Esper

Esper Chapter 15: Porcupine

Part 1

Beneath the spotlight of those piercing purple eyes, Harper Wolf's heart pounded against his ribcage with Amala Singh breathed down the back of his sweaty neck. Unable to catch his breath, the teen was paralyzed with the exposure of his secret! "Wha...What are you talking about? Powers? I don't get what you're talking about..." Playing dumb, backpedaling away from the situation, that was the best option in his mind. (Shit! How?! No way she was able to figure me out!) Harper pushed away from Amala only for her to reach out her hand, grabbing him by the wrist with unexpected force! The petite woman's nails dug into his skin, akin to a mountain lion's claws locking onto prey! Her gaze was ferocious, and unflinching, staring a hole right through the teen. (Oh no. No, no, no! Got to get away! Maybe...I can...) Harper tried to establish a link to Amala's mind, planning to suggest thoughts into her head.

"Ow!" The second he did, she winced in pain, then seized the boy by his chubby cheeks with an iron grip! "Stop that!" Coinciding with the tension surging throughout her body, Amala's pyrokinesis engulfed the area in a warm embrace. "Don't you dare...ever...ever do that again! That hurt!" Mauve haze plumed upward, seeping out from beneath her feet.

(Suggesting thoughts never hurt people before! Is this a part of my new powers?!) Harper attempted to pry Amala's hands from his cheeks, but the more he did, the tighter she clutched and more rapidly did the temperature soar!

"...How long have you had these powers? Don't lie!" The asphalt was slowly softening from the miniature heat dome. "What can you do? I remember feeling words being...shoved into my head, which was you. Then...is it brain control...no, telepathy? That's the name I came across on the internet. It's telepathy, isn't it?! Wait, does that mean you can read minds too?" Terror bled into Harper's very bones as Amala was, right before his eyes, piecing everything together! He was totally at her mercy! If the thought of using telepathy to escape even crossed the fear-stricken boy's mind, the dire situation would only worsen. "Are you...the reason I've been having those dreams?"

"W-wha...?" Cold sweat permeated Harper's brow, evaporating upon contact with Amala's smoldering hands.

"How much of my mind have you read?" With each word, her frigid glare chilled the boy's soul, while searing nails scorched his face. "...How many of my thoughts have you manipulated?" The sweltering heat bubbled! Harper knelt to the hot asphalt, feeling an imposing aura radiate along Amala's outstretched arms. "How many people have you manipulated with this power of yours?"

"N-no one..." Her grip tightened again.

"Don't you lie to me."

"..." He couldn't maintain eye contact with the incensed woman. Conscious of all the deeds done with that power, Warren's death, likely causing Wilhelmina's kidnapping, controlling and influencing many people's thoughts, and reading their minds, Harper was choked up! "..."

"I see." An intrusive thought, only existing for the blink of an eye, flashed though Amala's mind and was picked up by Harper. (...Should I kill him?)

Grasping that one thought, and peering into her eyes, Harper understood she could and would coldheartedly take a life. "Stop!" He screamed, startling Amala just long enough for her grip to loosen and giving him time to shove her, with all his weight!

Amala was thrown backwards onto the ground, dazed! When she gathered herself, Harper was already sprinting away, moving faster than he'd ever done in his whole life! "Come back here!" Amala tripped, feeling her heel had stuck in the mushy asphalt! "Dammit!" She quickly dug through her bag, in search of her sneakers aiming to pursue the teenage boy who'd already made his escape, ducking into a deserted neighborhood!

Part 2

The poor girl cried hysterically while being carried under the arm of the crazed dealer! Begging words muffled under duct tape, arms restrained by bundles of rope, and unfortunately her legs were too short to reach the ground. "Shut up! I said shut up!" His constant tussling of the girl only agitated Wilhelmina Trask more!