Chapter Nine: I wouldn't be Caught Dead

CHAPTER 9

I WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD

I spent an hour thinking about what had happened. Every time I used my ability it seemed as if it got stronger. I was invincible. I could bring someone to their knees in pain, move things with my mind, talk to people without physically being there and as far as I was concerned, I hadn't even reached my full potential. I had learned not to be afraid of the consequences because there was nothing anybody could do to me when I had an ability so powerful. It was nearly morning when Viktor opened the door to the cabin and said

"Tim, get dressed and meet me at the counsoler's cabin. We need to talk."

The door closed with a soft click and I rolled out of bed.

"What's going on?" I heard whispered from Patrick's bunk

"I have to go see the counselors about the fight" I said as I slid out of bed and hit the floor with a thud.

"I'm coming with you" he said innocently as he struggled out from under his white sheets and climbed down off of his bunk.

He stood across from me in the strip of moonlight that shone through the door wearing tube socks and white boxers while trying to pull a red shirt over his body in the small amount of light.

"Pat, I don't know what's gonna' happen in there. I think it would be better if you stayed here until I figure out what's going on."

"I'm going" he said adamatly.

We got dressed silently in the dark, cool cabin not knowing what to expect.

The path to the counselor's cabin was dead. The normally whimsical green pines that enveloped the happy path had turned into black outlines of skeletal trees against a moon lit sky. A thick layer of fog eerily hung over the ground of the path making it impossible to see the bare earth underneath. It was hard to understand how anyone could think of this graveyard as a happy dirt path. We walked swiftly, solemnly and silently to our destination and had no intention of stopping. As we approached the counselor's cabin we could hear talking coming from the inside. I opened the door and stepped through. The inside of the counselor's cabin was setup the same way the campers cabins were. The female counselors were on the left side of the cabin, the male counselors were on the right. One of the female counselors had music playing but turned it off when she saw me walk in. Each of the counselors sat up in their beds and got quiet.

"Hi." I said softly

"Hey Tim" they said one by one

"Ok Tim, here's the deal" Viktor said as he stood up "your story checked out, and since you and Patrick didn't start the fight you aren't in any trouble. However we need to know this isn't going to happen again and we also want you to apologize to Adam.

"Alright, I will" I said

"And Patrick, no one can get Allen to even talk about what happened and he requested to go home. We want you to apologize aswell."

"Ok, how's Ethan holding up?" Patrick asked

"His nose got broke and he's pretty embarssed. He really needs you guys to be there as friends for a while." Viktor responded.

"Can I go see him?" Patrick insisted

"Yeah, he's in the nurse's office right next door. Why don't you go get him and you two can meet up with Tim back at the cabin."

Patrick left the cabin and Viktor walked me outside. Viktor bent over so his mouth was right next to my ear.

"There's no way you could have pushed Adam hard enough to break his arm as bad as it is. I don't care what happened in there but I'll tell you two things. For one, if you have something that you need to tell me about I won't call the police and I won't tell your parents but I need to know if there's something I can do. The other is you will NOT hurt anyone else in my cabin do I make myself clear?" he whispered intensely.

"Yes, I understand" I said

"Good. Goodnight Tim." he said loudly and went back in the cabin.

I walked off of the front porch of the cabin and made my way back into the darkness.

The only thing worse than walking along that dreary dirt path in the middle of the night was walking it alone. I started to psych myself out and turned every noise and every movement into a nightmarish creature trying to kill me. As I was walking I noticed something moving at my pace on my right side in the woods, but it's image was distorted by the fog. I stopped and turned to try and get a better look and saw nothing. Turned behind me, saw nothing and again to my left and saw nothing. I knew I was just being paranoid and took one step forward and bumped right into a tall pale man in a black pinstripe suit.

"Your that cop!" I screamed

"Cop?" he said

"Private Johnson" I said confidently

"Oh, Private Johnson... He was a good man" he said as he pulled the shiny metal nametag out of his jacket's inside pocket. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that uniform. However, Johnson was... He was caught dead in that uniform... I caught him... I caught him dead in that uniform... I killed him." He finally said smiling.

"You, you killed him?" I said shocked

"Your such a bright boy Timmothy." he said as he threw the nametag at me.

"What the fuck!" I yelled as I stepped back

"Such foul language for such a bright boy" he scolded "I expected more from you Timmothy" he said as he stepped forward

"Stay away from me you freak. I'll kill you!" I screamed

"No need for derogatory terms Timothy, I'm Dominic Ricci." he said with a bow

I lifted my right hand and pointed it at his knees, he fell forward with a soft thud.

"I'm Tim. Not "Timothy" not "boy" just Tim. Now what do you want." I said hand still oustretched toward him

"Nothing Timothy, not yet." he said as he got up and brushed himself off. "Auf wiedersehen!" he yelled and disapeered back into the fog.

I ran all the way back to the cabin, scared out of my mind and more confused than I had ever been. All I cared about was being away from Mr. Ricci.