Excerpt: Use of Power

Leaning down as close to the lock as possible, she whispered, "Unlock," with all the authority she could muster in the cold, and was rewarded with the distinct sound of her front door unlocking. And the sound of three doors belong to neighbour's houses downwind of her unlocking as well. She groaned silently. At least it was only three. A little louder and the whole neighbourhood would have unlocked doors. Miserably, she steeled herself and went down street, pausing at each of the three doors to instruct them to lock, making sure to be specific this time.

By the time she arrived home, she was so cold she couldn't feel her arms or legs, and her face felt stiff. Logically, she understood that even with the wind in the dead of winter, it wasn't nearly cold enough outside to have this effect on her. Nevertheless, as she stiffly tried to remove her bag and jacket, it was obvious she was on the verge of frostbite in several places.

She wandered into the kitchen and made herself some hot chocolate, silently encouraging the water to boil faster as she tried to warm herself up near the fireplace, wincing slightly as she started to thaw. The kettle whistled loudly, startling her as it always did. Maybe her teacher had a point, she thought as she stirred the chocolate powder into the hot water. Maybe she did daydream too much. She blew gently on the hot chocolate and wandered into the living room to curl up in her favourite chair near the window. Outside, the wind howled, and she was struck with a sudden feeling of loneliness. She shook her head to clear it and glanced at the clock. Her parents would probably be home late. She had a few hours to herself.

Clutching her drink tightly, she went upstairs and into her room. A couple years back, in a moment of courage, she'd had it sound proofed (told it to be sound proof) so she could speak without fear. Still, she limited her speaking to Fridays, in the hope that she could keep herself from getting too used to it and speaking in public. Settling into a lotus position, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Her hearing was, she had to admit, supernaturally good. Given the unique quality of her voice, she figured that was probably a side effect. Lately she'd been testing its limits, trying to see exactly what she could do. The more she knew, she reasoned, the better chances she had of keeping herself safe from her own abilities.

As she slowed her breathing and concentrated on her hearing, she started picking up more and more sounds. The sound of the heater. The sound of the house creaking in the wind. The sound of her heart beating and her blood flowing. Numerous other things she seemed to identify almost by instinct. Then, slowly, she tried to block them out, one by one. Eventually, all she could hear was the sound of the air moving around her. Then, with a slight tremor, she blocked that out too.