 
            Justice Seven: Episode 2: Cry of the Nightingale
 
Justice Seven
 
Episode 2
 
cry of the nightingale
 
by Ice Phoenix
 
 
 
            “Why does he keep doing this to me?” Andie cried to her
friend.  “I didn’t even do anything!”
 
            Claire walked over and closed her bedroom door, then sat
beside her friend.  She wrapped her arms around Andie and said, “You
know why.  He wanted a boy, and didn’t get it.  And when he’s drunk...”
 
            Andie nodded, her short blonde hair bobbing with her head. 
Andie buried her head in Claire’s shoulder, and wept.  Claire continued
to stroke Andie’s hair as she tried to control her own emotions.  *The
fucking pig.*
 
            Andie and her family had lived next door for three years
now.  For the last two, Claire had been Andie’s best friend, and the
one she went to whenever this happened.  The real trouble was that the
beatings were becoming more frequent, since Andie’s mother had found
out, and not done anything to stop them.
 
            As Claire’s hands moved down over Andie’s back, she felt
the familiar tingle of energy leaving her hands.  Her power moved
through Andie’s body, and started the recovery process.  The first time
that Claire had done this, she’d been scared of what Andie would
think.  Ever since, the two had been inseparable friends, sharing
everything.
 
            Andie felt her body’s pain easing, and her sobbing lessened
to sniffles.  She looked up at her dear friend, and tried a smile. 
Claire smiled back, warmly and with concern for her friend.  Claire
wiped at Andie’s eyes, drying the tears and bringing a brightness back
to them.  It was easy to see that she had eased Andie’s bodily pain. 
Now it was time to ease her mental stress.  Besides, it had been a
while.
 
            Claire leaned over, and Andie readily accepted the kiss. 
As their lips touched, their bodies pushed together, and then they fell
back onto the bed.  Andie’s tongue found its way into Claire’s mouth,
and their tongues started a passion dance.  Claire’s hands continued to
caress Andie’s back, but Andie’s hands moved up to cup Claire’s ample
tits.  Claire moaned at the feel of it.  She wasn’t wearing a bra, and
Andie could feel Claire’s nipples through her thin T-shirt.
 
            Eventually, Claire’s hands found their way around to the
front of Andie’s body, fondling her slightly smaller, but very firm
breasts.  Andie was not allowed to wear bras, and her nipples, too,
were already firmly erect from their touching.
 
            Finally, they broke their kiss.  The two stripped off their
T-shirts, and then embraced again, now rubbing their tits against one
another.  Claire moaned softly.  “Oh, Andie, God that feels good.”
 
            Andie laid Claire down on the bed, and then began to finish
undressing her.  She unbuttoned Claire’s jeans, and pushed her hand in,
feeling the heat between Claire’s legs.  Slowly, she worked the jeans
down off her hips, and then pulled them completely off.  Claire had not
been wearing any shoes, which made this much easier.  Andie wasted no
time in also pulling off Claire’s panties, and now Andie looked down at
her lover, completely naked.  Claire’s curly black pussy hair invited
further exploration, and Andie dipped her face down to inhale the sweet
aroma of an aroused woman.
 
            “Andie, c’mon, no fair!”  Claire whined playfully.  Andie
knew what she meant, and so stood up to finish removing her own
clothes.  Quickly, they were both nude, and then Andie crawled back
onto the bed.
 
            Claire reached for Andie, and soon the two were embracing
in a sixty-nine, each savoring the scent of the other.  Claire’s tongue
reached out first, and at first contact with Andie’s cunt lips, Andie
groaned in pleasure.  Claire didn’t wait for Andie, but went right to
work, lapping at her friend’s pussy and driving her wild with her
tongue.
 
            Andie, finally regaining her senses, would not be outdone. 
Soon, her tongue was worming its way into Claire’s tight hole, sending
shivers up the older girl’s spine.  Their tongues danced across each
other’s twats, and their muffled moans filled the room.
 
            The two rapidly drove each other to the heights of ecstasy,
and it wasn’t long before they were thrashing about on the bed in the
first of many orgasms that afternoon.
 
 
 
            When Andie finally went home, which was after dinner that
night, Claire sat down at her desk to write her diary entry.
 
 
 
Dear Diary:
 
            Andie was over again today, and I had to use my power on
her.  Her father really worked her over this time, but luckily it
wasn’t anything serious enough that I couldn’t fix.  I don’t know what
that fucking cocksucker’s problem is about having a girl instead of a
boy.  I mean, dammit, Andie could be so pretty if he’d let her have
long hair, or wear makeup.  And she’s gonna have problems sooner or
later if she doesn’t start wearing a bra.
 
            I wish there was something I could do for her, but what? 
I’m a healer, and that’s apparently all I can do.  I mean, I’m really
glad that I can make Andie feel better, but who is going to stop the
asshole from beating her up next time?
 
            We made love again today.  It’s been a while, and God, it
felt *so* good.  She’s better at making me feel good than that jackass,
Kevin, was.  He was fun for a while, though.  Dammit, just thinking
about her makes me horny again.  I’ve got to get a steady, good
boyfriend to take care of these urges.
 
            Anyway, school starts tomorrow.  I’m not sure if I’m
excited or nervous.  New school, a whole bunch of new kids to get to
know... maybe some really cute boys?  :) We’ll see what happens.
 
            Talk to you later, Diary.
 
 
 
            Claire shut down her computer, and then got undressed.  She
lay on her bed, and let her fingers begin to roam.  They inevitably
roamed to her favorite spots, and soon she was squirming on the bed in
her first small orgasm of the evening.  There would be many more before
she wore herself out.
 
            Claire Bullok had turned fifteen only a month ago.  She was
starting in tenth grade the next day, and she was a little nervous
about being around so many kids.  Claire did her best to hide her
ability, which she had developed a couple years ago.  One day, she’d
been playing on top of the apartment building next door, and she’d
fallen off the roof.  It had been a stupid mistake, and she was cursing
herself before she even hit the ground.
 
            When she did hit the ground, she was still cursing, but
that was from the pain.  She had snapped her ankle, and the pain was
radiating well past her knee.  As she moved her hands slowly down the
leg to find exactly where the break was, she felt a strange tingle
leave her hands, and enter her leg.  The leg straightened before her
own eyes, and the pain faded away in seconds.  There was an odd
discomfort in the ankle for the next few days, but it supported her
weight without a problem and without additional pain.
 
            When she’d insisted that her step-father take her to the
hospital to have it x-rayed, she was astounded to find that the x-ray
showed a perfectly healthy bone, just as strong as it could be.  It was
then that she realized the power she had.  Several more minor incidents
confirmed it: she was a healer.  How had she gained this power?  She
had no answers, and she didn’t worry greatly over it.  They say that
with great power comes great responsibility, and she believed that. 
But she also knew it was next to impossible to abuse a healing gift: 
what was she going to do, *not* heal those around her?
 
            Mostly, she had used her power on her family.  Her
step-father, Mark, had once sprained his shoulder, and she’d eased that
pain away almost instantly.  She’d passed it off as the hot shower he’d
taken doing the job, and he’d bought the story.  Her step-brother, Rob,
had once had some cracked ribs from a rough and tumble game of football
with his friends, and she’d healed those, too.
 
            She got along well with her family.  As a matter of fact,
since her mother had abandoned them five years ago, Claire had taken
over most of the motherly duties in the house like cooking, cleaning,
the laundry, and other general organizational duties.  She got up every
morning before six to make her step-father’s lunch and see him off to
work.  She would have to be home after school quickly, so that she
could make dinner and have it ready for him soon after he got home from
work  No one had forced these responsibilities on her, but someone had
to do them, and she was the one best suited to the tasks.
 
            Tomorrow was coming fast, and she figured she had better
get some sleep.  She’d need it for her first day of high school.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            Claire was wandering through one of the city’s largest
parks.  Mornington was proud of its green areas, and had dedicated
considerable acreage to them.  This park had paths that were miles
long, and some ran through what could only be called a small forest. 
She was wandering one of these paths for relaxation.
 
            She had been in high school for nearly two weeks, now, and
it was a struggle, at times, both to keep up, and to get used to all
the people, and how impersonal it had all become.  She’d gone to a
private junior high, but she’d wanted to give public high school a
shot.  Now she was wondering if that had been a bad idea.  Her old
friends were enjoying smaller classes and more interaction with their
teacher.  Her hope had been that she would learn to better socialize in
the larger environs of a main city campus, but so far, she hadn’t made
any real friends.
 
            She was ambling along the path when she heard wheezing off
to her left.  She looked, but didn’t see anything at first.  Her
natural curiosity and concern for others got the better of her, and she
moved off the path, trying to find the source of the sound.  She was
well aware that one day such behavior could get her killed, but she
couldn’t fight it, at least not today.
 
            Pushing aside some bushes, she saw a boy sitting there.  He
looked to be about her age, but she couldn’t see his face.  His head
was slumped down, and he was rasping for breath.  It was apparent that
he had run well beyond his means.  She wondered if he had been trying
to escape someone.
 
            Leaning over, she put her hand gently on his shoulder.  He
didn’t even have the energy to flinch.
 
            “Hey, are you okay?” she asked.  Her energies poured into
him, and she could feel the desperate state he was in.
 
            He looked up at her, and as he did, it almost seemed to her
as if his face was changing right before her eyes.  She blinked a
couple of times to try to make sure, but by the time she’d focused on
his face again, it was a normal boy’s face.
 
            “Yeah... I’ll be... okay,” he wheezed.  “Just... gotta...
catch my... breath.”  Taking several big gulps of air, he said,
“Thanks... for asking... though.”
 
            “You in trouble?  You need help?”
 
            His face darkened for a moment, but then it cleared.  He
was slowly but surely regaining his breath.  “Only from my own
stupidity,” he answered in gasps.  She smiled at him, and tapered off
her energy flow.  She didn’t want to strain herself if he was going to
be all right.
 
            “Well, okay.  I just wanted to make sure you were gonna
make it.  You sounded pretty bad.”
 
            “Yeah, I know.  Not an athlete, as much as my dad wants me
to be.”
 
            Claire immediately understood the context of what had
happened, and frowned.  She didn’t like the sound of that, but she
couldn’t even save Andie, let alone people she didn’t even know. 
“Look, I gotta get going.  If you don’t need any help...”
 
            He shook his head.  “Nope.  Thanks.”  He stuck out his
hand.  “Paul.”
 
            She took his hand and shook it, helping him to his feet. 
“Claire.  You should take it a little easier.”
 
            He gave her a baleful look.  “That would defeat the
purpose,” he said sourly.  “Thanks for your help.  You go to
Highlands?”  She shook her head positively.  “Maybe I’ll see you
'round.”
 
            “Okay.  I’ll see ya.”  She walked off, leaving him resting
against the tree.  She could have sworn that his features had changed
as she touched him, but shook her head in annoyance.  *Just because
you’re weird doesn’t mean that everyone is.  Get off it, Claire.*
 
            As she left the park, she saw a man and a woman standing as
if they were waiting for someone.  The woman was ordinary enough, but
the man had the look of the military type.  Claire knew this was Paul’s
father.
 
            “Excuse me, Miss,” the woman said.  “Did you see our son on
the path while you were walking?”
 
            Claire made a snap-decision.  “No, ma’am.  I didn’t see
anyone on the path at all.”  He had, after all, been about fifteen feet
*off* the path.  “Sorry.”
 
            As Claire walked away, she heard the man say, “I told you
the pansy couldn’t make the run.  He didn’t even try.”  She walked more
briskly, before she turned and told the man what she thought of his
parenting technique.  *Some people don’t deserve to have kids.*
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            It is so often a small, seemingly insignificant event that
turns life completely upside-down.
 
 
 
            Claire's step-father, Mark, was a structural engineer.  He
spent long days working on high-rise office buildings and making sure
that the plans were followed by the workers.  He also had to spend his
time around city inspectors, fire inspectors, city councilmen, and
other sundry bureaucrats that grated on every nerve in his body.
 
            Each morning, Claire would rise before he did, first to
make him breakfast, and then to make his lunch while he ate.  He was
out the door before six-thirty most mornings, and that still gave her
plenty of time to get herself – and usually her brother, Rob – ready
for school.
 
            This morning was no exception to the pattern, and she rose
at quarter to six to prepare Mark's breakfast.  When she'd started
making eggs and bacon for breakfast, she'd initially been surprised
that Rob had not found his way out to mooch a free meal out of it, but
she'd since learned that he could sleep through quite literally
anything.  Today, she made pancakes and sausage, just to be different. 
Mark grumbled his way out of the bedroom shortly after six, but his
mood was normal, and he never directed his grumpiness at Claire.  She
set his breakfast before him, and set about making lunch.  They didn't
speak in the mornings; neither of them much cared for this earliest
time of day, and so they suffered together in silence, both wishing
they were back in bed.
 
            Claire completed his lunch, and packed it in his cooler,
setting it with his thermos of coffee so that it would be ready when he
left.  Then she set about making her own breakfast, which was, of
course, pancakes and sausage.  Mark left for a few moments to make his
final preparations for work, and then he returned to the kitchen to
grab his lunch.
 
            “Bye-bye, Sweetheart,” he said.
 
            She turned her head to respond in kind just as he tried to
kiss her on the cheek.  His lips caught the corner of her own mouth,
and they both froze for an instant.
 
            The instant seemed to drag on, but Claire could no more
resist the urge of her body than she could stop breathing.  She turned
her head, but it wasn't away from Mark, but rather *toward* him.  Their
lips were now fully engaged, and they kissed.  Neither could have
guessed that it lasted only a few seconds; to both of them it seemed
like a lifetime.
 
            Finally, Mark broke the kiss, a little breathless, and his
face an embarrassed pink.
 
            Claire tried to shrug off the tingles she felt.  “Have a
good day at work, Mark,” she said calmly, turning back to her breakfast.
 
            “Uh, take it easy at school, Sweetheart.  See you tonight.”
 
            As Mark walked out the door for work, she still felt the
tingles all the way down to her toes.
 
            

            Claire settled down as she ate her breakfast, and by the
time she'd finished, the tingles had died away to a low ache.  She
never understood how her body could get so hyped about little touches. 
She was forever fighting sexual urges.  Well, there was no time to
consider them now, she had to get ready for school.
 
            As much as she hated mornings, Rob despised them.  Getting
him out of bed some mornings was like pulling teeth.  She went into his
room on her way to take a shower, so that he could wake up and have
breakfast before they left for school.
 
            Shaking him on the shoulder, she nearly hollered, “Get your
ass up, Rob.”
 
            Rob grumbled and rolled away from her.  Sighing, she took
hold of the covers and yanked them all the way down off the bed onto
the floor.
 
            “Shit!” Rob yelled.  “It's cold in here!”  He was wearing
his usual pajamas, but they were thin, and they did keep the house
rather chilly at night.
 
            “Time to get up.  If you aren't ready on time, the bus
ain't gonna wait for you.”  She walked out of the room, and down to the
shower.  It was a typical morning routine.  *Well, except for that
kiss.*  The tingle was back.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
Dear Diary:
 
 
 
            Oh, God.  I can't believe what we've been doing.  A couple
of days ago, Mark accidentally kissed me – on the lips! – when he was
leaving for work.  Admittedly, I didn't stop him.  Hell, truth be told
I think I encouraged him.  Boy was he encouraged!  Yesterday, he waited
until I was fully facing him, and then kissed me.  No explanation, no
big fuss, just a warm kiss and a 'see you tonight' like usual.
 
            But this morning... oh my God!  When he left this morning,
he pulled me into his arms and kissed me *hard*! *WITH TONGUE!*  

            Oh, shit.  I should have stopped him.  God knows what he
must be thinking... and what will he do from here on out?  I don't have
the will to stop him, whatever he tries.  Dammit, my body betrays me at
every turn.  I spent fifteen minutes in the shower friggin' myself
after he left this morning!  Fuck.
 
            At least he doesn't work tomorrow.  Maybe things will
settle back down to normal over the weekend.  I sure as hell hope so. 
Otherwise...  well, let's not think about that.
 
            Wish me luck, Diary...
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            “See you guys in a couple hours,” Rob said as he headed out
the door.  “I'll be over at Jay's.”
 
            “Okay, buddy,” Mark replied.  Claire was a little nervous. 
They were alone now, and she wasn't sure what would happen.  Mark,
however, seemed engrossed in the ballgame, so she figured she might be
safe.
 
            “I'll be in my room,” she said, keeping the quiver out of
her voice.
 
            “Uh-huh,” Mark replied, fully absorbed in his sports.  She
headed for her room to do some homework and try to get her mind off of
what was coming – maybe.
 
 
 
            It was less than fifteen minutes later when Mark called.
 
            “Sweetheart, could you come out here a minute, please?”
 
            His tone seemed fairly normal, she noted.  Maybe he just
wanted her to get him something from the kitchen.  Getting up from her
desk, she tossed her long black hair back over her shoulder, and
strolled out to the living room.
 
            “Yeah, what's up?”
 
            Mark motioned her to sit on his lap.  She hesitated, but
he'd done this before.  It was the way he preferred having private
conversations with her.  She settled down onto his knees, and looked
into his eyes.  She wasn't very good at reading people, and his look
seemed blank to her.
 
            “Baby, there was something I missed this morning.”
 
            *Uh-oh.*  She didn't have the will to protest as he pulled
her into him.  Her body was already reacting.  *Dammit, this isn't
right!  I should be fighting this!*  As their lips met, her mouth
opened automatically to admit his tongue.  She had no ability to resist
him at all.  Their tongues danced, and she moaned against him, already
aroused fully by this.
 
            She wasn't entirely surprised when she felt his hand slip
down onto her ass, pulling her closer into him.  When his hand slipped
back up, however, it was underneath her T-shirt, and his fingers drew
small circles on her skin.  His hand slipped around front, drawing
those same lazy circles on her belly.  Claire was hot, and wet, and she
moaned again, her will be damned.
 
            Finally, Mark broke their kiss, his tongue giving a final
lick across her lips.  Before she could say anything, he pulled her
T-shirt up and off over her head.  As usual, she was not wearing a bra
around the house, and he now had a full view of her gorgeous tits.  Her
nipples were already fully erect, and it wasn't from the sudden
coolness running over them.  Mark groaned at the sight of them.
 
            “Mark, I-” Claire started to say, but her words cut off
when she felt his hand softly cup her tit.  He leaned over, and brought
the nipple to his mouth.  His tongue snaked out and rubbed across the
erect button, and Claire shuddered.  Her mind was awash with pleasure,
and she couldn't help but mewl as his tongue sent tingles throughout
her body.  He switched breasts multiple times, making sure each of her
nipples received equal attention.  Claire was squirming in his lap by
the time he came up for air.
 
            “Baby, ever since your mom left, I haven't been getting
any.  And you walk around here like a goddess, beautiful and sexy,
especially when you wear these damned shorts.  After the other day... I
just gotta have you, Baby.”
 
            Claire's mind was so fogged with lust that she barely
registered his words at all, and was certainly in no position to
respond to them.  Mark took her lack of response as an acceptance of
the situation, and pressed forward.  He returned his lips to her tit as
his fingers began to undo her shorts.  Once he got them unfastened, he
crudely shoved his hand into them, until his fingers were pressing
between her legs.  There, he felt the heat and moisture of her arousal,
and that drove him crazy.
 
            Mark stood them up, and then roughly yanked down Claire's
shorts.  He was more gentle about pulling off her panties, but just as
quick about it.  Now, she was standing before him completely nude, and
he could barely contain himself.  He yanked his shirt off over his
head, throwing it down onto the couch.  He kicked off his sneakers as
he unbuttoned his jeans.  Claire stood glued to the spot he had left
her.  She could easily have run to her room; he was in no shape to stop
her, but she couldn't move, her legs merely quivered in anticipation of
what they knew was coming.
 
            Mark shoved his jeans and boxers together down his legs,
and then stood back up.  Claire's eyes were riveted to his hard cock. 
It wasn't large, but it was thick.  He saw the look in her eyes.
 
            “You want it as bad as I do, don't you, Baby?  Well, I'm
gonna give it to you.”  Mark's words sounded cruel and condescending,
but his voice had an awed tone to it, as if he were worshiping in her
presence.  Still, Claire would not resist him, *could not* resist him.
 
            Running his hands over her skin, Mark moved against
Claire.  She could feel his hard dick poking against her leg, and she
spread her thighs to allow it to slip between them.  It rested
comfortably against her pussy lips, her juices coating it, and
preparing it to invade her cunt.
 
            “Oh, God, this is going to feel so good,” he groaned as he
mauled her ass cheeks, pulling her tightly against him so that her tits
were crushed into his chest, her nipples boring into his flesh.  Their
lips met again, and their tongues were once more doing their love dance.
 
            Finally, Mark broke their kiss and turned,
not-so-gracefully guiding Claire down onto the couch on her back.  Her
legs parted naturally as he climbed between them.  She waited in what
she freely admitted was eager anticipation of penetration.  Mark's
cockhead touched her pussy lips, and he cried out.  Uncontrollably, his
hips thrust forward, and he buried himself in her cunt.  It was only a
second later that his cum burst forth from his balls, washing her
insides with his sticky seed.
 
            “Oh, fuck, no!” Mark cried out in horror at what he'd
done.  He was very nearly in tears.  Claire, however, was well aware of
what she was capable of doing.  Her energy poured into his body through
his softening dick, and the surge of power quickly brought him back to
life.  His cock restrengthened, prepared for a new round.  All the
while, Claire's pussy had been massaging his prick.  As much as Mark
really wanted to fuck her, she was now in dire need of release, and
she'd do whatever it took to get her there.
 
            Mark looked down in startlement at what his own body was
doing.  He was shocked at his renewed vigor.  He was determined to make
use of it, however, and his hips immediately began thrusting, sliding
in and out of Claire's warm, wet twat.  As his hips continued to buck,
his hands reached down and mauled her breasts, seeking out her nipples
and repeatedly tweaking them, then twisting them until she gasped at
the sensation of pleasure-pain.  It wasn't long before Claire was
engulfed in her first orgasm of the afternoon.
 
            The couple changed positions several times, toying with
each other's body and enjoying the pleasure they could give.  Finally,
Claire was leaning over the arm of the couch, her heavy tits swinging
as Mark rammed into her from behind.  Each thrust caused her to grunt,
and her hair flew about her head as she bucked back at him, trying to
shove him deeper into her cunt.  Mark's hands were gripping her hips,
using them for leverage to rut into her.  She knew he was close, and so
she reached down and frigged her own clit, bringing herself right to
the edge.
 
            Finally, Mark peaked, and her own fingers made sure that
she went with him.  As his seed spilled into her, she screamed out her
final orgasm of the day, collapsing onto the couch, not having the
energy to support herself any longer.  Mark finished his orgasm and
pulled out of her.  He looked down at his step-daughter, and wasn't
really sure what emotion he felt.  He didn't feel guilt or elation;
satiety, certainly, but was that all?  Well, it would be enough for now.
 
            Claire was exhausted, and she was happy.  The burning in
her body was, for the moment, quenched.  It would be a few hours before
she would feel any horniness at all, and that was okay.  So what if he
*was* her step-father?  He wasn't the greatest lover she'd ever had,
but hell, at least he'd be readily available.
 
            Neither of them spoke as Claire finally got to her feet,
and then bent over to collect her clothes.  They didn't converse before
she left the room to go back to her bedroom.  She felt the need to
shower not because the act was unclean, but because she had sweat like
a pig, and she hated feeling sticky.
 
            For once, she took a shower without the need to pleasure
herself.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
 
 
            Not all that far away, and at roughly the same time, Lori
Darlington and Luke Anderton were sharing a warm embrace.  Earlier in
the day, they had each learned of the other's power.  Luke, a memory
reader, and Lori, a super-fast, super-strong human.  Luke found that
she was also super-curvaceous, and super-sexy.  They lay together in
her bed, having spent a good amount of time in her Jacuzzi, and then in
the living room, the kitchen, in the shower...
 
            Now, sated and exhausted, they lay together on her bed
quietly, simply holding each other.  Luke considered what had happened
during the day, and he was glad that he'd gotten involved.  There
really hadn't been much choice for him; he didn't understand his
initial attraction to the girl, and he didn't even begin to approach
understanding even her current attraction for him, but he wasn't going
to question it.
 
            It seemed to take a great deal of effort for Lori to raise
her head from his chest to look him in the eye, but she did.  It was
accompanied by a very warm smile, which he gladly returned.
 
            “You know,” she said in a soft and peaceful voice, “as I'm
lying here thinking about it, there might be at least one more of us
out there.”
 
            “Oh?” Luke asked with interest.  They had discussed,
earlier in the day, whether or not they were the only two people in the
world with power.  “What makes you think so?”
 
            “Do you remember the big city-wide track meet at the
beginning of the summer?”  Luke nodded affirmatively.  “Well, I was in
that meet, and during the long jump...  I could have sworn that I'd
busted my ankle.  I landed wrong, that was for sure.  I heard a pop in
my leg, and I couldn't stand on it.  My God, was the pain intense! 
Anyway, this girl came along... at least, I think it was a girl.  She
was built like a girl and her voice was feminine, but she kept her face
turned away from me.  She knelt beside me and told me not to move.  She
reached down and touched her hand to my leg.  There was this tingling
sensation, and I felt... this is weird, but it felt like the bones in
my leg were moving, without my leg moving as a whole.  She got up and
left, and when the coach came over to check on me, well, I was a bit
shaky, but I could walk just fine.  I could have sworn that leg was
busted.”
 
            “Hmm,” Luke said.  “It could be.  What did she look like? 
Hair, body, I realize you didn't see her face...”
 
            “It's hard for me to remember, really.  I was kind of
distracted, if you know what I mean.”
 
            Luke hesitated, but figured it was the best way to get the
information.  “Can I... uh... 'scan' you?”
 
            Lori didn't even blink.  “Sure.”
 
            After a few moments, Luke was able to pull the memory
forward.  Not only did this give him a picture of the girl, but it also
reinforced the memory in Lori's mind, and so now she could remember
what details she had seen.
 
            “I think you may be right.  We should try to find her.”
 
            “That would be a good idea.”
 
            “God, I'd love to stay here with you tonight, but my mom
would have a cow.”
 
            “I know.  Mine would kill me if she found out, too.”  Lori
kissed him warmly one more time.
 
            “Where the hell did I leave my clothes, anyway?”  Luke
asked.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            The next day, Luke decided it was time to talk to his
sister about Lori, and them as a couple, as well as what he and Zoe had
been doing together lately.  He knocked softly on her door.
 
            “C'mon in,” she called out pleasantly.
 
            “Zoe?  Can we talk for a minute?”
 
            “Sure!”  The pair had always gotten along, but the last few
weeks, they had been inseparable.  Luke wasn't sure she was going to be
happy to have competition.  He closed the door behind him, and then sat
on the bed.  Zoe was organizing the clothes in her closet, and she
didn't stop when he came in.
 
            “Zoe, do you have a boyfriend?”  Luke felt embarrassed to
ask her this question, but he felt like the best way to have this
conversation was to dive right into the meat of it.
 
            “Sure.  Greg.”  She turned to him with a puzzled look on
her face.  “You didn't think you would be the only guy in my life, did
you?  I mean, it's not like I can date you, or have you take me to the
prom, even if you were my age.”
 
            Luke blushed, but shook his head.  “No, that's not what I
was thinking about, really.”  Zoe turned to face him, leaning against
her dresser.  Luke squirmed a bit, but pressed on.  “It's just that,
well, I've met this girl.”
 
            “Yeah?  Great!”  Zoe seemed to be genuinely happy for him.
 
            “We uh... kind of... well... did it.”
 
            “More than I needed to know, dear brother,” she said with a
chuckle.  She could see he was bugged about something.  “What's the
matter?”  After some further thought, she asked, “You're saying we
can't, anymore.”
 
            He looked up at her.  “No, not exactly, it's just...”
 
            “Look, to me, sex is just fun, okay?  It's not serious,
it's not a commitment, it's just something to do.  It's like going
bowling, okay?  Only a lot more fun than that, but it's just something
you do to have a good time.  You pick a partner that you think you'll
have fun with, and you run with it.  I mean, that's what it is to
*me*.  Obviously, you feel different.”
 
            “I don't know *what* I feel, Zoe.  I mean, you were the
first girl I slept with.  Lori and I, well, that's... different.”
 
            “'Girlfriend' kind of different?” Zoe asked.  Luke nodded. 
“Well, I can understand that.  Look, I won't push, honest.  But if
you're still interested in me, you just say the word, and I'll be naked
in seconds.”  She grinned at him, and finally got him to chuckle.
 
            He stood up and walked to her.  He wrapped his arms around
her, and pulled her to him.  “Love ya, Zoe.”
 
            She couldn't answer him, because he kissed her when she
looked up.
 
            It did take her more than a few seconds before all her
clothes were off.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            The next day at school, Luke learned that it all depended
on *why* people were staring at you as to whether or not you enjoyed
it.  At lunch, he sat with Lori, at her insistence.  He could feel the
eyes on him, and he liked it for once.  *Eat your hearts out, boys.*
 
            “Luke, how are we going to find this girl?” Lori asked him,
interrupting his thoughts.
 
            “I don't know.  We know she goes here, because the jacket
she was wearing in your memories was a Highlands letter jacket.  We
know she *probably* is a sophomore this year, because the jacket didn't
have a letter on it.”
 
            “Maybe she's just not any good at anything?” Lori pondered.
 
            Luke laughed.  “It's possible, but they nearly give letters
for breathing these days.”  They shared a chuckle at that.
 
            “Okay, so that makes her our age, which means she should be
in this lunch room right now, somewhere.”
 
            “Oh, yeah.  That only narrows it down to four or five
hundred girls.”
 
            “With long black hair.”
 
            “Okay, now we're down to, oh, say a hundred and fifty
girls.”
 
            “Thin.”
 
            “One hundred girls.”
 
            “Okay, okay, so it's going to be a tough thing to do.”
 
            “Yep.  We'll just have to keep our eyes open, and see if we
can spot her.”
 
            “Yeah.”
 
            They went on to talk about other things.
 
 
 
            Neither of them expected to find the young lady quickly. 
In fact, Luke had his doubts as to whether they would find her at all. 
The fact that she'd kept her head turned away from Lori meant that she
didn't want to be known.  This was entirely sensible to Luke, but not
helpful.  He figured he'd just have to start scanning girls and look
for the one who was hiding something.  The problem was that *everyone*
was hiding *something*.  He'd just have to hope for the best.
 
            One should be careful what one hopes for.  It can arrive in
strange and unpredictable ways.
 
 
 
            Luke was trying to get his books from his locker.  It was
only a few minutes before the first bell would ring to start school. 
He was having difficulties with the curmudgeonly lock on his locker,
and so he was too intent on what he was doing.  He knew there were at
least three girls in this very hallway who would fit the image in
Lori's mind, but was any one of them their target?  He couldn't find
out just now, because his locker wouldn't open.
 
            Just then, someone pushed him from behind.  His forehead
banged against the locker, and then he was roughly turned about, then
slammed backward into the locker again.  Standing before him was a
rather large guy, about 5' 11” tall, with sandy blonde hair and a mean
look on his face.
 
            Adam Childress was not happy.  It was bad enough to have
been rebuffed by Lori, but to see her getting chummy with this *geek*
was more than he could take.
 
            “I'm only going to tell you this once, Anderton.  Stay away
from Lori Darlington, if you know what's good for you.  You don't want
to end up-”
 
            Adam's words were abruptly cut off as he was forcibly
shoved into the locker next to Luke.  Adam's head actually dented the
locker, and the clang it made rang along the hallway.
 
            Luke stared at his protector, who was, of course, Lori. 
The look she gave Adam was murderous.  She clamped her hand around his
throat, which barely worked because, although she was strong, she was
still a girl, and her hands weren't that big.
 
            “Now, listen to me, you motherfucking cocksucker,” she
hissed.  Luke had never heard her talk that way, and his mind
registered shock.  His eyes, however, were sweeping the crowd.  All
three of the girls that he'd thought might be their target had stuck
around to see the fight.  They, like everyone else, were stunned to see
a girl taking on Adam, who was a football player, and showed it.  Lori
continued, “if I want your input on who to hang around with, I'll
squeeze your balls.  If you touch *my* *boyfriend* again, I will put
your goddamned ass in the hospital.  Do you get me?”
 
            “Hey, I just...”  Lori's fingernails dug into his neck.
 
            “*DO YOU GET ME?*”  Adam just nodded, for he had lost the
ability to speak, and could barely breathe.  “Good.  Now get the fuck
away from us!”  Lori didn't just release him, she slammed him – hard –
against the locker and then flung him to the floor.  Adam collapsed,
unmoving, where he fell.
 
            Lori turned to Luke, and then slammed her open hand against
his locker.  It popped open with a creak.  “Hurry, or we'll be late,”
she said calmly.  Luke was a little stunned at her sudden change of
behavior.
 
            “Atlanta?” he asked with some trepidation.
 
            “She's resting comfortably, now,” Lori said with a sweet
smile.  Luke let out a breath, and grabbed his books, closing his
locker to follow his girlfriend – and defender – to class.
 
 
 
            Claire was, of course, one of the kids in that hallway. 
The lockers were arranged alphabetically, and Anderton and Bullok were
just too close together for them not to have been near each other.  She
saw the boy who, she freely admitted, had gotten what he deserved. 
Still, he was in pain and she couldn't leave him like that.  She waited
until most of the students had moved off, and then moved to his side,
kneeling next to him and placing her hand on his shoulder.  She felt
the energy pour into him, and she ignored the world around her.
 
 
 
            Luke had not gone very far before he turned around.  He'd
thought that perhaps one of the girls might have been his target.  What
he saw made him grab Lori's arm.  He knew that anyone else doing that
would get hurt, but she stopped instantly for him.  He motioned her to
look down the hall, and she did.
 
            What they saw was a slim, raven-haired girl leaning over
Adam, her hand on his shoulder, and a look of concentration on her face.
 
            “Is it her?” she whispered to him.
 
            “I think it is.”
 
            “Find out who she is!  Quick!”
 
            The range was a little far for him, but he concentrated,
and soon he had her name, address, and telephone number.  He also found
her mind pulsing with energy and thoughts of healing others.  He saw
the scene at the track meet, only from Claire's point of view.  That
was all he needed to see.
 
            “C'mon.  It's her.  Let's go, before we're late.”
 
            “When should we approach her?” Lori asked as they got
walking again.
 
            “I think tomorrow, before lunch.”
 
            “Okay, that works for me.  See you at lunch,”  She kissed
him before traipsing down the hall to her class.  He walked into his
own class, whistling a tune, just as the first bell rang.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            Luke and Lori talked over lunch about how to handle Claire,
but neither of them had a clue as to what the best approach would be. 
The next day, they talked before school, and neither of them had come
up with any good plan for this conversation.  Still, they had to get it
over with, and maybe it would not be as bad as they feared.
 
            When lunch came, they both rushed to the cafeteria, hoping
to catch her as she entered the room.  For all their worrying, they
almost missed her, for she was in a group of kids.
 
            Lori called out, “Claire!”  She saw the girl's head turn to
face her, and Lori beckoned her over.  Claire's face took on a puzzled
expression, but she walked toward the pair standing off to the side, in
a little niche so that they wouldn't be overheard.
 
            “I don't know you,” Claire said.  This wasn't entirely
true.  She recognized them from the day before, but she didn't know who
they were.
 
            “I'm Lori Darlington.  This is my boyfriend, Luke
Anderton.”  No handshakes were offered.
 
            “Okay... what do you want?”  She noticed that both of them
started to squirm a bit.
 
            Finally, Luke said, “Look.  We, um... we know what you are.”
 
            Claire took on a puzzled expression, and her instant
suspicions caused her to take a step backward.  Trying to put some
strength into her voice, she said, “And what am I?”
 
            Lori's voice was nearly a whisper.  “You're a healer.”
 
            “A what?” Claire asked, trying to sound incredulous, but
her voice trembling even so.  How could they know about her?
 
            “You can heal people with your mind,” Luke said more
forcefully.
 
            “Yeah, right,” Claire said, her voice shaking badly.  What
would they want from her?  They could destroy her life!
 
            “Look, we *know*, okay?  Let's get past that.  How we know
is a little complicated...”
 
            “Look,” Claire interrupted, “I don't know what kind of game
you're playing, but I'm no 'healer', I'm just a hungry kid wanting to
eat my lunch.  Now... you two, just stay the hell away from me!” 
Claire backed away, keeping her eyes on them until she made it to the
lunch room.  She felt she'd be safe in there, with all the other kids. 
She knew they'd seen right through her bluff, but she just couldn't
deal with this.  Not now, and certainly not *here*.
 
            Lori looked over to her boyfriend.  “That didn't go very
well.”
 
            “About as I expected, really,” Luke said, surprising her.
 
            “You didn't think we'd get it right?”
 
            “Let's just say I had my doubts.”
 
            “Now what do we do?”
 
            Luke shrugged expressively.  “Eat lunch, I guess.”
 
            Together, they walked into the cafeteria.  They made sure
to sit on the other side of the room from Claire.  She studiously
ignored them while she ate.  They talked through lunch, unsuccessfully
trying to think of a better way to approach her.  Nothing was decided
by the time the bell rang.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
Dear Diary:
 
 
 
            Oh, God.  I don't know what to do.  Today, these two kids
came up to me.  What were their names?  Oh, yeah, Luke and Lori, like
they were named to be together or something.  They said they knew about
me, about my power.  How could they know that?  I've never told anyone
except Andie.  I can't even think that she would have told anyone.
 
            Maybe that Paul guy?  I did tell him my name.  But you'd
think, then, that it would have been him approaching me, wouldn't you? 
Maybe I shouldn't have helped him.  I couldn't just leave him there,
though...
 
            Who else might know?  Well, Mark and Rob might be able to
figure something out.  Then there was that one lady at the grocery
store... oh, and the girl at the... the track meet...
 
            Oh, God.  It was her, wasn't it?  I mean, I never got a
name or anything, but looking at her... oh, shit.  It had to be her.  I
can't imagine there are all that many girls with a body like that in
this city.  But she never saw my face!  And how would she know my name?
 
            What do I do?  I can't ask anyone about this... Oh, fuck, I
don't know what to do  This is all way beyond me.  Why the hell did I
have to be different?  And what do I do about it now???
 
            I need help, Diary.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            Claire had come to enjoy the morning kiss good-bye.  Mark
gave her the usual passion in his kiss, but her attention was divided
over her troubles, and her response was only half-hearted.  He noticed.
 
            “Something wrong, Baby?”
 
            His question startled her.  “Uh, no.  Nothing important,
just a little tired.  See you tonight.”
 
            “Okay.  Take it easy, Sweetheart.”  Mark breezed out the
door, in a mood sure to piss off all his coworkers for its happiness.
 
            *What do I do?  Who do I talk to?  Mark?  He wouldn't
understand.  Rob?  No way, he'd blab it to everyone.  Could I talk to
Andie about it?  But she's got her own problems...*
 
            Claire was so lost in thought that she never made herself
breakfast.  By the time she noticed what time it was, she needed to
shower.  She headed down the hall for Rob's room, to wake him up.
 
            As usual, he was still asleep, or so she thought.  When she
shook his shoulder, he rolled over away from her, not budging from the
bed.  He wasn't always this recalcitrant, but lately it had become more
frequent, and she was getting sick of it.
 
            Claire grabbed the covers and, instead of just dragging
them down off the bed, she flung them from where she stood.  They fell
to the floor at the end of the bed, but she didn't notice.  Her eyes
were... elsewhere.
 
            Rob had turned over onto his back when she had flung the
covers off.  Normally, he was wearing at least pajama bottoms over his
briefs, but this morning, he was wearing nothing at all.  His cock,
hard as iron, was standing fully erect.  He saw the way that Claire's
eyes were glazed, her stare locked on his dick, and he knew he was
going to have his way this morning.
 
            “Rob... what...” she tried to say.
 
            “Oh, c'mon, Claire.  I know you've seen one before.  Hell,
I nearly walked in on you fucking Dad the other day!”
 
            Claire blushed crimson.  She had not known that he had seen
them, although intellectually, she should have known that, as often as
the two of them had done it in the previous several days, Rob had to
have heard them at least once.  She watched as Rob's hand glided slowly
over his shaft, her eyes riveted to the sight.
 
            Rob's other hand moved to a spot just behind Claire's
knee.  She shivered at his touch, but couldn't move.  The very sight of
that hard shaft had her wet, and eager, and there was nothing she could
do about it.  She knew what was coming, and half of her welcomed it as
Rob's hand slid up her leg, slipping underneath her short robe, and
coming to rest on her ass.  Rob squeezed her cheek, and she gasped at
the feel of it.
 
            Rob knew he was in charge now.  Two years younger than his
step-sister, he was nevertheless in full control of the situation. 
He'd had fantasies about Claire for a couple years, but he didn't
figure there was anything he could do about them.  Then, when he'd seen
her and his Dad screwing like rabbits last Saturday, he figured he
could blackmail her into it.  When he'd seen the look on her face, he'd
known that even that wasn't necessary.  It was time for him to take
what he wanted.
 
            “C'mon, Claire.  Bend down here.  I want to know what it
feels like to have your mouth on my dick.”
 
            Claire tried to resist, but his hand continued to rub her
ass, and her body was betraying her at every step.  She knew this was
wrong, but she was so aroused, in such need of release, she'd do almost
anything to feel climax.  Even suck off her step-brother.
 
            Slowly, she climbed onto the bed.  Rob kept her ass within
easy reach, so he had something to play with.  Claire's hair fell
around her head as she leaned down, her lips only inches from his
prick.  She hesitated, not sure she could go through with it.  She had
only given head twice before, and wasn't very fond of it, but this was
what he wanted...
 
            “Hey, get started!  We ain't got all day!”  Rob flipped the
bottom of Claire's robe up, exposing her panty-covered ass to his
view.  His hand groped the flesh there, causing Claire to shudder with
the sensation.
 
            Her mouth descended, and her lips touched the tip of his
dick.  Rob groaned at the feel of her soft lips on his prick.  His
fingers faltered as her lips slipped further down onto his cock,
sliding past the head and down the shaft.  He grunted at the feel of
it, trying to control himself.  He concentrated on what his hand was
doing, and he slipped his fingers onto the soft mound her panties were
covering.  He could feel the wetness and heat of her pussy, even
covered by the soft cotton.
 
            Claire's mouth continued to slide downward until she had
taken his entire prick into her mouth.  He wasn't very big, and it
wasn't a struggle to take his entire length.  His hand, however, felt
quite good on her cunt.  She tried to focus her thoughts, but her mind
was out of sorts, fully aroused and unable to think clearly.  Her mouth
moved almost of its own accord on his shaft, her tongue licking along
the side as she sucked.
 
            Rob was in ecstasy, Claire's lips sending tingles of
pleasure throughout his body.  His hand rubbed along her clit, and he
noticed the shivers it sent through her.  He continued to rub, even as
his hips started to buck up against her mouth, trying to drive his cock
further into her throat.  Claire gagged at one point, but Rob took no
notice, his body driven by its own desires.  His fingers reached under
her panties, and rubbed against her swollen pussy lips directly. 
Claire groaned at the sensation.
 
            That vibration on his cock was all that Rob could take, and
he blasted his load down her throat.  Claire, not having much in the
way of choice if she wanted to breathe, swallowed it all as he
continued to buck his hips up at her.  She continued sucking, and his
fingers, spasming as they were with his orgasm, were massaging her cunt
in a most pleasant manner.
 
            Rob expected to go soft.  He always had before.  On the
other hand, he'd never been sucked off by a girl before.  Claire's
energy also poured into him, without her conscious input this time.  It
wasn't long before he realized that the cock slipping from between his
step-sister's lips was still fully hard.
 
            Claire sat up, trying to move away from him, but she still
ended up turning to face him, now kneeling by his knee.  He looked up
at her for perhaps five seconds before sitting up.  She thought to move
away from him, but he was too fast for her muddled thought processes. 
He grabbed for her waist, and dragged her, unresisting, to him.  He
looked up at her, seeing how glassy-eyed she was with lust, her body
still unfulfilled.  He took one hand and untied her robe, watching as
it fell open.  It didn't quite fall away from her tits, but that was
okay with him.  His hands reached inside her robe, pushing it open as
they grasped her firm breasts, groping them harshly.
 
            “Oh, yeah.  I've wanted at these babies for a while!” he
cried.  He pushed her robe out of his way as his hands mauled her tit
flesh.  She gasped as his mouth came down on one of her nipples,
sucking it in so that his tongue could slide across it repeatedly.  He
switched his mouth over to the other breast, not wanting to miss any
part of her.  He wasn't absolutely sure he'd get this chance again,
though he would sure as hell try, and he wanted to make sure he
fulfilled all his fantasies about her.
 
            Claire wasn't resisting, but she wasn't helping, either. 
Her hands hung limp at her sides, though her head was thrown back and
she was moaning in passion.  She couldn't stop him, didn't *want* to
stop him, but she could not bring herself to participate actively.  It
was obvious that Rob simply did not care.
 
            After several minutes, Rob pulled himself away from her
tits.  Turning himself on the bed, he pulled her so that she was lying
on her back, her head on the pillow.  He stood up for just a moment, so
that he could easily grab her panties.  He yanked them down off her
legs, which then flopped open enough for him to have a nice view.
 
            Rob reached down and stuck his middle finger deep inside
his step-sister's cunt.  Claire gasped at the sensation, and was
moaning as his finger started to work in and out of her rapidly.  A
second finger joined the first, and she was soon bucking on the bed. 
Just as she was about to reach orgasm, Rob pulled his fingers out.  She
cried out in frustration.
 
            Rob, having the opportunity, jammed his fingers into her
mouth.  “Suck on 'em,” he ordered, and this she did, licking all of her
juices off his fingers before he pulled them from her mouth.
 
            Rob climbed on the bed between her knees, placing the head
of his cock at her waiting cunt.  He paused, and got an evil thought. 
“Beg me, Claire.  Beg me to fuck you, or I won't.”  This was a stupid
lie; he'd never fucked a girl, and wasn't about to pass up this
opportunity, but he knew that she was so far gone that she would worry
he *might* not.
 
            “Oh, God, no!  Fuck me!  Fuck me hard, Rob!  Stick that big
cock of yours in me and fuck my brains out!”  The 'big cock' part was a
total lie, but she knew, even in her lust-induced haze, that it was
what he wanted to hear.
 
            “You'll have to do better than that...”
 
            “Please, fuck me like the slut I am!  Use me, play with me
as your toy!  Just please, fuck me now!”
 
            “Okay, good enough.”
 
            Rob plunged into her depths in one forceful stroke.  He
screamed out in pleasure at the feel of her hot, tight cunt wrapped
around his newly de-virgined dick.  Claire screamed as well, the feel
of a cock, *any* cock, inside her triggering her body to new heights. 
Rob immediately set to ramming into her, his instincts taking over his
body.  Claire wrapped her legs around his hips, helping to push him
deeper, harder into her.  She was crying out with every thrust, her
body quickly approaching orgasm.
 
            Rob watched in fascination as her tits rolled on her chest,
and her hair flew about as her head thrashed from side to side.  He saw
the beginnings of her orgasm, and felt it wash over her, as her pussy
clamped down on his prick.  She bucked and screamed beneath him, but he
continued to ram into her throughout, sending her even higher.
 
            When she finally came down, he slipped out of her, and
pulled her up off the bed.  She was almost limp, but was recovering
quickly.  He sat in his chair, and pulled her down onto his lap.  He'd
read about this in a magazine, and wanted to try it out.  As she came
down into his lap, he positioned himself, and penetrated her cunt with
his cock as she sank down the final way onto him.
 
            He clamped his lips onto a readily available nipple, and
started to move his hips in small circles.  It didn't take much of this
before Claire was hot for action once again, her body revving back up
as her powers rejuvenated her own body this time.  Soon, she was riding
him for all she was worth, her legs pumping her up and down with
abandon.  Rob's hips were slamming up to meet her, and they each cried
out with each contact.
 
            Rob got tired of this position quickly – it was not as much
fun as it had sounded like – and so he stood up, holding her to him to
keep his cock inside her.  They stepped together to the desk, and he
hoisted her up onto it.  Having her in position, he started to pound
her once more.  He enjoyed watching her tits bounce, enjoyed listening
to her cries of passion.  These, almost more than the sensation of her
tight, wet cunt gripping his prick, sent him to the heights of bliss. 
He was soon past the point of no return, and he slammed into her harder
the last few times, blasting his cum into her with what felt like the
force of a rifle shot.
 
            As he finally started to come down, he kept his dick inside
of her.  Claire looked at the clock and blanched.
 
            “We're gonna be way late for school, Rob.  We've gotta stop
this!”
 
            Rob reached down and lightly twisted a nipple.  The sudden
change in Claire's expression told him what he wanted to know.  “What
makes you think I'm done?” he asked.  Claire's body betrayed her again,
her energy giving him the stamina to continue to torture her mind and
pleasure her body.
 
            Neither of them made it anywhere near a school that day.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            “Have you seen her at all?” Luke asked.
 
            Lori shook her head.  “And I spent a few minutes walking
around the room, in case I'd missed her.”
 
            “Oh fucking shit,” Luke breathed.  “Just how badly *did* we
screw up?  Did we scare her right out of town?”
 
            She put her hand on his arm.  “Maybe she just needed some
time to figure things out.  Let's not jump to conclusions just yet.”
 
            “Yeah.  I guess you're right.”
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            Claire was in a bit of a daze.  Rob had finally grown tired
of fucking her, but it had taken five hours for that to happen.  She'd
showered, once again not needing to pleasure herself.  But her thoughts
were even more muddled than they'd been.  She certainly couldn't bring
herself to hate her step-brother for what he'd done.  She *had* enjoyed
it, after all, and she'd done nothing at all to stop him.  She'd even
begged him to do it.
 
            *What am I turning into?  First Mark, then Rob... am I
going to start fucking guys off the street next?*  She knew that her
body controlled that part of her psyche, and there really wasn't much
she could do about it, short of getting psychiatric help, and she
*wasn't* going there.
 
            Her mind turned itself to her other problem.  She had no
answers about what to do.  She had decided that the only thing she
could do was talk to Andie about it.  Andie already knew what Claire
was, from Claire's own lips.  She'd immediately professed not to care,
and promised to keep the secret until the day she died.
 
            *But now the secret seems to be out.  How do I deal with
that?*
 
            Maybe Andie would know.  Claire certainly didn't.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            Andie came over after dinner, beckoned by an upset-sounding
Claire on the telephone.  Andie could tell that her older friend was,
in fact, very upset about something.  Claire closed and locked her
bedroom door.  This was something Andie had never seen her do.
 
            “What's the matter?” Andie asked, her voice full of concern
and worry for her friend.
 
            “Andie... I know you promised, and I really *don't* think
you've broken that promise, but I *have* to ask.  Have you told
*anyone* about my power?”
 
            “Of course not, Claire!  I told you I'd keep the secret,
didn't I?”
 
            Claire understood the slightly offended tone in Andie's
voice.  She slumped down onto the bed next to her.  “I didn't think you
had.  But... Andie, two kids approached me yesterday.  They said they
knew about me, about my power.”
 
            “What did they say, exactly?”
 
            “They said they knew I was a healer, that I could make
people well with my mind.  They weren't fishing, Andie, they came right
out and said it.”
 
            “Damn.  How could they have found out?  Who have *you*
told?”
 
            “Just you.  I think that one of them was a girl I helped
once... but she never saw my face, so I don't know how she could have
figured it out.  I mean... Andie, what if they tell someone?  What if
they call the newspapers?  What kind of life will I have?  The
government will want to pick me apart to find out how I tick!”
 
            Andie put her hand on her friend's arm.  “Shh, shh.  Calm
down, Claire.  We'll figure this out.  Okay, I guess it's really not
important how they know, is it?  The point is that they know.”
 
            Claire nodded, agreeing with that assessment.  “And
figuring out what they're going to do with that knowledge.”
 
            “Right.  What did they want, anyway?”
 
            Claire blushed.  “I...uh, didn't wait around that long to
find out.  I told them to leave me alone, and got the hell away from
them.  Andie, I was scared!”
 
            Andie hushed her friend again, trying to keep her calm. 
Andie owed so much to Claire, she figured it was time for a little bit
of payback.  “Okay, okay, not a big problem.  Do you know who they
were?”
 
            “They told me their names... Luke and Lori...”
 
            “Last names?” Andie prompted.
 
            “They said them.  Give me a second to come up with them... 
Lori... Darlington, I think she said it was.”
 
            “And the guy?”
 
            “Luke... Luke... Anderson?  No, Anderton!”  Claire was
proud of her memory, and Andie thought it was good to have distracted
her like that.
 
            “Okay, so they weren't hiding who they were from you. 
Maybe that means they're not threatening you, after all.”
 
            “Oh, but Andie, how can I know?”
 
            Andie shook her head.  “The only way to figure that out is
to ask them.”
 
            “I *can't*!”
 
            “Claire, you're going to have to.  You need to know what
they know.  You need to know what they want.  If you don't find out
now, you'll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life. 
C'mon, you've read all those fugitive-type stories, you know how this
works.  You have to know what you're up against if you're going to
fight it properly.”
 
            “I know you're right, but... dammit, I don't think I can do
it.”
 
            “Look, find a way to meet them on neutral ground.  Not at
school, 'cause you don't have that many friends there.  Find someplace
away from home, away from school, and... someplace you can run from.”
 
            Claire looked at her friend, understanding the sense of
that comment.  What she wanted to ask was selfish, but she *needed*
right now.  “Andie... will you go with me?”
 
            Andie did not hesitate.  “If you want me to.”
 
            Claire nodded, and they hugged for a long time.
 
            Finally, Andie pulled back from her.  “Now, before you
chicken out, let's set up a meeting.”
 
            “How?  I don't know their phone numbers or addresses or
anything...”
 
            Andie rolled her eyes, then she walked over to the desk,
picking up the directory.  “We call this a phone book.  Inside, you'll
find the phone numbers of people, arranged by their last names. 
Something which you happen to have.”
 
            Claire giggled at Andie's rather melodramatic performance. 
“Okay, let's start with the girl.”  They looked, and were disappointed
to find over twenty listings for Darlington, and none of them L. or
Lori.
 
            “Shit.  Let's try the guy.  Anderton, you said?”
 
            “Yeah.”
 
            Luckily, there were only three Andertons in the book. 
Luckily again, Barbara Anderton was the first one on the list.
 
            “Hello?” a female voice asked.
 
            “Hi, can I speak to Luke, please?”
 
            “May I ask who's calling?” the voice asked politely.
 
            “It's... Claire.”
 
            “Just a minute.”  The voice obviously belonged to Barbara
Anderton, who was apparently Luke's mother.
 
            There was a long pause on the other end of the line, before
Luke picked up the receiver.  “Hello, Claire.  Playing a little bit of
turnabout on me?”
 
            Claire wasn't in the mood for humor.  “We need to talk. 
Not on the phone.  We need to meet.  Not at school, either.”
 
            “Pick a time, and a place, and we'll be there,” he said
calmly.
 
            “Tomorrow night.  Seven o'clock.  At...” Claire thought for
a moment, then had an idea.  “Highlands Park, the fountain.”  It was an
area with paths leading in eight different directions.  They couldn't
cover them all, could they?
 
            “We'll be there.  And Claire?”
 
            “Yeah?”
 
            “Try not to panic this time, okay?”  Luke hung up before
she could respond.
 
            “I'll be ready,” Andie said, without waiting for Claire to
say anything.  Andie laid her head on Claire's shoulder.  “It'll be
okay, Sugar.”  It was a name that Andie only used when they were alone,
and only when she was ready to be playful.
 
            Claire was hardly in *need* of such activity, but...  *Oh,
what the hell*.
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            Claire had purposely not gone to school the next day.  She
didn't want to chance running into them during school until she knew
what was going on.  It was six-thirty, and she and Andie were in the
park, sitting together on the fountain, waiting.  They didn't speak,
not only because they didn't want to say anything that might be
overheard, but because there really was nothing left to say.  Until
they knew what this was about, there was no way for them to properly
cope with the situation.
 
            Just before seven, they could hear a couple of people
walking up one of the paths behind them.  Claire turned around to face
them.  When they cleared the turn in the path, she saw that it was
them.  From where they were, however, they could not see Andie. 
*Good.  Advantage, me.*
 
            The couple seemed to be talking calmly between themselves,
although Claire could not hear what they were saying at this distance. 
When Luke looked up and saw her, he motioned to Lori, and they fell
silent as they entered the fountain clearing.  They continued to walk
around the fountain, keeping their distance from her, but they stayed
together, which she would not have expected if they meant her harm.
 
            “Claire, I'm glad you decided to show up,” Lori said.  “I'm
sure we – who's she?”
 
            Finally, they had seen Andie, who looked at the two
newcomers with something close to venom in her eyes.
 
            “This is my friend Andie.  You didn't think I was going to
confront you two alone, did you?”
 
            Luke fidgeted a bit.  “Um, Claire, her presence is going to
make this a little harder than it needs to be.”
 
            “Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of
her.  She's my best friend, and I'd trust her with my life.”
 
            “Maybe, but what makes you think I want to trust her with
mine?” Luke said automatically.  The comment took Claire by surprise.
 
            Lori considered the matter more closely.  “Luke, I think
she's liable to tell this girl anything we say, anyway.  Might as well
just be out with it.”
 
            Luke looked at his girlfriend for a moment, then nodded. 
“Yeah, you're probably right.”  Turning back to Claire, he said, “Okay,
I sort of tried to prepare a little speech that I hope will answer most
of your questions.  If you don't mind, could I just, like, get that out
of the way?”
 
            Claire looked over at Andie, who shrugged.  Claire turned
back and nodded.
 
            “Okay, thanks.”  Luke took a deep breath.  He and Lori had
worked this out, but Lori had insisted that he do the talking.  “My
name is Luke Anderton.  This is Lori Darlington, and you are Claire
Bullok.  We are each fifteen years old.  We each attend Highlands High
School, here in Mornington.  Those are not our only similarities.
 
            “You, Claire, are a healer.  You've been given the power to
mend people with your mind.  I don't know how long you've had this
ability, nor how you got it.”  He could see Claire tense, and so he
hurried on.  “I know this about you because I, too, have a special
ability.  I have been given the ability to read, and it turns out,
write, a person's memories.  I saw your power in your mind.  Also, some
time back, you cured Lori of a broken ankle at a track meet.  She
didn't see your face, but we put together enough clues to figure out it
was you, when I saw you helping that prick Adam at school this week.
 
            “Lori, also, has a special strength, and that strength is,
well... *strength*.  And speed, agility, flexibility, and... a few
other things.”  Lori blushed at that, and Claire wondered what that was
all about.
 
            “The two of us only recently found each other, and so it
was kind of a surprise that we located you so quickly.”
 
            “Why were you looking for me?  What do you *want*?” Claire
said, interrupting.
 
            Luke took a deep breath, and looked at Lori.  Lori nodded,
and stepped toward Claire, but in a friendly way.  “We just want to be
your friends.  Look, we're all weird here.  Well, except for *her*,”
she said, gesturing at Andie, “but that's okay.  I don't know about
you, but I've been living with my secret for over a year now, and it's
not a lot of fun.  You never have anyone you can talk to about it, you
can't ever slip up.  You worry about people finding out, and what
they'll do if they do find out.  I got lucky; Luke found me, and in
fact saved my butt from just exactly that.  There was... actually, I
guess probably still *is*, a reporter after me.  And if he finds out
about you, he'll be after you, too.  And he doesn't just want to reveal
our secrets... he wanted to...”
 
            “Sleep with her,” Luke finished.  “He's a real sleezeball. 
His name is Matthew Purvis.  If you run across him, be very, *very*
careful.”  Claire nodded.
 
            Luke and Lori looked at each other.  Their prepared remarks
were finished.  Luke said, “Anyway, that's what we wanted.  I'm sorry
we scared you the other day.  How do you approach someone with
something like this?  Neither of us had a clue, and obviously we fucked
it up.  Sorry about that.”
 
            Luke's grin broke the tension, and Claire finally smiled,
and then laughed.  “You did nearly scare the piss out of me!  Damn, I
was scared shitless!”  Claire looked over at Andie, to see if she had
read the situation the same as Claire had.  Andie was smiling, and gave
her a wink.  *So, she thinks they're real, too.*
 
            “I really am sorry,” Lori said.  “I wish we'd have been
able to do a better job of introducing ourselves.”
 
            Luke was more interested in Andie's reaction.  “So.  You
now hold three lives in your hands.”  His voice wasn't menacing, it was
merely a matter-of-fact statement.
 
            Andie considered for a few seconds, and then hopped down
off the fountain.  She walked over to Luke, and looked up at him.  Then
she stuck out her hand.  “Andie Miller.  Nice to meet you.”
 
            Luke shook her hand in amusement.  Claire was right behind
her, and shook his hand, too.  Then Lori came over, and hugged both of
them.  The tension drained out of them, and there were a lot of happy
smiles.
 
            “Just one thing,” Luke said lightly.  “Lori and I agreed
never to refer to our powers, even to each other, in public.”
 
            “That makes sense,” Claire said.
 
            “We also each have a special name that we call ourselves...
it's kind of like our nickname or our... oh...”
 
            “Secret identity?” Andie offered helpfully, with a chuckle.
 
            Luke smiled at her.  “For want of a better term, yeah.  I
am Mimir.”  Seeing the look, he answered, “He's from Norse mythology. 
She is Atlanta.  Do you have a special name?  Something that you've
called yourself?  I mean, I've used Mimir as an online name for years,
and she's been fascinated by Atlanta since she heard of her.  Do you
have a... 'secret identity'?”
 
            They were surprised that it was Andie who answered them. 
“Nightingale.”
 
            Claire looked at her friend, in shock, and nodded.  “How
did you know?”
 
            Andie rolled her eyes.  “It's not like I don't *know*
you...”  The group laughed.
 
            As they all started to walk out of the park, Lori said,
“Claire, we're trying to find out if there are any more like us.  It's
really weird that there are three of us in the same city.  So, we're
trying to find out how many of us there might be.  If you see anything
weird or odd, you'll tell us, won't you?”
 
            Claire was silent for several moments.  She was thinking
about her encounter in the park last week.
 
            “I think I might already know of one.”
 
 
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
===<<<+>>>===
 
 
 
            

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
