I have been working at Greta's bake shop for about a week now. I come in a lot earlier than she asks of me and leave at closing time. That way, I can avoid Katy as much as possible.

She leaves me be in the morning and doesn't disturb me once I get home. I feel the smallest ounce of guilt for rejecting her friendship, but once I open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror, all that guilt washed away. It is for the best for everyone involved that I remain isolated.

I remember feeling her rejection soak through my bones once my words registered in her. I looked into the depths of her mind and found her intentions nothing but genuine. I can feel her good heart and know that her offer for friendship was her way of waving the white flag, but it doesn't change anything.

She is still a cop. The cop that is being paid to watch me and keep me in check. Her job description is nothing more than babysitting and a few drives to the doctor's office twice a week. How can a warden and a prisoner become friends?

As for Greta, she allows my long hours, saying that it shows character. I haven't received my first pay check yet, but I plan to save every dime I make for when this prison sentence is over.

Luckily the pigs are very thorough with their jobs, giving 'Adeline Briggs' enough information to be legally put on a payroll. Asking Katy for my new social security card and driver's license didn't exactly bury any hatchets. In fact, it sparked a few more fires.

I didn't mind working long hours at the shop. It helped keep my busy mind occupied. It's hard to think about what's hurting you when you are busy working with numbers. I got use to the register rather quickly and the long lines didn't bother me. I don't know how Greta was able to bake enough goods and breads for the shop and was able to deal with all the people at the same time.

The people.

Some of these customers were obviously regulars, and I can tell by how their eyes burn holes into my flesh and their curiosity screams in my ears. That is another reason I enjoy the constant numbers and distractions; it keeps the voices at bay.

I've been able to keep the voices under control for maybe years, but sometimes when I don't pay attentions, they slip through my walls and start screaming in my head until I fight them away. They are always different. They are either people's fears, or their lies, but almost always are their thoughts in that present moment. Imagine what growing up was like when you're able to hear everyone's darkest secrets without asking for them, and never being able to stop it. I can tell you from experience, it isn't fun.

I learned to control the voices at a young age, when I started to feel my sanity slowly slip away from me day after day. I would start to claw at my own flesh, fighting for some quiet in my own mind. I have scars from those days. They are faded and can only be visible if you are purposefully looking for them. Little did I know that the darkness I slipped into back then was child's play compared to the shit storm I got myself into now.

Speaking of loud and annoying noises in my head, I kept hearing the comments of what Andrews said bounce around the walls of my mind. It kept the flame inside me burning and alive. Every time I picture that cocky smirk on his face and the sensual suggestions he spurt out I felt that control slip away and the burning rage explode inside me.

He didn't come back to the shop all week, which was a good idea on his end because I'm not sure if I would be able to keep my anger on a tight leash if he came around again.

It is now Friday and I've been avoiding Katy like the plague because I am extremely over due on my scheduled physicals. I know they are mandatory but the outcome is worthless. I have been to the doctors many times before just like anyone else and no doctor has found anything to suggest I'm less than human. The doctors want to know what makes me tick, and the only answer I have as to why I'm like this is I just... am.

I'm me. I've been like this since before I could remember. It was less noticeable to others when I was younger, because I was only able to do small things like turn my lights off or move something a little bit. Over time I was able to perfect the skill and be able to move things a human being could never be able to move. The voices were always there too. It wasn't like I woke up one morning and started to hear everyone's thoughts. That was always a part of me.

And that is how I was able to hear Greta's scream even though I was still a block away from the shop. It was short and sharp, but was still enough to make my feet pick up its pace until I started sprinting to the front doors.

My mind was racing. Did they find me? Were they questioning Greta? Were they torturing her? Just to get to me?

I felt a small sweat break on the back of my neck as I ran through the doors. I ran towards the back room where she must have been baking before something horrible happened. I busted through the doors and scanned the kitchen quickly before my eyes landed on her.

She was crouched down on the floor with a town around one hand. The other hand was slowly picking up cream puffs that were scattered around in a massacred mess of cream and dough. She looked up after the door closed behind me. She then proceeded to look at the clock behind her head then back at the cream puffs, "Well of course you're early. I wouldn't have expected much else." I just stood there completely silent. I think I was in shock, or maybe it was relief. I just stood there and stared at her until I was finally able to find my words, "What happened?"

She slowly got to her feet with the help of leaning against the table, "Silly me, I burned myself on this pan. I accidently left it near a stove top and it got hot without me knowing. So when I picked it up I dropped it everywhere." She gestured to the mess in front of her and the towel around her hand. I started to walk towards her, "Let me see that."

"Oh no, Addy, I'll be fine." She went to put her hand behind her back but I grabbed her wrist before she could. I took the towel that was around her hand off and saw the dark red line running down the center of her palm. It was fresh and looked very painful. I looked at this small old women and was conflicted.

She has done a lot for me this past week, things I never asked of her. Maybe it was time to return the favor.

"I umm.." I looked at her and lost my words. How could I explain any of this to her? How can I do this without ruining everything? "I think you should run it under some cold water." My words were slow and my subconscious was screaming till gravel scratched its throat, but I continued to ignore it.

"Oh darling, honestly, I'm fin-" I start to drag her near the sink and turned on the cold tap without hearing her anymore. I placed her burn under the water.

She hissed from the contact and squeezed her eyes shut. I took that opportunity to hover my palm over hers. I took a deep breath, letting the air calm my shaking blood, and exhaling the evil that courses through my veins.

Temporarily, or course.

I closed my eyes and felt extreme energy shoot through me like a lightning rod stabbing me through the chest. I let my mind think of nothing but the will of healing the pain I felt under my palm.

I felt the energy getting stronger and I feel the burn on my palm I knew would appear. It was slow and agonizing and I hear a groan from far away I'm sure was my own cries.

After a second I felt the energy subside and the burn become bearable until it was nothing but a mild scar from what looked like an accident from my childhood.

My breath was labored and I willed myself to open my eyes. Greta was staring down at our hands and the running water splashing over them.

"How do you feel?" I was able to say between breaths.

She looked at me and her eyes seemed glossy, "Fine. It feels fine." She started into my eyes and it felt like she was looking into the darkest part of my soul. Then her eye contact broke and she looked behind me with a confused expression.

I turn around and fine a very angry red head staring back at me. The same red head I have been avoiding all week.

"Shit"

~.~.~.~.~

"I can't believe you would do something so reckless! Something so stupid! So you understand the dangers you just put us through? Do you know what happens now? I have to report this to my boss! We will have to relocate, and we haven't even full unpacked! I can't believe-"

Kathy continued her constant lecturing as we walked back to the apartment. After she found me healing Greta she proceeded to drag me out of the bakery saying that I was 'late for an appointment.' Now we are walking back to the apartment. She has been ranting for the past 5 minutes and I can hear that her mind is going a mile a minute.

I have been toning her out and planned to continue doing so until I ran face first into something hard.

I braced my body and felt that force falter a little. "Shit, what the-" the voice was deep and familiar.

Oh, fuck.

"Addy? Well hello there!" I look up to be face to face with mister obnoxious himself.

"Andrews." I address with a nod and start to walk around him. I almost succeeded until he grabbed my arm. His touch burned my skin and I felt a chill run down my spin from disgust. I yank my arm from his grasp with ease.
"Woah, what's the rush? Aren't you ganna give me a treat?" His smug smile was surrounded by slight stubby and his hair was pushed back with hair product.

"The only treat you'll get from me is the taste of your own bloody gums." I felt the fire run through my veins and clenched my hands tight into fist. He chose the wrong time to mess with me.

He started to laugh and held his hand up and if to mimic a surrender. "No need to get feisty, sweetheart. My intentions are genuine." Wink.

I felt the darkness start to take over me. I wanted to ruin him. I looked In his mind to see his intentions. To take his dreams in the palm of my hands and crush them till they are nothing but dust. To find the most painful moments in his life and use them to demolish that precious ego of his. I looked for any sign of weakness, fear, and pain. I looked and look and found...

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't see anything. I... I couldn't read his mind.

I felt the fire melt away inside of me and felt something else fill me.

My breath started to pick up and I felt a small sweat start to build on the back of my neck. I kept looking inside his head I got the same thing every time. Nothing.

"I'm sorry to interrupt- what ever this is- but Adeline is late for a doctors appointment." Before I could protest, Katy grabbed my arm and started to drag me- for the second time today- down the sidewalk. This time, I went willingly. I felt cotton form in my throat. I've never had an experience like that before. I've never been rejected from someone's thoughts. They usually beg for me to listen.

I think I'm going into shock. As we briskly walked down the street I heard him scream, "See you soon, cute stuff!" I couldn't even bring myself to feel hatred towards him. Only one thing kept racing through my mind.

I couldn't read his thoughts.