YouContinue

ByKristenR.Bleazard

Ineedtowritesomething
Youthoughtwhilestaringatablankpage.Everyonegoes
throughthiswhentheyareattendinganyformofeducationrequiringawrittenpaper.Your
problemisthatyouwanttobetruthful,and/orwriteaboutsomethinginwhichyougenuinely
believebutyoucantalwayshavethat.Usually,youwouldjustreachapointandsayscrew
thisandwritewhatevercameacrossyourmindjusttogettheprojectoutoftheway.And,ifthe
truthbeknown,youusuallygetgoodjustasgoodofgradesonthosepapersasontheones
thatyouactuallypouredyourheartinto.Youlookatthe
AcademiaofPsychicandOther
Powers:Warfare
thatyourprofessorprovidedforyouruse.Perhapsshethoughtitmightinspire
youtojointhemilitary.Everyonethinksyouwoulddowellinthemilitary.Butyoudontwant
that,youhatebeingviolent.Youcontinuetostareatanemptypage.

Oi,mate,writtenanythingyet?Yourfriendwalksintoyourmothersshopwhereyouare
manningthecounter,likethegoodchildyouare.Yourfriendshairiswetfromtherain
outside.Italwaysrainswhereyoulive.
No.Yousigh,andproceedtobangyourheadonthedeskinfrustration.Yourfriendgiggles
atyouroverlydramatizedsufferingofhavingtowritingapaper.Thatresponseishowyouknow
theyareagoodfriendandworthkeepingaroundkeepingaround.Laughingatyourmockpain
spursyouon.

Sociopathyousayjokinglytothem.Youcrackasmilebecauseyouthinkthatyourefunny.
Goodjobonmakingabadjoke.
Juststartwriting!Justmakeitupasyougo!theysayenthusiastically.Imeanthatispretty
muchadulthoodanyways.Youjustgottaactlikeyouknowwhatyouretalkingabout!They
smilewidelytoshowalltheirpearlwhiteteethonwhichtheyhavespentseveraldayswhiting
withcoconutoil.Imustbeveryselfconsciousofthatwidesmileofminebecause.youusually
dontreallycarewhatotherpeoplesteethlooklike.
Meh,Ijustwanttowritesomethingdifferent.Warisallthesame.Youlookuptoyourfriends
bigdarkeyeswhicharesparkingwiththeexcitementoflife.Youreyesarelightbutcoldlikea
scandinavianwinter.
Jackassesonbothsideswhowantpowerandtrickthepeopleintobelievingthattheother
peoplearethebadguysweneedtokill.Yourtonetakesonasour,pessimisticair.Youfind
thispaperyoumustwritetobedepressing,thisisnttheworldyouwanted.
Youthinktoomuch,youknowthat.Theyremarked.Youthinkquietlytoyourself,
Andyou
thinktolittle.
Youhatewhenpeoplesaythataboutyou.Itisnotyourfaultthatyouaresmarter
thaneveryone.Apparentlyyouarerathernarcissisticaboutthis.
Yeah,maybe.Youdontwanttoargueyourpoint.Youvefoughtthispointwithotherpeople,
andtheyneverseemtoseereason,sowhatsthepointoffightingagain.Theysmilehappilyat
howeasilyyouconcededtotheirpointofview.Youcontinuetotalkuntilcustomerscomeinto
theshopandyourseeminglysocialitefriendleaves.

Laterthateveningaftertheshopisclosedandyouareinyourroomaboveitstilllooking
atablankpaper.Occasionallyyouperuseablogwebsitelookingforsomethingtomakeyou

laugh.AplateofhotThaipizzaseeminglyopensthedoorbyitself,floatsovertoyourbed,and
setsitselfdown.Youknowthistobeyourmomusinghertelekinesistodeliveryourpizza.
DidImakeit?!sheyellstoyourroom.
Yeah,mom!Youyellback.
Youlikepizza,butwhodoesnt?Itskindaagivenforallhumankind.
Ugh!Ijustneedto
writethisandbedonewithit.
Youhaveclearlyreachedthescrewit.stageofthewriting
process.Youjustscribbleoutsomehistoryofwhenthosewithpsychicabilitiesbecamepublic
knowledgeandofthewitchriotsthatfollowed.Peoplestink,nowtherearesomanypsychics
thatitreallybecomingthenorminyoursociety.Youcontinuetoworkonyourpaper.

Youfinishedyourpaperlateintothenight,or,moreaccurately,intheweeearlymorning
hours.Youfeeltiredbutnottiredenoughtosleep.Youlookoutthewindow,therainhas
stoppedandheavydarkcloudsdotthestarrynightsky.Afullmoonpeeksoutfortheclouds
occasionally,andyoudecidetotakeawalkinthedeadofnight.Yourneighborhoodisnota
badone,soyoufigureitwillbesafeenoughforyoutoventureoutintothequietdarkness.This
willbeamistakebutyoudontknowthatyet.Bloodwillflowfromyourhand.Youclimboutyour
windowtothetreethatisrightnexttoyourwindow.Youhavetouseyourtelekinesispowersto
loweroneofthebranches.Youvebeendoingthissinceyouwereachild.Youcontinuedown
thetreeandthenontoyourwalk.

Youliketoescapeandtakewalksinthenight.Thegroundisdampbeneathyourfeet
fromtherecentrain.Yourheadphonesrelayyourmusicinyourears.Ifyoujustwouldhave
takenoutyourheadphonesyouwouldhaveheardthemwalkingupbehindyou.Menand
womenhuntingforpreytonight.Theyknowyoutohavetelekinesis,andtheyseeyouasan

offensetotheirbeliefsystem.Oneisyourneighbor,thisonetasersyouintheneck.Yougo
limp,andyourneighborletsyoufalltotheground.Oneofthesepeoplepicksyouupandstarts
downtheroadwiththeotherclosebehindsmilingthattheyhavecaughtpreytonight.You
continuetofeelfearfloodyourmindasyoupassout.

Youwakeupinyourneighborslivingroom,thoughyoudontrecognizeit.Yourealize
youaretiedup,andyourheadispounding.Youstruggleforabitphysicallyandwithyourmind.
Butnothinghappens.Youcallforhelp,butwhocomesisnottheretohelpyou.Fivepeople
walkintheroom,onewhoiscarryingaswordisyourneighboryouinstantlyrecognizehim.
Younowknowwhatishappening,thisdoesnotcomfortyou.Latelyonthenewstheyhave
talkedaboutagroupbeheadingpeoplethathavepowers,mostweretorturedfirst.Yourealize
thisisprobablythatgrouporatleastacopycatknockoff.Iftheyarethegroupfromthenews
story,thesesickbastardshaveevenbeensaidtohavekilledayoungchild.Oneputsa
reassuringhandonyourneighborshoulder.Heisanewmemberofthisgroupandtobe
acceptedbythemhehastofindawitchandpassjudgement.Hishandtremblesfora
secondasyoureyeslock.YouvesmiledandsaidHitohimmanytimesinthepast.
Youvebeenfoundguiltyofwitchcraft!Howdoyouplead?Hecommandsofyou.You
feelhopeless,yourtelekinesisisnotworkingandtheropesarecuttinginyourskin.Youslouch
over,lookingatthefloor.Heliftsyourheadbackupwiththeflatedgeoftheswordtofacehim.
Youwontspeaktothem.Thatiswhatyouwoulddoifabullywasharrassingyouinelementary
school.Notthebestpolicyfordealingwithmurderousfanaticsbutthatisyourchoice.
Cutthewitch!commandsoneofthefivethatisoverinthecorneroftheroom.Youlook
atthesword,noticingspecksofbloodonitthatmustbefromsomeoneelse.Somethinginyou
startstochange.Youimaginethefear,theangeroftheothersthathavehadtofacethissword.

Thefearinyouisquicklyreplacedwithoverwhelminganger,andyouhavedecidedtokillallof
themforwhattheyhavedone.Youglareintoyourneighbor'seyes.Thefearisinhisheartis
evidentasheseesthechangethathascomeoveryou.
Lookatthatface!Onemocks.Iveseenthatlookbefore!
Thathatred,thatmurderousintentcomingfromyoumustbetheworkofthedevil!
anotheronecriesoutinignorance.Yourneighborkeepslookingatyourface,heseemspuzzled
astohowcouldyoubewearingthisexpression.Youalwaysseemedsonice.Youwouldtake
careoftheanimalsthatwanderedaroundtheneighborhood,helpotherswhentheywerein
need.Hemustconcludethatyoualwayshadthisinyou,lurkingbelowyourcalmexteriorhe
cantbewrong.Thefearstillthegripshisheartbutmakeshimmoreviolent.Hecutsyou
shoulderwiththesword,togainsomeground.Thebloodflowsdownyourarm.Youwincebut
quicklystop.Youwillnotgivethesemonstersthepleasureofseeingyourpain.Theblade
comesclosetoyourfaceagain.Yougrabtheedgeofthebladewithyourmouth,itnicksyourlip
butyoudontcare.Youtugonitashardasyoucan,andyourneighborletsitslipthroughhis
fingers,hestepsbackinshock.Onefromthegroupthatwasbehindyouquicklysnatchesup
thesword.Thatonewalksovertoyourneighbor.
Getonwithit.heshovestheswordbackintoyourneighbor'shands.Yourneighbor
looksatyouandgripstheswordmoretightlythistimewithgrimdeterminationwrittenuponhis
face.Yourheadstartstofeelbetter,andyousurreptitiouslymoveaspoononanearbywell
madeendtable.Yourneighborhasagoodsenseofdecoratingatleast.
Howdoyouplead?hesays.Youlookup,andsmile.Youwantthismantoachefrom
fearagain.Youbreaktheropeswiththetelekinesisandstand.Everyoneisalreadymoving
aroundtheroomandthreeofthefivearecomingtowardsyou,Yourneighborandtheonethat
hadbeeninthecornerstarttomoveaway.Buttheywontescape.Everymurderermakesa

mistakeatsomepoint,andtonight'sthenightthatforallofthesepeople.Thatsverydarkisnt?
MaybeitseemsthiswaybecauseoneofmyclassmatestalkingaboutthewritingsbyPoe.I
hatePoesomuch.Iknoweveryonesayshewrotejustsowonderfullybuthonestly,Ijusthate
hiswork.Iamsorryprofessor,Idontmeantorude.Andforallmyotherreadersthisnowends
yourregularlytimed4thwallbreakyoucancontinuetoreadthisstorythatIjustwrotefora
collegecredit.Enjoy.
Asoneofthethreerunstowardsyou,youthrowhimintotheoneoftheothersthatishidingin
thecornerrenderingthembothunconscious.Theothertwograbyoubutitistoolateforthem
tostopyou.Youpushthemoffintoseparatewalls,thenusethemtothrowatyourneighbor
whoisjustgettingtoadoortomakeaquickexit.Youmisshimbothtimesbutoneofothersis
crumpledagainstthedoor,effectivelyblockinghimfromleaving.Heturnstowardsyou,drops
theswordtothegroundinareverberatingcrash,andkneelsdown.
YoushouldntbeableHestartsbutyoucuthimoff,literally.Theswordisinhisneck.
Youpullitbackoutwithouttouchingit.Itquicklyfliesovertoyouandyouexpertlygrabitbythe
hilt.Itisheavierthanyouexpected.Youlookattheothers,choosingthetwointhecowering
corner.Youlifttheswordup,butstopitinmidstrideasyoucatchyourreflectioninamirrorand
realizeyoudontrecognizeyourself.Nowitisyoulooklikethemonster,notthem.Bloodfrom
yourarmrunsthroughyourhand.Youlowerthesword.Youlookaroundatthefourpeoplewho
aliveandthenatyourneighborlyingdeadonthefloor.Youdecidetocallthepolice.Andafter
searchingthepocketsoftheunconscious,Youcontinuetocall911.

Thepoliceandanambulancearrivedquickly.Thepolicelookbackandforthfromthe
bodiesandyou.Bodiesbeingliftedoutofthehouse.Youaretreatedforyourwounds.Youfeel
likeyouareindaze.Youhearyourmothercallyournamebutyoudontreact.Yousitinpolice

car,readytogothestationorwherevertheyplantotakeyou.Youstareintotherearviewmirror.
Youseeme,smilingatyouwiththatwidesmileofmine.Youwillcontinueafterall,whatare
friendsfor?