Read The Weapon Within: A Paranormal Dystopian Adventure (The Unexplainables Book 1) for Free Online Page B

wind or something. After that, she wouldn’t allow me anywhere near other people in case I hurt someone. And I had to try and stay calm all the time, so I basically had to stay inside all day long and only go out for a short walk with Mother at night.’
    ‘ That’s awful.’
    I shrugged. ‘Mother did what she thought was right but it was very lonely. Actually, I just remembered a song that she used to sing to me. It must have been years ago.’
    ‘ Come on then, let’s hear it,’ Noah requested.
    ‘ What, now? You want me to sing?’
    ‘ Yep,’ he nodded, ‘let’s see what you’re made of.’
    Closing my eyes, I let the music come to me. I could hear my mother singing along in my head, her voice so clear that it felt as though she were close enough to touch. But then the image of her lifeless body swam into my mind and the song caught in my throat. Something built up inside me fast and the ground underneath me shook. My eyes flew open and I saw the faces of the people around me. They were scared. Some were crowding in on me, their mouths moving soundlessly. They were too close. Terrified, I tried to suck the powers back inside me. My body convulsed as a wave of pain forced my back to arch away from the ground. It felt as though my insides were melting. And then, suddenly, as though a switch had been flicked, the dark sky seemed to fall towards me until I could see nothing else.
    *
    I woke up in my bed. Brock was perched next to me, his face several shades paler than usual.
    ‘ Are you ok? Sorry, it’s a stupid question.’
    ‘ It’s ok, I’m all right.’ I flexed my fingers and gingerly moved my legs. Everything ached but that was nothing new. The memory of what had happened seeped into my mind like grains of sand falling through an egg timer.
    ‘ I did it!’ A huge grin stretched across my face. Brock raised his eyebrows in alarm.
    ‘ Did what exactly?’
    ‘ I stopped my powers.’
    He frowned, his brow wrinkling. ‘Why?’
    ‘ Don’t you see?’ I sat up in bed and stared at him wide-eyed. ‘I managed to pull them inside me so that I didn’t hurt anyone.’
    He sat very still, regarding me carefully. ‘Are you telling me that in order to protect us from your powers you put yourself through excruciating pain by turning them in on yourself?’
    ‘ Yeah, kind of. But the main thing is that no one got hurt.’
    ‘ Except you.’
    ‘ That doesn’t matter.’
    ‘ Of course it matters! You matter, Ava! Seeing you like that, in so much pain . . . it was awful.’
    My grin vanished . ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.’
    ‘ Well, perhaps you could work on a way of controlling your powers which doesn’t involve ageing me twenty years?’
    ‘ I’ll try,’ I promised. ‘Is everyone else ok? Are they upset with me?’
    ‘ No, not at all. They’re worried – we all are, especially Oscar. He didn’t want to leave until he knew you were ok. Right now he’s flat out asleep on the sofa.’
    ‘ He is?’
    ‘ Yep. Esther’s covered him up with a spare duvet so we’ll leave him there for the night. As long as you’re ok, that’s the main thing.’
    ‘ I’m fine.’
    Brock squeezed my hand gently then left the room.
    *
    I woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy, after the best night’s sleep I’d had in a long time. Esther insisted that I stay in bed, though, and brought up endless trays laden with chicken noodle soup, homemade bread and all sorts of wonderful treats that she’d baked for me. When Oscar came to see me on the Friday evening, I practically begged him to talk to her.
    ‘ Actually,’ he grinned, ‘I was going to speak to her anyway. My friends and I are going to meet up at the diner tomorrow. Would you like to come?’
    ‘ Really? Are you serious?’
    ‘ If you want to.’
    ‘ I do, I do! Absolutely I do!’ Flinging my arms around his neck I hugged him then, realising what I’d done, I scampered back under the covers, my cheeks blushing furiously.