Free Kinetics: In Search of Willow by Arbor Winter Barrow Page A

Gone
because of who?
    Because of me, whispered some angry
part of my mind.
    "Eugene!" Mom screamed and skidded to
the floor next to me. She pulled me into her arms and kissed my
head and my forehead. "You're safe. Oh, you're safe. My boy, my
little boy."
    "Mom. Mom. Mom." I could barely speak.
"They took her Mom. They took Willow."
    Mrs. Patterson was still on the floor
sobbing. Mom took one look at her and then held onto her like she
was a child. Moira Patterson's cries took over my entire world,
mimicking the raging battle inside my own soul.
    Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson and I
sat together at the back of the destroyed conference center. Jacob
had left with few words to our parents. As he left, the image of
the woman exploding under whatever power my brother had shook me. I
didn't dare look him in the eye.
    Through a window I saw a line of
InfoCon officers surrounding the conference center. "They're going
to remove the memories of this incident from the minds of the Non's
before it gets out." He said, following my gaze and came to sit
next to me at the table, pulling his chair close.
    Willow's mom was leaning against her
husband's shoulder with his arm around her. Her eyes were closed
and she shook with silent hiccups.
    "Dad, what was that? Who were
they?"
    Mom, Dad and Mr. Patterson exchanged
unreadable looks.
    "Eugene," Mom started. "There's
something we didn't tell you."
    Dad crossed his fingers, and held my
gaze. "We are in the middle of a war."
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER 8
     
    "I don't mind living with
Kinetics. They're human after all. And, yes: sometimes I get
jealous that I can't do what my wife or my children can do, but I
love them, so it's easy to forget that I'm
different."  ~ George Matheson. A
34-year-old non-Kinetic who married a Kinetic. How Nons Live with
Kinetics by Ralph Legend. 1992.
     

     
    "A war?" I asked.
    "Yes." Dad's face held no emotion. He
was watching for my response, I guess.
    I felt a headache forming. "With
who?"
    "Not a who, Eugene, but a what." He
loosened his hands and splayed them flat on the table. He seemed
deep in thought, and stared down at his hands. He swallowed as if
unsure that the words that wanted to come out of his mouth were the
right ones.
    "A...what?" I asked.
    "We, that is, our people,
have been involved in a war longer than humanity has been recording
history." Dad sat back and watched my face. I couldn't tell you
what was on my face because of all the absurd things I had
experienced in the past couple days. This was just the cherry on
top. "We are the Anyan's Alliance. They are the
Isiroan  Legion. We have been fighting
for humanity's future."
    I glanced between my Dad and Mom's
faces. Dad was serious. Mom was biting her bottom lip and rubbing
her arms like she was cold.
    "What, are… You said we were fighting
a 'what?'"
    Dad nodded. "The Isiroan Legion is led
by…" Dad didn't seem to know if he wanted to tell me, but he pushed
the words out. "It's led by an alien we know only as
Isiro."
    "An…alien?" First we have superpowers
and now aliens?
    "He came to Earth many thousands of
years ago, and the Alliance has been battling his efforts to
enslave the whole planet."
    "Why?"
    "Why, what?"
    "Why does he want to enslave
us?"
    "Well, that's what's under a lot of…
debate. The most common opinion is that he is raising an army from
us to continue a reign of terror across the galaxy. It is said that
he was initially banished here for that very reason."
    "But, it's been thousands of years.
How is he still alive?"
    Dad shook his head, "To be honest no
one really knows why he has managed to keep living so long. There
are speculations but… we can't say for certain."
    I took in a breath, trying to
understand this new concept. "How does Willow fit into all of
this?"
    "She… well, it may not be my place."
Dad stood and tugged at my shirt. "Come along. There is someone you
need to speak