ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine April 2015 | Page 42

stroked my mom’s hair, just as Mom had mine,
followed me into a deep sleep.

company a lot during that time. I stared at the TV,
playing as time crept by.

The rest of that time is blurry to me now. Bits and
pieces are clear, but the mind has its own way of
coping with trauma. We had a memorial service,
cremation for what was recovered of my parents’
bodies. I remember a lot of people were there. My
parents’ clients, my teachers and friends from school,
even a few of the carnies showed up.

Nana and I discussed the visits from my parents after
they died and everything that seeing them might
mean. Since she and I both had abilities most people
didn’t, she made it clear we needed to keep that fact
to ourselves for our own protection.

Afterward, Nana had me start packing things up. My
parents had left precise instructions, true to their little
accountant hearts. Nana put the house on the market
to sell, with the money going into a trust for me. I
didn’t go back to school. I was kept busy packing up
the things I would be taking with me.
Nana and I made a trip to the carnival. She packed up
the stuff she wanted and had it shipped. She made
arrangements to sell her RV. I wanted to stay there
with the carnival. The people were nice and warm and
felt like family.
Nana said no, that it was time she stopped hiding out
and rejoined the world. She’d already made
arrangements for us to move to San Francisco. She
owned half of a Bed & Breakfast in one of the
Victorians, and we would stay there until she found
more permanent housing for us.
Once in San Francisco, it seemed like no time at all
before we were out of the B&B and into a spacious
condo in a nice and quiet neighborhood. Nana had
gotten a part time job at the local library and
registered me in sixth grade for the fall.
That summer was a time of change. Nana and I were
working out how we fit together. The numbness
began to ease somewhat over that summer, but I
don’t think I was ever really a child after that. My
natural, happy nature was subdued. I often sat and
stared at nothing from our living room window.
Nana wanted me to go out and play with the other
kids, but I just didn’t feel like it. The thought that I’d
have to answer questions as the new kid and tell them
my parents died made my throat close up. So, instead,
I read a lot, watched movies, and best of all, I
discovered gaming. I was able to disappear into each
of those worlds for hours on end. Games kept me
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Nana’s ability was empathy. She knew what people
were feeling. That was why she had done her tarot
and crystal ball act back in the carnival. Mostly she
dealt with the living, but now and then one of the
dead would find her and she was able to sense them.
In the case of my parents, her tie with Mom was so
close she was actually able to see and hear her.
Nana told me about an old friend of hers who was a
telepath and psychic.
“This was years ago, when I was in my twenties. My
friend didn’t make a secret of what he could do and
often consulted with police. He didn’t get a lot of
attention in the papers or anything like some do, but
he was pretty consistent with his results. One day, he
disappeared. I have no idea where he went. He was
just gone. But I’m telling you, Fi, I knew he was alive.
I could feel his emotions - his pain, his fear.” She
paused, looking into the distance as she sometimes
did. “I still do.”
A chill ran through me as she looked straight into my
eyes. “Maybe I’m a foolish old woman, but since I
don’t feel old, I’m going to say I’m not. But we are
only safe if we keep our abilities to ourselves, Fiona.”
It was a lesson I’d never forget.
To continue reading, pick up Book 1 of the Modern
Magics series here: Relics at Amazon