Free Whisper Cape by Susan Griscom Page B

of a sudden, it blared on.
    “Yes!” Addie jumped with excitement.
    “Hmmm ... I wonder what the sparks are for then. Could they hurt someone?” Inspired, Addie walked to the kitchen and retrieved a slice of bread from the package. Placing it in the sink just to be safe, she stuck out her hand, fingers outstretched, and focused on the bread, the sparks, and the toast. Nothing happened.
    She straightened. “Huh. What do I need to do here? The sparks come easily when I turn on the TV, why won't they now? What do I need to think about?”
    She glanced around the apartment hoping for a clue and picked up the note again. “‘She will soon inherit the powers.’ There's more than one power. What are they?”
    She went back to the kitchen, eyed the bread. “What does bread need to become toast? Heat.”
    Once again, she positioned her hands. Not only did she think of heat, but of fire. She pictured flames blazing from her fingers, until a small bolt of lightning flashed toward the bread and burned it to a crisp.
    “Whoa, that was sort of scary.” Shaken, Addie decided to hold off on experimenting with sparks and fire for now. Exhaustion took hold so she brushed her teeth, and pulled on a long-sleeved shirt she liked to sleep in.
    “I should check the internet to see if I can find anything about other people with strange abilities. Tomorrow,” she yawned. There’s got to be some explanation. I don’t want to turn into some freak. Unable to keep her eyes open another second, she fell fast asleep soon after her head hit the pillow.
     
    ***
     
    Addie ran through the darkness, her legs heavy, the forest floor littered with sticks and mottled with holes. She tripped and scrambled to her feet, wiping at the tears stinging her eyes. She could hear it breathing as it drew closer, then a faint groan and her body trembled as she realized the sound came from her throat. She needed to hide. Her legs had grown sluggish, and she couldn’t run much farther. Veering to the left, Addie jumped over a fallen tree trunk and tumbled down the short slope on the other side, landing on her back. She rolled over, exhausted. The smell of dirt and leaves filled her nostrils and, using every ounce of strength she could muster, she managed to crawl to a little alcove in the thicket.
    Every bone in her body trembled. Branches dangled from above and sharp twigs stuck her from behind. Her heart pounded against her chest when her foot slipped and she froze, not daring to make a sound. A loud thump, perhaps the drum of her heart, but then the trees shook. Another thump, and another. Leaves scattered. The limp branches vibrated. Addie covered her ears as the sound became deafening. Then everything grew quiet. It stood outside just inches from her. It reached, its long bony fingers clawing at her; pulling her up by her throat, her dangling feet kicking violently. “Daddy, please help me!” Addie choked and woke with a start.
    She sat up, gasping, drew her knees close to her chest, buried her face in her arms, and rocked. Her body shook and she wiped away the tears trickling down her cheeks. Tears weren’t going to help. Nothing could help. Her dad couldn’t come to her rescue. Not this time—not ever again.
    “Why, Daddy, why is this happening? What do I need to be kept safe from?”
    In the bathroom, Addie splashed water on her face, hoping to wash away the nightmare that always seemed so real. She studied herself in the mirror. Her brown eyes, puffy and laced with red lines, stung. She opened the medicine cabinet and saw the pills the doctor had given her. She picked up the container and stared at it, tapping her finger on the top.
    No, I won’t take them. I refuse to live my life in a fog. Drugs only temporarily mask the pain. I need to face it. I need to find out why.
    Placing the pills back in the cabinet, she left the bathroom.
    “Coffee, I need coffee.”
    Addie shuffled to the kitchen, squinted at the light coming in through the window,