Venessa is afraid. The streets near the facility seem even more dangerous than before.

Venessa:(to herself) I’ve just got to make it back to the hospital and everything will be fine.

She feels chills in her bones. Everything, even inanimate objects, seems to be watching her. A hand could pop out of the shadows at any moment and take her back to the Fluorescent Underworld with its undead ruler in a fish tank. Venessa sits against the wall of a building by a trash can, and begins to cry. The shadows begin to creep closer and closer. Venessa tries to ward them off by blowing up a littered aluminum can with her mind, showing her strength. Yet, she feels that the shadows still see her weakness. She remembers her recurring nightmare about her birth and being stolen from her mother. She wishes that she knew where her mom was. Maybe her mom could help her understand. Help her get out of this situation.

Venessa:(thinking) Well, life just sucks that way, doesn’t it?

She begins to sob heavily:(to the shadows) Just take me! COME AT ME! I’VE GOT NOTHING ELSE TO LIVE FOR!

Annelise: Venessa!

Venessa turns around to see Annelise walking slowly over to her. She looks to be in agonizing pain. She crumples to the ground beside Venessa.

Venessa: Whoa! You look really sick! What happened to you?!

Color returns to Annelise’s face and she becomes less tense: You wanted to know what my power was earlier. Well, one of my gifts is empathy. I can feel your emotions as my own pain or joy.

Venessa: Like, physical pain?

Annelise: Yes, like physical pain.

Venessa: Well, gee…I’m sorry.

Annelise nods: Are you ready to come home?

Venessa: I…I don’t know. I mean…what if…

Annelise:(interrupting, with tears in her eyes) I love you, Venessa.

Venessa is shocked: How can you love me? You only met me two hours ago.

Annelise smiles: That’s one of the blessings of the gift of empathy. I can read your experiences from your emotions. By doing that, I can connect to you on a very deep level.

Venessa: But…it’s not safe. I mean, there are these…things that can move through shadows. I thought I saw one…

Venessa looks around. The shadows have disappeared. The streets seem like normal city streets again.

Venessa: It’s gone. They’re powerful, why did they just…*she sighs*

Annelise: For powered children, the safest place that you can possibly be is under the eye of Beyond and the Keepers of the Realm.

Venessa: Who the heck is this ‘Beyond’ guy you guys keep talking about?

Annelise laughs: He’s our leader. We have a hierarchy, but his position is above all of us. Even the highest Keeper is subject to his demands. Maybe that’s why the members of the Cyclone Sector call him the Commander. Now, will you come back home?

Venessa nods. The two of them stand up and start walking home.

Venessa: I guess we’ll have to get takeout someplace. I probably ruined your chance to make dinner.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Annelise smiles: Don’t worry about dinner. It’s taken care of.

Just then, a car parks beside the sidewalk where they’re standing. Cory rushes out of the car and towards Venessa.

Cory: Are you okay?

Venessa nods, but remains silent. The three of them enter the car and drive back toward the Presley household.

Cory:(to Annelise) You alright?

Annelise: I’m fine. I’m just glad we found Venessa.

Venessa is pretending to be asleep in the backseat, but is listening in on their conversation. The two have paused for a few moments.

Cory sighs: Venessa’s our twenty-sixth foster child, right?

Annelise nods: What’s wrong?

Cory: Nothing…nothing’s wrong.

They pause.

Cory: You don’t believe me, do you?

Annelise: No, I don’t.

Cory laughs: I guess I can’t hide my feelings anymore, can I? Well, this is the least amount of powered children we’ve had in years. It’s like…they’re going extinct.

Annelise: Maybe they’re just giving up their powers at a higher rate than normal.

Cory nods: That could be true. Still, it’s very worrying. I mean, these kids are our future. What if…

Annelise: It’s not like we’re going anywhere, are we? Besides, there’ll always be a child who choses to keep their powers. Never underestimate the power of there always being that one kid. But I understand how you’re feeling.

Cory: I don’t doubt that.

Annelise laughs and leans back in her seat. An air of warm feelings and comfort seems to flow into her and radiate to Venessa.

Cory: Let me guess…relief? Is that what you feel?

Annelise: Yes. But it’s more than that.

Cory: As usual, huh?

Annelise nods: Are you feeling okay, Venessa?

Venessa is a bit surprised. She’s usually an expert at fooling people into thinking that she’s asleep.

Venessa: Yeah, I’m good.

The car pulls into the Presley driveway. The lights are still on and Venessa sees someone setting food on the table.

Venessa:(to herself) Weird.

The three of them head into the house and Venessa is told to sit down with her foster siblings in the dining room. When she enters, nobody is in there setting food down.

Venessa:(to herself) ‘Kay. I’ll just stop asking questions for a bit.

She sits down beside Avonari.

Venessa: Wait, why are you at the table? I thought you photosynthesized.

Avonari: I just like the company.

Venessa nods and begins to eat the meal.

Venessa: This is really good!

Avonari: I know, right? Annelise is such a good cook! Anyway, why’d you leave?

Venessa: Wait! Hold up! Annelise made this?

Avonari nods: So why’d you run away?

Venessa sighs, mentally adding how Annelise cooked dinner and rescued her at the same time to her list of questions.

Venessa: I…was scared.

Avonari: What of?

Venessa shrugs: I don’t know.

Avonari: I get that. Well, nothing’s happened to me as long as I’ve been here.

Venessa: How long have you been here?

Avonari: About two weeks.

Venessa nods: So, do you have any powers?

Avonari: Yeah, I have powers. Well, we call them gifts or the gift here. Since Anthrans naturally have one-directional telepathy, I wouldn’t consider that a power. I guess my gifts are agility and enhanced engineering skills.

Venessa: Cool. So, you can make actual, sci-fi movie superhero gadgets?

Avonari: Yes. In fact, I tried to recreate Iron Man’s suit once. That did not go over well. It…*she whispers* It kind of exploded and blew a chunk off of a building.

Venessa: Oh.

Avonari: That was before I became a Keeper-in-Training, though. Still, I’m not gonna try that again.

The two of them converse until Venessa finishes eating and the two of them head to bed.

Avonari: Well, goodnight.

Venessa: Goodnight.

She turns off the light and falls asleep. Perhaps things might be working toward her good for a change.

End of Issue 2