Irina Taylor, a girl who lives in the 1940s with the gift to see a human's soul, goes from a social outcast to a prophecy come true. But there is a realm that coexists with ours, invisible to the majority of mankind; only a select few can see throug...
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𝓣ʜᴇʀᴀɪɴᴡᴀs starting to pick up in the evening as it pummeled against the kitchen window. Dreary light illuminated the sitting room. I tugged my blanket closer and returned my attention to the television. My family couldn't afford a television in our house, but my best friend Genny could. It was even the fancy kind with the dials underneath the screen. Every Friday after the final bell rang, we would run as fast as possible so we didn't miss our favorite program. This was the only time I could feel like a typical teenager. I didn't have to think about my mother lying sick in bed or making dinner for my sister when I got home.
Yet recently, even spending time with Genny was becoming less of an escape from my troubles. Ever since I told her about my gifts, she has looked at me in a completely different way. The look in Genny's eyes mirrors my mother's. Fear. Though, she is more open to the idea than my mother. She is equally as scared of my abilities as she is intrigued.
"Can you do it, please, Irina?" Genny begged after our program had ended.
"I should start heading home," I responded, trying to dodge her request. I secretly loved using my power on others. It fulfilled something within me, making me feel whole for a short moment. However, if my mother found out, I would be in big trouble, and I didn't want to cause her any more stress. The doctors said her illness would go away within a few weeks, but two years later, and she is almost entirely bedridden.
"It won't take that long," she griped.
I rolled my eyes and relented. "Alright."
Genny clapped with glee and sat on the crimson rug, legs crossed, facing me. Her silken dress and petticoat flowed all around her elegantly. I shrugged off my blanket and leaned forward, lightly pressing two fingertips to her forehead. Like clockwork, I could see within her as soon as I made contact. At her core, there was a brilliant white-blue glow. Her soul. This was one of my abilities that I hadn't fully come to understand yet. I only knew certain things, like how there are bright souls like Genny or faded souls that emit a dim light. Those people with faded souls face torment in their life and have had a lack of love, both giving and receiving, throughout their life.
My mind cleared of all previous thoughts, and her's came flooding in. "What am I thinking of?" she asked excitedly.
I sorted through the jumble of incoherent fragments, seeking out her main stream of thoughts. "You are excited because your father is coming home tonight with a new radio he promised to buy you last month. And, oh?" I raised my eyebrows. "Who's David?"
She blushed as red as a tomato and said, "Nobody! What else?"
