“I have two gifts. One for each affinity we share. You see, the yellow and red of your tether represent basic affinities.” He said, pointing to my tether.

“Yellow for mind and red for blood.”

Ya, the red was the deep color I associate with blood, so that made sense. The yellow was almost translucent and reminded me of dull lamplight. I guess I could think of that as representing mind.

“These are my strongest affinities as well. Perhaps that’s related to how we found each other.” His cup dissipated and a human-sized brain jiggled into its place in his hand. It glowed yellow like my tether.

“In terms of your mind, you are already a psychic of some strength, otherwise you couldn’t appear here and you wouldn’t have such a strong mental voice.” He said poking the brain.

I nodded and stroked my chin wisely. A psychic. Fuck yeah! Now I may finally be able to understand girls. I mean, I don’t understand other guys either, but I don’t want to have sex with them, so that’s never been much of a problem.

“Yes, if you develop your mental abilities, you may eventually have better luck getting females to mate with you. Once you become strong enough you will even be able to mentally compel weaker minded women to desire your company.” A glowing bright pink brain appeared in his other hand. The yellow brain then split in half displaying a long slithering tongue. It then proceeded to eat the pink brain. When only the yellow brain remained, it poofed and his skull cup returned.

“I don’t know about that. I don’t want to be a rapist – mental or otherwise – but I would like to understand what women want and all that.” I smirked and winked at the beautiful cat-eared woman before me.

“I sincerely hope that comes to pass in your next life. For everyone’s sake.” Mc. BD said deadpan.

“But we must return to our discussion of gifts, our time together is nearing its end. From what I can sense from you, and from what your ability to be here demonstrates, you are not just any psychic.” He smiled.

“You have the potential to be like me, a Transcendent Psychic. A psychic who can transcend their body and even the bounds of their own mind. A psychic who can remember everything and who can make others forget their presence. A psychic who can build a mental world beyond their own and who can tear down the physical world around them. Even if your physical body dies you will be able to retreat to your own mindspace like I have.

I can unlock your mind and make you a transcendent psychic, a superior being. However, transforming your mind will also transform your personality. If I unlocking your mind, it will also loosen many of the binds that currently hold it together. This will free parts of you that were previously repressed and rearrange other parts. But don’t fear, it will still be all you in there, with nothing added. You will just be yourself differently – be yourself more.”

“ Hmm..” I cupped my chin, then nodded. ”Ok. Do it.” I smiled and closed my eyes, spreading my arms in invitation. Mr. Bulldog raised an eyebrow. “Are you certain? That’s all the time you want to think about it?” I looked back at him. “There isn’t much to think about. I always wanted to have super powers and I don’t really care if my mind is changed in order to get them. I don’t much like how it is now anyways– I don’t much like it at all.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

I started to feel a slight pull on my tether. It was growing brighter.

“Very well, but before I do it, you must quickly decide whether you will also accept my second gift. The second gift I can give you is the inheritance of my people. The ability that made my race the top of my world’s food chain and allowed us to survive until its end. The ability...” Mr. Bulldog smiled and wiggled his eyebrows again.

”of Essence Absorption.”

“Your talking about blood and not sperm right? Because if you mean sperm –well I guess I’d try it.” I said.

“Yes, blood. Focus, our time is almost up.” He looked at me impatiently. “No – this ability will allow you to extract strength from the blood you’ve consumed. With this ability, you will become a True Vampire. A being closer to blood than any other.”

“Ya, I’ll take that too. Vampires are sexy as fuck.” I said while giving him a thumbs up and a smile. After a moment though it turned into a frown and a hold-it-there palm.

“But wait, does this have a catch like the last one? I’ll probably still take it, I just want to know.” I said.

“Well, it takes a lot of blood to get much benefit. Besides that, there are none that I’m aware of.”

“Ok, ya. Do it.”

“Good. After I’m done I will send you off. For the first gift, relax and open your mind to me.”

I closed my eyes, took a breath, and relaxed.  

A few seconds passed. Then I felt something. Like my mind had been submerged in water, covered in the mind of another.

I heard Mr. Bulldog say, “Here it comes.” Then everything exploded.

I screamed as I was pulled apart in every direction, pieces of me breaking off one after another. After the first shock, I tried to struggle, to keep myself whole, but it was too late. I dissolved.

Then, all at once, I sprung back together. But something was different, I was different. It was like every bit of tension in my mind was gone. Every place that was once rigid and bound was now open and spacious. My mind was clearer than ever before.

The pull from my tether was strong now. I looked over at it. The cord of mild yellow lamplight was gone, replaced with gold, a clear ray of heavenly sunlight.

Mr. Bulldog stood up from the couch and started walking away. “Your awareness and personality will change as you adjust. For now, we should move onto to the second gift before we run out of time. For this gift–”

“–I died didn’t I?” I interupted.  “Before I came here I mean. I’m free from that life now, from that me now aren’t I?”  Tears began to fall as I smiled hesitantly.

Mr. Bulldog stopped walking and faced me.

“Yes.”

Then it was just me crying, staring blankly at him as he stood patiently.

“Ok, I’m ready.” I said I regained my focus and brushed off my tears.

He nodded. “As I was saying, for this gift I will need to return to my true form in order to complete the inheritance. Please don’t be afraid.” He then began to dissolve into blood and shadow. I found myself standing with moist wide eyes as blood began to pour from the dissolving couch, from the walls, from everywhere. All the blood converged before me in a giant humanoid mass covered in swirling shadows and golden sparks.

I was not afraid. I began to cry again as I walked toward the first friend of my new life, arms wide.

He raised his hand and pressed it against my chest. Blood seeped from him into me. My heart burned.

“Fare well on your next journey Orm.” He said, his voice seeming much less absurd coming from this form.

Then there was only darkness and hunger.