Excerpt: Overmind: The Search

Chapter 22
The Pahrump Orphanage was sprawling complex, consisting of five connected long halls. After mentioning Brother Kare, the staff seemed quite eager to help, and directed him to a room where he could perform for Ash.

Kerric was shocked by Ash’s arrival. The boy was small for twelve, young face but with disproportionally large forehead, and missing his entire right arm. Kerric caught his reaction, and tried to focus on the dull color of the wall paint; he did not want to let the boy see his shock. The boy's head seemed to continually move up and down. When Kerric repeatedly prompted him to sit, the boy never stayed in the chair more than a few seconds.

“Hello Ash, while I am a magician, my main job is with the military, interviewing young people that develop opposite in most ways from their peers. Do you think that sounds like you?”

“What interview, where’s your camera then?

“Not a TV interview, more like a survey. I’ll just ask you some questions, and you would just answer as best you can. Would that be OK?”

“All your tests measure random crap! You think your testing me? All your questions are so stupid they don’t mean anything.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure you haven’t had these questions before, it’s a different kind of test, see there are no right or wrong answers on this one.”

“What’s the point then?”

“Just gives a sense of how you think, how you’ve developed different than other people. So you think tests don’t really show who you are?”

“It’s just like flipping coins. Don’t mean nothing. Hey, why ain’t you writing this down.”

“That wasn’t part of the test; but let’s get started. Imagine you see a bee land on your mother’s back. Swatting it with a rolled up magazine might hurt her,”

“Shut up,” interrupted Ash. “Who the fuck are you? Don’t you talk about that bitch or you’ll be feeling something worse than a bee sting.”

“It’s just a made up question, doesn’t really mean anything. We can go to the next. Your watching a movie, the ending is unhappy for the people in the story. How easily do you forgot stories like that.”

“Who cares? They’re just dumb movies.”

“You tell another person some major news about something happening at the school. You see their eyes and mouth move right when you tell them. Do you think you know what they are thinking?”

“Yeah, hope I don’t have to take that pile of crap test.”

Kerric sighed. Ash was getting on his nerves, but he didn’t want to show it, since he thought that would just egg Ash on. Kerric kept going with the test, but he knew Ash hostiles responses, rather than responses related to the question was going to make this part hard to score accurately.

Kerric’s frustration was barely under control as he set up for the psychic part of the test.

“Can I get the hell out of here now?” asked Ash.

“Thanks for answering my questions, but I have just one more part. I’m going to turn over some playing cards and look at what suit it is. I want you to imagine the cards, and just guess what the suits are.”

Kerric turned over the Ace of Clubs, “Clubs” said Ash. Next was two of Diamonds, “Diamonds”. Kerric thought he was just getting his lucky guessing in early. Then Ash got the next four right as well, now above average for the whole set. Kerric tried to relax and clear his mind; just pulling out cards. Kerric got near the end, and Ash still hadn’t missed one. Kerric looked around , the screen was up, no mirrors in the room. He turned over the 19th card, the jack of spades. He looked away from it right away. “Jack” said Ash. Kerric’s hand began to shake.

“Tell me the suit, Ash.”

“Uh, spades this time.”

Kerric stared at the card.

Ash said, “What you staring at. Those nudie cards? Lemme see.” Ash pulled away the screen and looked at the cards. “Boring. Don’t know why you’d want to stare at that all day. So were done?”

“One more,” said Kerric pulling out the twentieth card. “What suit Ash?”

“Thought we were done, man. Like Hearts. Whatever.”

Kerric looked again, it was a club. Kerric didn’t need to look at the scale for the test. He skipped straight to the sentences part of the test. His hands were clenched so tight his skin was turning white. He picked a random number, looked at the list of sentences, and repeated the sentence to himself. He turned the list over.
“Last part Ash, I’m going to think to myself, the one sentence, over and over. Tell me what I’m thinking.”

“How can I be any more annoying?”

“It’s not going to be something about me or you Ash. Wait 10 seconds and make another guess.”

“I can’t see my bloody target.”

Kerric just looked up at Ash. That was the sentence on the card, minus the word bloody. “Ash, is there any reason continue this test?”

“Sure, to keep annoying you with my witty answers.”

Kerric’s is blood ran even colder, he had been just thinking about how tense he had been, having this violent delinquent in his head, seeing and hearing everything he did. He had wanted to get out of this test as soon as he could. Now it was Ash wanting to prolong it, knowing the effect it was having on Kerric. Kerric thought back to Ash’s responses on the first part, the aggressiveness of them.

Kerric steeled himself. Just one more sentence he thought. He looked for one without a military slant. Sentence three was ‘The building is thirty feet tall.’ Kerric turned the sheet over. “OK Ash, last one, what am I thinking?” Kerric repeated the sentence in his head.

“The tower is thirty feet tall,” said Ash, then he chuckled. “Good for picking people off with my rifle.”

Kerric’s fists clenched even harder when Ash turned it into a military sentence anyway.

Kerric took a deep breath. “I appreciate you answering my questions my questions. In exchange, I was going to do some of my magic tricks for you. I’m not sure if that’s something you’d like. Would you?”

“Lying sack of crap,” Ash said matter of factly.

“Excuse me boy? I’m just making an offer, it’s fine if you don’t want to.”

“You’re lied about appreciating my help. Your mad as hell, you don’t want to be testing me. No one here has ever fucking wanted to make time for me!”
Kerric could only look at Ash. Kerric knew what he said was true. He could now understand why no one wanted to take time to work with him. Kerric realized with those abilities, Ash was a kid that needed more support, not less. “I’m sorry, Ash,” was all the Kerric could think to say.

“I know how all those tricks are done anyway. Just walk away, magic man.”

“I need some time to review your answers, and I’ll want to talk to you again after I have.”

“No you won’t,” yelled Ash. “All you want is to go running back to where you came from. I’m not stopping you!” Ash kicked over the chair, then stared straight at Kerric. “Go!”

Kerric finally realized Ash wasn’t really responding to his words; more like his psychic impressions of Kerric, plus whatever his own inner turmoil was. He remembered Brother Kare’s suggestion of always keep talking, but he thought for every rule there must be an exception.

Kerric stood up, kept his eyes on the desk as he swept his test materials back into his leather bag. The he turned deliberately towards the door, and walked slowly towards it, keeping Ash in his peripheral vision.

Halfway down the hall, Kerric finally let his breath out and unclenching his jaw. He kept repeating to himself, “Don’t think, just walk.”