I had been watching the leaves cling to the branches for about an hour.  They still hadn't moved.  Frustrating.  Still, the tree was good practice since there weren't very many inside of the Community.  I was lucky enough to have one right outside my window, but I admittedly spent more time on my bed watching it than I'd care to admit.  

It was hard to move something that was so easily manipulated by another outside force.  That's why I focused so much on the leaves.  The wind made them fickle objects.  I closed my eyes once more and pictured the yellow, coin shaped leaf that was closest to me.  I pictured the leaf being plucked from the branch and landing in my hand.  I opened my eyes.  The leaf remained attached to the tree.  

"What is your problem?"  I demanded of the leaf.  It rudely ignored me.  I heard footsteps outside of my door, and my mother popped her head in.

"Practicing?"  She asked.  

"It's not doing me any good today,"  I said glumly.  

"Well, why don't you take a break and come eat dinner?  Your father is home."

"I can't!  I haven't moved one blasted leaf!  It's just a leaf, how hard could it be?!"  

Stolen novel; please report.

"Zuzanna,"  my mother said, a hint of pleading in her voice.  "You can try again tomorrow.  You look tired."  

I turned away from her and looked again at the leaf.  "... Fine.  I'll be down in a minute."

"Thank you."  She shut the door and I listened to her head down the stairs.  Once she had left, I hopped off the bed and peered around the room.  There wasn't much to work with: a bed, a small dresser, and a mirror.  I  noticed my hairbrush at the top of the dresser.  Too small.  I decided on the mirror.  I reached my arms out to the oval mirror fixed to the wall across the room.  With a quick, silent demand, the mirror flew into my arms.  I commanded it to return, and it fixed itself again on the wall.  Almost too easy.  I needed to start working with heavier objects... or leaves.  What I really needed was to get out of the house and try my hand at other objects in the Community, but my parents would never allow that.  

Having a daughter with the ability to move things with her mind tended to make them a bit hesitant to let me out in public by myself.     

"Zuzanna!"  I heard my mother bellow from downstairs.  "Dinner!"

"Coming!" I ran to the door and bounded down the stairs.