Chapter 8: Unanswered Questions

The dim light from Jessy's phone flickered as she sat on the swing at the small, quiet park on the outskirts of Tumberville. The metal chains creaked with each slow back-and-forth motion, but it did little to ease the tension in her chest. She had run away from home earlier that day, and now, the stillness of the late afternoon only made her more aware of how unsettled she felt.

She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. The pressure in her hands had been unbearable. The feeling that something was wrong had been building all day, but it wasn't just the weird tension at school or the strange looks from Alice. No. It was something deeper. Something that made her pulse quicken whenever she thought about it.

Yesterday, after everything went down in the theater room, she'd tried to go back to her routine—back to normal. But her mind kept circling back to the same question: What the hell is happening to us?

None of them had a clear explanation. Ace kept quiet, like he was trying to figure it out on his own. Alice seemed convinced they were "connected," but what did that even mean? Jimmy—well, Jimmy was the same as always, brushing it off like it was just another bizarre thing to laugh about. But Jessy couldn't shake the fear that they were ignoring something bigger.

And then there was her father.

Earlier that day, as she tried to help her mother with dinner, she'd felt it—the pressure building up in her hands, the urge to throw something. She wasn't angry, not really. But the feeling of frustration had taken over, the way it always did when her dad started yelling. She'd grabbed the knife off the counter, the steel gleaming under the kitchen lights.

Her hand shook, and in the chaos of emotions, it almost happened.

She almost threw it. Almost hit him.

She wasn't sure how it had happened, but the power—her power—had surged uncontrollably. The knife had quivered in her grip, the air around her heavy and still for just a second, before she'd dropped it, her heart pounding like a drum.

Fear.

That's what it had felt like. Fear of herself. Fear of losing control. Fear of hurting someone she loved.

She'd run. Left the house without a word.

Now, sitting alone on the swing, the feeling was still with her. That fear. And the urgent need to figure out what was happening to them. They couldn't keep pretending everything was fine. She couldn't keep pretending she wasn't terrified.

She needed answers.

Without thinking, she grabbed her phone and opened the group chat for their class. It felt odd, but it was the only way she could contact them quickly. Jessy didn't have their phone numbers, after all.

The message popped up on the screen:

Jessy: We need to meet. NOW.

It felt like an eternity passed before the first reply popped up.

Ace: What's going on, Jess?

Alice: Are you okay?

Jimmy: What happened?

Jessy took a deep breath and typed out the next part, her fingers shaking slightly as she did.

Jessy: I almost hurt my dad today. I think... I think it's time we figure out what the hell is going on with us. I don't know what to do anymore.

The message lingered on the screen for a moment, and Jessy felt the weight of her words sink in. It was a raw admission, but it was the truth. She needed them to understand. She wasn't the only one struggling. They all were.

Finally, the responses started to come in.

Ace: Alright. Where are you?

Alice: I'm coming.

Jimmy: On my way.

Jessy let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and stood up, grabbing her jacket. She had to get out of there. This was the only way she could make sense of it, the only way to stop the overwhelming fear from taking over.

The urgency of it gnawed at her as she left the park, walking quickly toward the meeting spot, the chill of the evening air brushing against her skin. She couldn't keep running from this. She couldn't keep pretending.

As she reached the street corner where she'd told them to meet, she saw Ace, Alice, and Jimmy coming from different directions, their faces set with determination, but also the same uncertainty she was feeling. The group gathered near a small bench, the shadows of the evening falling around them.

"You're here," Ace said, standing up as Jessy approached.

Jessy nodded, her voice tight. "We need to figure this out. Now."

Alice stopped pacing and looked at her. "What happened? What made you want to meet?"

Jessy hesitated, looking down at the pavement. "I... I almost hurt someone today. My dad. I didn't mean to. But the power—it just... surged. And I don't know what to do about it." She swallowed hard. "I'm scared. We need answers. All of us. I can't keep pretending it's not happening."

Jimmy crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, none of us really understand what's going on, do we? We're all in the dark here. I'm just trying to get through the day without blowing something up, okay?"

Jessy looked at him, her eyes fierce. "Exactly. And that's why we need to talk about it. What are we supposed to do? Just ignore it until it gets worse?"

Ace stepped forward, his expression serious. "She's right. We can't keep avoiding this. We need to figure out what this is, what we can do with it."

The weight of his words hung in the air, and for the first time, Jessy felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could figure this out together. Maybe they could understand their powers before they lost control.

They weren't just kids anymore. Not anymore.