Memories

Chapter 1

I'm going blind.

That's what the optometrist says, anyway. For the last two years my vision has been getting progressively worse. He can never figure out why, mostly because he wouldn't believe the reason if I told him. He just knows it's happening.

I'm not… too worried. After all, without my glasses I can still see clearly, about an inch in front of my face. The doctor said that at the rate it was going, it would probably be a few years.

Of course, this is the part I'm not sure about. I'm going blind because of one of my abilities: I can see the future. But I can't seem to see a future where I go completely blind.

This might, of course, just be some kind of cruel irony.

In the mean time, I spent most of my time being a normal eighteen-year-old guy. I even had a job at the bookstore in my local mall. Because when your vision is getting progressively worse, being surrounded by books with small text is obviously the best choice in life.

"Afternoon, Arthur!" the girl at the front counter called. I didn't talk to my coworkers a lot. Most of them were college students who took the job because they thought it would be easy. Who in the world reads books, after all?

"Arthur, could you do the shelf stocking today?" she asked as I headed for the staff room.

I didn't have to be psychic to see that one coming.

I held up a hand in a thumbs-up. "Can do!" I said.

Despite what she had asked me, she still followed me to the stock room. She had her nametag on, which was good since I couldn't for the life of me remember her name.

"Did you need something, Maria?" I said, glancing at the nametag.

She smiled at me, watching as I picked up a box of books.

It wasn't that Maria wasn't attractive, or anything. She was tall, thin, blonde, et cetera. She had plenty of guys coming in just to stare at her while pretending to look at magazines.

But still, she wasn't my… type. Considering that I consciously tried not to speak to her or the rest of my coworkers, though, she probably hadn't figured it out. She seemed like a 'plain English' kind of girl. As in plain English of "Sorry, Maria, I'm gay."

"We're getting off work at the same time today," she said, flipping her hair. She gave me her sparkling smile, complete with bleached-white teeth.

"My sister's coming. I told her I'd let her drive today." I left the stock room with a box of books in my arms before realizing I had no idea where I was supposed to put them.

Maria had been at the bookstore even longer than I had. She was a supervisor, in a way, if supervisor meant she had the power and didn't bother using it. And also that she liked to hit on me and any of my male coworkers.

I said I didn't talk to her. I never said I didn't listen.

"Hey Arthur, those go over here!" Maria called from halfway across the store.

I looked over, realizing that she was standing in the self-help section. I glanced down at the box of books. "Uh, right."

"I think you need to get your eyes checked," she said, smiling as I approached.

I adjusted my glasses. I had gotten my eyesight checked just last month, actually. With the impending prospect of me going blind, I had gotten to know my optometrist quite well. "Not everyone can be as perfect as you, Maria," I said.

Maria smiled, and she took the box of books from my arms.

"Why thank you," she said.

If it was that easy to get Maria to do her own work, I should've thought to start complimenting her a long time ago.

"You graduate this year, don't you?" Maria said as she started putting the books on the shelf. I hadn't really seen what they were, but I didn't necessarily care. I didn't spend much time in the self-help section.

"Yeah, but you're not getting rid of me that easy," I said. I leaned again the end of the shelf, folding my arms. "I'm just going to the community college for now."

"Can't bear leaving home?" Maria said.

"Something like that."

I started blinking rapidly, then frowned, holding my head. I had gotten a vision, one of Gwen falling to the floor and a couple people gathering around her. But my younger sister wasn't supposed to be around for a few hours. She'd never had much patience, and I wouldn't be getting off work until seven.

Still, except for one instance, my visions had never let me see very far into the future. When I had come into contact with a young girl named Lyra, who could also see the future, I had seen Gwen asking Grandma why she had strange visions when she touched people. That hadn't happened yet, after almost two years.

"Maria, cover me for a few minutes," I said, tossing her the box with the rest of the books we were supposed to stock. Maria caught it in her arms, ready to protest, but I didn't give her the chance. "I'll buy you a coffee or something. Just give me a few minutes!"

I looked through the glass walls after I left the store. Maria had gone back to the books, but her pretty face was ruined by a scowl. If I didn't have others, the fact that Maria got into a bad mood so easily might've been a reason to reject her.

Tristan had never even frowned. Not around me, anyway.

Gwen was in the music store when I found her, and it only took me two minutes and one unfortunate collision with a mall cop on a Segway. The thing was going probably three miles an hour, so it was more embarrassing than anything.

My sister was standing near the front, a pair of headphones over her ears. They were attached to a CD sample machine and she had a smile on her face as she listened.

I shook my head. My visions had never been wrong, but Gwen wasn't in danger by any meaning of the word. I was about to go back to the bookstore when Gwen pulled the headphones off. She waved to someone.

Well, that explained why she was there early. It was her friend Ashley. She was a nice girl, but an obvious victim of parents who were more than willing to spoil an only child.

I shook my head and turned as Ashley grabbed a hold of Gwen's wrist. I put a hand in the pocket of my jeans, searching for some dollar bills. Even if it had been ultimately pointless, I still owed Maria a coffee for letting me leave.

"Gwen!"

Ashley's voice yelled over the usual buzz of the crowd. I turned back around in time to see Gwen fall backwards, her eyes closing like she had been knocked unconscious. Ashley wasn't strong enough to keep her on her feet.

I ran, reaching a hand forward. Gwen stopped in midair and Ashley pulled her forward by her wrists. Gwen was still barely conscious, and neither girl seemed to suspect that they were getting help.

With Gwen secure in Ashley's arms, I let my mental grip go. One of the workers, a guy about my age, came out from behind the counter, but I got there before him.

"Arthur…" Ashley said. She was more than willing to hand Gwen over to me, and she watched me, pushing a piece of her long, strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder. Normally she was awkward around me for any number of possible reasons, but even she was concerned about Gwen.

I have three powers: visions, telekinesis, and the ability to block other's powers, at least temporarily. I hadn't used my final power in a long time. When I essentially cut ties with Katherine and her nephew, I hadn't met many people with powers, and even fewer that posed a threat. I still knew how to use it, though.

Gwen's body jolted as I put a hand to her forehead. Ashley and the store clerk looked surprised, but neither seemed willing to ask what I had done.

"She has a fever," I said, helping Gwen to her feet. She didn't have the energy to protest. "I'll take her home."