The Phone

When I slammed the car door, I suddenly felt insecure, it was the same lately, also then I agreed to go voluntarily. Suddenly I felt panicked because I realized that I do not know this man at all and give him the opportunity to do whatever he wants. Suddenly my heart started to beat faster, the rumble in my ears drowning out everything else. I could feel the heat overwhelm me and sweat begin to run down my back. Breathing was very difficult for me as if I was gulping air and choking on it. I grabbed the door handle with the intention of jumping out of the vehicle, but the driver grabbed my other hand and asked me to look at him.

"Everything's all right?" Tetsuya asked, searching for my eyesight. "Breathe. You're safe with me, I'll take you home," he said calmly.

I looked at him scared, trying to focus on anything to calm myself down. I was sure Aunt Linda had eyed him exactly before handing me over to him. How else could she entrust this task to someone I had met only once? I didn't expect him to gently grab my chin and make me look at his mind. I wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve with that, but he did it. I could close my eyes, but as soon as I glanced at it, I felt the urge to take a look.

His mind was a simple, two-story house with a gable roof. There were curtains on the windows and flowers on the windowsills. Its façade was made of pine wood. On the front porch, there was a bench with a blanket on it. I walked over and sat on it, staring at the messy yard. Among the objects lying on the grass, I saw children's toys, bicycles, balls, and dog toys, including lots of rubber bones in various colors. I also noticed a set of flowerbeds with flowers under the fence. The whole thing emanated calm and warmth. It even felt as if I could smell a freshly baked cake.

I touched the blanket, it was soft and I was sure it gave a lot of warmth when you sat under it with a cup of some drink, in the evenings watching the children and the family pet. A lovely picture and beautiful dreams. There was something familiar to it, as Victor's. This longing for happiness and giving love, to be someone's haven. I looked at the door, it felt as if I was being invited in. I've never felt anything like this before. I didn't pay much attention to learning about someone else's minds, even if I was observing them, the vast majority of people subconsciously sent negative signals in order to protect themselves.

I got up and went to the door, already reaching for the handle. It absorbed me so much that I forgot my fear and it became easier to breathe. But when I touched it, I didn't summon the courage to enter. I withdrew my hand quickly and retreated into my consciousness, looking away.

"Sorry," I grunted, rubbing my hand across my throat as if that would do something for a sore throat.

"I wouldn't mind," Tetsuya replied with a gentle smile. "I am a very open person."

"Did you feel my presence?" I asked, surprised, squeezing my things tighter.

"It felt like someone was watching me closely," he noticed my pupils dilate in fear. "But it wasn't unpleasant. Anyway, you said you felt more powerful when you didn't have lenses, and now you probably don't, because then you wouldn't need glasses, would you?"

Did he remember so much from our conversation? My heart picked up a little pace again, excited that someone would listen to me carefully and make an effort to remember this information. I blushed and nodded.

"Can we go?" He asked.

"Yes, I want to go home now," I responded, and finally leaned back a little more relaxed on the armchair.

I would know if he was trying to cheat me, and he was clearly thinking that he wanted to help me and take me home safely. I panicked unnecessarily, so I could concentrate on thinking about how soon I would embrace my relatives and be safe in my own home.

I looked at Tetsuya, who was calmly driving the car. He kept glancing at me from time to time to see how I felt. He wondered about my condition and what I had to go through while I was imprisoned. I didn't want to talk about it, I wasn't ready, so fearing awkward silence, I decided to change the subject.

"How is Kiba?" I asked.

"He's not the same dog," he replied sadly. "After you didn't come to our meeting, he didn't eat anything for a while. I had to make him do everything. He is practically a shadow of himself and his life is based only on a basic day-to-day existence. I know he is in pain, but it will only help him if he sees you again. If you agree, of course," he added.

"I should, in the end, it was because of me," I replied, looking at the scenes he had told about this. Kiba looked lousy and was nothing like the joyful, exuberant quad he was when he ran into me that winter morning.

"I wonder what did you do then to get so attached to you?"

"I didn't do anything," I replied, feigning indignation. "You threw the snowball that made him bump into me. It's not my fault that Kiba has made up his mind that I should be his new lady".

"That little bastard," my companion laughed. "No chance he'll let go. I don't know what arguments you would have to use for that to happen."

"I'll talk him out of it somehow." I smiled, but it wasn't sincere, in fact, I knew that Kiba could be a good excuse for the next meetings.

During my stay at the Jones estate, I had a lot of time to think. When I thought about my family, I felt mostly regret and sadness, making a list in my head of things I would like to tell them. I thought that I would never get out of there and hoped that I would pacify my grandma enough that she would agree to send the letters. If in the future, she would also trust me enough to let me go outside, I would be watched over every step of the way and never let go to come back.

When Tetsuya appeared in my mind, it gave me some hope and strength, perhaps because of the promise I made to him. I was over and over again analyzing every minute of our first meeting and looking for new details about him. Until that wasn't enough and I wanted more, frustration made me want to know everything about him. I thought of it as a clean slate that I could never get from my relationship with Hyacinth. I allowed myself to dream about love, I had no way to hide that I liked Tetsuya, and the acceptance of my abilities only deepened this feeling.

I also analyzed why I had felt what I called love for my older brother at all, and found no particular reason why it had happened at all. I became fascinated with what my peers thought about him and I think I wanted to become more like them. Without Victor, no one could direct me about what I should feel, so I assumed girls of the same age would be the appropriate reference. But I couldn't take anything away from my brother, he was handsome, a bit arrogant, but at the same time smart and mysterious. His mind was calm, I liked to describe it as ancient, a little mystical but harmonious. It had many elements known from modern architecture, at the same time complemented by details known from ancient temples.

"I didn't say I expected it," he said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry?" I was a little confused.

"I don't want you to dissuade Kiba from this idea. I won't say, I even like it very much." He smiled at me, I felt myself blushing again and for some reason, I kept asking.

"Why did you agree to help me, we don't know each other at all...," I started to play with the shoulders of the backpack so as not to look in its direction.

"I will say the same thing as your dad when he asked why we were ever meeting that day."

"Dad?" I asked surprised.

"I was the last one to have contact with you, I guess for some people I'm still the prime suspect for your disappearance." He shrugged as if it were obvious.

"So what did you tell him?" I sat up a little in the chair.

"That I liked you in every way," he replied seriously. "I didn't tell him you promised me something, and it was Kiba's sake."

"I, I...," I started to stutter. "I do not know what to say."

I was sure my cheeks were going to be so hot they were going to steam up in a moment. I saw that he did mean it. I wanted to change the subject, so I stammered out something saying that I should probably call my family. I took my phone out of my backpack, but it turned out to be empty. So Tetsuya offered me his own, I accepted it gratefully, trying my best not to accidentally touch his hand. This was cute behavior on my part, he thought.

I knew Victor's number by heart, I dialed it quickly and nervously waited for the signal that he had picked up the call.

"Brother ..." I said, unable to contain myself from tears. "I'm coming back home."

I heard a rumor and Alex's voice somewhere in the back, and after a while, I heard him on the phone.

"Lucretia?" he asked, shocked in a somewhat sleepy voice, and I confirmed. "We're so happy, Victor is crying with happiness. He will be writing to you soon, he has a lot to tell you. He rushes me to hang up and give him the phone back. I hope to see you soon too."

After a while, the first message arrived, and another one every two minutes on average, each one getting longer. Victor wrote to me most about what happened at dinner that day and how he revealed my secret to the rest of the family. He was worried about his father after he left and everything probably fell on him. He apologize to me again and again and I cried more and more. Now coming home didn't seem like the best option, I was getting scared that this is no longer my home.

I never checked what Martha and Hyacinth thought about my powers. After all, I wasn't going to tell them about it. But I had a feeling they wouldn't take it with joy. Would they hate me? I felt betrayed and disappointed, but I also understood my brother. He hadn't have revealed my secret if he hadn't been on the edge. I called my brother again.

"Victor, I understand," I said my voice breaking. "Don't worry about me, I shouldn't have to burden you and your dad with keeping my secrets at all. Please don't blame yourself," I was honest, I loved my brother too much and already forgave him. "But I guess I'll need some time now. I'll see you soon, remember that I love you and I've missed you all."

I hung up and through tears asked Tetsuya if I could call one more person. He agreed immediately, worried, I saw that he wanted to tell me that everything would be fine, but he did not know how so that it would not be counterproductive. I dialed David's number and was relieved to hear his voice. I apologized to him and hung up. I didn't have the strength to hold longer conversations, it was not supposed to be like this.

"I can't go home," I said with a sniffle. "I do not know what to do. I also have an aunt. maybe she will..."

"We'll go to my place," Tetsuya said firmly. "You know you're safe with me".

I knew all too well, so I agreed, and then I let myself cry.