Scarlett - Baton Rouge - Tyler, Katie
Scarlett was slightly surprised by the fact that Tyler had begun to explain what he had done in his past to have had the current events happen. She had left it to him to tell her whenever he was ready, rather than on the spot. At least things were slightly cleared up.
As she heard Tyler talk about the dangerous people he had led, Scarlett wanted to cringe but resisted the urge. She had just been abducted by some just a couple of days ago and now she was in a small bathroom with a man that had led some. Although a million things ran through her mind as she assessed the situation, she showed no signs of fear or anger or disgust. In the end, the man had done what he thought was best for his daughter. Scarlett would have done the same, or at least she thought, to protect her baby brother or little sister back in Arizona. As she noticed that Tyler began to become more upset, she stood up and raised her hands slightly, as a gesture of comfort. "Please.... If it upsets you I don't want you to talk about it.... I've lost people too. Family of my own."
She made no comment as Tyler told Katie that she needed to learn how to protect herself. Who was she to stand in the way of a father wanting his daughter to stay alive. Especially with thugs running around, it was probably a good idea. Scarlett looked back up from Katie to Tyler as he asked for her help. There she did show a bit of surprise, her calm façade breaking as her brows raised and her mouth opened slightly. "Oh... Of... Of course I'll help you. It's the least I can do.... I mean... Tyler... I feel like it's my fault Katie was taken. I had let her go to the restroom with Tina and that's when she was taken. If I would have been the one to go with her she would have never been taken. I'm so sorry." The words came out rushed, and even though she showed no signs of tears, her voice broke at odd places as if she were to have been crying or was going to begin crying. "What happened in the past is done with. By the way. I'm not going to judge you for what you did because in your eyes, you were doing what was best for your daughter. I would have done that same. We're not saints." She hoped that her few words would reassure him and prayed that he didn't get too upset with her for what she had told him.
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Scarlett - Baton Rouge - Tyler, Katie
Scarlett had stayed near the little girl whenever she'd move or if they would take her to a different room.
In the bathroom, she had watched carefully as her wounds were cleaned up and had even brushed Katie's hair. When Tyler came running in the door, Scarlett jumped a bit, startled. She watched the two hug with a smile on her face, wishing she could have her own family with her at the moment. Or at least Sam. She wanted to know if she was safe, or if she was at least away from the thugs that had taken her.
When Tyler had looked up towards Scarlett, it took a second for her to realize that he had been speaking to her. "Oh." She wiped the few tears from her face and nodded at him, wanting him to know that she trusted him. At least for now. "Of course I do. You haven't done anything to make me think otherwise, yet....." Katie spoke up then and Scarlett let her speak. Once she had finished asking her dad her questions, Scarlett added on to them. "You'll have to tell me what happened back there though... Eventually." She shrugged nonchalantly.
Scarlett had stayed near the little girl whenever she'd move or if they would take her to a different room.
In the bathroom, she had watched carefully as her wounds were cleaned up and had even brushed Katie's hair. When Tyler came running in the door, Scarlett jumped a bit, startled. She watched the two hug with a smile on her face, wishing she could have her own family with her at the moment. Or at least Sam. She wanted to know if she was safe, or if she was at least away from the thugs that had taken her.
When Tyler had looked up towards Scarlett, it took a second for her to realize that he had been speaking to her. "Oh." She wiped the few tears from her face and nodded at him, wanting him to know that she trusted him. At least for now. "Of course I do. You haven't done anything to make me think otherwise, yet....." Katie spoke up then and Scarlett let her speak. Once she had finished asking her dad her questions, Scarlett added on to them. "You'll have to tell me what happened back there though... Eventually." She shrugged nonchalantly.
Scarlett - Baton Rouge/ The apartment
Scarlett ad stayed quiet since after the gunshot, watching in horror as Tyler went into shock right in front of her and Katie, throwing up on the floor. She had knelt down and picked up the little girl so that they could leave.
Once they had gotten to the apartment, Scarlett let go of Katie's hand so that she could go upstairs to get her wounds seen. She'd felt guilty for the entire thing, feeling as if it would have never happened if she had just stuck with Katie. She'd have to apologize to Tyler once they all got settled back into the apartment and calmed down. "You took care of Katie back there." Scarlett looked up as she heard Caleb's voice in front of her and looked at him for a bit before she could get her thoughts back together. "Oh, yeah....I'm sure he'll want to stay by her side as much as possible from now on." She smiled at Caleb and walked in to the room, looking for Katie immediately. Once she found her, Scarlett sat down somewhere near by, but giving her some space. "Katie, how are you feeling sweetie?" She couldn't imagine how scared the little girl was feeling, probably only wanting her dad by her side. She remembered that Liam had been involved too and looked around the room for him, wanting to make sure if he was alright as well and to thank him for being so brave, and of course get in a good scolding for leaving her, twice; Once at the apartment and the other time when she had told them to stay hidden.
Scarlett ad stayed quiet since after the gunshot, watching in horror as Tyler went into shock right in front of her and Katie, throwing up on the floor. She had knelt down and picked up the little girl so that they could leave.
Once they had gotten to the apartment, Scarlett let go of Katie's hand so that she could go upstairs to get her wounds seen. She'd felt guilty for the entire thing, feeling as if it would have never happened if she had just stuck with Katie. She'd have to apologize to Tyler once they all got settled back into the apartment and calmed down. "You took care of Katie back there." Scarlett looked up as she heard Caleb's voice in front of her and looked at him for a bit before she could get her thoughts back together. "Oh, yeah....I'm sure he'll want to stay by her side as much as possible from now on." She smiled at Caleb and walked in to the room, looking for Katie immediately. Once she found her, Scarlett sat down somewhere near by, but giving her some space. "Katie, how are you feeling sweetie?" She couldn't imagine how scared the little girl was feeling, probably only wanting her dad by her side. She remembered that Liam had been involved too and looked around the room for him, wanting to make sure if he was alright as well and to thank him for being so brave, and of course get in a good scolding for leaving her, twice; Once at the apartment and the other time when she had told them to stay hidden.
Scarlett - Baton Rouge - Katie/Tina/Liam
Scarlett had followed Tina in to the store as quietly as possible, her eyes blocking out the blood that stained the tile and walls. She had zeroed in on the sound of gun fire and headed straight for it, as did Tina. When they stopped at the door, Scarlett turned pale white at the sight of Tyler fighting off a strange man and Liam running over with an unconscious Katie. "Liam! Here!" She was quick to snap out of her shocked daze and quickly reached out for the young girl, placing her weapon's safety on and hiding the weapon on her back. "Come on, kids. I got her, Liam." With a quiet huff, Scarlett took Katie from the young boy's arms and wrapped her own arms tightly around the child, letting the little girl's face nestle in the crook of her neck, her hair hiding her face. "It's okay baby." Scarlett murmured quietly as she turned on her heel and began running towards the exit of the store. "Tina, try and find the others! I'll keep Liam and Katie safe!"
She turned to make sure that Liam was right behind her before stopping at the front of the store, remembering the loud horn they had heard outside. So far, there were no biters inside, so she decided to not leave the building at the moment. "Liam, come here." Her voice came out in a rushed whisper, almost like a hiss as she gestured for him to turn the corner. "Behind that rack of clothes right there, go!" She urged him to get under and knelt down herself, crawling under the clothes and placing Katie down next to Liam. "I'm not going anywhere. Stay put. Don't let Katie leave or make loud noises either. The others are helping her dad." She gave Liam a quick once over as she made sure nothing was wrong and no blood was spouting out of him. Afterwards, she quietly stepped out from under the rack of clothes and stood up into a crouch, unsheathing her blade as she waited.
Samantha - The Road - Jess and Ben/Abram/Turisa/Leah
Samantha had smiled at Jessalyn as she calmed her baby and cooed at him. It felt as if the young girl had tugged a string at her heart as it brought back memories of her baby brother and for a brief second, Samantha thought she could feel tears building up in her eyes. "I know it might sound weird, given the situation we're in, but you're very lucky." She motioned towards the baby and gave the girl a warm smile, the first in probably months. Her head snapped up as the sound of a car door opening caught her attention, immediately making her turn around and a hand instinctively reach for her weapon. She didn't draw it, but the sight of the young woman keeping her own hand on her pistol was enough to put Samantha on edge. "No one here will shoot, so I suggest if you're friendly, to push the thoughts of using that aside." Samantha briefly pointed to the police officer's own weapon and then let her hand fall back to her side.
Scarlett had followed Tina in to the store as quietly as possible, her eyes blocking out the blood that stained the tile and walls. She had zeroed in on the sound of gun fire and headed straight for it, as did Tina. When they stopped at the door, Scarlett turned pale white at the sight of Tyler fighting off a strange man and Liam running over with an unconscious Katie. "Liam! Here!" She was quick to snap out of her shocked daze and quickly reached out for the young girl, placing her weapon's safety on and hiding the weapon on her back. "Come on, kids. I got her, Liam." With a quiet huff, Scarlett took Katie from the young boy's arms and wrapped her own arms tightly around the child, letting the little girl's face nestle in the crook of her neck, her hair hiding her face. "It's okay baby." Scarlett murmured quietly as she turned on her heel and began running towards the exit of the store. "Tina, try and find the others! I'll keep Liam and Katie safe!"
She turned to make sure that Liam was right behind her before stopping at the front of the store, remembering the loud horn they had heard outside. So far, there were no biters inside, so she decided to not leave the building at the moment. "Liam, come here." Her voice came out in a rushed whisper, almost like a hiss as she gestured for him to turn the corner. "Behind that rack of clothes right there, go!" She urged him to get under and knelt down herself, crawling under the clothes and placing Katie down next to Liam. "I'm not going anywhere. Stay put. Don't let Katie leave or make loud noises either. The others are helping her dad." She gave Liam a quick once over as she made sure nothing was wrong and no blood was spouting out of him. Afterwards, she quietly stepped out from under the rack of clothes and stood up into a crouch, unsheathing her blade as she waited.
Samantha - The Road - Jess and Ben/Abram/Turisa/Leah
Samantha had smiled at Jessalyn as she calmed her baby and cooed at him. It felt as if the young girl had tugged a string at her heart as it brought back memories of her baby brother and for a brief second, Samantha thought she could feel tears building up in her eyes. "I know it might sound weird, given the situation we're in, but you're very lucky." She motioned towards the baby and gave the girl a warm smile, the first in probably months. Her head snapped up as the sound of a car door opening caught her attention, immediately making her turn around and a hand instinctively reach for her weapon. She didn't draw it, but the sight of the young woman keeping her own hand on her pistol was enough to put Samantha on edge. "No one here will shoot, so I suggest if you're friendly, to push the thoughts of using that aside." Samantha briefly pointed to the police officer's own weapon and then let her hand fall back to her side.
Scarlett - Near the Plaza - Tina/HORN
Scarlett turned as she heard Liam's name and groaned when Tina suddenly changed the plan of action. "Liam! Liam, damn it get back here!!" Scarlett ran after Tina as they chased down Liam, but they weren't a match for him.
"Being young has its advantages." Scarlett breathed out as they slowed down, her hands working on the pistol in her hands. "I've loaded and made ready. I can work with plenty of weapons. My parents were in the military once upon a time." She answered Tina's question from back before they had began running.
The sound of a sudden horn made Scarlett jump slightly, bringing the pistol up to the alert carry. The longer it rang, the angrier she grew. Angry because she didn't know where Katie was, because she had also managed to lose Liam, and angry because she was afraid of what Tyler was going to do. "The horn might attract him, but I don't know if he'll show himself that easily. He's a little older than Katie, I doubt he'll be as naive." Scarlett turned towards where Tina had pointed where the guys should be and bit her lip, trying to sort out her thoughts and think of a plan. "I think we should go get the guys. Once we have them, we'll have more people to look for both Katie and Liam." 'If Tyler doesn't kill us' she thought as she finished her sentence.
Scarlett turned as she heard Liam's name and groaned when Tina suddenly changed the plan of action. "Liam! Liam, damn it get back here!!" Scarlett ran after Tina as they chased down Liam, but they weren't a match for him.
"Being young has its advantages." Scarlett breathed out as they slowed down, her hands working on the pistol in her hands. "I've loaded and made ready. I can work with plenty of weapons. My parents were in the military once upon a time." She answered Tina's question from back before they had began running.
The sound of a sudden horn made Scarlett jump slightly, bringing the pistol up to the alert carry. The longer it rang, the angrier she grew. Angry because she didn't know where Katie was, because she had also managed to lose Liam, and angry because she was afraid of what Tyler was going to do. "The horn might attract him, but I don't know if he'll show himself that easily. He's a little older than Katie, I doubt he'll be as naive." Scarlett turned towards where Tina had pointed where the guys should be and bit her lip, trying to sort out her thoughts and think of a plan. "I think we should go get the guys. Once we have them, we'll have more people to look for both Katie and Liam." 'If Tyler doesn't kill us' she thought as she finished her sentence.
Scarlett - Baton Rouge - Tina
Scarlett had smiled and watched Katie run off with Tina behind her to go to the restroom. She didn't want to cause any distrust between the people so she stayed put and talked with Elyse about what they did before everything happened.
"I actually went to school for dancing. I used to be really big into gymnastics but that kinda turned into dance. Maybe one day I'll be a dance teacher. When everything becomes normal again."
Scarlett smiled as they spoke, listening to the others intently. She kept Liam in her sight as she waited for Katie to come back. It had taken them a little more longer than expected but Scarlett merely pushed the bad thoughts away and assumed Katie didn't know what to do with all the stuff downstairs or Tina had began talking with her and showing her stuff. Her attention on the conversation broke when a muffled 'Katie' came from downstairs but Scarlett tried to dismiss it as them playing a game.
Before the small group could change the conversation, the sound of footsteps running made Scarlett turn around quickly. The face on Tina as she came in made Scarlett's heart drop and blood freeze in her veins. Even before the young woman said the little girls name, she already knew. "No." Her mind began racing and she stood up, running over to a side of the room where she had placed her blade and weapon away from everyone else. 'Tyler's going to kill me!'
After grabbing her weapons, Scarlett walked past Tina as she broke everyone in to groups. "Liam, don't leave!" Her voice was a few octaves higher than normal form the sudden stress. Scarlett nearly took two steps at a time as she went down the stairs and ran outside. She didn't care about any patrols or renegade thugs running around, Katie was the only thing on her mind. "Katie?! Tina, where'd the others go to?" Scarlett turned around to wait for Tina, ready to sprint wherever she pointed.
Scarlett had smiled and watched Katie run off with Tina behind her to go to the restroom. She didn't want to cause any distrust between the people so she stayed put and talked with Elyse about what they did before everything happened.
"I actually went to school for dancing. I used to be really big into gymnastics but that kinda turned into dance. Maybe one day I'll be a dance teacher. When everything becomes normal again."
Scarlett smiled as they spoke, listening to the others intently. She kept Liam in her sight as she waited for Katie to come back. It had taken them a little more longer than expected but Scarlett merely pushed the bad thoughts away and assumed Katie didn't know what to do with all the stuff downstairs or Tina had began talking with her and showing her stuff. Her attention on the conversation broke when a muffled 'Katie' came from downstairs but Scarlett tried to dismiss it as them playing a game.
Before the small group could change the conversation, the sound of footsteps running made Scarlett turn around quickly. The face on Tina as she came in made Scarlett's heart drop and blood freeze in her veins. Even before the young woman said the little girls name, she already knew. "No." Her mind began racing and she stood up, running over to a side of the room where she had placed her blade and weapon away from everyone else. 'Tyler's going to kill me!'
After grabbing her weapons, Scarlett walked past Tina as she broke everyone in to groups. "Liam, don't leave!" Her voice was a few octaves higher than normal form the sudden stress. Scarlett nearly took two steps at a time as she went down the stairs and ran outside. She didn't care about any patrols or renegade thugs running around, Katie was the only thing on her mind. "Katie?! Tina, where'd the others go to?" Scarlett turned around to wait for Tina, ready to sprint wherever she pointed.
LupusIntus said
Think we're for sure moving to that other site now...
Yup!
Just checking to see if we can post yet
Maribeth - Brooklyn - Woods near Safe house
Maribeth had came to a halt after walking for a good half hour, maybe a mile or so away from the house and into the woods. Safely hidden away from any civilians or patrols, she began to take her anger out on the smaller trees as she began to tear them out of the ground and throw them against the bigger trees. It felt good to let out the stress that had been building up for months. Although Mari spoke about the great times she had had in Italy, she had refrained herself from sharing the moments when in the cities she'd deal with the same amount of ignorance that she did here. It was only in the small, secluded towns that she had found peace. Her arrival to the US hadn't helped at all either.
After she grew tired of ripping the scenery around her apart, she walked over a tree with a low lying branch and floated up to sit on it. What was going on? What had she came back to? Gangs, the government committing a genocide. Because that's what it truly was. Not only that but the people she considered closest to her were either at each other's throats or tensions always rising. She couldn't do it anymore, but she didn't know what else to do.
The rain had stopped by now and all that was left was the sudden cold wind that had came in after the storm. Although she wore a leather jacket, Mari still shivered, so she wrapped her arms around her and leaned on the tree trunk, not wanting to go back to the house. Although she didn't feel the need to break anything anymore, she knew if she went back and saw either Julius or Diego, she'd probably bring the house down; literally. She sighed and looked around her. The area she had been in wasn't exactly bare, but now that she had taken out most of her physical aggression, she had created a small clearing that exposed a running trail near by. In her mind she hoped that nobody would come by, then recalled that there was a curfew and felt a sense of relief wash over her.
In that moment, a voice rang out clear as day as if they had been right next to Mari. She quickly jumped and turned around, catching herself in midair and turning every which way to see who had snuck up on her. To her surprise, there was no one around. Not even sending a pulse of telekinesis out was she able to sense someone. 'Maybe I just imagined it' she thought as she tried to calm herself. But the voice was so clear. It sounded as if they were right next to her. No. Not next to her. Inside her brain as if she was wearing headphones. Before she could keep thinking about it, her ears suddenly filled with hundreds of voices, each saying something different and in several different tones and volumes. Maribeth nearly screamed as she reached up to cover her ears to try and stop the overload of voices, but it was to no avail. The voices weren't coming from someone around her, so to speak, they were coming from inside of her head. As she began to panic, the voices began to get louder and her head began to throb. She cried out and fell to the ground, her telekinesis practically gone as she tried to push the voices away or out. Was she going crazy? Is this what happened when she lost control of her temper with her ability?
Maribeth was was kneeling within seconds from when the voices had begun and tears streamed down her face from her panic attack.'Get out! Get out! GET OUT!' she screamed internally. "Ma'am...... Ma'am?" At first, Maribeth thought it was just another voice in her head, but the sudden touch on her shoulder snapper her out of her panic attack and snapped her back to reality. She gasped and stood up quickly, reaching up and grabbing the hand before twisting it in an awkward position, making it painful and difficult for the person to move. "Ma'am, please, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just wanting to make sure you're okay. Please don't hurt me." As the man spoke, a sense of calm and security filled her and she apologized to him, letting him go and taking a few steps back. "I'm so sorry, you just scared me."
"Please, don't apologize. I understand, I would have reacted the same way.... Um.... Are you okay though? You've been crying." It then dawned on her that she was the only one that knew about the voices. The panic attack was all in her head. To others passing by, she would have been simply kneeling on the ground and crying. "Oh..Yeah... Um.. I kinda got in a fight with my room mates." She laced her voice with a semi-thick Italian accent as she spoke to the man, her survival mode kicking in.
Mari wiped her tears away and offered the stranger a small, sheepish smile. "Oh! Great accent. Are you from Italy?" The man spoke with much enthusiasm, but his voice remained quiet. Obviously because of the curfew, or so she thought. "Yes. I am, actually. I've been here for a few years now." Maribeth explained without a flaw in her lie. "So, what are you doing out here so late? Isn't there a curfew?"
"I could as you the same thing." The man grinned and, for some reason, Maribeth felt safe. It was a strange feeling of calm that had washed over her and she didn't know how to shake it off. "I actually come out at night to go on a run. It's not as dangerous at night as many people think. It's worse during the day."
She studied the man from his feet up. He definitely looked like he was out for a run. Running shoes, sweat pants and a fitted hoodie. He was tall and had a slim but sturdy build, his hair as dark as charcoal and his eyes almost a silver color. "I came out here to take some anger out. I can't exactly go around hurting my best friends." She grinned at him and he laughed, nodding in agreement.
"I understand. I get in arguments with my roommate too..... But he's my childhood best friend so he puts up with my crap." Maribeth laughed with the man now but as he reached out, she took a step back, just in case. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to shake your hand. I'm Liam."
Maribeth looked at the hand and hesitated. What if he was an Empowered with the ability that Diego had? Well, if he was, she had already make skin contact when she put him in a defensive hold. Smiling, Mari reached out and shook his hand, introducing herself. "I'm Mari." The man's face beamed as she spoke and he shook her hand tightly then let go. "Nice to meet you, Mari.... So.... May I ask you... What was the fight about that made you so upset?"
Mari bit her lip and looked down for a moment before looking back up. "We got into an argument about those with abilities and those who don't have any." The man nodded as he listening intently, or so it seemed. "You see, one of my roommates believes that we can't make things work between the two. The other thinks we can but it's complicated. I just think who the fuck cares if you're Empowered or not. We're all humans in the end and we have to work for a living and we all want the same thing. At least most of us do. To lead a happy and fulfilling and loving life." Through out the entire time she spoke, the fake Italian accent followed without a flaw. She had become quite good at telling lies and making them seem very real. So real that she sometimes believed them herself.
"Oh, okay, I see. I get in those arguments all the time too." He nodded and looked around. "Since you have that view, I'll share a secret with you." He then looked back at her and leaned in closer. "I have abilities. That's why I get into arguments with my roommate so much." Maribeth's eyes widened as Liam spoke. "That's kind of how I found you."
"Did you now? Prove it." She lifted an eyebrow in disbelief and crossed her arms, waiting for him to show her.
"Since I got here, have you been angry? Upset in any way?" Liam smirked as Maribeth began to think, trying to muster up any type of anger that she had before he had gotten here. "No...." Her voice was a soft breath as she remained in thought. "You've been calm. Relaxed. That's the only reason you didn't break my wrist. Because I willed you to be calm around me. Even though I run this route every night, I could feel your anger from many meters away. From a good distance away, actually. I followed it and the closer I got, the stronger the anger was. You should be careful with that type of anger. It can consume you and make you do something you'll regret."
Maribeth nodded in acknowledgement but still remained in awe of the ability Liam had. "I have to tell you the truth though. I'm not exactly jogging for the exercise. I do these routing jogs to find others like me so I can help them. I offer them a sort of refuge at my house for a few days or weeks. Seeing your views on things, I'd love for you to come and try to help those that are staying there. Try and make them see that not all normals are the same."
Something deep inside Maribeth told her that there was something off with his story, but the overwhelming feeling of security and the need for helping others practically blinded her. She didn't reveal that she was like him, instead, she chose to go along with it. "You know what. My roommates will get worried if I stay out too late. Especially because I stormed out. Maybe another day." She gave Liam and apologetic smile and began to walk back to the safe house. "Alright! Just know I run at the same time at the same place every night!" As Mari made her way back to the house and away from Liam, she could feel the calm leave and the panic begin to set in once more. The uneasy feeling that was buried under the calm was more pronounced but she pushed it away, focusing on a bigger dilemma. She had heard voices in her head. Would that be something she'd be able to keep from the others? For now, she decided to keep everything that had happened in the woods a secret. From the voices in her head to Liam and his offer.
Maribeth had came to a halt after walking for a good half hour, maybe a mile or so away from the house and into the woods. Safely hidden away from any civilians or patrols, she began to take her anger out on the smaller trees as she began to tear them out of the ground and throw them against the bigger trees. It felt good to let out the stress that had been building up for months. Although Mari spoke about the great times she had had in Italy, she had refrained herself from sharing the moments when in the cities she'd deal with the same amount of ignorance that she did here. It was only in the small, secluded towns that she had found peace. Her arrival to the US hadn't helped at all either.
After she grew tired of ripping the scenery around her apart, she walked over a tree with a low lying branch and floated up to sit on it. What was going on? What had she came back to? Gangs, the government committing a genocide. Because that's what it truly was. Not only that but the people she considered closest to her were either at each other's throats or tensions always rising. She couldn't do it anymore, but she didn't know what else to do.
The rain had stopped by now and all that was left was the sudden cold wind that had came in after the storm. Although she wore a leather jacket, Mari still shivered, so she wrapped her arms around her and leaned on the tree trunk, not wanting to go back to the house. Although she didn't feel the need to break anything anymore, she knew if she went back and saw either Julius or Diego, she'd probably bring the house down; literally. She sighed and looked around her. The area she had been in wasn't exactly bare, but now that she had taken out most of her physical aggression, she had created a small clearing that exposed a running trail near by. In her mind she hoped that nobody would come by, then recalled that there was a curfew and felt a sense of relief wash over her.
In that moment, a voice rang out clear as day as if they had been right next to Mari. She quickly jumped and turned around, catching herself in midair and turning every which way to see who had snuck up on her. To her surprise, there was no one around. Not even sending a pulse of telekinesis out was she able to sense someone. 'Maybe I just imagined it' she thought as she tried to calm herself. But the voice was so clear. It sounded as if they were right next to her. No. Not next to her. Inside her brain as if she was wearing headphones. Before she could keep thinking about it, her ears suddenly filled with hundreds of voices, each saying something different and in several different tones and volumes. Maribeth nearly screamed as she reached up to cover her ears to try and stop the overload of voices, but it was to no avail. The voices weren't coming from someone around her, so to speak, they were coming from inside of her head. As she began to panic, the voices began to get louder and her head began to throb. She cried out and fell to the ground, her telekinesis practically gone as she tried to push the voices away or out. Was she going crazy? Is this what happened when she lost control of her temper with her ability?
Maribeth was was kneeling within seconds from when the voices had begun and tears streamed down her face from her panic attack.'Get out! Get out! GET OUT!' she screamed internally. "Ma'am...... Ma'am?" At first, Maribeth thought it was just another voice in her head, but the sudden touch on her shoulder snapper her out of her panic attack and snapped her back to reality. She gasped and stood up quickly, reaching up and grabbing the hand before twisting it in an awkward position, making it painful and difficult for the person to move. "Ma'am, please, I didn't mean to scare you. I was just wanting to make sure you're okay. Please don't hurt me." As the man spoke, a sense of calm and security filled her and she apologized to him, letting him go and taking a few steps back. "I'm so sorry, you just scared me."
"Please, don't apologize. I understand, I would have reacted the same way.... Um.... Are you okay though? You've been crying." It then dawned on her that she was the only one that knew about the voices. The panic attack was all in her head. To others passing by, she would have been simply kneeling on the ground and crying. "Oh..Yeah... Um.. I kinda got in a fight with my room mates." She laced her voice with a semi-thick Italian accent as she spoke to the man, her survival mode kicking in.
Mari wiped her tears away and offered the stranger a small, sheepish smile. "Oh! Great accent. Are you from Italy?" The man spoke with much enthusiasm, but his voice remained quiet. Obviously because of the curfew, or so she thought. "Yes. I am, actually. I've been here for a few years now." Maribeth explained without a flaw in her lie. "So, what are you doing out here so late? Isn't there a curfew?"
"I could as you the same thing." The man grinned and, for some reason, Maribeth felt safe. It was a strange feeling of calm that had washed over her and she didn't know how to shake it off. "I actually come out at night to go on a run. It's not as dangerous at night as many people think. It's worse during the day."
She studied the man from his feet up. He definitely looked like he was out for a run. Running shoes, sweat pants and a fitted hoodie. He was tall and had a slim but sturdy build, his hair as dark as charcoal and his eyes almost a silver color. "I came out here to take some anger out. I can't exactly go around hurting my best friends." She grinned at him and he laughed, nodding in agreement.
"I understand. I get in arguments with my roommate too..... But he's my childhood best friend so he puts up with my crap." Maribeth laughed with the man now but as he reached out, she took a step back, just in case. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to shake your hand. I'm Liam."
Maribeth looked at the hand and hesitated. What if he was an Empowered with the ability that Diego had? Well, if he was, she had already make skin contact when she put him in a defensive hold. Smiling, Mari reached out and shook his hand, introducing herself. "I'm Mari." The man's face beamed as she spoke and he shook her hand tightly then let go. "Nice to meet you, Mari.... So.... May I ask you... What was the fight about that made you so upset?"
Mari bit her lip and looked down for a moment before looking back up. "We got into an argument about those with abilities and those who don't have any." The man nodded as he listening intently, or so it seemed. "You see, one of my roommates believes that we can't make things work between the two. The other thinks we can but it's complicated. I just think who the fuck cares if you're Empowered or not. We're all humans in the end and we have to work for a living and we all want the same thing. At least most of us do. To lead a happy and fulfilling and loving life." Through out the entire time she spoke, the fake Italian accent followed without a flaw. She had become quite good at telling lies and making them seem very real. So real that she sometimes believed them herself.
"Oh, okay, I see. I get in those arguments all the time too." He nodded and looked around. "Since you have that view, I'll share a secret with you." He then looked back at her and leaned in closer. "I have abilities. That's why I get into arguments with my roommate so much." Maribeth's eyes widened as Liam spoke. "That's kind of how I found you."
"Did you now? Prove it." She lifted an eyebrow in disbelief and crossed her arms, waiting for him to show her.
"Since I got here, have you been angry? Upset in any way?" Liam smirked as Maribeth began to think, trying to muster up any type of anger that she had before he had gotten here. "No...." Her voice was a soft breath as she remained in thought. "You've been calm. Relaxed. That's the only reason you didn't break my wrist. Because I willed you to be calm around me. Even though I run this route every night, I could feel your anger from many meters away. From a good distance away, actually. I followed it and the closer I got, the stronger the anger was. You should be careful with that type of anger. It can consume you and make you do something you'll regret."
Maribeth nodded in acknowledgement but still remained in awe of the ability Liam had. "I have to tell you the truth though. I'm not exactly jogging for the exercise. I do these routing jogs to find others like me so I can help them. I offer them a sort of refuge at my house for a few days or weeks. Seeing your views on things, I'd love for you to come and try to help those that are staying there. Try and make them see that not all normals are the same."
Something deep inside Maribeth told her that there was something off with his story, but the overwhelming feeling of security and the need for helping others practically blinded her. She didn't reveal that she was like him, instead, she chose to go along with it. "You know what. My roommates will get worried if I stay out too late. Especially because I stormed out. Maybe another day." She gave Liam and apologetic smile and began to walk back to the safe house. "Alright! Just know I run at the same time at the same place every night!" As Mari made her way back to the house and away from Liam, she could feel the calm leave and the panic begin to set in once more. The uneasy feeling that was buried under the calm was more pronounced but she pushed it away, focusing on a bigger dilemma. She had heard voices in her head. Would that be something she'd be able to keep from the others? For now, she decided to keep everything that had happened in the woods a secret. From the voices in her head to Liam and his offer.
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