Continued from scene fifty-eight
“Oh, she’s a funny one, that girl of mine. The Jenkins’s boy just turned seven,” I said to myself on the way over to Olivia’s.
“Good morning, Christian. How are we feeling today?”
“I’m not in the mood. Can we just get started?”
“I suppose. Today’s lesson will be on thoughts and memories. So follow me into the kitchen.”
“You wouldn’t happen to have any orange juice, would you?”
“Have a seat, she said, brushing me on her way to the refrigerator. “You know, when we touch, our brains are bombarded with a wealth of information which can be overwhelming if not processed correctly.
“You’re experiencing this as we speak, but somehow, you already know I’m out of orange juice. Even though I walked toward the refrigerator as if I did. Why do you think that is?”
“I was focused on orange juice, I guess.”
“Why guess? You could have scanned me for the right answer. But you are correct. Sometimes, we overlook another person’s thoughts because we are so consumed with our own. In this case, you were focused on juice instead of today’s lesson. In Borya’s case, he was focused on a way out of the situation. And that, along with being startled, is why you’re alive today. If he had remained calm, you would be dead, not him.
“For some reason, he took you at your word. And this is why I can not stress enough how important it is to stay focused on your goal when reading someone. Understand?”
I nodded with a dry mouth.
“Alright, then let’s move on to memories. Carol will be here around noon, and I want you ready to go head to head with her son.”
“Oh, we got two comedians in the tribe.”
“Now, don’t be like that; little Billy needs some practice too.”
Shift is an online work of fiction.
This is the first draft of my manuscript Shift – Don’t judge a book by its cover. I am writing it online in sections as I go. So feel free to comment, good or bad. If you see mistakes, point them out.
The story centers around shapeshifting.
I’m currently working on chapter nine.
Timothy French 