The door opened and someone came in with my breakfast.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKp2Iq7YZR
“Thank you,” I replied. The person nodded and set the tray on the table before walking back out.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYFv9vWFzt
“Do you want me to bring it over to you?” Mom asked me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDC1M2ODku
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSjUyLEabq
“You’re looking a lot better today,” she told me when I finished eating.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwj6Um3Rgp5
“Thanks. A good night’s sleep can do a lot.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1akdWoihc9
“Did you have any strange dreams?” she asked.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi4P8iHJ0Bf
“Nope,” I replied, not missing a beat.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9qdsBCI6B
“That’s good,” she said.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLsyorMLvS
Over the next hour another psychologist came by to check on me and they drew some blood to run some tests on.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm40SCNC7G0
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvl4dMb2vf
“That’s okay,” I said.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00LFKcgRrY
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnPCoT2ZF2
“I thought I told you to hold the coin,” Michael told me the moment I closed my eyes.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8S2NIV75Jh
“That’s for tonight,” I told him. “I was just planning to take a short nap before your dad gets here in four hours.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡto2HWIOtR0
“Do you know if you’re going home tonight or not?” he asked me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOFYToPsBN
“No idea yet,” I replied. “If the results are good, though, I’m being released tomorrow.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4XzqLrTvw
“Have you found the flash drive?” he asked me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaLOLd60eE
“Yeah. Why?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwusBlxUnj
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyBoGtY62e
“What is the video about?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7Re1TAg83
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DxSG6tCDq
“Who am I, anyway?” I asked.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnKme75CNl
“You’ll find out in the video,” he told me. Everything started to fade again.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5oNKCC0ZS
“At least tell me my real name!” I told him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJNO2N57jpQ
“Liam!” he yelled as he faded even more. “Liam Fisher!”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o9P7KA09j
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLmsVt3iYU
A few minutes later Dad walked in. “Hello, there,” he said when he saw me. “How was your night?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ03BnFIytTC
“Good. How was yours?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84VeGSGMcE
“Good, thanks for asking,” he told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9jrUm9Aq9
“Anytime.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkk6zz0auS
He sat down in a chair and I adjusted my bed so that I was sitting upright enough to be comfortable.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzshxgQ9X2W
“What did your mother bring from home?” he asked me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzz2junH4E
“Some books and a model car,” I told him, gesturing to the bag and car.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDBTTq1x1d
He smiled when he saw the car. “Do you know what car that is?” he asked.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDsWyuXslk
“1969 Charger,” I told him. “I had almost the same conversation with Mom.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiEkyEBMEy
“Does this mean your memory is coming back?” he asked me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLAh4HyiX2
“No. I just know what kind it is,” I replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcrtfTRqXZ
“It’s also the first model car we ever built together,” he added.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWmwxyqR6XU
“Mom told me,” I told him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IuKXYT7pY
He nodded and sat down in a chair, looking at me strangely.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmke96gaYg
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NsSd1kW0T
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHBS8PKBBr
My real parents.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERWM6pt79x
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOjWcwgeZlg
I quickly recovered and slid the picture closer to the beginning of the book before I continued reading.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZY5ijVURN
“What book is that?” Dad asked me a few minutes later.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z8ja25YWW
I showed him the cover.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9I0El4VtMx
“That’s a good book,” he told me. I nodded and turned the page.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdjkZeCf7d
About an hour later I finished the book mere moments before there was another knock at the door.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJkOueNZA6
“Come in,” I said, tossing the book back into the bag.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhM68xXiE5
The door opened and in came the doctor with a clipboard.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9wW59kxIA
“What are the results, doc?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbYm52N3tX
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu92SZOBZmy
Dad and I thanked him and they left to discuss whatever needed to be discussed.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGiltIFfv9
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3q75u9sibj
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpWgW66j66
I picked it up and read the tiny, cramped words in it:813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzzxYWu2vM
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGIHSJh5M6
Top shelf, exact middle. When you pull it out, push the button behind it.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqYqxIDLMF
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEylltfsm3e
“We can leave tomorrow at noon,” Dad told me a few minutes later as he walked back in.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwHlrcEf7M
“That’s good news,” I replied. “What did he need to talk with you about?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PoAYqeaYW
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Yz1PlfxKV
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkbaRpoyF6
“How’s the food?” Michael asked me, appearing suddenly.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXJuFnuaa8
“Whoa!” I said loudly. “Did I fall asleep?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnprCdTG5Ko
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GaKaT4uSD
“How is this happening, though, when I don’t even know how to use my powers yet?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pr878VlhT
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghnr0Ox3WB
“Why are you here, though?” I demanded. “If your dad walks in, it won’t look good.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGgcEq79tQ
“Calm down,” he told me. “He just got to the restaurant downstairs. It’ll be at least ten minutes before he gets back.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqQUeIXE3M
“You’d better be right,” I told him. “By the way, thanks for having your mom grab those books.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyw2rzsHVGD
“Anytime,” he replied. “You should eat, though. I don’t want you getting sick any more than my parents do.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQAtelcwGW
I glared at him for a second before picking up my burger.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdMqEYL81S
“You never answered my last question,” I told him between bites.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv40QkqNvcO
“I came here to help you gain control of your powers,” he said. “You see, Bridging is more than communicating with dead people.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOSEJwIQue
“What else is there, then?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnG9wAeWzW
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RC7ip1QU4
“Is there more than that?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLF9ik9U7yq
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVPA42e95I5
“This is sounding better by the second,” I said.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2RnEXBkWC
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq2YEUnKoah
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtccIGQP6lK
“Can’t you give me the memory when I access my powers so that I know how?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu6vA6tXY9
“I can only give you so many memories at once without overloading your brain, which could turn counter-productive for you,” he told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXyZOBEJH3
“Where are you when you aren’t here?” I asked him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTDTn8u0iD
“Where all dead go,” he said simply.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmf7YVOxL6D
“And that is…?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcz7kAD91NA
“There is no name for it,” he told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5w0IaqExc
“Okay, then,” I sighed. “Is there anything about home that your parents didn’t tell me?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Um2uUcMgy
“A few,” he said. “First, the house is about four floors, has ten bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms. It’s huge.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3IXZtmMKP
“Do I have any pets?” I asked.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpmg0vP5Rc
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVUmGw3taF
“That was nice of them,” I commented. I grabbed the coin off the table. “So…how does this thing work?” 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosfLsDgxCL
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyJfIntZPy
Less than a second after he faded completely Dad walked in.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡea16iJgv7g
“How was lunch?” I asked Dad.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvpPcHavPAC
“It was good,” he replied. “How’s yours?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfl4Tc6xIN
“Same,” I said. I finished my bottle of water and set the cover back onto the tray before going back to the bed.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNMWg9Z431
“How far are you in that book?” Dad asked me when I was comfortable.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi0JTrrwK9
“Almost done,” I said. “It’s a good book.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZbq8GDJvW
“I’m glad you like it,” he told me. “It was your favorite.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1jdWvCIgs
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKWmi4gySv
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxQtFHFtuR
“I should do fine by myself tonight,” I told them, trying to not sound very eager.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeitABDq2eM
“Are you sure?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RnvlFU8it
“I’m sure,” I assured him. He stared at me for a few more seconds before looking back to the television.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMASzJftlqz
The next few hours were pretty monotonous, but not long after dinner Dad left to go home for the night.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCIo53LjyD
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhM23TJuJ8
“Okay,” I replied. He stood up and grabbed his coat, hugging me tightly before leaving.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUb2HXrDpi
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXgGmhgEMg
“I probably will,” I replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7aHp8Ed6a
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnKxeMVBFeU
“You fell asleep early,” Michael said when I closed my eyes.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiOMVvY9lw
“Your dad left and neither of them will be coming back until ten tomorrow morning,” I replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz3LygNQjX
“Good,” he told me. “That’ll give us more time.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqCiqtPVcro
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50f5NmlH0Z
“How do I use it, though?” I demanded.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmiPcJH8tD
“Hold the coin tightly,” he told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJpTyEppqv
“Already done.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNw6yrjqOD
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBkEiI05ln
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbswszfe8mn
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KGnRh4yKA
I did this, too, and soon the coin began to glow dimly.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAYMnRpazf
“Good,” he murmured to himself. “Now, disconnect yourself from the memories.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIum4NB5Py
“What?” I demanded. “How is that possible?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTieZJdry9F
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYlGYvIEL7
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAnpcTStXs
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKfkMtpcIj
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UA4DRqt1q
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbDgIyUZcz
“Impressive,” I said.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7JL5AE0zP
“Yeah. I’d show you how to do that stuff, but I don’t know how you were able myself,” he told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxLjBAk2WH
“Looks like it’s a mystery I’ll have to solve myself,” I replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuGhwj8fzU
He spent the rest of the night teaching me how to tap into his former strength and to see through his eyes.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhZdu6XdYX
He was right about to tell me some of the secrets of the house when I woke up abruptly to knocking at the door.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQ52yrVNfF
“Come in!” I shouted, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdyviliZT1C
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ItLg56PyX
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33Ead8V3dD
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDH9yWFIYyO
“If there’s anything else you need, just let us know,” he told me before walking out.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriAdzGbG6Q
When he closed the door I grabbed the bag with clothes in it and went to the bathroom to get dressed.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGLPSQ0tcZ
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIFEnlcc59z
I didn’t really have any other choice, though, so I pulled on the polo shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7uFnCHePd
“Well, you look nice,” Mom asked as she and Dad walked in at ten o’clock exactly.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLVfBHLNMKR
“Thanks,” I replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqEco4f4q2w
“We got your room cleaned and back to the way you had it before…” Dad hesitated. “Before this all happened.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7L30WpSuYy
“Thank you,” I told them.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZR0xPkr4OC
“It’s nice to see you off of all the machines,” Mom told me, smiling widely.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaqm58fdVB
“It’s good to be off all of them,” I replied. “What’s today’s date?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIWmG23HF2
“February 27,” Dad said. “Your birthday is in three weeks, on March 20.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56RJQ9fixF
“Cool,” I replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sK97oe4dS
“Is there anything else you want or need to know about home?” Mom asked me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNO8TOocu2
“Did I have any pets?” I asked them, even though I already knew the answer.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZUHYQwSM6
“Yes, you do,” Mom answered. “You have a painted turtle, just over a year old.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuMifkaElw
“What happened to him after the accident?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrzfvpuxE0
“The housekeepers looked after him,” Dad explained. “He’s still doing fine, although he’s a bit bigger.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF74Tjfq4d
“That’s nice,” I said. “Where’s my room compared to the rest of the house?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdkQE8dQk2
“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.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKCjY6RkLj
“Sounds awesome,” I replied. I checked the clock. It was about 10:30.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQe4hQdFBc
“We still have some time before you can leave,” Mom told me.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XKg5imQwM
During those 90 minutes Mom and Dad taught me the names of the house staff from the housekeepers to the gardeners.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAQ79oPTaa
“You are now free to go,” a doctor told us when he checked my vitals to make sure I was still in good condition.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgJk3c81AY
“Thank you,” I told him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0SnfcTme5
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDGxqOlcoG
Once the front doors to the hospital opened a blast of cold air came at us.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsICxUZyLW
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TEx36o140
“Thanks,” I replied, pulling it on quickly. It blocked the wind very well.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSGwfAacyN
“The car’s over here,” Mom told me, directing me to a black SUV.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUC9wK0qBQO
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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhShEz277T
“Are you comfortable back there?” Dad asked me when they were inside the car.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfzhN150Hk
“Yeah.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZhPWWTk8j
“All ready to go?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87nNibw8Kh
“Yeah,” I repeated. They buckled themselves in and soon we were cruising along a highway.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfuzU63j71l
Even though I could remember the house, it still caught me off guard when we arrived.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsApyI8SnIO
“Whoa,” I gasped when we pulled up to the house.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwrk7pLaVR
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’).813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RFjo3c9mk
“It’s very large,” Dad told me. “Ten bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms. If you need help getting around, just say the word.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnb933IeSA
“Thanks,” I replied, getting out of the car.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiim4eX8CA
“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.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tR9gnjNdR
“It’s good to have you back, Mr. Murphy,” a tall man in a suit told me, shaking my hand.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2jC6K30TM
“Um, good to be back,” I said, surprised by it all.
813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqDt2ABoXW
