Syndicate Origins: Persona [NaNoWriMo2014, 2015]

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE QUESTIONS

I blinked at Kyle, unable to process the words he had just uttered. Had he said that he was like me? If so, there should have been evidence of such power. Shouldn't he have been like me, unable to control it? He had never done anything out of the ordinary and he hadn't ever slipped. Had I been so blind that I hadn't seen that my own brother was like me?

You're really like me? I asked through my written words, hope laced in the lead on the page. I had known that with Yin and her brother that I wasn't the only one, but if Kyle was truly like me, then he knew what I was going through. He would understand that I hadn't been able to control myself. Kyle wouldn't see an act of murder. No, he would see an accident and he wouldn't hold a grudge for accidentally hurting him.

The fear of losing my brother died a little in my heart where it had grown quite a bit. If my brother could understand, then he wouldn't hate me. He wouldn't call me a monster, or try to go to the authorities with pleas of getting rid of me. I wouldn't find myself in a room full of scientists that wanted to experiment on me. Instead, I would find myself someone that I could talk to and maybe get pointers on how to not harm someone every time I became emotional.

Kyle chuckled. "Yes, Mae, I am."

The joy I felt at hearing his confession fell apart after I thought of something.

Why didn't you tell me?

I couldn't deny that I was sad that Kyle had thought he couldn't trust me with this information. I knew that we hadn't known each other very long, but I thought we had formed a strong enough bond that we could trust each other with the truth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kyle countered.

Because I thought you would think I was crazy or, or, or-

Kyle crossed his arms. "Don't you think I felt the same way? I have had this ability as long as I can remember and trust me, I know how people would react to my ability. I didn't know if you would accept me or think I was nuts."

The sadness that I had had drowned under the blossoming understanding. Kyle and I had similar thoughts and had thought the other person would fail to believe the truth. We both had been so frightened of rejection that we had decided to keep the truth to ourselves, never confiding in the other person.

Something didn't make sense, though.

You've had your ability as long as you can remember? I jotted down before glancing up at Kyle who seemed puzzled by my question.

"Yeah, why?" Kyle asked.

I bit my lip. Because I'm pretty sure I got my ability recently.

"Maybe you're a late bloomer," Kyle said with a shrug.

No, I know I'm not.

"Then how do you explain it?"

Kyle, do you know a woman who goes by the name Yin?

Kyle shook his head. "No. What does she have to do with this?"

She basically told me that this was done to me. This power of mine wasn't something I've always had. It was given to me.

"Okay," Kyle started. "Do you realize how crazy that sounds? How do you know she was telling the truth?"

I heard my pencil creak in my right hand. She's like us, Kyle. She can teleport.

Kyle whistled, his attitude turning around. "That sounds cool. How does she do it? Does she just disappear into thin air or does she go through something?"