Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #17 August 2015 | Page 9

Tener carefully placed his pen on the paper,
Rubi shrugged irritably.
holding it up with telekinesis. He was more cautious
than usual with this, it was imperative not to make a
“I can’t picture it. It’s too vague, and I don’t
stupid mistake again. He closed his eyes and conceneven know what to look for. They never even told us
trated.
how to do it!”
The bonding point is situated in the centre of
Tener distinctly remembered the instructions,
the mind and it holds the very essence of the person.
but he quickly nodded anyway just to reassure his girlThe words slowly appeared in his mind, and the friend.
pen moved under his hand. It was a basic trick they
“Maybe you can look at it and tell me what it
used on the very first lesson of Mind Writing. Ideally
they were supposed to do it without closing their eyes looks like?” Rubi jumped eagerly at the sudden bright
or lifting their hand. Tener was not too good at teleki- thought.
nesis, though.
Tener looked at her, appalled. They had been
“Just picture the words with your mind, like warned against establishing any telepathic contact unless it was first done in class. They already knew how
you are building them out of anything you want.”
to make the contact gesture and had learnt how to reach
Rubi took her pen with an unsteady hand and the first layer of their partner’s mind. This layer was a
asked, delaying the moment she’d have to let go of it: vague jumble of current thoughts because they couldn’t
distinguish between images yet. That said, Tener was
better at it than some, which was probably why Rubi
“Like clouds, for example?”
looked at him beggingly now.
“Sure, clouds are nice,” Tener urged her on re“Well, aren’t you in the least bit curious?” She
assuringly.
prompted when he didn’t answer. Tener had to admit to
Rubi sighed deeply and closed her eyes. She himself that he was, in fact, curious but probably not
let go of the pen, and it fell right onto the paper. Rubi with what the teachers had said.
peeked at it through half-closed eyelids, made an ex“Well, here. I am giving you permission and
asperated sound and started over. The pen didn’t fall
down this time. It shook a little but stayed upright. Oth- all,” Rubi pouted, raising her voice. “You know I won’t
er than that it didn’t move. Rubi looked like she was be able to understand it by myself in time. It’s as hard
making her best effort. She frowned and squeezed her as the Mind Writing, and it shouldn’t be because I’m
eyes shut as tightly as she could, but nothing happened. supposed to be good at it! Ugh, you are so irritating
Then t