The page was old and wrinkled. Every so often, I had to blow the dust off the pages. It rubbed me the wrong way thinking about the cover-up. How have I missed so many inconsistencies? Three events made me reevaluate my safety: the arrest, the imprisonment, and the cover-up. I understood the need for a quick arrest. I even understood the need for having a place designed to hold dangerously awakened individuals. To be impartial would spell disaster for the innocent. While those are all valid arguments to be made, they failed. The truth of the matter was I did not resist. I hadn't hidden my awakening. They alienated a potential ally and robbed me of my humanity in one motion. It was clear they saw me as something less. Those few weeks made it clear they wanted complete control. Nobody would stop them from taking it.

"Are we not going to talk about what happened outside?" Zack had a stern expression that looked odd on him. I put the book down and looked at him tiredly. His interruption reminded me I should have been reading.

"Zack, we didn't see anything. Nothing we can change anyway." I could already see him getting riled at my dismissal. I continued, albeit more patiently, "I'm sorry. It doesn't sit right with me either, but there's not much we can do about it. Our best move is to plan for the future, but maybe not in the public library." I slowly looked around to see if there were any wandering eyes. No one seemed to pay us any mind, but I spotted a couple of cameras on the roof. I tried to gesture toward them nonchalantly. Zack raised an eyebrow, "I never learned sign language."

I smiled, "that's not what I was doing." Dragging the book closer, "you should learn it. It's pretty handy." He snorted at my sly joke.

"You're not as funny as you think." With that, he stood up and looked for a different book. "I'm funnier than you, at least," I glanced back at my dusty book. The book was borderline ancient. Some of the pages had small handwritten notes that faded with time. 'The history of Powers, the second edition.' was its title. I could practically hear all of my old professors yelling about relevancy and the shame of using outdated sources. Luckily for us, I'm not listing this on a citation. Not only that, I had a sneaking suspicion this might be more accurate than the public believed. Skimming past the pages, I searched for a passage that sparked controversy many years ago.

Through careful observation, I have concluded that every individual is capable of awakening. To a degree, people can have control over the power they awaken. I have yet to put my findings against a measurable test. I pray that the government will give me both the resources and permissions necessary to advance humanity as a whole.

Doctor Mavrik Trent D. was the first power specialist who dedicated his life to the expansion of awakening. His message filled the unawakened with hope. Although many were skeptical, the masses donated and contributed to his research. He was a national hero until his unsavory deeds came to light. Soon after, the world nicknamed him the butcher. Two hundred and four civilians died at his intervention. Thirty awakened were killed in the name of science. Fifteen hidden facilities performed similar experiments in his name. The public was horrified. The communities drive for research was slowed to a snail's pace. Several articles from government officials quickly came out invalidating his findings.

"What are you looking for exactly?" Zack had a sketch of a plant sprawled by him. It was pretty good.

"Do you remember Dr. Mavrik?" Zack looked out the window placing his hand on his chin. One of his many tells when he recalled events. "I think so? He was insane. What about him?"

Pointing towards the quote, "I think he may have been on to something here."

Zack looked at me with utmost concern. "I'm talking about the origin of powers, not the experiments." I quickly added. Although we might need to test a few things, I mentally noted. I choose not to mention that fact.

He grabbed the book and gave it a more in-depth examination.

"Of course, people can force an awakening. That was the sole reason I jumped into the frozen lake." He shivered in remembrance. I laughed, "I forgot you did that. That was great." Shaking my head, "I think he was right about the type of power you awaken.

Zack flipped more earnestly through the pages, stopping on a collection of photos. A young, fit man held a purple flame in his hand that had expanded sideways. The flame illuminated his grey coat and blue pants. To the right, another photo had someone kneeling on the ground. He was large and burly. Blond hair spilled over his jacket. Spikes of dirt surrounded his heavy figure. The last showcased a woman holding a wrench bent sideways. "Jack, I want flames!"

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I grimaced. "You have to know that's not gonna be easy." While Zack hugging electricity was comical, seeing him burned alive didn't sit right with me. I tried to say something, but he pointed at the flame more earnestly.

"Zack, I don't need you dying on my conscience." He sighed, "What power am I going to get then?" I grabbed my coat and gestured towards the door. "I'll show you."

Heading behind the library building, I pulled open one of the old gates in a rusted shed. I could hear the hum of the generator drown-out sounds of faraway traffic. "Aren't generators toxic?" Zack spoke up. I frowned. Were they toxic? We gave the rumbling machine a second glance. I didn't smell anything. Then again, my sense of smell was awful. Maybe I'm creating a mistake?

"Forget I said that. What should I do?" Zack stepped up to the machine nervously. "Wait, don't do anything. I want to use my power first." Zack glanced at me before stepping away. The only time I purposefully activated my power was when the authorities held me hostage. For some inexplicable reason, I felt apprehensive.

I had a handful collection of differing introspections. What if I go back too far? Do I have any dominion over where I land? It'd crush me if I came to in the middle of a middle school class. Forget experiencing puberty twice; most of my options would be severely limited. While it's an unlikely possibility, it would align with common knowledge. Most newly awakened had paltry control over the application of their powers.

It forced me to think about my prospects carefully. The first time only shifted a couple of hours, but the use is irreversible, so I don't want to bet on the odds.

"Could I ask you something?" Zack looked at me with an indecipherable gaze. I shifted uncomfortably, "what is it?"

"How are you so calm?" I blinked at his question. "What do you mean?"

"At the school, it seemed like you lost composure. You tried to leave in a hurry to the library. After witnessing those officers take that guy away, I figured you'd lose it. But you've been okay with it."

"I'm not alright with it. Seeing those officers haul that body away affirmed my decision: we are escaping from this country. That's the goal, and it's pushing my worries aside. I don't have time for freaking out."

Zack whistled, "were you an inspirational speaker in the future?"

I grinned, "they told me they needed more puns. Lost to a clown."

"Really?" I chuckled, "dude, I'm kidding."

"Could have fooled me." Shaking my head, I concentrated on using my power. It wasn't as leisurely as before. The second time, I felt effortless free falling. Now it was more like straining to sink through coarse sand. It's rough.

"Did you do it yet?" Zack interrupted my concentration.

"No," I shook away my annoyance. For a split second, I could sense a shift in space.

Looking around, I saw Zack opening his mouth, "Did you do it yet?" I groaned audibly.

"Yes, I did; it only sent me back a minute." Zack pointed at my face, "your eyes are glowing a bit." I kicked a short rock and walked out of the shed. How was I going to do anything with a minute of time reversal? Not only that, it took about three minutes of standing for me to trigger it. I might linger in the present indefinitely, forget going to middle school.

"What happened?" I heard Zack catch up from behind.

"My powers bugged."

He laughed, "I can still get mine." He stopped laughing and tugged me aside, "look. You were only at it for a few minutes. Common folk normally take years to get used to being awakened. How about we keep trying?"

I held my hands up in admission, "okay. Your right just stressed from it all." Since when has Zack been the voice of reason? Heading back, I spent the next few hours searching for a way to activate my ability reliably. Zack messed around with the junk in the shed in the meantime. "How do you normally feel when you activate your power?" He spoke up after a while.

"The first time, I was being electrocuted. Then, poof, I was good. The second time, I had this weird green rock." My eyes flared in alarm. The rock! I dropped it at the school. I grabbed my hair with regret. "A green rock?" Zack asked absently. He was more invested in his palm. Likely, trying to manifest some weird power. "I left the rock at the school grounds."

"Ouch, they lock the school down after hours. It's a miniature fortress." The motor turned off, indicating the library was closing. I took him to the fence next to the hospital again. This was probably the next best thing after my power. "Okay, go ahead."

Zack looked disturbed by this idea, "this seems like a horrible idea." I beamed brightly at his well-sounded observation. "I'm so happy you agree. Now go for it. The hospital is right here." I could tell he was mortified. Maybe he's not the same as he was in the future. "Was this my idea?" He seemed disheartened. "Yes, it was!"

If I had a moment to empathize, I would have seen the small tear rolling down his cheek at the stupidity. Unfortunately, I was too excited about him jumping to notice. Oh, what a jump. I gave it full marks for height. Although, it was when he jumped backward that he caught some great air time. To my shock, he was practically glowing. Blue sparks pivoted midair around his body. His hair stood on end as his eyes lit up with a fierce blue. Much like before, the lightning seemed to chase after his body like after effects.