Intuition

Intuition Part 4

Someone had tapped the window-pane next to me, trying to get my attention. With an uneasy smile, I waved at Nancy. She signaled for me to stay where I was and that she was coming out. I froze in fear before realizing that these 327 dead people...they could have died a while ago. Nancy and her family had moved in only two years ago and the family before them had seemed creepy.

I smiled a little and greeted Nancy eagerly when she approached me. She was wearing a dressing gown and shivered in the cool evening air.

"Hey," she said with a small smile.

All visions of her being a bloodthirsty serial killer vanished from my mind. I scuffed the ground with my shoe. "Hey. I forgot my backpack."

She glanced at my bag-leaning against the wall-and nudged it with her toe. "This?" she asked.

I nodded and moved forwards to get it. She stopped me with a hand on my chest. "You didn't answer me earlier."

I frowned. "I didn't?"

"I asked you a question but you ran away."

I blushed, "I was in a hurry. You know moms..."

"It wasn't your mother. You looked quite alarmed." She was examining my face.

"It's nothing."

"Look. If you're going to lie to me-"

"I'm sorry. You wouldn't believe me if I told you anyways."

"Try me!"

"Fine. I have this...power."

"Like a superhero?"

"Kind of. Nothing awesome like invisibility or flight or super-strength. It's pretty boring actually."

She grinned, "Anything out of the ordinary is awesome."

Encouraged by her reaction so far, I continued. "Well I have the power of intuition."

She raised an eyebrow, "That isn't awesome?"

"If you keep interrupting me, I can't tell you."

"I'll be quiet."

I nodded. "So I have this power. All my family 'cept Mom has it."

"What exactly does it do?"

"Well I can see how dangerous people are on a scale of one to ten."

She grinned. "What am I?"

I frowned. "I can tell you after. Let me finish explaining."

She nodded and crossed her arms.

"So, as I was saying, I can see how dangerous people are and, if I touch something, I can get cool facts about it."

"Such as?"

"Like, if I lean against a tree, I can find every animal that's been in it and whether it's been burned or chopped. Anything, really."

"So every time you walk on grass you can tell who has walked on it and the last time it was cut and all that?"

"Only if I concentrate."

"Does it work on people?"

"I've never tried."

"I'll be your test subject!"

"I don't think that's a good id-"

She gave me a little push, "Come on, Tom!"

"I don't know if it'll hurt you."

"Why should you care?"

"I'll be responsible if you get hurt. I have school to do, Nancy," I started.

She put a finger on my lips, "Look, Superboy, you're not going away 'till you tell me what scared you."

I pushed her hand away. "Fine. So we were talking and I happened to lean against your house. I guess my hand brushed against it or something, but I ended up getting this overload of facts from it." I stopped and glanced at her, "Any idea how old this house is?"

"I suspect it's only about ten years old."

I blanched, "Oh."

"So? What did you find? Is it haunted?"

"Not exactly."

"Just tell me!"

"Three hundred twenty-seven people died in this house," I said abruptly, eager to get this over with.

Nancy's face looked grim. "Really? Do you know who killed them?"

I have to get out of here. I thought wildly. "Um, no. I can find out if you want me to," I answered, putting my hand on the wall.

Nancy snatched my hand away and said levelly, "I think you should meet my parents."

I paled, "I really have a lot of homework and it's late."

She glared at the sun. "Fine. Tomorrow. Come after school for a snack."

She spun around on her heel and left. With a sigh, I grabbed my backpack and sped to my room.