MirrorStep: a Psi-Kicks story by: GF Willmetts.

‘You didn’t give your name?’

‘I didn’t. Call me Jones.’

‘First name?’

‘Mister.’

The detective looked at the light-haired man, who smiled back.

‘The PC who brought you in said you were gesturing at the woman in mid-air and seemed to slow her down…like a conjuring trick. She didn’t even land in the river but landed beside you. Was it?’

‘Was it what?’

‘A conjuring trick.’

‘I was just passing. I get arrested for saving someone’s life?’

‘You’re helping us with our enquires. You haven’t asked if she was all right.’

The man closed his eyes and then looked up. ‘She’s in a psychiatric ward. Tranquilised.’

‘Considering you haven’t contacted anyone, you’re well informed. Know who she is, Mr. Jones?’

The man shook his head. ‘Not at this distance. I was in the right place at the right time.’

‘Does that happen a lot?’

‘Not often enough or I might have saved the other two women.’

‘Its also reported that you pulled her off the bridge.’

‘I was on the other side of the road from the bridge. What did they think I was pulling her with?’ The man flexed his arms. ‘Do they look stretchable?’

‘That’s what we were curious about as she wasn’t killed in the fall. You were the only one gesturing.’

‘So what crime am I being accused of?’

‘Your statement did not make sense. The people near you describe an electric charge. High static. The women’s hair spread out. Like they’ve touched a static ball.’

‘So?’

‘You were the only one not affected.’

The man shrugged. ‘I was lucky. I don’t use hairspray. Hardly a crime.’

‘This was the third this week off this bridge. The only survivor.’

‘I wasn’t there at the other two occasions.’

‘Would it have made any difference?’

‘Do they have any other similarities other than being women?’

‘Pardon?’

‘Time of day. Day of week. Special event?’

‘You’ll be asking to see their files next.’

The man smiled. ‘That would be appreciated but my colleague upstairs is already making a copy. We don’t want a fourth jumper.’

‘I wasn’t aware we had a series of suicides.’

‘Three women jumping all the same bridge over a week. Seems more than coincidence.’

‘Did the street cameras catch anyone there on all three occasions?

‘No. Colleague?’

‘We’re doing this off the record. I just need information off the record. Would you like to see my warrant card? It’ll keep things tidy in your memory.’

The police detective nodded and was handed the warrant card. It still identified the man as Jones. He had trouble with the details.

‘A mobile unit?’

‘We look at cases like this. Shall we continue. If I wasn’t there before then I couldn’t have been responsible for the two women who did die or the shock they received? Whatever caused it might not even have been aware of what happened. The fall would have killed them as much as drowning.’

The detective shook his head. He was no longer running the conversation.

‘We’re just here looking for connections. This isn’t really a police job other than reported suicides. There doesn’t appear to any connection but we’re here to see that it doesn’t happen again.’

There was a brief knock on the door and a blonde woman came in.

‘This is my colleague, Miss Smith. The detective has been very helpful. Anything useful?’

‘Unrelated. Different jobs. Different parts of town. If they knew each other, it would be in accidental places.’

‘Now, detective. You’ve got a cordon blocking the bridge. Leave it in place for the moment and my people will contact you when you can move it.’

+++++++0000000++++++++

It was late evening when they arrived at the bridge. The traffic was moving on a detour around the bridge but the pavement of the jumped was strung off with ‘Work In Progress’ signs either side. Ignoring them, Lancier and Adams strolled along it. Apart from the police, they had ate a meal as well. Neither of them had really spoken about the subject.

‘I wish it took more than a penny for your thoughts, Chris. I’m surprised they missed the connection, especially at the same spot.’

‘Like the reports you found. There’s no connection between the three women other than passing the same spot. Until I saved this lady. Wrong place. Wrong time. Just a sensitive.’

‘Have you been conferencing?’

Lancier studied her. He couldn’t penetrate a Blank’s head but she was learning body language.

‘The others don’t have any ideas neither. At most, all three women were at most sensitives not psionic. If it isn’t them, then it must be the place.’

‘It didn’t stop you rescuing her.’

‘I couldn’t let her die. That’s why we’re up here this time. Drag me back if I decide to jump.’

‘You think that will happen?’

‘People walk this path all the time, why only these three?’

‘They were women. Sensitives. Maybe we should have brought Mary. At least she could float down.’

‘The farsighters were specific it had to be me.’

‘Only because you got her down safely and I manipulate energy. We need to find some more telekinetics. A lot of this work is coming down to me or Sheena. At least its not Pattern this time.’

‘We’ll have to talk to Sara. Everyone’s still shaken by that reality shift.’

‘Even you?’

‘Found something we Blanks aren’t immune to, so yeah.’

‘Reality shifting changed things around us. It couldn’t penetrate your minds.’

‘I hope that doesn’t happen too often.’

Lancier staggered.

‘What is it?’

Lancier stood upright and stretched out. To Courtney Adams, that was all it would look like to any bystander or the police earlier. From what she knew, Lancier was doing far more with his mind and best not to interrupt him. A full scan. Not to get in the way of where he was pointing. Slowly, he slipped down and sat on the ground.

‘No lightshow?’

Lancier shook his head. ‘Something’s here. We’re just a little early.’

‘Those three girls were over a week. That’s a long wait.’

‘It opens more often than that. They were here at the wrong time. It feels like someone was sending a message for help. It had the wrong effect.’

‘Enough to make them jump?’

‘Sensitives tend to be unstable, not knowing what they are receiving. Like empaths only their interpretations tend towards the supernatural.’

‘And now?’

‘The cry for help wasn’t from them. Someone else was calling out.’

From that reality? Mary said she encountered two children that were out of time.’

Lancier shook his head. ‘Someone’s exploiting the rift. I’m going to scan and feed energy into it. If there’s anyone there, can you grab and pull back?’

‘Of course. Do you want me to call anyone?’

‘Sara’s on her way. So is Sheena. We need to know where it leads.’

‘You’re not planning to go through?’

‘It’s not that stable. Not keen on being a prisoner again. Not without a real way back.’

‘So why would it open again?’

‘That’s what we’re going to find out. I’m a more powerful bait.’

‘When?’

‘Sara is ten minutes away. I’m holding it shut.’

‘Should have asked Mary. At least she could fly or whatever she does.’

‘She’s looking after her pet in Scotland.’

‘The Fey?’

‘Callane and Katya are showing her baby to relatives. Abroad with Mac.’

‘Sheena?’

‘She’s nearly here. But she’s got a little further to go.’ Lancier’s eyes glazed briefly. ‘She’s hitching a lift.’

‘At least they won’t remember her mind control.’

‘What about Abby? Lull will at least calm things down.’

‘Too far away. Its dark. Don’t forget the sharing even with three of us. That’s why I haven’t called Harbinger or Scobie.’

‘And I’m the only Blank.’

‘I could get one of them to ring Bianca. She’s seeing her folks not far from here.’

‘She’s learning slowly but it’s a grind. Lennie and Eddie are on an advanced driving course.’

‘Do you think the police ought to divert the traffic?’

‘From them?’

‘From here. We don’t want sightseers down there again. I’m also losing grip. This portal is opening up.’

Courtney sped-dialled her phone. ‘Just telling the police to let them through. No sense crashing the barrier.’

Suddenly, there was a hole opening up with light shining through. Inside appeared to be a cell and arms reaching out.

‘Help me, Court.’

Dropping her phone, Courtney caught one arm and Lancier the other and all three with a burst of energy shot across the road. The Blank could only stare as the hole faded away rather than close. Lancier was unconscious and the tall woman seemed to be rejuvenating absorbing energy from him. A prisoner that needed to be rescued?

A car sped to a halt and Sara Seeker stepped out. A car further back was just arriving. The tall woman approached Sara. All Courtney could give a thought to was her gun but her bag was on the other side of the road.

Even the quick-witted Sara was no match and dropped at her touch.

‘Let her go or I’ll shoot’, she warned, making as if she had her gun.

The vampiri looked almost feral turned and ran to the bridge edge and leapt.

Moments later, Sheena Ramone was there, scanning the situation, touched Sara Seeker for an obvious share.

‘Find Fernfaire, Royal Court.’

She then leapt over the bridge edge herself.

‘There’s a river…’

Courtney rushed to the edge, expecting to see Sheena coming up for air from the cold water. Instead, she was floating above the river moving towards the side. The Blank looked around. No one out at night seemed to have spotted the booster rooster as she landed lightly on the ground.

Sheena closed her eyes, taking in what it was like to share Sara Seeker’s tracking ability. It wasn’t like she centred on looking for one person, she saw flashes of light across the city. The real trick was pinpointing only on one. Sara must target on signatures. She thought psionic and instantly felt the still forms of Lancier and Sara up on the bridge. Their energies were dim but slowly building. They had been fed on. Vampiri? There was a powerful energy source heading towards the nearby mall. Did the Vampiri have places to hide around here? Whoever she was, wasn’t going in a straight line. What would Sara do? Better to get ahead than just follow.

There wasn’t time to contact Courtney Adams but she would no doubt be contacting the rozzlers to cordon off the area even if she didn’t know how far. If this Vampiri had taken out two powerful Psionics, norms wouldn’t stop her. Was that why she was a prisoner?

Sara’s ability was proving useful to give her the least effort to get to the right point. She’d only touched her briefly. Not long enough for a sustained share. Psionic leeches. A need not to let her touch. Sheena clenched her fist and a nearby bin buckled. Could a Vampiri absorb energy holding her?

Insulation. Wheelie bin. Plenty of time to find one but the amount of psionic energy she had would make her the target. School playground or shopping mall? The former won. There were some lights on in the school but the main lights were highlighting the playground. Any caretakers and cleaners would have to be controlled. Her thoughts were racing as she moved ever into pro-mode.

Everything but the Vampiri dropping out of the sky and grabbing her head. There was a cackling of energy causing all the nearby lights to flicker and the two women split and face each other.

‘You’ll get indigestion, leechie, if you try that again. You’ve been over-eating.’

Sheena paused. She was sharing off a Vampiri. Absorbing the energy. The Vampiri seemed oblivious to it as they sized each other up, looking for a sign of weakness. Unlike the Vampiri, Sheena didn’t have to touch to absorb her energy but she could manipulate it. Lightning rose into the sky, accompanied by rumbles of thunder as it discharged. The school playground was going to need a refit.

The Vampiri tried to flee but collapsed onto the ground. Sheena gestured and the wheelie bin came to her, tipped and she sat on its side.

An hour later, Fernfaire and Courtney Adams arrived. The playground was littered with dirtied patches from the lightning that had earthed itself. Both stood stunned before the male Vampiri went and examined his colleague.

‘How’s Sara and Lancey, Royal Court?’

‘Recovering. You appeared to have returned most of their energy.’

‘Not all, dontchanow. Had to keep lady leechie alive.’

‘Forgive me for not touching you, Ms. Ramone. We hadn’t realised how alike we were.’

‘She couldn’t leech from me. I was ready.’ Sheena paused. ‘Just stopping her.’

‘Who is she, Fernfaire?’ Courtney asked.

‘Olicia Noctoree.’ She’s been missing for a couple years.’

‘Chris and I pulled her out of a cell from somewhere.’

‘She must have been hungry for a while.’

‘So that was a result of over-eating?’

The Vampiri nodded. ‘It also means the other two might be in the same place. You did the right thing. We try not to absorb too much energy but this is the first time I’ve seen it after starvation.’

‘No wonder those three women she reached out to jumped. Must have scared the shit out of them.’

‘It wasn’t deliberate, dontchaknow? She tried to absorb my energy to. I shared and drew it back.’

‘I’m grateful,’ Fernfaire nodded. ‘You did the right thing.’

‘Does that make me part-Vampiri? How would I know?’

Fernfayre looked sharply at the Sheena. ‘You’re still a Psionic.’

She offered him a piece of gum and declined before chewing herself and gave him a wink. ‘I look great in a mirror.’

end

© Psi-Kicks, Blanks, Chris Lancier, Sara Seeker, Sheena Ramone, Courtney Adams, Olicia Noctoree, Fernfaire  GF Willmetts 2024 – all rights reserved.