Of Blessings and Curses

Chapter 8

I wake up, but don't open my eyes just yet. I'm not quite ready to face the horrors of the world beyond my bedroom door. I'm sleeping, and as long as I don't open my eyes, no one will know that I'm awake, and I won't have to answer any questions about anything or have to explain anything else that I don't know. I drift back to sleep.

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Okay, I do really need to get up now. I crack my eyelids open just a smidge. I sigh heavily, not wanting to go back to sleep, but also not wanting to get out of bed. I decide, after five minutes of warm-and-coziness, that I have to go see what is happening in Newt and I's little corner of the world. 

My bedroom door creaks slightly as it opens, and I venture down to the case room, assuming that Newt is in there. I look around for a wall clock, since I forgot to check my alarm clock when I got up (and I'm too lazy to go back into my room and see), but to no avail. I'm just so tired today. I'm guessing that using that much brainpower yesterday for my TK, plus the fact that yesterday was one of the most confusing and emotional days of my life, made me insanely tired. I wouldn't be surprised if it was late afternoon! 

I pry open the lid to the case, only to find Newt climbing back out. 

"Oh, uh, hello." I say, grinning slightly. 

"You're awake! That was impressive!" Newt exclaims, scrambling the rest of the way out of the case, "Not even Pickett sleeps that much!" A small, high pitched yet indignant speak comes out of Newt's pocket. I can barely see the leafy green head of the bowtruckle that took a particular liking to Newt a few weeks ago. 

"What do you mean? How long was I out?" I ask, suddenly becoming very confused. Either Newt is being dramatic, or I really was exhausted. 

"About two days... You were completely and utterly out cold for a solid day and a half." 

"Are you serious!? I have this power and I can't even use it without conking out!" Wow. Thanks a lot, telekinesis. Fat lot of good you did me. 

"Well, I'm guessing it's because you haven't used it in so long. If you did it a bit every day, it would probably get easier." Newt suggests.

"I'd guess that to, but I'd sort of like to be present and conscious if anything were to happen! Not to mention, it'd probably mess my memory up!" I say back, "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to practice every now and then. I've only ever used it three or four times." Maybe it would be a good idea to start trying to control it more. 

I focus on a stray book lying on my floor. Put all of my attention on it. Let everything else fade into the background. 

Move, move, move. 

A slight buzzing fills my ears, like the book is vibrating or something like that. Well, I suppose it's moving. Time to get more refined. 

Up, up, up. 

A few pages ruffle. I shove down the excitement and power jumping in my stomach. Stay focused, stay focused. Just a few more minutes. 

Up, up, up. 

Okay, maybe more than a few. I can feel my attention running out. I really am terrible at this. I hear some slight ringing, like I'm coming out of a deep sleep. Blurs start to fade back into shapes, I tune into Pickett rustling and moving around in Newt's pocket. All my senses are dialed to eleven- actually, past eleven, more like twenty- for a few seconds, and I can even hear animals in the case for a moment or two. Then it all fades into the background once more, and I'm left feeling completely and utterly normal. I try to press everything back into the background, to squash it back into the blurs and muteness of focus. Until it's only me and that book once more.

But I can't. 

"What happened?" Newt asks. 

"I'm not sure. I was going really well, until... Well, like I said, I don't know what happened. I can't get my focus back. It's like something interfered with it. But I don't know what possibly could." I say, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Maybe something in the case..? Let's try a different room, like the kitchen or something." 

"Okay." I say, dashing out of that room as quickly as I can. There's something in that case. I don't know what, but someone is giving me the second worst headache of my life. I practically sprint into the kitchen, breathing in the smell of herbs gladly. Deep breaths. Okay, focus. I pick out a certain pot from the counter top. Once again, everything fades into the background, and it's me and the pot. I hear it start to vibrate quietly, then louder, until it drowns out the quietness enveloping me. 

Left, left, left.

I hear a slight scraping sound as if it wants to move, but can only do so a millimeter at a time. Okay, I can do this. Just focus. 

Left, left, left. Move, move, move.

I hear a slightly longer, slightly louder scraping sound. 

C'mon, c'mon.

The pot slides rapidly across the counter, careening off the side and smashing into the wall with one of the loudest 'bang's I've ever heard in my entire life. I yelp as my sensitive ears ring horribly. I blink a few times, and everything comes back into focus. The ringing gets quieter.

The world moves once more.

Clocks tick, feet pound, voices talk. Everything I missed while I was moving the pot crashes over me in waves. I grip the top of a chair and squeeze my eyes shut so tight that it hurts. 

"Heidi?" Newt's voice barely reaches me over the waves of ringing and noise. 

"It's so loud..." I mutter, which, of course, sounds like an elephant in a death metal band to me. 

"What?" 

"Everything is so loud... I can barely hear you over it all..." I give a particularly large and violent sway, and Newt grabs me under the arms. 

"Heidi, are you okay? Oh, of course you're not okay, you look like you're about to pass out." Newt's voice is closer this time. 

"Well... I moved it." I say as I, true to Newt's prediction, pass out.

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Sorry that this was super late at night and also probably sucks cuz I'm exhausted.