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  It had been difficult to fall asleep that night; she tossed and turned, finally succumbing to a fitful sleep around two am.

  When Caitlyn opened her eyes to greet the day, she knew something was off. Very off. She shivered, snuggling deeper into the too thin sleeping bag trying desperately to get warm. The meteorologist had predicted that it was going to be a picture perfect eighty-two degree day. Her body reacted as if it were ten degrees inside the apartment.

  Caitlyn considered staying in bed for a while longer. Maybe if she just rested a little more… No. She determined. She had promised Garrett that she would see him one last time, and besides, Caitlyn was not going to let her illness dictate her life on today of all days. It was too important and she had waited so long. She earned this.

  Finally wrestling out of the sleeping bag, Caitlyn slowly prepared for the day, savoring one last hot shower in her apartment, relishing the heat that enveloped her. She rubbed her arms for warmth as she dressed, mourning the fact that she had already packed all of her sweaters, instead choosing to throw on the only long sleeve shirt that she had.

  “Good Morning, Kit Kat.” Garrett greeted her by the nickname he had given her as she opened the apartment door. Her friend frowned as he took in her appearance. “You don’t look so hot. Are you okay?”

  “Well, good morning to you too.” She took the cup of coffee that Garrett pushed in front of her, drinking in the hot liquid gratefully. It warmed her insides briefly. “I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well last night is all.”

  Garrett’s eyes rose. Caitlyn could clearly tell that he did not believe her but did not try to push further. “So today is your last day…”

  “My last day. I can’t believe it is here.”

  “So, have you finally decided where you are going?”

  She was ashamed to admit it, but she had not given it much thought since she met the recruiter a little over two weeks ago. Sure, she thought about it now and again as she had packed, but could not decide on a place that was alluring to her. “No. I suppose I will just have to get on the first flight and take it from there.”

  Garrett grinned. “I was counting on that. Well, I have an idea. You have no limitations, right? You have your passport?”

  “Of course I do. No limitations.” She failed miserably in attempting to appear excited as she cast her eyes downward towards the floor. The room had begun to spin, the crisp lines of the room blurring, and she blinked hard, trying to get through what appeared to be vertigo. Caitlyn knew she could push through this. After all, she always did in the past.

  She heard Garrett continuing the conversation in the background. “Well, why not let fate decide?”

  Caitlyn looked up, surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “Come back to my apartment and you’ll see. Besides, based on how fine you appear to be feeling, it’s probably best if we make breakfast there.”

  She did have to admit that being on a comfortable couch sounded much more alluring than being in a restaurant or sitting on an old diner bench.

  Within minutes, they had hopped into his car and traveled through the college campus. She took in the sites of the familiar buildings, knowing they would be a faint memory soon enough. The old side streets led away from the campus and soon gave way to the big house that was made of old brick with ivy travelling attractively up the side. Caitlyn was envious when comparing it to her tiny place.

  “I still can’t believe you live here.”

  “Well remember, I did get stuck with the third floor.”

  She scoffed. “More like lucked out. It is the only apartment on that floor and it is huge.”

  It was her third time entering the apartment, and she was still enamored with it. The apartment was warm and comfortable, filled with rich tones and beautiful hardwood floors. Not what she expected for an apartment that was so close to the college. She was used to second hand mismatched furniture and decorations that consisted of posters and empty drink containers.

  “I still haven’t asked you, how did you find this place? I love the traditional architecture.”

  He shrugged. “I wish I could take credit. But the company already owned the building and had it furnished. All I had to do was move in. Honestly, my taste is a little more modern.”

  The company. Caitlyn had been surprised to learn that he was not actually military, but instead a recruiter for one of the largest computer manufacturing firms in the world, Trust Corporation. From what Caitlyn gathered, he was recruiting recent and soon to be graduates for open positions. Caitlyn figured he would not have difficulty with that task, as Trust Corporation was one of the most renowned technology firms in the country; most college students would give an arm to get their foot even in the door for that company. Trust Corporation was known for being very exclusive.

  “So what are we doing here? Besides breakfast I mean.”

  Garrett pointed to a large globe standing on a pedestal in the corner of the room. Caitlyn immediately understood. Before she could respond, another bout of nausea overtook her. She turned away quickly from her friend, bending over. As much as she tried to make it look discreet and hide it, she could not completely, and he placed his arm on her shoulder to steady her.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you should wait a few days to leave. I know your lease is up, but you can always stay here. I can sleep on the couch.”

  She stayed bent for a minute before standing back up to look at him with determination. “Thank you, but no. The doctors have run every test imaginable and have come up with nothing. I am not delaying my life any longer.”

  Garrett scrunched his face, but nodded nonetheless. “Well, if that is your choice…”

  “It is.”

  He sighed before beckoning her with his hand. “Well, then come over here.”

  Caitlyn hadn’t even realized he had walked over to the globe. As she walked over to where Garrett stood, he stepped out of the way of the globe and moved behind her. She couldn’t help but note the close proximity of his body to hers. He instructed her to close her eyes and point her finger on the globe.

  “I am going to give it a spin and wherever it lands, you go… provided it’s not the middle of the ocean.”

  It was a good idea and she did as directed. She heard him spin the globe. The steady rhythm of the turns calmed her mind, and she found herself leaning into Garrett’s chest, enjoying the hint of pine that lingered in his clothing from the cologne he wore. Caitlyn couldn’t help thinking how nice his touch felt when bright colored spots suddenly appeared behind her eyelids. She felt the globe come to a slow stop under her finger. She faintly registered Garrett telling her somewhere in the background, “Open your eyes, I think you will be happy with where it landed.”

  She tried to comply and focus her eyes on where her finger landed, but non-distinguishable blurbs of color of white, blues, and greens greeted her instead.

  And then everything went to hell.

  A million flames felt like they were scorching her body, coursing through every muscle fiber, consuming her whole. Her body then plunged into an icy depth as if drowning into the coldest seas. She shook violently, her head erupting in pain.

  Caitlyn heard herself scream. She was dying. She thought fleetingly that she would never go on that great adventure, would never use her degree, and would never get to see any of the people she cared about again. The last thing she would ever feel was a strong pair of arms catching her as she finally gave into the darkness that surrounded her.

  Chapter 2

  Garrett stroked her face gently as she began to stir and awaken. She blushed in embarrassment as he held her head, peering down at her. “Well, hello sleepyhead.”

  She stretched her legs tentatively before responding. Immediately, she noticed she felt different. The continual achiness, the chills, the pain, they had all gone. Her head did not have the dull ache she had become accustomed to over the past few months, she felt good. No, that wasn’t right. She felt great.

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nbsp; Suppressing her mortification at passing out in front of him, she asked him the first question that popped in her head. “How long was I out for?”

  Garrett’s face quickly lifted up to a clock that hung on the wall. “Eighteen hours and seventeen minutes.”

  She sat up in a panic, her eyes flashing in alarm as she gaped at Garrett. “Eighteen hours? I’ve been out for eighteen hours?”

  Garrett placed a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. She couldn’t help but notice the relief written on his face. “Yes. Feeling better? You look healthier.”

  Caitlyn did not know why she was not in a hospital room right that moment. A normal person would have called an ambulance, especially if the person had not woken back up. She glanced around, realizing that she was in a bedroom. Garrett’s bedroom. Grudgingly she answered, “Umm…Much better actually. I feel like myself again.”

  He cocked his head, “Anything different?”

  She did not know what he meant by that, but when he mentioned it, she realized that nothing was different, yet everything was. Caitlyn felt as if she had been seeing everything in a haze her entire life. The chairs, windows, and plants, everything was now in sharp focus, it was like she had suddenly switched from a tube television to a high definition flat screen. She could smell everything around her, the plants that Garrett had in his apartment let off a soft floral scent, like a rose. Garrett smelled like pine and fresh soap. The blankets she sat on felt incredibly soft, and she swore she could feel every fiber, every thread count on his sheets.

  Every sense of Caitlyn's was suddenly enhanced. It was amazing. She woke up to a completely new world.

  Garrett's smirk returned as it dawned on her the differences. “It's amazing the first time you truly awaken, isn't it?”

  Caitlyn's look of wonder did not cease. “Everything… Everything is different. I can't describe it. You even look different!”

  And Garrett did. While it was impossible for one not to acknowledge Garrett was good looking, she never noticed all the little details. She had noticed his eyes were hazel in color previously, but she now could see every brown and green fleck that made up his eye color. She could see that his hair, while predominantly dirty blond, actually was made up of seven different shades of blond strands. His jaw line was strong but had several small scars lining it, and his nose was straight, with the exception of a miniscule bump in the middle she had never noticed before.

  “Garrett, what do you mean, when you awaken? What is happening to me?” Caitlyn asked, trying to keep her voice calm. At first, she was thrilled just with the idea that she was still alive and not dying, but now that she was on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, she did not know if that scared her more. She inched away from him cautiously. She had trusted him, but the reality was, she had only known him for several weeks. What if he had done something to her? Did he possibly drug her somehow? “What did you do to me?”

  “You've changed, Caitlyn, just like I did six years ago. It's what our kind calls, ‘The Awakening,’when it happens. You see-”

  “Wait. Our kind? What the hell do you mean by our kind?” She stood up quickly, grateful that she was still in yesterday’s clothes. Never taking her eyes off the man, she moved quickly towards the door.

  Garrett looked at her softly, holding up his index finger indicating for her to listen. “I promise I will explain fully.”

  She was stuck between thinking she should run away and listening to him. She paused, her hand grasping tightly on his door handle, indecision written over her face.

  Garrett used her moment of uncertainty as an indicator to keep on talking. “You see, you were born a normal human, just like every other person. However, there is a gene that splits and evolves over time for a select amount of humans. For most people it starts at around the age of fifteen or sixteen. That’s when we can tell if someone is a Potential or not. Prior to that, you look and act the same as everyone else.”

  She stared at him as if he was crazy. He probably was crazy. That was what people in mental institutions said. Worse yet, he probably belonged to some kind of strange cult and that is what he was really recruiting for. He was probably trying to add Caitlyn to his numbers.

  But a feeling nagged at her that he was telling the truth. She thought upon the last month and couldn’t help but think of the various people she had seen that never looked right to her. Never releasing the grip on the door, she asked almost timidly, “Is that what I see when I notice someone appears more unfocused than others?”

  “Exactly. You pick up quickly. Although, look at me now. What do you see?”

  Caitlyn looked at Garrett, and she noticed for the first time, where before he was a tad out of focus, she now observed that he had more of a slight aura about him. She fumbled a little at the door. Maybe she wasn’t better after all. Maybe he did slip her something. Because what she saw was not normal. Still, she couldn’t help but answer. “You are no longer out of focus. You have more of a glow, but it’s only when I concentrate.”

  Garrett clasped his hands behind his back as he walked towards her. “I had the same thing happen to me. I started noticing about a month before the change that people were out of focus, fuzzy. I felt like I needed glasses on top of everything else happening to me, but once the change happens, all the sickness goes away. Your body completes the transformation and the others no longer look out of focus, they have a different glow based on if they are an Actual or Potential.”

  Her mind began to race with the reality of what he was saying. “This is crazy! Our kind? Actual? Potential? Glows?” When she realized that she was shaking, she paused. She could not afford to be weak in this moment in case she needed a quick getaway. She straightened up, meeting his unwavering gaze. “What am I?”

  Garrett’s fingers grasped at Caitlyn lightly. She moved away from his touch. He sighed as if expecting that reaction and moved back across the room. “That Caitlyn, is the million dollar question. We are all slightly different; none of us are exactly the same.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, most of us can use telepathy and have telekinesis, although the extent to which everyone can do this varies greatly. And then others…”

  Caitlyn held up her hand. Now she knew he was out of his mind. “Wait. Telepathy? Telekinesis? You’re joking, right? This is all some sick joke that you are playing on me. I mean, that is all fake.”

  “No, it’s not. Think about it, Caitlyn. This ability has been in our DNA for centuries. Think about occurrences of Déjà vu, or people that claim to be able to bend spoons with their minds. Not every story is a fabrication. It’s just a lesser form of what we are. Some of us can quicken the healing process. You’ve heard of people that claim to be miracle workers, haven’t you? While there are a lot of frauds out there, there are some that are generally capable, but for whatever reason, their bodies have not taken the full leap that ours has.”

  She decided to play along. “So, how do you figure out exactly what I am? What I’m capable of?”

  “Basically, we won't be sure what you can do till you start the mentoring process.”

  Caitlyn's brow furrowed. “The mentoring process?”

  Garrett grabbed a chair, indicating for her to do the same. She shook her head no.

  He frowned faintly at the rejection. “Every one of us that go through the Awakening has been given a mentor, to teach us, to learn from. That mentor helps them with the Awakening and follows them for weeks prior to make sure it is as smooth of a transition for them as possible.” He broke eye contact for the briefest of moments with her. “That's why I am here.”

  “So, you are saying that you are my mentor.”

  “Yes. I am here to guide you and to teach you. Could you imagine going through this on your own? We try to find every Potential before they Awaken. It can be a very daunting task.”

  “So when I met you several weeks ago, you just pretended to be my friend.” Caitlyn responded sharply, unable to keep th
e hurt tone out of her voice.

  “I didn't pretend anything, Caitlyn. It was easy to become friends with you. You are a very likable person and a good one at that. While yes, our initial meeting in the bar was premeditated, our friendship was… is, genuine. Becoming your friend first is not a requirement. I became your friend because I like you as a person. I am fond of you, Caitlyn.”

  She made the decision to turn the doorknob. She needed to get out, she was suffocating and he was mad as a hatter. The walls were closing in around her and she recognized that she was having a panic attack. She fled from the apartment as fast as her feet would take her. Garrett quickly rose from his seat, following her.

  She practically sprinted out of the main entrance to the building. She thought that the fresh night time air might make it better, might clear her head, but it only made it worse. Caitlyn was assaulted by the sound of the cars on the street, feet shuffling along the pavement, and the putrid smell of the garbage can by the door. Her eyes scanned the scene in front of her. Just like with Garrett, everything was sharper, clearer. She could see that even in the dark, the building that was across the street had small fissures throughout the foundation that were too small for the human eye to see. Caitlyn could pick out the individual blades of grass from the yard down the road, and could smell the cherry pie they must have had for dessert that evening from inside the house.

  Could he be telling the truth? Was she really some evolved human with super abilities? She knew that all of this was not normal. It was all too much. Caitlyn bent her head down between her legs, resting her palms on her knees. Shaking, she felt like she was going to be sick. She wanted to make it stop.

  She felt a set of hands touch her shoulders lightly, steadying her, raising her body back up. Concern outlined Garrett’s face. “It will be okay. I know this is a lot of information to absorb and we have barely skimmed the surface. I am sure it feels like everything is flying out of control and you are holding on for dear life. The best thing to do right now is take it day by day and it will get easier.”