The next time I awoke, I found myself lying on a pile of furs, inside what looked like a tent. A young girl sat on the ground nearby, knees pulled up to her chest under her dress. She looked to be about fifteen, and was completely bald. Not just bald. A noticeable ridge traveled from her forehead to the back of her head. She stared at me with curious gray eyes.

Good morning.

I blinked at the disembodied voice. Who said that?

It's just me.

I pushed myself up on one elbow and looked around the tent, but the girl and I were the only ones in it. Did her mouth move? I didn't see her mouth move.

This is the only way I can speak. Niralessa says my vocal cords don't work.

I shook my head against the voice inside my skull and looked at the girl. "You're doing this?"

She nodded.

"How?"

I'm an Aberration, like everyone else here.

Aberration? These people still used that word?

Yes. It's what we are.

I sat up straight. "Wait, are you reading my mind?"

I'm sorry. I'm told it's rude, but I can't help it. I hear thoughts like voices. It helps me to know people's true thoughts, though, so maybe it's not bad?

"I don't lie," I told her, meaning it. Some people didn't like it, but I found honesty to be much easier to deal with.

The girl smiled. I like that.

"You have a lovely smile. What's your name?"

Tessia.

"Tessia, I'm Nirrin."

I know.

"Do you know because they told you? Or because you plucked it out of my head?"

I plucked it out of their heads.

I laughed, realizing how amazing this girl was.

She grinned and scooted closer. Niralessa says I should never let Normals know I can do this. That it's dangerous. But you don't seem dangerous.

"That's because I have no talents. The only one I'm dangerous to is myself." My thoughts strayed to what kind of danger I might have gotten myself into this time. It was pretty foolish of me to take off with someone I hardly knew. Now I had no idea where I was, who these people were, or what was going to happen next.

I sighed and dropped my head into my hands, which prompted a dizzy spell.

Tessia jumped to her feet, fetched a bowl of water from a bucket in the corner, and gave it to me.

"Thank you." I gratefully took it and drank all of it.

The girl sat even closer, watching my every move, as if fascinated.

I set the bowl down. "Tessia, you seem like an honest person, like me."

She nodded. Lies are stupid.

Encouraged, I went on. "Did they send you in here to get information from me?"

She shook her head. They don't know I'm here.

The movement of her head made me notice the bluish veins that spidered across the smooth surface of her scalp on either side of the ridge.

She ran a hand along one side of her head, a vulnerable expression crossing her face. You think I look funny.

"No!" I was quick to answer. "Just different. You have the most amazing eyes." I peered into each one unabashedly. "Like clouds on a rainy day."

Her mouth curved into a shy smile, and she ducked her head. I think you're beautiful. I wish I had your hair.

"Trust me. I know all about wishing I was more like someone else."

She raised her surprised eyes at me. How is that possible?

"You're sweet. I think I would've liked having you as a friend when I was a kid."

Can I be your friend now?

"Of course!" I smiled and touched her arm. "A girl can never have too many friends."

Her arm twitched where I touched her, and a shudder rippled through her body before she carefully moved herself out of reach.

My eyes widened. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, but couldn't meet my eyes. I'm a strange Aberration. I'm sorry. With that, she took off, leaving me alone in the tent.

Nirrin just made a fascinating new friend you can vote for!