Speedtrayal
Chapter 2

Copyright© 2014 by Bastion Grammar Jr

Something was wrong when I awoke. Something was out of place. I couldn't figure out what it was though. There was no sound that had awoken me, no light. It was still pitch dark out...

It was still pitch dark out. I opened my eyes wide and looked at my alarm clock – it was steady at 12:07. I was completely rested but I'd only been asleep for roughly 3 minutes. What the...

I claim to be a morning person. I'm usually pretty full of energy when I first wake up. Unfortunately, my brain doesn't always make it. Thinking in the morning is a bad idea anyway. I even think there's a law against it or something. If there isn't, there probably should be.

I was still sped up. I'd never gone back to 'normal' speed last night. I looked at my watch and did some quick calculations – not my best move when I first wake up. Still, I can usually do basic math. I'd been asleep for 9 hours subjective time ... and only 2 to 3 minutes had passed objectively.

A full night's sleep in seconds. I hadn't even known I could sleep while in an accelerated speed zone. Honestly, I hadn't even thought to try it. It just had never occurred to me.

For a second I considered winding back to normal speed and sleeping some more ... but I knew that was a losing idea. I've never had much trouble sleeping but once I'm up, I'm up. There's no rolling over and going back to sleep for me. Usually, I made sure to make enough noise to wake everyone else up too because, hey, if I have to get up shouldn't everyone? It seems fair to me.

I decided to forgo that this time. I can be evil, sometimes cruel and marginally sadistic from time to time but I'm not suicidal. I wake up the house at this time of the morning and there's no way I'm getting out alive. Did I mention that my mother is an assistance district attorney? She knows where to hide the bodies.

So, I needed to do something quiet where there was no chance of waking up the house. There weren't a lot of choices. I could read or ... read. I supposed I could watch television but ... have you looked at early morning television lately? It kind of scares me to think of what demographic the stations are shooting for. So, speed sleeping certainly freed up time ... but what was I going to do with it?

I slowed myself to what I considered normal and then hit the bathroom with it's TICK, TICK, TICKing clock. I hated that clock most of the time. In the mornings, when I was running late, it was a constant reminder that I had more to do than I had time to do it. Now, though, it was my salvation. I depended on that clock to keep me sane.

I checked my watch's second hand against the wall clock's and made sure they were lined up for a full 30 seconds. Then, I synchronized my watch with the wall clock's time. I knew it wasn't perfectly accurate – but I didn't need perfectly accurate. I'd read about clocks that synchronized daily with one of the atomic clocks around the world. I honestly couldn't see the point. At what time did anyone EVER have to be that precise with time?

Well, I guess I was a case in point but I was a very special case. At least, I hoped I was a special case. I hadn't thought of that before but what if there were others out there that could do what I did? I mean, aside from the obvious there was nothing really special about me. What if there were a bunch of people who were speed demons? Maybe there was a whole society out there who were...

Calm. Idle speculation wouldn't solve anything. Until I had proof to the contrary, assume that I was the only speed demon. Watch out for others, though. Just in case.

For most of the next 8 hours, I read. I had only brought my Spanish and Algebra books home, so I studied both of those. There was a new Butcher book I'd bought a few weeks ago ... so I read that. I didn't want to read; I wasn't quite certain what I wanted to do but reading wasn't high on the list. Still, there was little I could do unless I went out running again. That wasn't high on my list either. If I was caught outside the house this late at night I'd be lucky to see daylight until I was 35.

Mom and Dad noticed my nervousness at breakfast but they said nothing. I didn't offer anything so we had an uneasy moratorium brewing. Nevaeh and Andwynn, however, didn't sign to those accords so they were as busy as ever, yapping about everything under the sun. It was about then that I noticed that everything under the sun was severely limited. They talked about school, school-gossip, boys, boys gossip, television shows and boy bands – not necessarily in that order or with that frequency.

For the record, Andwynn was a big 'Big Time Rush' fan (whoever they were) because they were "cute and I can watch them on television and listen to them on my MP3 player". Nevaeh was a big proponent of 'One Direction' (whoever they were) because they were "cute and dreamy and their songs touch my soul". That kind of summarized my two sisters, honestly. Andwynn was very forthright and concrete while Nevaeh was more airy and poetic. Andwynn was more of a problem solver; she itemized, she made lists, she scheduled, while Nevaeh was more artistic, going with the flow, things would resolve themselves and so on.

However, I lied. I know who both of those bands are. I hate them both. Their caterwauling is enough to make me blow chunks. I guess their appeal is a girl thing. I much prefer 'Imagine Dragons' or 'Alex Clare' or even 'Nickelback'. Maybe that's a guy thing.

After breakfast, I did my chores. Saturday was the day when I cleaned up the bathrooms and washed the cars. I considered briefly about speeding up and getting them over with but I honestly couldn't see any upside. It was still going to take me just as long subjectively. Besides, I wanted this to take a long time; I didn't want to have to think about what was coming next.

Finally, the doorbell rang promptly at 11am. I'd been expecting it and it was actually a bit of a relief. I was spending more time trying NOT to think about what was coming and not only wasn't it working but it just seemed to make the day drag. If you don't know what I mean, let's try a little experiment. Right now, don't think about, say, elephants. At all. Just don't think about them. Let me know how that works out for you.

I had just finished washing up after cleaning the cars. I was sitting at the table, eating a banana and trying to read the comic section of the newspaper – and not trying to think of Father John's imminent arrival. Father John had agreed to help me explain to my parents what was going on. Actually, I think he kind of insisted on it. I'm not positive but I think he wanted to make sure that I'd do it.

Fucking priests. I didn't want to do it and as my Dad went to get the door I wondered if I could stay in an accelerated speed zone for a few years. Maybe by then I'd have figured out a good way to break the news to Mom and Dad. "Hey guys ... you're not going to believe this. It's actually really funny ... I can move faster than sound. No. Really. Yes, sonic booms and everything!" Needless to say, I was not ready.

"Father John," I heard my father greet the priest. I began to wonder if I'd suddenly received a shrinking gift to go along with my speed gift. I felt like I was slowly getting smaller. "What a surprise! We weren't expecting you. Did we have a meeting or something?"

I scrunched my face up at that. Okay, so maybe I was supposed to tell them about the meeting. I didn't. I mean, how do you tell your parents that you and Father John wanted to meet with them without spilling what you wanted to meet with them about? I humbly submit to the jury that it can't be done. If you can't admit, you must acquit. I rest my case.

"Reece?" Mother asked me, her left eyebrow raised. "Something you want to tell us?"

Great. I was in for it now. Mother didn't raise her voice around company. She raised her left eyebrow. It was basically a call to pack your bags and run for the hills while you still could ... or hope that the company stayed indefinitely.

"Um, yeah," I stuttered, trying to think up a good excuse. I had nothing. My mind was a complete blank. There was no way I was going to get out of this one. Maybe, just maybe, the truth could set me free. "I asked Father John to meet with us so ... we could go over something that is ... well, it's kind of a miracle, really, when you think about it." When in doubt, exaggerate. Go big or go home. "But ... I couldn't just ... well, I couldn't just tell you about it. I needed ... I needed someone else to..."

"To help him tell you," Father John interrupted. He looked at me with some disappointment. "I thought he'd at least tell you I was coming, if not why."

"How could I tell them?" I asked him in exasperation, my pent up frustration rising to the core. My voice didn't rise, though. Nuh-uh. Remember how Mom didn't raise her voice around company? You think there was any way in hell us kids were going to get away with it? "They'd want to know what it's about and then what do I say?"

"Try the truth, Reece," my Father said, his expression stern. My father was big on the truth – for us. His little white lies to Mom were the stuff of legend.

"I couldn't!" I said. "Look ... this is so ... well, it's unbelievable. I didn't want to tell you at all so ... I told Father John in confession that way he couldn't share it with anyone else. He's the one that convinced me to share it with you. When I agreed I just ... I needed his help. Moral support, you know?"

"So what is it?" Mom asked, still with the raised left eyebrow. I sure hoped it didn't get stuck like that. "What is so important and so unbelievable that you couldn't tell us? Did you get a girl in trouble?"

I raised my eyes to the ceiling and sighed. God was evidently busy helping someone else at that time because lightning didn't strike me. That immediately had me thinking about the Flash – the comic book hero – and I instantly thanked God for his benevolence and murmured a quiet prayer; that was all I needed, for lightning to strike me and make me even faster.

If God wasn't going to help me, maybe his minion would. I looked to Father John for help but he just stared back at me expectantly. Fucking priest.

"I-can-move-really-fast-faster-than-you-can-see," I blurted. No, I hadn't slipped into a speed zone. I really could talk like that. Further, I really did talk like that – especially when I was nervous and about to get punished. Or nervous and about to go out for ice cream. Or nervous and ... well ... you get the picture.

"Say that again," Mother said slowly and distinctly. The eyebrow was definitely in danger of permanently affixing to her hair line. She should have someone look at that before it's too late. "Only say it slower."

I sighed and closed my eyes. Have you ever noticed how closing your eyes seems to make things easier? Nothing is really easier; as a matter of fact, it's even more dangerous because now you can't see what's coming for you. Still, perception is reality.

"I can move really fast," I said slowly, enunciating each individual letter. "I can move faster than the human eye can see."

There was a pregnant pause. "I don't get it," my Dad finally spoke up. "What's the punch line?"

Ba-dump-bump ... I'll be here all week. Remember to tip your waitresses.

"No punch line, Dad," I said quietly, opening my eyes to look at him. "I can actually do what I said. I can ... well, I can move ... it might be better if I explained it to you from the beginning."

So, I did. I started with Andwynn's date with David Kessler and how she'd had to walk home (something that Mom and Dad hadn't known about because neither Andwynn nor I had told them; when in doubt spread the blame as thin as possible – misery loves company and all that jazz... ) and then moved on to how David was bragging about tagging her and how she sucked in bed. I then moved into my revenge plan and how it had gone horribly wrong when the one guy I was waiting for was joined by two of his friends. I spoke about how Mark had hit me with a big log and how I'd closed my eyes waiting for him to hit me again. Only, he didn't.

I talked to them about how I'd thought I was stopping time but quickly realized that I was actually just 'speeding up'. I explained my theory about the 'speed zones' and how I could speed myself up to the point that no one could see me. I talked about using the speed to peek in the girl's locker room – all of the times I'd done it which earned me a reproving glare from Father John ... but he should have thought of that before he hung me out to dry here. I even told them about the second fight with the three and how I'd only sped up just enough to give me an advantage. Then I told them about last night and saving the rape victim.

"Wait a minute!" Dad exclaimed. "That was on the news this morning. No one could say how the woman got to the hospital or who had left a note telling the officers how to find the rapist. Are you trying to say that was you?"

"Guilty," I said.

"Preposterous," Mom replied. At least her eyebrow was down – but her voice was getting high in front of company. That couldn't be a good sign.

"I assure you, Janice, he's not making this up," Father John said solemnly. Sure, now come to my defense after I'd done all the heavy lifting. "I didn't believe at first either ... who would? After he demonstrated what he could do, though ... well, I still didn't believe it but I couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation. He really can ... move incredibly fast."

Which led to me explaining how I'd moved the candle to prove myself to Father John. We were in church and I'd spoken to Father John in confidence – in the confessional, really, so that he couldn't say anything to anyone – because I was feeling a little over-whelmed by everything. I figured, confess my sins – I had just pulled a peeping tom act in the girl's locker room – and give him all the rest. Let him sort it out and get back to me. Only he'd thought I was pranking him and called me on it.

"So that's why David, Mark and Bart couldn't hit you," Andwynn said with a gasp.

Andwynn? My face must have betrayed my shock because all of a sudden all of the grownups were staring at her and Nevaeh, who were lurking surreptitiously in the hallway.

"What?" Andwynn said defensively. "No one told us to leave."

Shit. I had agreed to tell my parents ... but not Andwynn and certainly not Nevaeh. This was too big to tell them. It wasn't that I didn't trust them but ... well ... my sisters and I didn't always get along. I mean, there was never the knock-down, drag out fights I've heard about from some of my friends but we weren't what you'd call best friends; at least, not most of the time. After all, it was my sworn duty to make their lives a living hell – and their jobs to do the same to me. I got that. I was comfortable with it. So, telling them something like this and giving them carte blanch to torment me? Not high on my list of things to do.

Besides, it actually kinda was that I didn't trust them. I certainly didn't want this to get out to their friends ... and by their friends I mean all the kids in school and whatever newspaper reporters happened to be lurking around.

Unfortunately, the cat was out of the bag now and I wasn't sure what to do. This wasn't in any scenario I'd planned for last night. I'd been so worried about how I was going to tell Mom and Dad that I hadn't even thought my sisters might eavesdrop.

Mom's eyes clearly informed Andwynn and Nevaeh that they were going to have a long, long conversation in the near future and there was going to be some one-way heated discussion about eavesdropping and the privacy of others. The way I felt right then, I was kind of hoping she'd let me in on it. This was not something that was for their ears.

"I take it you can prove this?" Dad said, skeptically. That's my dad; faithless. It was times like this that I wondered how Dad made it to Church. Maybe God sent him a burning bush or something.

I just shrugged my shoulders. THIS I had planned on. I knew that eventually they'd need to see proof, especially Dad. He was the kind of guy that you could tell him the sun had risen and the sky was blue and he'd want to go out and make sure.

"Sure," I sighed. "Take a look at the closet doorway over there. Don't look away."

I waited until I was sure they were looking and then sped up to my sub-Mach 1 speed. I walked over to the closet and opened the door, then slowed down to normal speed. "Hi Mom, Dad," I waved. I held it long enough for the shock to register on their faces and then sped up time and walked back to my seat. When I was once again sitting comfortably – albeit with my left ankle now on my right knee – I slowed back down. "See?"

The glazed looks must be shock. Both my Mom and Dad had them and my Dad was teetering, about to fall. Strangely, Father John also had that glazed, empty look on his face. I hadn't expected that. I guess, though, that it would take some getting used to. I know for a fact that I was still reeling and I was the one moving at just beneath the speed of sound.

I sped up and caught my Dad before he could fall, speeding down and guiding him back into a chair. As I sat back down, I noticed that Andwynn and Nevaeh were looking a bit the worse for wear as well. They had gone pale and were visibly trembling; the demonstration had shook them up and they looked like they might faint.

Good. I wasn't going to help them. Let this be a lesson on what happens when you eavesdrop.

Everything kind of went downhill from there. For the next two and a half hours my parents, their faces ashen, started asking me questions and I practically had to repeat the whole story from the beginning ... several times. My dad re-enacted how Bart had held me during the fight and I re-enacted how I'd gotten out – though not speeded up anywhere near as quickly as I had been. I still wasn't sure about the whole force equals mass times acceleration thing and I didn't want to hurt him. As it was, he was rubbing his arms when I slowed back down. Even Nevaeh and Andwynn jumped in, asking questions and getting some clarification. At this point, I had nothing to hide so I answered everything as best as I could.

"Why didn't you want to tell us this, Reece?" Mother was in tears. I couldn't tell if she was crying because her son was now a freak or if she was hurt because I had gone to Father John instead of coming to her and Dad. More than likely, it was a little of both. Or maybe a lot of both. This wasn't a conversation you ever expect to have with your kids ... and it wasn't a conversation a kid was ever expecting to have with their parents. I think, all things considered, I'd rather have had THE sex talk with them, instead. It would have been a lot less painful ... and Mom likely wouldn't have cried. My Mom was an assistant district attorney. She argued, cajoled, pleaded and did indignant like nobody's business. She NEVER cried, though.

"I didn't want to tell anyone," I replied morosely. "I was afraid of what would happen if others found out. I was worried they might try to take me away to experiment on me or maybe even try to get at me by hurting one of you. I was feeling so lost and over-whelmed, though, that I had to talk to somebody. I had to make sure I wasn't going crazy or something. I was feeling guilty about what I'd done to David, Bart and Mark and ... I just wanted someone to forgive me ... so ... I went to Father John. I figured I was safe because he wouldn't be able to reveal anything from the confessional."

I turned a bitter eye to Father John. "Then he guilted me or sweet-talked me or something into agreeing to tell you..."

Cue the priest. He'd been remarkably silent until now. I think it's something you learn in priest school or somewhere; how to let the situation build to a crisis point and then step in. That way, anything said seemed like the voice of reason.

Either that or God really mojoed them up. Fucking priests.

"Janice, Ian ... you have to look at this from the proper perspective," Father John said solemnly. Trust me, Priests can do solemn. You ain't seen solemn until you've seen priest solemn. "This is a gift from God. We can't know His plan ... but He's given this to your son. We have to help him and protect him as best we can."

"That's also why I think you need to convince him to go somewhere where he can get help," Father John continued, the rat bastard. He knew how I felt about this. No way was I living my life in a fucking test tube. "He can do amazing things but who is to say that he's not hurting himself or those around him by 'speeding up' as he calls it? He says he feels fine ... but how can we know for sure? Maybe this ... thing, whatever it is, is killing him. I think, if we find a reputable scientist, we might get some answers."

God help them, Mom and Dad were both nodding, buying into this hook, line and sinker ... only I was the sinker. "Of course, Father," Mom said. Dad wasn't looking quite as convinced ... but it was a done deal. Mom had spoken. I might have mentioned it before but Mom is an assistant district attorney. She argues for a living. No one wins an argument with Mom. "We have to do what we can to protect him..."

"No." I'd said it softly, but Mom's voice trailed off and all eyes were suddenly upon me. No one wins an argument with Mom ... but damn it, I was going to try. This was my very life we were talking about and I couldn't just stand idly by while it was decided for me. "I didn't want to tell you guys because I worried that you'd disown me or kick me out or something. When it was presented to me, though, I understood the necessity of telling you and I bought into it. However, that's as far as I'm willing to go. I'm not going to become some lab experiment where people get to poke and prod me all the time. I won't do it."

Dad looked almost relieved at my words. Not because he agreed with me but because he was on fairly solid ground here. "Of course you'll do it if we say you'll do it," he said firmly, his face a thunder cloud. Having a son running at super speed rattled him but parental rights were something he could relate to. That's Dad; if you get out of your depth, flail around for solid ground to stand on. "We know what's best for you..."

"Really, Dad?" I asked. I was trembling inside from fear but I was also mad and the anger was far outweighing my terror. This wasn't where I'd wanted this to go and I felt betrayed by three of the people I'd hoped I could trust. Didn't they understand what this meant to me? For me? Didn't they realize that if I went away it was going to be for good? The only way they'd be able to see me was through some thick glass somewhere while gizmos and gadgets were wired to me to try to figure out how I ticked. Come see the incredible running boy! Don't worry, folks, he's perfectly safe behind that 3 inch thick plexiglass. "When was the last time you ran faster than the speed of sound? Must've been just before breakfast, huh? How can you say you know what's best for me when you have no idea what's going on with me? Do you realize what's going to happen to me if you have me carted off? I won't be coming back. They won't let me. They'll claim it will be for my own good or your own good or the good of the world or something but all they'll really be saying is that they need to study me so they can find out how I do it or, God help us, how they can manufacture more of me."

"I think you've been watching too much television," Dad said soothingly. "The real world is nothing like television..."

"Maybe," I said, gritting my teeth. "Maybe not. You cart me off and we're going to find out. And what if you're wrong and I'm right? Are you going to save me? How are you going to get me back? Once the genie is out of the bottle, it never goes back in."

"Now see here, Reece," Mom chimed in, her voice almost reasonable. "We need to look out for your best interests. Father John has a point. How do you know this isn't hurting you? We'll find a reputable laboratory with some scientists that are above reproach. You'll be fine, honey."

"You can't guarantee that. No one can. All it takes is one mistake and I'm history ... and not the good kind. Think about it. Think about the worst that can happen. Because this is one of those situations where we have to plan for the worst and hope for the best ... and the worst here is that I leave and disappear forever. If I'm right, you won't be able to handle them. You look at me and think you can help me ... but all I see is what can happen if I happen to end up in the wrong hands ... and to me, that isn't worth the risk. Am I paranoid? You bet. Because this is all I've thought about since Monday. I want to see the good in people. I want to think that everyone is nice and the world is rosy and nothing bad ever happens." I looked back and forth between my Dad and Mom. "And then I watch the news and hear about all the evil things happening. Or I stop between two buildings and find a man raping a woman. I can't afford to be that trusting." I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling like the weight of the world was on me. "No," I repeated. "I won't let this happen."

"Now see here, Reece," my Father said firmly. "We might discuss it. We might think it over. Maybe we'll see it your way. In the end, though, it's up to your Mother and I to do what we can to keep you safe. What you do isn't normal. Even you have to agree with that. What isn't normal could be harmful – there's no way that you can know. What if what you do is endangering others? What if it's endangering us – your family? Can we take that chance?" He paused and waited for a moment but I had no answers for him. "When it is all said and done, we're going to do what we have to do to protect you and everyone we love and you're going to do what your Mother and I tell you to do."

I sighed and shook my head. I could hear it in his voice, both of their voices. Their minds were already made up. They were worried about me and that was trumping their worry about what could happen to me. I wiped my face hard, trying to calm down but I couldn't. They weren't listening to me ... and God help me, I was tired of talking.

"Oh, really?" This isn't how I wanted this to go. The damn priest fucked me over. He knew that I didn't want to become some guinea pig somewhere. Fuck. I had been fenced into a corner and there was no way out but forward now. "How are you going to make me, Dad? You can't even catch me. Am I here?" I sped up, and walked back to the closet, then sped down. "Or here?" Speed up, walk halfway up the stairs, and speed down. "Or maybe over here? The truth is that you can't make me do this. If you try, I'll leave. You might win but the results will be the same: you'll never see me again. I can't make a mistake on this because one mistake will be enough to end me. That's how strongly I feel about this."

"Now wait a minute, everyone," Father John said, raising his hands. See a pattern? Remain silent until the crisis builds and then speak up as if you're the voice of reason. I'd never noticed it before but, damn it, it worked. "Just calm down." He turned to me. "Reece, please come back and sit down. Let's at least discuss this like rational people."

Speed up. Walk back to my chair and sit down. Speed down. I was becoming good at this. I barely even had to think about it anymore.

My parents were not happy and they weren't looking at me. I had played the ultimate trump card, the card I'd thought about for the past week just in case they did find out about me. I hadn't wanted to but Father John had boxed me in. He wasn't my favorite person right then. Fucking priest.

"Look, since you came to me last Wednesday, I've done some research," Father John said quietly. There was a lilting quality in his voice; the same voice he used during his sermons. It was almost mesmerizing but I wasn't buying what he was selling. "There's a scientist in Sweden and the church provides his primary funding. He works with the people in CERN at the Super-Collider. We use him to help us understand the science that is coming out of there and to help us refute it if it looks like it can be used as a negative attack on God. He's a physicist and cosmologist – but his wife is a Biologist. It's the perfect team to help you understand what's happening to you. He can help you investigate this ability you have to speed up and she can make sure that what you're doing isn't doing you harm. They both work for the church and report directly to us; nothing to get out, no one to know."

He waited but I still wasn't buying it. His voice turned soothing as he continued, looking between me and my parents. "I don't want an answer right now. I want you to think on it, sleep on it. Try to see this from each other's viewpoint."

He turned to me. "Whether you believe it or not, Reece, we really are trying to look out for you. Your parents just want to protect you. They're trying to do everything they can to keep you safe. Part of being safe is understanding what you're going through and helping you to understand it and make the right choices for it."

He turned to my Mom and Dad. "Reece has a point about letting other people know. He shouldn't be a lab rat and if unscrupulous people find out about what he can do, they might find a way to control him; to make him do evil things. They could leverage the four of you to make him do their bidding. He's right that we must practice caution here. However, Dr. Lukas Braun is one of the top physicists and cosmologists in the world and he's totally dedicated to the church. He and his wife are devout Catholics; I think they can be trusted."

I lay in my bed staring up at the ceiling. Mom and Dad weren't all that happy with me. I can't say that I blamed them. They'd gotten two shocks that day; first, that their son was a freak and second that their son was growing up and thought he could live without them. I don't even think Andwynn had gone that far and she'd been rebelling for years now.

I just didn't know how I could make them see. Ironically, I had never seen them quite like that before. Especially my mother. My father tended to want to see the good in people. He was the one who stopped at intersections and gave to homeless people. Mom always berated him for doing it, saying that they were just as likely to go and get drunk or high with the money but he did it anyway. Of course, I think that was one of the things that my Mom loved so much about my Dad because her work made her see the very vilest of all humanity.

Which made Mom's actions so out of character for her. When you look up cynical in the dictionary the entry reads 'see Janice Cavenaugh'. Her work (I don't need to remind you that she's an assistant district attorney, do I?) puts evil on display virtually every day so she has a hard time seeing the good in people. Usually, I could count on her to find the worst possibility ... but today she'd been all sunshine and roses. I guess having a freak for a son must have messed her up pretty bad.

I really wasn't in the mood for company so when the knock on the door came, I didn't even bother to answer it. When the knocking persisted, I wondered what the odds were of whomever it was leaving me alone ... and realized the odds were not in my favor. My family has differing personalities but there's one trait that each of us has in spades – raw pig-headedness. Whoever was knocking knew I was here and wasn't going away until they'd said their piece.

"Come on in already before you break the door down," I finally sighed. They seemed to be working themselves up to that, too; the knocking kept getting louder and louder and louder. For a moment, I held out the hope that it was Mom and Dad coming in to tell me that everything was forgiven and they wouldn't mention my becoming a lab rat again. I knew better though. There was only one person that could be that annoying. Well, two people, really, and wouldn't you know they were both involved.

"We just wanted to say that we're really sorry for eavesdropping, Reece," Andwynn said quietly as she entered the room. Nevaeh was about a half a step behind her.

"It's just that no one ever tells us nothing," Nevaeh said bitterly.

"Anything," I corrected her absently. "'No one ever tells us 'ANYTHING'." She just rolled her eyes at me. "Did Mom or Dad put you up to this?"

"No," Andwynn said quickly; too quickly. Which meant that either Mom or Dad had suggested it but hadn't outright told them they had to or she'd come up with it on her own. Andwynn, as far as I knew, had never lied to anyone but she was extremely adept at stretching the truth to just short of the breaking point.

I just raised my eyebrows causing Andwynn's face to grow sullen. Mom or Dad suggested it then. Hey, I'll take my wins where I can get them. If Mom or Dad suggested Andwynn and Nevaeh apologize to me, it had to mean that my relationship between my parents and me wasn't beyond repair. I grew relieved at the thought and that helped improve my mood dramatically.

"You can really do that, can't you?" Andwynn asked, her face going from sullen to intensely curious and completely ignoring my unstated question. I hated when she did that, just bulled through that way, but I just wasn't up to fighting with her. "I mean, I saw ... in the living room but ... I kept ... I don't know ... hoping it was maybe a trick?"

I looked at her for a moment and suddenly understood. My older sister seemed kind of lost and maybe even a little afraid; she was unsure of what was going on now and her place in it. I could relate because that was exactly how I'd felt for the past 5 days. Of course, it also kind of hurt; I didn't want her afraid of me. I wanted her – I wanted everyone – afraid for me. I wanted them to see the possibilities I saw and be so afraid for me that they wouldn't even think of sending me to some lab somewhere.

"Yeah," I said finally, trying to make my voice sound reassuring. There was no sense denying it anyway. "I really can."

"Aren't you scared of what you can do?" Nevaeh asked, her face scrunched up. At least she didn't seem to be afraid of me.

"A little," I said, looking up at her. For the first time in a long time – maybe even ever – I looked at my younger sister and really saw her. Nevaeh was ... petite I think is the best word that describes her. She's the shortest of us at 5'4" but her frame and features are so delicate that it actually suits her. I didn't hold out much hope of her growing much taller, either; she'd always been the smallest one in her class. Her face is almost ephemeral; a small oval with rich, dark red hair hanging in gentle waves around it. Her eyes are probably her most stunning feature; they're jade green and when they look at you it's as if they can see right through you. Her nose is a little button and her lips are full yet small. "When I'm sped up like that, though, it's ... well, it feels really great. I feel really, really free."

"Did you really peek on the girls in the locker room?" Andwynn asked me with a shy smile. It was surprising because Andwynn doesn't really do shy. She's the 'brash' one of my sisters, taking the world by the horns and wrestling it into submission.

"Yeah," I admitted. "Not my finest hour. Or hours ... whatever. I just ... well, I don't really have an excuse. I just ... I could do it and it wasn't like my looking at them actually hurts them or whatever. I mean, they don't know and I'm certainly not going to tell anyone."

"That's kind of cool, actually," Andwynn said. "I kind of wish I could do it. I don't suppose you could ... uh..."

"I don't think so, Andy," I replied, using my pet name for her to ease her down gently. "It doesn't really work like that. When I speed up, it's only just me. I carried that poor woman last night and she stayed in the normal speed zone."

"Maybe you could teach me, you know?" Andwynn said, hopefully. "Maybe I could find that spot in my own head and I could move really fast, too."

"I don't even know how I found it," I replied gently. "I mean, it's not like I have a map on where it is in my head. It was just ... there ... that day. I didn't find it so much as it found me."

"You just don't want anyone to share it with you," Andwynn retorted, her face suddenly set in anger and tears welling in her eyes. "You just want it all to yourself. Perfect Reece with his perfect grades and perfect life. Well, you just wait until I tell the girls you've been spying on them. Let's see how much you like school then."

I could only stare at my older sister. I'd never seen her like this. I mean we did the whole fighting siblings thing but I'd never seen her so angry. Heck, even when I'd taken her underwear drawer and dumped it on the front lawn two years ago she hadn't been this mad. "Why are you so angry?"

"Because you have everything," she spat. "You get straight A's and don't even study; I have to stay up until one or two in the morning some days just to keep my grade point average. You walk around school not even bothering to pay attention to all the cliques and social ladder stuff; you fit in everywhere. I have to spend almost 4 hours every goddamn day listening to Cynthia Tressleman whine about this boy or that or about her life and how it sucks because her mommy and daddy have all this money and won't spend it on her just so I can stay in her good graces and get invited to all the best parties. Now you just fall into this speed thing; you've done nothing to deserve it and it just happens to you. You get everything just thrown to you while I have to work my ass off for a pittance ... and you won't even fucking share."

I'd never known Andwynn felt that way. She was right, as far as it went. I did really well on tests and homework assignments; I had a really good memory and picked up on things that the teachers seemed to like. It was easy. As for social-climbing; I didn't. I didn't really care about that. I just treated everyone like I'd want them to treat me and I made friends along the way. I didn't even really pay attention to where they fell in the whole clique thing.

"Andwynn," I said slowly. "I can't help it if I'm good in school and I really don't care about the whole social ladder. I don't pay attention to it; maybe it's because you do that you have such a hard time with it ... I don't know. As for sharing the speed thing ... I don't know how. I can't do something if I don't know how to do it. It's like asking me to ... build a car from scratch. I couldn't do that either."

She just stood there, crying. I looked over at Nevaeh but she seemed kind of shocked herself. Andwynn was the strong one. She stood 5'8", slightly taller than Mom, and despite being almost as petite as Nevaeh, she managed to fill all of the space she occupied. She reminded me a lot of Mom, actually. She was always sure of herself. She was always ready to take on the next big challenge.

She even looked like Mom, in a way. Both her and Nevaeh had Mom's curly red hair, though it was more auburn in Mom's case and more red in Andwynn's. Her face was the same long, thin oval as Mom's and she had the same rounded chin and high cheekbones; Nevaeh's chin was more pointed and her face rounder while still remaining an oval. Nevaeh resembled Grandma Grace – Mom's Mom – more than she did Mom or Dad. Of course, Nevaeh and mom both had Grandma Grace's emerald eyes while Andwynn's were a clear, startling blue like mine and Dad's.

Okay, so maybe I was wrong and she didn't look that much like Mom ... but she'd always reminded me of Mom. I guess it was because she acted so much like Mom. Come to think of it, I don't remember anyone winning an argument with Andwynn, either.

I pulled her down to sit with me on the bed and laid my arm around her, hugging her to me. She pulled back for the briefest moment before finally laying her head on my shoulder. "I've always been so jealous of you because everything seemed to come easy for you. I have to try so hard but you just float by ... and it works for you. It'd never work for me. Then, when you showed us the whole speed zone thing ... I was so scared for you ... but even over being scared I just realized it was yet another thing that you had that I didn't ... and it seemed so unfair. I promised myself I was going to get you; that I was going to tell everyone how you'd played peeping Tom in the girl's locker room..."

"Andwynn, you can't tell anyone about this," I said gently but trying to make my voice sound urgent and concerned. I didn't have to try very hard for that last; I was beyond concerned, I was downright terrified. "If someone finds out, they'll take me away and I'll never get out. They might even take you figuring if one of us can do it maybe all of us can. Or, they could kidnap you and make me do things for them to ransom you. I know Mom and Dad don't see it or don't want to see it..."

"Yeah, about that," Nevaeh interrupted. She was standing next to the door, leaning against the wall, her arms folded. She was wearing a printed t-shirt but I didn't recognize it and couldn't read what it said. "Do either of you think Mom was acting a little ... hinky?"

"Hinky, how?" Andwynn said, her head still resting on my shoulder.

"Hinky as in ... Mom should have been agreeing with Reece," Nevaeh said with a frown. "Mom always looks for the bad stuff that can happen. I've never heard her argue about the best thing that could happen. Her motto has always been 'plan for the worst, hope for the best' ... but she didn't even acknowledge Reece's argument."

"Now that you mention it, that is kinda weird," Andwynn agreed thoughtfully. She still hadn't moved her head from my shoulder. I wasn't going to mention it; I kind of liked it there – it made me feel sort of warm inside – and, besides, I needed all the people in my corner that I could find.

"I noticed it, too," I agreed with Nevaeh. "I just figured it was because she was so thrown by the whole speed thing."

Nevaeh shrugged. "Yeah, I guess that would do it."

"Of course it would," I chuckled wryly. "How often does a parent get real, certifiable proof that her kid is a freak."

"You're not a freak, Ree," Andwynn said, using my nickname. As nicknames go, I guess it wasn't so bad ... but I thought nicknames were supposed to save time and how much time was anyone going to save by leaving off a single 'es' sound? "You're actually pretty awesome – for a younger brother. I just ... sometimes I get kind of jealous because everything seems to come easy for you. Compared to you, Nevaeh and I are pretty plain."

"Andy, Nev, you two are anything but plain," I said, my heart in my throat. "You're gorgeous ... and I think you both know it. As for this speed thing; trust me, if I could figure out how I do this I'd teach you in an instant. I don't know how I do it. I can't draw a map to the spot in my head – I don't really know where it is ... it's just kind of in my thoughts."

"I wasn't fishing for compliments, bro," Andwynn chuckled. "Not that you have to stop, mind you. I just ... I'm scared, honestly. We both are. What you were saying ... we can see that, too. I'm not sure why Mom and Dad can't. This thing you can do is kind of scary ... and we don't want you to get taken away ... to never see you again..."

"That's what I'm trying to avoid," I said, squeezing her closer. "I'm trying to stay here but I'm not sure if I can. If Mom and Dad insist on putting me away, I won't have any choice but to leave. I know that Mom and Dad are scared this might be hurting me somehow, but..."

"What if it is?" Andwynn said softly. "I don't want anything to happen to you that way either."

"Neither do I," Nevaeh piped in, tears making their way to her eyes as well. She bounced lightly off the wall and sat down next to me on the other side from Andwynn. I put my arm around her as well.

"I don't think it is," I said. "I mean, I've looked at myself as closely as I can and I don't see anything bad happening. It doesn't make me tired, I'm not losing weight, I don't feel excessively hungry and I feel fine. If anything, it seems to be helping me because it heals me faster."

"Maybe you should go, just for a little while, just in case," Nevaeh said, wiping her tears on my shoulder. "I mean, I don't want you to go away but I'd rather you go away for a little while and come back healthy instead of dying and leaving me forever."

"I promise I'll think about it, sis," I said, hugging her tighter. "I'll think about it, okay?"

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