Secret Powers Ch. 05: Training Day

I take Sonya's phone from Melissa. I scroll down to the last message, take a screenshot, and send it to myself for evidence. Tara and Melissa scramble around and begin the operation. I keep holding Sonya as she cries.

After a few minutes, the suitcases are in the boot of Tara's car out front. Tara and Melissa have dressed. Melissa tosses jeans, a thin sweatshirt and a pair of sneakers onto the sofa next to Sonya and tosses my clothes from yesterday next to me. "Sonya, you can borrow these. I don't think it's a good idea to be just in a bikini when we go over."

Sonya and I dress quickly, and I help her walk to Tara's car, where we get in the back. Melissa rides shotgun and Tara locks the unit and hops into the driver's seat. Tara asks Sonya for the address and we set off.

When we arrive, we go quickly into Sonya's place with the suitcases. Luckily, Kyle isn't there yet, so Sonya leads us to the bedroom, where we quickly pack most of her clothes and essential toiletries. We take the suitcases to the car and toss them into the boot. We go back inside to look for anything else essential, tossing it into one of Sonya's suitcases.

On our way out, Kyle storms in and yells, "What the fuck is this, Sonya? And who the hell are they?"

"I'm leaving you," Sonya yells back. "I've fucking had enough of your bullying!"

"You whore! You don't appreciate all that I've done for you." Kyle grabs the last suitcase out of Sonya's hand and belts her, knocking her to the floor.

My rage explodes. All of the violence that my dad has ever inflicted on my mum comes rushing back out of my memory. I hate my dad for what he did, and now I hate Kyle for hitting my new friend Sonya.

"Kyle!" I shout at the top of my lungs.

He drops the suitcase, clenches his fists, turns to me and yells, "What, bitch?!" For two seconds we are frozen, although it seems like much longer. I think about using my power to project a massive kick to his balls.

Tara yells, "Mary! No harm!"

Tara's shout tempers my reaction. Instead of mortally wounding him, which I dearly want to do, I project muscular paralysis.

We both collapse onto the floor, unable to move. The others gawk in amazement, then Tara snaps to attention and shouts, "Sonya, take your suitcase to the car and get in the back - now! Melissa, help me with Mary."

Tara and Melissa roughly grab me by the arms and quickly drag me to the car. "Sorry about this, Mary, but we have to get out of here right now, before Kyle recovers," Tara says. They toss me in the back with Sonya.

They jump into the front and Tara drives like a bat out of hell back to her place. On the way, Tara says, "Sonya, turn your phone to flight mode, then turn it off so he can't track you." She can't seem to manage it, so I reach into her handbag and follow Tara's instructions.

"Mary, hand Melissa your phone. Melissa, call yourself then call me on her phone. Then we'll all have each other's numbers in our call logs." We comply with Tara's order.

We return without a word after that, each desperately trying to process what just happened. Back at Tara's, we unload Sonya's things, taking them into the guest bedroom. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to, Sonya. Don't turn your phone back on until I can take it to a friend who knows how to clean it, in case Kyle has installed tracking apps, which is likely."

Sonya is in a daze, and the rest of us aren't much better. Tara tells Melissa to get sheets out of the closet and make up the guest bed. I sit Sonya on the sofa in the lounge room and just hold her.

My god, what have I done? Tara said that powers don't work on men, but I certainly took Kyle down with my powers. Of course, the reciprocity of the powers hit me just as hard.

Tara comes up to us and sits in a chair across from the sofa and sighs. "Mary, you would have hurt Kyle severely, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, Tara, I would have, if you hadn't yelled at me."

"Yes, I know, I was reading you. You realise, Mary, that you would have been hurt as badly as you hurt him, right?"

"I was so enraged when he hit poor Sonya, that I wasn't thinking. But yeah, I suppose you're right. Thanks."

"It was a clever solution, the paralysis. It affected you but didn't cause lasting damage, and we were able to carry you out. Smart girl!"

We sit silently for a minute, then Tara sighs heavily and continues, "I've never known one of us to have any power over men. You are incredible, possibly scary."

A quick smile flashes across my lips before the implications of my power dawn on me - awesome responsibility indeed.

My phone rings. I dig it out of my handbag. It's Mum.

"Are you ever coming home, Mary?"

"Yeah, sorry, Mum. It's been quite a day. I'll be home in a bit. Don't worry, I'm okay."

"Okay, my wandering albatross. Love you."

"Love you, Mum."

I look at Tara. "Can you give me a ride home, please?"

"Of course, Mary."

Melissa hears this as she comes into the lounge room. She takes over cuddling Sonya.

On the ride home, Tara and I don't talk much. I think we both know that something has happened today that we don't quite understand. With the urgency of Sonya's situation behind us, I feel the emotional energy draining out of me.

I kiss Tara softly as I leave her, and head into my house.

Mum looks me over and says, "What happened to you? You look a wreck!"

I give her a tired look and just say, "Not now."

She holds my shoulders and gives me a long, deep stare. I feel her reading me. Of course, she has the power.

She releases me and gently says, "Lunch leftovers are in the fridge if you want."

I mumble, "Thanks," and head to the bathroom. A long, hot shower both invigorates and drains me. I stumble to my bedroom and collapse naked into bed, too tired to even put on my nightie, and fall asleep instantly.