Keaton Will

Chapter 5

I wake to a blaring alarm, which makes my head feel like it's going to implode. I'm starting to think that I can't be around loud noises. The alarm stops and I find my arms wrapped around my head and that I am curled into a ball feeling extremely sick to my stomach, dizzy, and with my ears ringing. I uncurl slowly and attempt to sit up. The attempt fails when my headache increases so much that I nearly throw up. I can't believe this, I get these powers and so far I've had nothing but misery, a headache that won't go away, and other people's voices in my head. Well, this is going to be a fun day, especially if they are going to be testing me more. I sit up quickly and get vertigo. I put my back against the wall and my hands on the bed and that helps me get my bearings. A good fifteen painful minutes later I'm heading toward the training area. I hear Vivians thoughts getting louder so I look around but I don't see her. "Hey, Vivi! Good morning," I say.
"Morning," she sounds surprised that I knew she was here, then she remembers that I have mind control and telepathy.
"Sorry I still can't control it much, I'll try to learn to control the telepathy more at least."  She turns visible, slightly red from embarrassment, and nods. I'm used to having girls crush on me so this isn't too new or different. I never wanted to date any of them back because it wasn't worth it. If someone better came along they would trip over themselves to get to him. So I stayed single throughout high school and college. Although they never did seem to think anyone was better...
We turned a corner and walked through what looked like elementary school style gym doors. The room we walked into had three floors, the ground level where we did all our physical training, the second floor was where they quiz us and tested us mentally, and I didn't know what was on the third floor till now, training for those of us with powers. I walk over to a table where they have our schedules for the day, it changes daily so that we don't get used to the same pattern over and over again so that we'll learn to go with the flow. It took me a while to get used to this because I like having a set schedule.
I find out that looking at a mostly blank white paper while your brain is being weird doesn't help one's headache. Ow. I ignore the pain and read my schedule. Mental training and powers all day. Yay me. I head upstairs and walk into a room. This is where they test us for lying. They do it daily. I'm a professional liar now because that's what everyone aspires to be when they grow up. A liar. I'll admit, this is not where I saw myself when I was planning out my future. I was planning to be a forensic scientist, that dream died with my parents. A pang of grief burns through my chest and I hide a wince. Why is this getting harder to push off?! It's been a year! It should be easier! I rub my head and sit down in the lie detector chair. I take a deep breath and calm my nerves. It's time to start. I'm good. I'm ok. I can do this. It's just another slow day of testing. It's not like that hasn't been every day for a year. Hopefully, it ends soon. I'm getting tired of being in here. I want to leave and explore the world, maybe even get a real job. I sigh and bring myself back to the present. 
The test is over within a few minutes. Next is a truth serum. That one is easy to fight. Then after truth serum, it's a couple of different drugs that cause hallucinations, they do those once a month so we don't get addicted to the drugs. I can see right through those. Next is math problems and calculations, and puzzles, and riddles under pressure. I pass through those easily. I can hear the question and answer before the person asking them even says them. I'm done with everything within a few hours and I walk out of the room to find Vivian, Miranda, Sheldon, Mark, and Delilah standing around. I guess they had mental training too.
Vivian sees me walk out and asks, "Hey, Key, how'd the training go for you? We're talking about the riddles that stumped us."
"It was easier than normal. And none of the riddles stumped me, I guess you can say I cheated. I read the guy's mind. They were all simple riddles to either way."
"What do you mean? The one about the cave was hard," Mark says.
"It wasn't hard, it was just long, it was so it would confuse you. It was purposeful." I say. I remember that one. "On my own, I am darkness, a black abyss. But, life brings me light with its gentle kiss. I am quiet and cold, but warmth I can hold. Alongside beauties and wonders sights be told. My surface may be bare, this I'm aware of. But, beautiful secrets I am eager to share. My mouth so large, I can swallow you whole. To be in my belly is your goal. What may lie within can drive men to sin. Greed and desire, gluttony's kin. For some, I am fear. For others, hope. My perception is shaped from life's scope. From the earth I have come, and forever will stay, even if parts of me crumble away. What am I?" The answer is a cave. Now try to figure that out in thirty seconds. It's not that easy. I don't blame Mark for getting stuck on it.
"The one about the man's son being five was hard. It was a lot to go through." Sheldon says.
I nod in agreement along with everyone else. Even though I knew the answer it was still a little confusing. "'How old is your son?' asked a man to his neighbor. 'My son is five times as old as my daughter and my wife is five times as old as my son. I am twice as old as my wife whereas my grandmother, who is celebrating her eighty-first birthday, is as old as all of us put together' how old is the man's son?" The process was a little hard to figure out but it was simple from there.
"'My tongue is long, my breath is strong, and yet I breed no strife; my voice you hear both far and near and yet I have no life.' That one was kinda difficult. It's a bell. Who'da thunk?" Delilah says in a thick southern accent. It's different hearing people's thoughts verses out loud. It's just weird. It's weird hearing people's thoughts in general. And it's kinda disturbing.
"That one was a little hard. But not as hard as the wheat one." Vivian points out. Ah, yes. The wheat one. If I hadn't been reading his mind I never would have figured that one out. "It is a five-letter word. If you take away the first letter it is something you get from the sun, if you remove the second letter you will get something to eat, if you remove the third letter you get a word you use in pointing at and if you remove the fourth letter you get something to drink. What is it?" Irritating. That's what it is.
"Yeah, that one was hard." I agree. I check the time. It's time to get to power training. I wonder how this is going to go. I've never been before. "I should get going. It's time for me to go to my first power training session. Wish whoever I'm paired with luck." I say jokingly. They smirk and nod and I go upstairs to my first power training. What I saw up there I was not expecting.

(1359 words)
Yippee.

I'm doing it.

*sighs*

Here's to the one view I'm getting!