Page 49 of Dark Visions

“Are you getting a headache?” asked Kane.

“I-I don’t know. It just feels different, but it may be because you and Adam are here as well. I could feel his pain, his sadness, though. There wasn’t any violence, just… I don’t know.”

“It was a bit overpowering,” said Adam. “I could feel the waves of sadness coming through you. This is the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced.”

“Me and you both, brother,” said Kane.

He led Aislinn from the room into the parking lot, where Flip waited patiently for them to return. When Aislinn got close, he reached for her hand and held it tightly.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “I felt it. The sadness. You were so overwhelmed.”

“I’m okay,” she said with a small grin. “This is so strange. It’s as if you all are a filter for me, taking some of the emotions from my shoulders.”

“That’s an interesting way of putting it,” said Adam. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe somehow, we are a filter for you. If we all have certain gifts, then maybe it’s why we’re able to help you.”

“Well, no matter why, I’m glad you’re all in my life. Right now, though, I’m tired and hungry,” she said weakly.

“Food it is,” said Flip, smiling.

By the time they were back at Kane’s loft it was nearly midnight, and they were all exhausted. Spook was sound asleep on the cot, lifting his head only to acknowledge their return. Adam and Flip took opposite ends of the sectional once more, and Aislinn and Kane held one another tight in the big bed.

Nightmares didn’t invade Aislinn’s sleep, only peaceful feelings of joy and happiness. Until the last moment of sleep, a small blip on the radar of her subconscious that woke her.

I’ll make this right. I’ll make everything alright.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Flip had taken on cooking duties and made a breakfast big enough for thirty people. Aislinn smiled at the big man, the pride evident as he settled next to her with his heaping plate of food.

“You’re a good cook,” she said, smiling at him.

“Thanks,” he grinned. “I like food, and to prevent me from starving, well, I had to learn to cook.”

“Does it, by ‘it,’ I mean your gift, does your gift make you hungry?” she asked. Flip set his fork down, looked at his plate, and then up at Aislinn.

“I never thought of it before, but yea. It makes me feel as though I haven’t eaten in months. I tend to gorge if I’m not careful after a big incident. Little things, like moving a book or something, feels like nothing, but if I move a large object…”

“…like the garbage truck,” she smiled.

“Yea, like the garbage truck. Well, then I could eat all day and night.”

“Fascinating,” said Adam, staring at them. “I get the same way. If I have a particularly complex surgery that requires me to exude more energy than the average event, I’m ravenous. I tend to go for carbs, lots of junk food like tacos, chips, popcorn, endless amounts of bread. I can eat an entire loaf.”

“Huh,” said Flip, “I want meat. Tons and tons of meat. I once ate four steaks and two burgers after I moved a car.”

“It’s sugar for me,” said Aislinn, smiling. “Everything from candy bars to cupcakes and brownies. What about you, Kane?”

“I-I don’t know,” he said, thinking. “I seem to be thirsty mostly. My last case, the one I finished and saw you. I followed you to the hospital, but I drank like ten sodas in about twenty minutes. The nurse even asked if I was okay.”

“Okay, so carbs, meat, sugar, and liquid,” said Adam. “Now, if Spook would just tell us…”

“Shut the fuck up! I’m not some freak!” he shouted from the corner where he sat with his computer. He turned to face the foursome, his face red with anger and embarrassment. “I-I’m not a freak.”

“Is that what you think I am?” asked Aislinn.

“N-no, I… Aislinn, don’t do this,” he said, staring at her.

“We’re not freaks, Van, none of us. When you realize that you’ve been given a gift that will make a difference in this world, you’ll be better off.”

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