Wrong again,” Teresa laughed, her empty outstretched hand seemed to frustrate Sophie.

They were a couple of hours into the long flight. Dim lights lit the cabin of the plane as the other passengers slept, and Teresa had taken to showing Sophie a trick.

“Ok that’s ten in a row, can you tell me how you do it? The laws of chance would say I should have chosen correctly at least once out of the ten times, so you must be using some sort of illusionary magic,” she muttered unimpressed.

Teresa flicked a coin around her fingers, “Ok, one more time. If logic say’s you should have at least one then you must get it this time…”

Her smile told Sophie that she was going to pick correctly. Sophie smiled a knowing smile, pointing at her right balled fist. Teresa slowly opened it revealing the golden coin.

Sophie rolled her eyes and Teresa let out a gleeful laugh, “Well done!”

“Sure…” Sophie eyed her cautiously, “Ok so how’d you do it?”

“I knew which hand you were going to pick,” she said simply.

“You did not. I didn’t know half the time. I just randomly picked, and there were only two options…” Sophie didn’t take her eyes off Teresa’s.

“You got me!” Teresa confessed, opening up her other hand, revealing another coin, “You couldn’t go wrong.”

Sophie was unimpressed, “So you can’t read my mind and you cheated. That isn’t much of a trick you know.”

Teresa shrugged, “Who said I was trying to trick you? I was just teaching you a life lesson.”

“Sure. I think you are just trying to talk your way out of it now,” Sophie laughed.

“Well think about it this way, why are you, Sophie, with the power of cognitive thought, sitting right here?” Teresa said thoughtfully.

“What, you mean on the plane?” Sophie replied.

Teresa nodded.

Sophie thought for a moment, “Because it was my assignment?”

“Exactly,” Teresa said pointing a finger at Sophie, “You didn’t have much choice in the matter did you?”

“Well I could have said ‘no’ theoretically…” Sophie answered in an uncertain tone.

“But could you have? You see Sophie, at that point in your life, we were holding the coin, and you were guessing. We made you pick what we wanted but made you feel you had some choice in the matter.”

Sophie was silent.

Teresa continued, “The people of the world go about their lives blind, other people holding all the coins. And for the most part, they are fine with it. They don’t want to know any different. You and all your friends were no exception. But, these swords Sophie, they have opened your eyes slightly to what the world is truly like.”

Sophie’s face turned a little angry as she thought back to the massacre in Bolivia, “What if I don’t like what I see? What if I think it should be different?”

Teresa smiled, a shadow cast over her face, “Then with the help of your sword, change what you see. Hold the coins, make the world into what you want it to be. If you leave it to the people that have always run things, then things will always be the same. You now have the power and the insight to make a difference. But use it wisely and just remember, every action has an equal reaction.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“You mean like Nathan saving Jake from death…” Sophie’s mind seemed to wander as she remembered back to the hospital room and Nathan’s pale body.

Teresa nodded slightly. “Nathan made a choice. We cannot tell if good or bad will come from it. Jake’s destiny changed at that moment, where will he go from here?” Teresa turned away from Sophie and pulled out her small notebook, flicking through the pages, hiding them purposely from Sophie’s interested gaze.

What is with that book…? She is always looking at it… I wonder what it is for...? Sophie thought, staring intently at the small book.

Teresa stopped page flicking when she felt Sophie’s curious gaze. She smiled slightly before tucking the book away, “I am going to get some sleep. You should too, we will be there by morning.”

Sophie nodded and shut her eyes. She suddenly realised how tired she was and was soon fast asleep.

Morning came too soon as far as she was concerned. Her sleep filled eyes opened slightly to Teresa’s face.

“What the!” Sophie yelled, scrambling back in her seat.

“Morning!” Teresa grinned.

It took Sophie a moment to realise she was no longer on the plane but in a wheelchair in the airport.

“How did I get here?” she muttered, gazing around the small terminal.

“You were sound asleep so I got you off without needing to wake you. Customs were quite relaxed here,” Teresa finished with a wink.

Sophie rolled her eyes and began to get up but Teresa pushed her back down, “I also told that guard over there that you were paralysed from the neck down and I was your nurse,” she point at a security guard with a chuckle.

He gave a friendly wave.

Sophie sat down still, playing along with Teresa’s façade, “And… Why would you do that?”

Teresa wheeled the chair around a corner, “Keeps me entertained.”

“I am beginning to see a whole new side of you…” Sophie said, remaining still, but laughing slightly.

Teresa pushed the wheelchair through the large glass doors, exiting the airport.

“Where are we going?” Sophie asked as Teresa hailed a taxi.

“We are off to see the giant heads!” Teresa declared loudly.

A few hours later, Sophie stood on the shore of Easter Island. She gazed up at the large line of stone heads. “Why here?” she asked, turning towards Teresa, who was sitting in the sand.

“To get away from it all!” she declared.

Sophie looked around. “And all the tourists?” she asked, gesturing at all the milling crowds.

Teresa laughed, “Details my girl, details. Don't worry about it. We are not hanging around with them.”

She pointed towards some hilly cliffs in the distance, “We are going away from the people...” Teresa bent down and picked up a piece of rubbish from the ground, “I can't believe they are disrespecting the giant heads!”

“What is with the heads?” Sophie asked.

“No idea,” Teresa replied, “They just make me happy.”

Sophie started walking towards the cliffs, “You’re the weirdest person I know.”

“Just the way I was made. Can’t judge me for something that was out of my control.” Teresa stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

“What?” Sophie replied with a confused expression.

“I mean, I love how we were all created different. You how you are and Me how I am, Nathan how Nathan is…” Teresa said with a wink

“I don't know what you’re talking about. We are just good friends. Sophie replied, turning a light shade of red.

“Come on...” Teresa said playfully.

“Alright, he is a nice guy, and quite easy on the eyes…” she said with slight embarrassment. “But you can’t tell him I said that.”

Teresa put a hurt look across her face. “I would never do such a thing!” She began to smile, “How would I blackmail you later if I told him straight away that you are in love with him.”

The red on Sophie’s face darkened. “I never said I’m in love with him!”

“Oh don’t worry about it Sophie, how it looks to me, he is in love with you too. He just doesn’t realise it yet…” Teresa paused thoughtfully before continuing. “Unless it’s all a sham and he actually loves Paige. Hmmm, I have seen the way those two share secret looks, I mean, Paige really looks up to him.” Teresa cracked and laughed at her own stupid pun regarding Paige’s height. Sophie couldn’t help but laugh too.

Teresa stopped walking and looked at Sophie with a serious gaze. “Can I ask you one more question?”

Sophie stopped with her and stared back with an air of uncertainty, “Sure?”

“After seeing these blades and all they can do, do you believe that there are other forces at work in the world? I mean what these weapons do is not normal by any stretch of the imagination... they break the laws of physics.”

Sophie thought for a moment before replying, “I guess I haven’t really thought about any of that. I don’t usually have the need to understand how things work. Most of the time, when I see something I just take it for what it is.”

“But what if you can’t see it?” Teresa prodded. “What if it was hidden or from a different realm?”

“Well, then I would have to take someone’s word for it. Although through that method, I would still have doubts.” Sophie watched Teresa, trying to work her out, “What are you trying to say?” She quizzed.

Teresa smiled, “Nothing major I guess. I just want you to keep your mind open to things as they come to you. Be aware that not everything just happens in front of your eyes. I guess I just want you to become aware of your surroundings.”

Sophie laughed, “Well then, lead me down the rabbit hole oh Great Teresa!”

Teresa gave her a weird look before shaking her head with laughter, “Shut up Sophie.”