I walked inside the HOME centre. After helping Brit with her power at the hospital, I thought I’d go see someone about mine. Inside, it was empty. Well, almost. An elderly couple sat in the corner under the wait here sign. I sat down a few rows in front of them.
My power kickstarted again. Popups surrounded my vision, all information linking to the couple. It starts with the height, weight, age, sex, name etc. Then I start to see some videos of recent and memorable history. Then the power popups appear. They’re red when the others are grey. The woman, Theresa, she has a lie Detection power. More information appears as I read on. When someone lies in front of her, she feels a burning sensation on her brain and she’s linked it to a neurological problem with her doctor. But recently she’s been getting more, and only her husband helps soothe the pain. When he speaks to her, he only tells the truth so it numbs the feeling.
A man came into the room. I recognised him, but everyone knew who he was. The Boss as people call him. He grabbed her hand with his head down and then stared into her eyes. I saw a popup. Empathic Architectural Animation, it read. The ability to read someone’s power and use it to create objects and buildings. It was indifferent but I saw his plans. And then I saw the entire building. You don’t know from the outside but the building carries on downstairs. I saw the plans and then I saw the people he met. Countless popups of new people with powers.
It was too much. I turned my head.
He noticed. He asked me if I was okay and I told him of my power, head still turned to the side. He welcomed me and pointed towards the door downstairs. “I’m sure you know where you’re going” he said and I walked down alone.