Chapter 5

"What is this place? Did you do this?"

~No. This was a gin warehouse built during prohibition. There's also a secret driveway leading out built for the bootleggers to get in and out. We're right below the main house.~

"Are there any other entrances to this place?"

~There are two tunnels leading off the estate, both collapsed. There are also staircases like the one in your study in the garden, and the library, drawing room, kitchen, and sun room in the main house. They are all secure. No one will hear you here.~

Using the phone to light my way, I found a large wooden table that had, despite the dampness of the place, managed to stay dry and whole. I laid myself down on the table, feeling considerable pressure holding me flat against it as I came to rest. The genie asked if I was ready and I answered in the affirmative, not totally sure that I was. I made the wish aloud and braced myself for an immediate onslaught of insanity inducing pain. What came was the polar opposite of what I had expected.

My transformation started as a light tightening in my chest that slowly and steadily spread to the rest of my body. The tightening gave way to twisting and eventually turned to extreme pressure throughout my entire being, like I was being pushed and pushing myself into a wall. While not intolerable, it was very uncomfortable and the foundation for the rest of what was to come. And come it did.

The actual pain the genie had referred to started as balls of heat, seemingly rolling right under my skin, both searing and massaging the muscle underneath. Under the heat came the aching in my bones as the stretched and grew. Somewhere in between the two I started the screaming. Had I been of sound mind I would have noticed that while the pain was worsening, my ability to comprehend it was growing as well. Side by side my mind was being improved upon while my body was being transformed as well. I could hear my screams more clearly, smell the salt in my sweat, and even feel the grain of the highly polished table through the clothes on my back.

With the same slow and steady pace, the pain of my transformation kept my mind from numbing. With every new sensation I was forcibly reminded that I wouldn't be able to ride it out. I writhed in pain for what seemed like days, screaming and hoping for death just to be relieved from the state I was in. Quickly my voice gave out and any solace I found in screaming was gone. The fire quickly spread to new areas of my mind, like water touching sand for the first time. New senses began to spring up. Without seeing I could describe every feature of the cavern surrounding me as though I was seeing it clearly in the dark. I could hear everything, without omission. I could hear Miegan's breath as she slept, and even the happy couple's lovemaking. Again, where I of a sound mind at the time, I would have had an inkling of decency to control these senses to not invade my hosts' and guest's privacy.

The pain stopped abruptly, not at all like its beginnings. The pressure maintained for moments after, fortunately allowing me to gain my bearings. Once it had dissipated, I sat up. Extremely too quick.

Instead of gingerly raising myself to a sitting position, like I had intended, I flew across the room, my momentum carrying me in a series of front flips. I landed against the opposite side of the cavern, having the breath knocked from me. Needless to say I got up and walked back to the table as carefully and painfully slow as I could. I had to stop myself when I went to pick up the earpiece, fearing that I would crush it and be without. As softly as I could make myself I retrieved the Bluetooth and placed it my ear, still too hard, causing discomfort as I jammed it in my ear.

~How do you feel?~

"Like I had been swimming in mud my whole life, with it making up my brain, and now I walk the Earth."

~Sorry. I can't direct the wording of your wishes. Ever. You didn't include your subconscious to control your new abilities, so now you have the ability to control your body absolutely, but not passively. Fortunately, you have the mental capacity to train your subconscious without breaking your neck on the ceiling like you just almost did.~

"Good, how long will this take?"

~The rest of day. It is quarter to five in the A.M. right now. I have taken the liberty of texting the happy couple and your guest explaining that you've gone soul searching in light of last night's events and that you need your space. You'll need to move the Mustang before anybody wakes. So, you have about two hours left in Miegan's REM cycle before the sound of the engine wakes her up.~

The genie started by having me sit perfectly still and control my breathing. The rest came quickly and easily. Within the hour I could run while juggling stones and pondering advanced mathematic hypotheses. Moving the mustang still proved difficult simply due to the sensory overload Mother Nature provided. The cavern was still and quiet, but the air moving through the grass and trees demanded my focus with their every move. On top of that, the car moved too slowly for the way I had learned to drive. I almost wrecked it into the garden. When I consulted the genie about it he just chuckled through the Bluetooth, repeating the old proverb that perfect practice makes perfect.

The driveway entrance into the cavern was down a dirt road that I doubt anyone without my extra senses would have notice. It was overgrown and nearly took the paint off my car going down it. The drive down into the cavern was reminiscent of the decent into a comic book vigilante lair. Once I was parked, the genie had me really begin my training.

By nine thirty that morning I was accomplishing complex acrobatic maneuvers while hurling pebbles at various cracks in the rock with my mind. Apparently the improvement to my mind included mild telekinesis, which the genie assured me could be improved even more with practice. I had been relearning how to walk and so much more, physically exerting myself more than I thought a human could, and I wasn't even tired. On the contrary, I felt like I could run for half the day again and not even feel it. The funny thing was that I had never been a physical person my entire life, and now, through the mastery of a super human body, I had a moderate desire to be constantly active.

The changes to my mind were more subtle. My senses were extremely heightened, but once I managed to train my subconscious to actively process them, I could focus them and tune out everything else. Not only could I see better in low light situations, but I could make out finite texture in what where once mundane things. Without a more advanced mind it would have been an overload, and I still had to learn to be able to pick out the important things, and it was like that with my other senses. I had to ignore the taste of sweat and humidity in the air. I had to choose not to hear Miegan tossing and turning in her sleep, or the gardener curse his forgetfulness as he struggled to remember his gate code.

The biggest change, by far, was the telekinesis. At first I was giddy- yup like a girl –that I could move things with my mind, until I found out that those things were so miniscule. It started with pebbles, and by the time I was done training I had graduated to slightly bigger pebbles. I could improve with training, but it would take daily dedication just to make minimal improvement. It was still pretty cool though.

When I got out of the shower I so desperately needed after my morning, I decided to let Miegan sleep and go to breakfast with my new family. They still didn't know anything about what had happened last night and telling them should have been harder than it was, but they took it in more rationally than I expected. They were more concerned about the police charging me, and relaxed when I told them the detective on the scene had determined it was an act of self defense. Andy was the first show concern for Miegan though.

"Clay, I know you have feelings for this girl but that's probably the last thing she needs from you right now. It's probably the last thing you need as well. I'm sure she's shook up from last night as well as damaged from what was clearly a horrible and abusive relationship. I know you had the best intentions with bringing her here last night, but you need to make it clear to her that you are available to her in whatever capacity she needs, not to pursue a relationship with her."

I totally agreed with Andromeda's words and hated them at the same time. I wanted to be Miegan's knight in shining armor, but I knew that for right now I had to settle with being the friend that had the means for her to change her life. We talked it over more and came up with a game plan to help Miegan get out of her mess. I could hear her starting to wake up so I left Dan and Andy to the planning to go be there so she didn't freak out.

When I got to my place Miegan had already dressed and was briskly walking out the door, reaching it just as I opened it. The look on her face betrayed her intentions to dash without being noticed. I had a million things that I could say running through my head. Fortunately, I picked the right one.

"Heading out?"

"No, well yes, but, I dunno..."

"Well, you came here in my car and your skates are locked in the trunk. It's a two mile walk back into town. Tell you what. I'll be happy to drive you anywhere you need to go, but you have to listen to what I have to say first. Deal?" admittedly it was a little hard and harsh, but I had to ride what little confidence I had like a bull for fear it would disappear.

"I guess I don't have a choice, huh? Okay." She resigned.

"Look, I know you're doing the whole 'support yourself' thing, and that's respectable, but I think we can both agree that it's really not working out for you." Nod. "Good. I have a proposition. Remember how my house blew up and everything?" Nod. "Well my parents died and left me with a lot of money. Until now I didn't know what I was going to do with it. My proposition is this: Let me help you. I'll pay for your college, and you can pay me back if you want. You can stay here or get an apartment on me if you want. You can come and go as you like and you can get away from depending douche bag. My only condition is that you make good grades and you don't get into the kind of trouble you were in last night." Nod.

"Is that a yes?" With that she put her arms around me and squeezed. The moment I started to hug her in return she started crying. I held her tighter, standing in my doorway. I led us into the living room and over to one of the couches and sat us both down.

"You wanna talk about it?" and the floodgates opened.

Miegan told me everything. She told me how she was couch surfing until she could get more hours at RollerWhirl, and how she met Todd at a frat party. Apparently Todd was her current host's ex and when they got together there was some jealousy. With nowhere to go she stayed in the frat house with Todd. One thing led to another and within a month, Miegan was the frat sex toy, only allowed out for class and work. I cringed inside when she told me that, losing any remorse I had for the two deaths on my hands. Miegan told me about how she tried to get out, but all her friends had abandoned her. When she said she didn't have anywhere to go, I told her she did now and she always would. I told her about Dan and Andy and how wonderful they were, and about their plan to go shopping for her and basically help me set her up with a brand new life. She was more than receptive to the idea.