Shining among Darkness

By
WingzemonX

Chapter 34.
Afraid of Yourself

Lisa Mathews had had some pretty stressful days, following a seemingly insignificant fight she'd had with her boyfriend a few nights ago. However, apparently, it had not been as insignificant as she had thought, as they had not yet resolved it. In fact, her boyfriend seemed to be hiding from her. He did not reply to her messages, despite having seen them, nor did he call or contact her in any other way. She might as well have tried calling him, but her pride could do a little more than that. She would wait a couple more days before opting for that option, waiting to see if he would make the first move.

Anyway, she had enough work to distract herself with. In fact, the next day, she had a meeting with a very important client of the pharmaceutical company where she works. Although more than a meeting, it was practically a job interview to see if she could get involved in one important project. Lisa was convinced that she would be chosen. She was the most responsible and capable in that place. She would never say it out loud, but she knew it was so.

That afternoon she was in her laboratory, conducting tests with some of her colleagues. She was wearing her white coat, gloves, a mask, and goggles. She was carefully placing a bluish-colored chemical into a Petri dish, millimeter by millimeter. Once she had put in enough, she placed the container under the microscope and examined it carefully. Although, perhaps not quite carefully. She was trying not to let that absurd problem with her boyfriend distract her. Still, the truth was that she had had trouble concentrating that day, as her head inevitably wandered too much on her personal problems.

She was pretty mad at Cody Hobson at the time. If that incident made her look bad in her interview tomorrow, she promised herself that he would pay her all...

"Mathews," she heard one of her work colleagues suddenly call out to her, and that made her jump a bit as if she'd been caught cheating in the middle of an exam, "you have a visitor."

The colleague who had called her nodded in the direction of the large thick glass window that overlooked the hallway. Standing there, with a visitor's badge hanging from his shirt and a submissive smile on his face, was precisely Cody Hobson... almost as if she had invoked him with her thought. Noticing that she had turned to look at him, the biology teacher raised a hand in greeting, a bit shy. Lisa looked at him for a moment, with some harshness but also doubt.

"That's your Boyfriend?" Another partner sitting next to her, a tall boy with white skin and blond hair, commented. "He's cute, but f a little scrawny for my taste."

Lisa didn't need to hear something like that right now. She stood up immediately and began to remove the latex gloves with some effort.

"I'll be back in five minutes," she replied as she walked to the door. "Take care of this, okay?"

Her partner obeyed and quickly rolled his chair toward the microscope. Lisa removed her gloves and her robe, hanging it on one of the racks that stood to one side of the door. Before leaving, she took a deep breath, as if taking courage, and then opened the tempered glass door with her pass.

As soon as he saw her, Cody smiled at her, though perhaps a little forced. She advanced towards him in silence with some mistrust in her steps. This made Cody think of a cat cautiously approaching another for the first time, fearing at any moment being attacked. He tried to put that thought aside as soon as possible.

"I hope I don't bother you."

"Not too much," Lisa answered a bit curtly. Then she removed her mask and pulled her goggles up to her head. "Where have you been? I've been texting you."

"I know," Cody muttered, somewhat embarrassed, "it's just that all was too crazy the other day. Did you hear about the kidnapped girl in Portland from a hospital?"

Lisa looked at him, confused.

"A colleague told me something, but I didn't know much more. Why?"

"Well, I was there in that hospital when it all happened."

Lisa's eyes widened in amazement.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No, it's true. And the police held us for a few hours..."

"Us?" Lisa interrupted abruptly.

"Matilda and me, my friend who called the other night."

"Matilda," Lisa repeated dryly, and somewhat accusingly.

"It's not what you think."

"What do I think?" The biochemist snapped, somewhat defensively. "What were you both doing there exactly?"

"I told you, remember? Matilda is a psychiatrist, and I helped her with a case, right there in that hospital. But things got out of hand."

Lisa was silent, visibly upset. After a while, however, she relaxed her gaze a bit and sighed heavily, perhaps in an attempt to calm herself. She removed her protective glasses from her head entirely. Then rubbed her forehead a little with her fingers as if she wanted to calm a small headache.

"You're okay?" Lisa asked in a softer voice. "They said there was a shooting, why didn't you tell me anything?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine," Cody responded hastily. "And yes, there was, but I wasn't even close to where it happened."

That was half true. While he hadn't been relatively close when a gun was fired, saying he wasn't involved could be open to interpretation, considering whoever that his companion faced the shooter, and then even he ran after her in a belated attempt to stop her.

"It relieves me," Lisa whispered slowly. "But that was two days ago. Where have you been since then? You're not going to tell me they had you locked up, are you?"

Cody was silent for a few moments, uncertain about how to answer her.

"I... After what happened the other night, I needed some time to think."

"Think about what?"

"Well, since you said in your message that we needed to talk, I thought you might want to..."

"What thing?" She cut him off with some aggression. "Break up?"

Cody shrugged.

"If you say so, it's because the idea crossed your mind, right?"

He thought that was an acceptable defense, but she definitely did not believe the same, as again, her gaze hardened with anger.

"It was just a little discussion," Lisa snapped, raising her voice a little. "I'm not going to break up for something like that. What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Sorry..."

Cody lowered his gaze a little embarrassed. He sighed with some resignation and carefully removed his own glasses.

"Listen, you are an incredible woman..."

"Oh, that didn't start out well," Lisa snapped with a lump in her throat, starting to recoil as if she was feeling dizzy. It was clear that many ideas crossed her mind in a second.

"No, wait, let me finish," Cody tried to tell her.

"I don't think I want to..."

Lisa sank into a visitor chair, hiding her face behind her hands. What she had thought was apparently bigger than Cody thought. He still dared to sit in the chair next to her.

"I'm saying you're an amazing woman and you deserve me to be honest with you." He took her hand in his at that moment; Lisa didn't even turn to see him. "There is a reason why I refuse to spend the night with you. But, it's nothing of what you think."

"I don't think anything, Cody. That is the problem, I don't understand what problem you have with that." She let go of his hold then, but now it was she who took his face in her hands. "What is your secret reason? What is it? Tell me."

Cody stared into her eyes. Without her glasses, she looked so different; no more or less attractive, just different. Her gaze reflected quite a sincerity and longing, both for him and for the truth. He couldn't help but smile, despite how tense the situation was. Despite everything, she had never looked so beautiful before.

Gently he took her hands between his fingers and lowered them away from her cheeks; she did not resist this change.

"It's not an easy thing to explain, especially here and with such a short time."

"And why did you come for then if not to talk about it?" There was some aggressiveness in her tone, but no more than expected.

Cody sighed again and clenched her hands a little tighter between his fingers. He'd thought a lot about that moment, since that night they argued, since that first worrying message came through, and especially since the conversation he'd had with Cole in the cab. The teacher thought a lot about what he should do and what he wanted to do. He considered many times consulting it with Matilda or even Eleven. But this whole matter was his problem, and he was an adult who had to solve it head-on.

Her only options were the ones he'd discussed with Cole: tell her the truth, or cut it off while he still could. Both were very difficult, and both involved equally difficult consequences. But in the end, it was a decision that had to be made.

He met her eyes again, now with such deep intensity that Lisa even felt a little intimidated.

"I've suffered from nightmares since I was a child," he began to tell her in a calm voice. "Not always, but often. But my nightmares aren't normal... I'm not normal. I have certain abilities, which are great when I am awake and allow me to help other people. But when I sleep... I can lose control of them and get to hurt everyone around me. Including those I love..."

Lisa stared at him, intrigued, but mostly very confused.

"What are you talking about? I don't get it..."

"You've seen movies like X-Men, Harry Potter, or Star Wars, right?" Lisa nodded doubtfully. "Movies about people with special powers, sometimes almost magical, that other people cannot imagine. I can make my thoughts materialize. I can think of something, concentrate on it, and it appears before me. Not as a simple illusion, but it becomes real as long as I allow it. Awake, I can control it, but asleep... in sleep, my dreams and nightmares escape from my head and flood everything around me. And I can't stop it until I wake up. I have hurt people before when they are near to me at that time. I have learned to control it more over the years, but I still haven't managed... to do it completely..."

Lisa didn't answer anything immediately. She was silent, staring at him as if she expected him to say something else. After a few seconds, it became clear that he wouldn't.

"Am I supposed to laugh or something?" She questioned him harshly, pulling her hands away from his at the same time.

"It's not a joke," Cody exclaimed, somewhat desperate. "That's why I always refuse to sleep in your house, or you in mine. That's why I live in a place on the outskirts, away from any neighbor." Then he reached into a pocket of his jacket, pulling out a small orange medicine bottle. "That is why I always have these pills with me to prevent if I feel I am going to have a nightmare that night."

Lisa looked at the bottle in surprise. And, without asking first, she took and examined it. Without her glasses, she had to pull it away from her face a bit to see the label on the front and narrow her eyes a little.

"Where did you get this from?" Lisa inquired accusingly. "It is an experimental drug in the testing phase, it isn't even for sale. Did you steal it?"

"Of course not. I only have my sources..."

"Do you have any idea what side effects this could have in the long run?"

"Lisa, you're not listening to me..."

"And what do you want me to hear?" The biochemist got up quickly from the bench and walked annoyed a few steps, turning her back to him. "That o you think you are Harry Potter or something? Jeez, Cody. Are you making fun of me? Is it the best lie you can think of to break up with me? An "it's not you, it's me" would have been more decent."

"I am not joking!" Cody answered forcefully, standing up as well. "And I don't want to break up with you. If I am telling you it is the exact opposite: I want to entrust to you. Why would I make up a story like that? What would I gain from that?"

"I have no idea... and I don't want to know." Lisa murmured slowly. Then she breathed deeply through her nose and drew it out in a loud snort. "I must go back to work."

Without further ado, she headed again in the direction of the same door she had left, leaving the conversation finished on his part.

"Wait, Lisa..." Cody approached her quickly and took her arm with a little force to stop her.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled at him with some intensity, shaking her arm to free herself. Cody, however, did not want to let her go and even took her by both arms to stop her.

"Wait! Please..." He whispered almost like a plea, but she wasn't listening. Some of her companions saw such a scene from the other side of the glass, which evidently disturbed them.

Perhaps there was only one alternative left.

At that moment, a beautiful and bright butterfly passed right in front of Lisa's face, taking her by surprise. The woman stopped her struggle and followed the curious animal in its flight, leaving traces behind it like little sparks of light. The butterfly headed right for Cody, perching on his right shoulder. Lisa couldn't help but look at his face right then. She noticed that he looked at her with utmost seriousness. Still, no confusion by the being suddenly stopped on his shoulder.

The teacher released her once she felt calmer. He placed both hands in front of them without saying anything, with his palms up. Before Lisa's incredulous eyes, small blue, green, and red butterflies began to appear abruptly on his palms. There was more from one blink to another. Some flew not very high in the space between them, while others stayed moving in Cody's hands.

"What...?" Lisa murmured in amazement. "How...? Are you telling me that you...? Are you doing this?"

Cody nodded slowly. The butterfly on his shoulder rose again and joined the others. One by one, the small butterflies approached to the blue, and at its contact, they simply disappeared, but the blue grew a little bigger. In the end, the blue butterfly absorbed all the others, turning into a large and bright one as if it possessed its own light, flying in circles between them. Lisa couldn't help but smile a little, marveling at the beautiful image. Cody felt much more confident seeing this reaction.

"Since I was a child, I have liked butterflies," he pointed out naturally. Lisa wanted to bring her hand closer to the butterfly, and it settled on her finger; she could feel the small tickles that the contact with her paws caused. It was real; it was really there. "Its flight, its grace, its physiognomy, its importance in the natural world. But the most important thing is that they always manage to relax me. So I have fewer nightmares..."

Lisa listened to him, but much of her attention was on the curious animal, which was now moving across her fingers and palm. The fascination she felt could only be cut by the beep of the door when it recognized an access card and then by the heavy sound of the locks' opening.

Cody was a bit startled at this too, and the butterfly abruptly vanished before Lisa's eyes like steam.

One of Lisa's colleagues, the blond boy sitting at the station next to her, peeked outside, looking at them suspiciously, mostly looking at Cody.

"Mathews, is everything okay?" He murmured with a harsh voice, more than his gaze. Apparently, their struggle a moment ago had bothered them more than it should.

"Yes, yes..." The biochemist was quick to reply, though it didn't sound entirely convincing. "I'm going there right now."

The man gave Cody one last furtive glance, now more charged with a sense of warning. He was quite a tall and stocky man. So, if he wanted to force him out, he could definitely do it. Sure, at least Cody uses his unique abilities, which wasn't very likely. Anyway, the man re-entered the laboratory with reservations and left them alone once more. However, apparently, it would not be for long, as Lisa soon after turned towards the door and took a step towards it without saying anything.

"Lisa..." Cody murmured apprehensively. He tried to get closer and stop her again, but the woman quickly stepped aside to stop him.

"No, don't come near me..." she murmured, almost scared. "It's a trick, right? How did you do it?"

"I already told you, it's what I can do. And I can do more, much more. But not here. I can show you..."

"No, no thanks," Lisa quickly shook her head and hands. "I don't understand what is happening here..."

Cody came to mind that day in the hospital waiting room, and how that officer had reacted after seeing Matilda stop a bullet. Denial? Confusion? Anger? It was difficult to describe it; perhaps they did not understand it themselves. He really hoped Lisa would take it better, especially since she hadn't even seen the lousy part yet. She still did not know the demons that haunted him since he was a child.

"I know it's too much," the professor pointed out in a calm tone, "and I suddenly dropped all this on you. But we can talk more calmly about this if you want..."

He stared at her, waiting for an answer, which seemed difficult to make its way outside. Lisa wasn't even looking at him; instead, she was staring at the floor and wiggling her fingers nervously.

She looked scared. Had that demonstration caused her so much fear? Was it over?

"Yes, of course ..." Lisa replied slowly after a few seconds of meditation. "But not now; later... I must go back to work..."

She turned back to the lab door, and this time she walked much faster than before. Cody didn't follow her.

"Okay, I'll call you," he said loudly enough for her to hear him, but if she did, she didn't turn to look at him at any time, and instead quickly went into the lab.

— — — —

Cody stormed out of the building. He didn't yell or hit anything, or even notice the discomfort in his gait. However, his posture and the rhythm of his steps were clearly one of assertiveness, a desire to express something that he could not. Once outside, he stopped for a few moments to take a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He wanted to get rid of the idea that Lisa had exaggerated too much. That she could have taken everything better, and that she was not the woman he thought she was. Instead, he was trying to put himself in her shoes, trying to understand her and give her a chance. He was trying to convince himself that, as soon as she thought about it more calmly, she would realize that her actions were incorrect. Then, she would call him, they would talk, and everything would be fine.

He wanted to hold onto that idea, but he couldn't quite do it.

He was angry, that was the undeniable truth. He was angry with Lisa, with himself, and right now, even with the security guard who had just returned his identification a few minutes ago. It wasn't common for him to feel that way, but he was human, after all. He most feared that all those negative thoughts that flooded him would end up running wild in a horrible nightmare.

His phone rang at that moment; timely enough, so much so that he thought for a moment it might be Eleven. Looking at the screen at the name it displayed, realized he was not that far off in his prediction. He answered the call and held the phone to his ear.

"Hi, Matilda," he said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Hi, Cody," came the recognizable voice of her old friend on the line. "Are you busy?"

"Not at all. I guess you are talking to me about tomorrow, right?"

Tomorrow would be Saturday, the day he had promised to go to Eola to speak with Samara. He had been thinking about it a lot these days, and he had been preparing himself. And now, after that awkward conversation he had just had, he wanted more than before for the day to come. At first, it had all been just to do Matilda and Eleven a favor. But now, he felt it could be helpful; for Samara, but also for him.

"I really need to be distracted by something else," Cody commented, a little ironic. "What time do we meet?"

"Yeah, about that..." Matilda muttered, somewhat unsure. "I'm calling to let you know that we may have to move it later." Cody was startled when he heard that. He had started walking toward the avenue but stopped short in the middle of the parking lot. "Sorry to talk to you at the last minute..."

"Wait, why is that?" He asked, confused. "Did something bad happen?"

"No..." Matilda was silent for a few moments as if pondering the veracity of her own statement. "Well, more or less. But, in general, everything is fine. What happens is that tomorrow, Detective Sear and I are going to Silverdale, to speak with Samara's mother."

"With her mother?"

"Yes, apparently she is still alive and is admitted to a mental hospital there. The detective thought it would help talk to her, although I don't understand how yet."

"I understand..." Cody whispered, though not entirely convinced. "But if we don't do it tomorrow, I won't be able to do it until next week, Matilda. I can take care of talking to Samara while you guys go to Silverdale."

"What?" He heard her exclaim abruptly, almost in a panic. "No, course not. It isn't recommended that you talk to her without my support..."

"Maybe I'm not a psychiatrist like you," he said abruptly, cutting her off, "but you forget that I've helped other children at the Foundation before as well."

Matilda stammered for a second, unsure. Perhaps the way he was expressing confused her a bit, a bit more assertive than usual. It was not his intention to behave that way with Matilda; she had nothing to do with the reason for his anger, after all. But sometimes it was difficult to disconnect one situation from another.

After a while of apparent hesitation, Matilda managed to regain her composure enough to answer him.

"I know, but Samara is a particular case. You said it yourself and saw it; her abilities are very dangerous."

"Yeah, well..." He paused for a second, before concluding. "I think that's why we really have a lot more in common."

Without looking at her, he felt Matilda startled to hear that.

"I did not mean..."

"I need it, Matilda," he said sharply at once. "I need to do it. If you don't feel convinced and need me to speak to Eleven for authorization..."

"No, no... It's fine," she replied with a bit of haste. Cody immediately felt guilty for using Eleven's letter, especially considering how she dealt with that issue a few days ago. "Look, let's meet up early tomorrow and decide, okay?"

"Okay."

After agreeing on where to meet, the two said goodbye and hung up. Cody walked down the avenue and then walked calmly away toward his house. The walk helped him to clear his mind a bit, but it was still a mess, that was clear. He really hoped to be distracted by that other matter.

— — — —

Their agreed meeting point was at Olympia, the halfway point between Salem and Seattle, so it would suit everyone. The chosen location was actually the Denny's, where Matilda had stopped for lunch the first day she went to Seattle and met Cody. The three agreed to coincide there for breakfast and fine-tune details. Cody thought that perhaps Matilda would try again to convince him to not go to Eola alone, but he tried not to arrive defiantly. In the previous day's conversation, perhaps he had gone a bit too far, and the last thing he wanted was to antagonize Matilda. After all, that was Cody Hobson, always taking care to be well with everyone, afraid of saying openly what he thought or let the demons that haunted inside him expose themselves to the outside. Always scared that any of it would give him a horrible nightmare.

Maybe he had already been his nightmares' hostage for too long...

The car he had ordered left him right in front of the restaurant. By the time he arrived, Matilda and Cole were already there, sitting at a table. It surprised him a bit when he looked at them from a distance, and it seemed to him that the two were talking, to a certain extent, in a pleasant way. It wasn't that they were telling jokes and laughing; in fact, they were each looking at their menu, apparently commenting a bit about it. But at least Matilda seemed a little more relaxed. Maybe it was his imagination, but he hoped it was a good sign.

Cody approached them with a determined step. He carried a large briefcase with him with various things that he planned to use that day with Samara. They both watched him approach, and they abruptly cut off whatever they were talking about.

"Hi guys," Cody greeted them casually, setting his briefcase on one of the chairs.

"Hey, Cody," Cole greeted, getting up from his seat to walk over to give him a firm handshake. "How are you, man?" Cody only smiled slightly and shrugged. Oh, is it that bad?"

Apparently, the detective was perceptive; indeed, he already had an idea of ​​what was happening, after the conversation they had had the other night. Matilda, however, had no idea yet.

"Something happens?" Asked the psychiatrist, somewhat concerned.

Cody sighed and went to take a seat. Cole did the same, back to his chair.

"I told Lisa about my Shining," the professor stated bluntly.

"And I suppose she didn't take it well," Cole replied in a tone that was not entirely serious but was careful not to sound impertinent.

Matilda looked at both of them in confusion.

"Who is Lisa?"

"She's... my girlfriend," Cody replied uncertainly. "Or something like that...

"Oh," Matilda exclaimed, visibly less shocked than she really felt inside. "Are you sure it was a good idea?"

"I'm questioning it."

"Don't worry, maybe she just needs time to think about it a bit," Cole added in a more cheerful tone, and then he patted his arm a couple of times.

Cody glanced at him and smiled. He hoped that was the case, and a part of him still had confidence in it. But another not so much...

"Will you be okay, Cody?" Matilda questioned him, with a somewhat inquisitive look. "The session with Samara will occupy your full concentration. If something distracts you..."

"I know how to do this, Matilda," he snapped back at her somewhat sharper than he should. Again, Matilda didn't seem to know how to react. "I'll be fine. Just as Cole specializes in helping children who can see ghosts, I think I could specialize in another type as well..."

Matilda and Cole looked at each other in silence, and that act seemed a bit of complicity between them. It was evident that Matilda wanted to ask him more about it, but at that moment, the waitress came over to take their orders. Cody hadn't even had time to review the menu, so he only ordered coffee and two whole wheat pancakes. Matilda ordered some eggs, and Cole an omelet.

"Why are you going to see Samara's mother so urgently?" Cody asked them curiously once the waitress left. And, besides, he was trying to change the subject a bit.

Matilda snorted wryly, then turned to see Cole with an uncomfortable look of accusation.

"Why don't you tell him, Detective?" She commented in a challenging tone, extending a hand to the front as if giving way.

Rather than bother, Cole smirked. Apparently, he had already gotten used to that treatment from Matilda. In fact, Matilda also seemed a bit more open, even in her sarcasm.

Cole cleared his throat a little and sat up straight in his chair.

"We think..."

"We?" Matilda interrupted, shooting him a suspicious look from her seat.

"Well... I think it could give us important information about the true origin of Samara's powers. Something that might have to do with her father."

"Do you think he could also have been a shining one?" Cody asked, now with genuine interest.

Cole chuckled and glanced at Matilda as if expecting her to tell him what to say. She just leaned her face against his hand and shrugged.

"Yeah... something like that," the dubious cop replied, which confused Cody a bit.

"Anyway, if we get something, we'll share it with you," Matilda intervened, a bit to the rescue of that conversation. "Dr. Johnson has already heard that you are going to see Samara. Be very careful with her, please. Seriously, if you prefer me to go with you..."

"I'll be fine, Matilda," Cody repeated confidently. "Are you worried about her or me?"

"Eh?" Matilda exclaimed, somewhat at a loss for that question.

Cody smirked.

"You've taken a special affection for her, haven't you?"

"No more than usual," she replied defensively, almost as if the comment offended her. Cole couldn't help but laugh in amusement, not so much at Cody's statement, but at the reaction Matilda had had. The psychiatrist's cheeks flushed a little.

Cody continued.

"We'll be fine. I think it'll help both of us to talk. And I hope you guys find what you are looking for."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Matilda replied reluctantly, crossing her arms.

— — — —

After their breakfast, the group divided into two and headed to their respective destination. Cole and Matilda got into the latter's rented car, and they set off north to Silverdale. Cody ordered another vehicle and headed south to Eola. Three hours later, he was already parked in front of the Psychiatric Hospital, the same one he had suddenly visited a few nights ago. By day the place looked less scary, and the environment around it definitely felt different too.

He reported to the nurse in the reception area, and she was in charge of contacting Dr. Johnson. The first day that Matilda arrived there, she was deliberately kept waiting for several minutes. However, Cody was attended relatively early. He barely had a chance to check if Lisa had sent him a message; she hadn't done it yet.

The young doctor walked down the hall and immediately visualized the visitor in one of the chairs.

"Dr. Hobson?" He saluted eloquently in front of him.

"It's Professor Hobson."

"Sorry." He indicated the path with his hand, so Cody stood up and started walking along with him. "Dr. Honey said you would come. Samara is already in the observation room."

Cody just nodded in response. After walking in silence for a while, he noticed that Johnson looked at him askance with some interest.

"You came with Dr. Honey the other night, right?" he asked suddenly, finally expressing the question that was surely on his mind. "She said you were her colleague, if I remember correctly."

"I suppose I am," Cody replied in a neutral tone.

"Are you part of that Foundation she comes from?" Cody just nodded. "Just out of curiosity, if you're not a psychiatrist, what exactly will you do with Samara? Do you know how dangerous she is?"

"I heard it. But don't worry, I know what I'm doing, believe it or not."

"If you say so. I suppose you want to see her alone, right?"

"Preferably. Do you think that is a problem?"

A slight moan of derision escaped Johnson's lips, perhaps intending to make him notice.

"Not at all. There is no one in this building who wants to be closer to that girl than necessary. To be honest, I don't know why he's still here. What happened the other night made it quite evident that this is not the right place for her. The only one who is still reluctant to leave her is Dr. Scott, who has not been quite well these days. She did something to him, even though he denies it. I have tried to convince him to analyze himself, but..."

He fell silent abruptly, perhaps realizing that he was talking too much. Cody didn't regret it, because he didn't really want to hear more about it.

They walked a little longer down the corridor until they reached the two doors that led to the observation rooms. Johnson stopped short, staying a few feet from the door.

"That's it," he said, pointing to the door.

Cody took three steps toward it, before realizing that Johnson had remained standing there, looking nervously at the door. Apparently, he didn't want to get any closer.

"I'll be fine from here, thank you," he said slowly, and the doctor seemed relieved to hear him.

"Okay. Good luck."

He turned then on his feet and hurried down the hall, pretty hasty, actually. Indeed, everyone there seemed to be afraid of Samara Morgan, a rather intense fear. In fact, remembering a bit, Cody thought that his own reaction the other night, after seeing what had happened in her room, had not been much better. It must have been horrible, the feeling that everyone around you was afraid of you. Despite everything, Cody had always kept his secret from most people, and that was why he hadn't lived through this so actively. Although, with only one important person who saw you that way, it was too much... like Lisa.

Furthermore, there was something worse than the fact that people were afraid, and that was something that he was sure that both he and Samara felt equal.

He entered without much delay through the heavy door. It was the same room in which Matilda had met Samara twice, the second time with Cole. They even still followed some visible traces of what had happened right there a few days ago, although Cody was not aware of it at the time. Unlike those two previous times, Samara was not sitting in her chair, waiting. She was actually standing in front of the double mirror, staring at her own reflection, or perhaps even looking past it. When Cody walked in, the first thing he noticed was her long, straight black hair, which almost completely covered her figure when looking at her from behind. The young woman, sensing her presence, slowly turned in his direction; one of her dark eyes peeked out from the black cascade of her hair, and it was nailed right into him. For a second, Cody felt something strange run through his body the moment she saw him: a pain as if he had just been hit in the chest.

It was not exactly the first time he had seen her, because that had been a few nights ago, when he, Matilda, and Cole went to her room to help her. Though no words were exchanged at the time, he wasn't sure if she had even noticed his presence. But whatever it was, standing in that room, practically locked in, caused him certain anxiety that he did not fully understand. Was his Shining reacting badly? Or perhaps the girl simply had an incredibly dense and heavy presence, which permeated around her without noticing it.

The girl subtly tilted her head to the side, as if analyzing him. Cody forced himself to react quickly, trying to smile calmly and hoping that if he faked it long enough, this would become real, a bit like when he was teaching.

"Hello, Samara," he greeted her in a friendly tone, advancing towards. "How are you?" Samara just looked at him, not answering anything. "My name is Cody. We met the other night, remember?"

Samara tilted her head now in the other direction, never taking her eyes off him for a second.

"I think so," she answered in a muffled voice. "Matilda told me that I should talk to you. Are you a policeman too?"

"No, I'm a biology teacher. Do you study biology at school, Samara?"

The little girl turned her gaze away as if she were ashamed. She lowered her head a little, causing her long hair to almost completely cover her face, and began to advance towards the chair in the center of the room.

"I haven't been to school since I was eight," she replied dryly. "I study at home."

Cody had no knowledge of it; Matilda surely knew, but she hadn't mentioned it. If Cody had to guess, he'd say that for sure, it was around this time that Samara's abilities started to spiral out of control.

"I understand," the professor agreed. Samara then sat down on the chair, adjusting her white robe in the process. "Did Matilda tell you why I wanted to talk to you?"

"Not exactly... She said it would help me, but I don't know how." She looked at him again, reservedly. "Do you have it too? The Shining?"

"Yes, I have it." He then walked over to a chair in front of her and sat down, his briefcase on his lap. "But mine is not like Matilda's or Cole's. It's not exactly like yours either." He was silent for a few moments, and subtly leaned his body forward a little. "But if I may tell you a secret, you and I have some things in common. For example, I know how it feels... to be afraid of yourself."

That statement managed to ultimately call the girl's attention, who immediately turned to see him, expectant. Cody then, hoping that they really were alone as Matilda and Johnson himself had told him, went on to explain what he was referring to. He focused on his surroundings, on that white room that could well function as a perfect blank canvas. The walls abruptly began to turn green from side to side, until the entire room suddenly took on another color.

Samara stared at this in surprise, a rather unusual reaction standing out from her cold and serene face.

From the ground, vines began to emerge that climbed the walls, and after these, small pink flowers appeared that adorned the whole place. And the butterflies, he could not miss the butterflies. They began to hover over their heads; Samara watched them from below, in wonder.

Cody stood up, beginning to walk among the butterflies and flowers, while Samara followed him with her eyes.

"My Shining is also difficult to control," he commented with the same clarity he taught a class. "And so I know what it is to fear that your powers will hurt others, especially those you love." He raised his hand at that moment, and one of the butterflies, the largest, landed on it. "This is something that not everyone can understand, right? Only those who have been through what we have been through..."

He suddenly waved his hand, and the butterfly on it vanished in the air. Everything around him did too, fading like mist, leaving the same white room in its place again. Samara looked at this surprise change also, though equally, with some disappointment. Cody turned back to her and held his hand out in front. One of the pink flowers that had appeared a few moments ago emerged from his hand as if it were germinating from the ground. He approached her so that she could see it closely.

"Matilda and the others describe these abilities as a gift," Cody said. Simultaneously, the girl timidly raised one of her hands and ran her fingers through the flower's petals. It felt real, very real. "But for some, like us, it feels more like a curse at times, right?"

The flower abruptly withered before Samara's eyes. Its pink petals turned brown and crumpled like raisins. They fell one by one onto Cody's palm, then crumbled to dust, then disappeared altogether. Samara looked at this last change without mutating too much, beyond cautiously pushing her hand away.

"Yes... yes it is," she answered in a low voice.

And that was the kind of thing Cody could understand, more than most Foundation members. There were quite a few people who feared their powers and what they could do for not understanding or controlling them. But there was a very special one among that group: those who feared his power with good reason because it really represented a danger to people. Because it was unstable, too powerful, or simply his own nature was already dangerous.

Cody sat back in his chair, adjusted his glasses, and looked confidently at the little girl in front of him.

"But what I have come to tell you is that it doesn't have to be that way. There are ways to focus on what you can do in the right way, and not be so afraid of it. Because yours, Samara, is really a very special gift." He smiled gently at her. "You can do great things with it, like helping people, and alleviating their problems and ills. Would you like that?"

Samara turned her face to the side as if doubting how to answer that question.

"Maybe... Can you help me with that?"

"I can try. Would you allow me?" Samara nodded slowly, not looking at him. "Well, I want to try some exercises first, if that's okay with you. He then began to remove some things from his briefcase, including some canvases and notebooks. "Some may look like something you've done with Matilda before, but they are so I can see what you can do, okay?"

"Okay," she repeated, not exactly upbeat, but Cody didn't care.

"Very good. Let's begin..."

— — — —

Lisa only went to the lab on Saturdays when she had work to do or was on duty once a month. But that day, it was neither one nor the other; that was the day of their important meeting. In the middle of the morning, they informed her that the client she would meet had arrived, so she quickly paced to the office where they were waiting for her. It was an office that was not used at the time, but the person who would see had requested such a place for more privacy.

The long hallway was empty as Lisa went, and the wooden door to the office was half open. She stood outside for a few moments, trying to take courage, and then she dared to knock discreetly and peer inside. The office was illuminated only by natural light coming through the open window on the right. It was a square room with just a desk and some filing cabinets. Sitting at the desk was a man.

"Come in, miss..." the man at the desk murmured, keeping his eyes on an open file on the table. "Mathews, right?"

"Yes, sir," she replied shyly, entering the room and approaching the desk cautiously.

"Please, call me Russel," the seated man commented with some humor, grinning at her and showing almost entirely his straight white teeth.

He was a dark-skinned man with a fully shaved head, a shaved face, and round, thin-rimmed glasses. He was broad-shouldered and of a slightly stocky build. He wore a black suit and tie, and over it, a white robe with a Visitor's badge hung from it. He held a small open commercial yogurt in his left hand, and with the other, he had a transparent plastic spoon, with which he rummaged through the yogurt. Lisa found it curious, as it looked like a presentation for children, the kind that was very colorful and sweet.

"Does it bother you if I eat while we talk?" He questioned somewhat naturally as Lisa sat down. "I know these yogurts are all fat and sugar. But wow, I love them. Now all those Greek Yogurts are in, and low fat, and blah, blah. You are a biochemist, what do you say? Are they bad for me?"

"That's not my specialty..." She answered uncertainly.

"Sure, sure, sorry." He laughed with certain humor in his voice and immediately took some of the yogurt with the spoon and put it in his mouth. He definitely didn't seem like the kind of person Lisa expected to meet. "I guess you are already informed about what this interview is for, right?"

"Something like that. It's for the secret project that we're doing for a branch of the government."

Lisa's voice was muffled, somewhat withdrawn, as if she were afraid to say something wrong that could get her in trouble. It was an important interview after all, but her fear went a bit beyond that.

The man, who had introduced himself as Russel, laughed a little at her comment. He leaned completely against the back of the chair, which was almost entirely back, as he continued to taste some of his yogurt.

"Secret Project, you make it sound more interesting than it is," Russell sneered. "Secret project, how scary. But yes, it is a simple way to put it. The fact is that due to some internal changes that we'll carry out in this "Secret Project," we'll need another resource assigned with your profile, as an urgent matter." He placed particular emphasis on that last word. "And, because of the excellent work your company has done with us, we would like that resource to be from right here, and your supervisors have recommended you. They say you are hardworking, intelligent, and above all, very discreet. I also asked to investigate you a bit. They informed me that you have already worked with high-level government projects before, and the corresponding security accesses have already been processed beforehand. Is it right?"

"Yes, sir," Lisa answered. "It was about a year and a half ago for a small research project for the CDC."

"Good, very good," Russell agreed, pleased. "That would speed up the paperwork a lot." He stared at her with some intensity, making her a little nervous. "Your bosses also told me that you have worked on some other... delicate projects before. And that you are not afraid to do what your superiors ask you... without questioning more."

There was something strange about how he had said that; something she could not identify but almost seemed to be akin to a threat. Whatever it was, it made Lisa more uncomfortable.

"I suppose that's an accurate description, sir..." The man pointed accusingly at her abruptly. "Russel," she corrected herself, making the man smile cheerfully again. "But if you could allow me to question just a little... I have heard some rumors among my colleagues about what this project is about."

"Seriously?" Russel murmured with such keen interest he almost seemed feigned. "And what exactly have you heard?"

Lisa sighed slowly. Maybe she was playing it too much. She had never listened to those rumors more than necessary or had even believed them. And even if they were right, it would have mattered little to her. As Mr. Russell had pointed out, she used to obey orders without questioning too much. Her father had been a military man, and one very loyal to his homeland. Much of his way of being and thinking had been transmitted to her over the years.

For this reason, she had no problem entering a secret project. It could give her good references and contact to move up in her profession and perhaps help her country a little. However, after what she had seen the day before, she needed to express that doubt before she could continue...

"Some say the project... the secret project... is for the Department of Scientific Intelligence." Russel's right eyebrow arched in intrigue at that. "But, this agency is supposed to no longer exist since the eighties, right?" Russell didn't say anything. He just stared at her, with a countenance that felt somewhat more serious and harsh than the one he had had since the beginning of their conversation. Still, Lisa continued. "I don't know if that had to do with its dissolution, but I read that several articles emerged that affirmed its participation in some unethical experiments on humans, to make... people with powers. Psychic powers, to be exact."

Russel was silent for a while longer. Without taking his eyes off her, and still in silence, he dipped the small spoon into the yogurt and took a little bit of it. Abruptly, he let out a satisfied groan.

"I don't know if it's good or bad, but it tastes good," he muttered suddenly, pointing to the yogurt container with the spoon. "Do you want a little?"

"No, thank you..." Lisa replied, somewhat surprised by such a sudden offer.

"You miss it," he pointed out mockingly, before taking another spoonful. "Wow, the power of office gossip; there is no psychic power greater than that, don't you think?" He gave a carefree little laugh then." "Psychic powers, what a great imagination... Do you think something like this could exist?"

As he asked that question, he stared at her again, as if he really wanted to hear the answer she would give.

"I... I don't know," she replied, trying to sound calm; she even smiled and shrugged. "I suppose it is possible, but unlikely."

"A very scientific answer from you," Russel agreed, then turned toward his yogurt, beginning to scrape the walls with his spoon to remove any traces that remained. "Have you ever met someone who can do something like that?"

Lisa flinched at the sudden question. Russel was still concentrating on his yogurt, but she was sure he hadn't just asked out of curiosity.

Did... did he know something?

No, it was impossible. She had been notified of that interview long before what happened. But, maybe they knew about Cody beforehand? Did they know about him and their relationship, and because of that, they questioned for her? Or was it merely her fault? For having touched on that subject and opened the door to possibility?"

She forced herself to maintain her composure, calm down, and respond as soon as possible.

"No... Of course not," she answered hastily, with a mocking tone. "That kind of thing would be difficult to keep in secret, don't you think?"

"Sure, it's true," Russel replied in a somewhat absent tone. Then he licked the last of his spoon and tossed it and the container into the trash can on the side of the desk. "I like you, Mathews. I think you are the one for the position we need to fill."

Lisa looked at him, incredulous.

"But if we haven't talked about anything important yet..."

"Call it a hunch," he answered abruptly, almost violently. Then he leaned across the desk in her direction. He stared at her through his glasses and smiled again, with all those perfect white teeth. "I always have... good hunches."

Again that sense of threat latent in his words. Was that supposed to mean something to her? Should it intimidate her or encourage her? Lisa didn't know... she didn't really understand almost anything around her from the day before.

Russel leaned back, leaning fully against the backrest again. He took the open file, Lisa's file, precisely, and placed it in front of him to review as he spoke.

"But let's talk about important things if that seems better to you," he said with a slightly mocking tone. Lisa sighed in relief. Russel then glanced at her over the frame of his glasses and again tensed her a little. "But don't be nervous; you have nothing to hide, right?"

Lisa hesitated, narrowly skimming the point of suspicion. But in the end, she smiled nonchalantly at him and sat up straight and secure in her chair.

"Of course..."

END OF CHAPTER 34

Author's Notes:

—The character of Russel that appears at the end of the chapter is an original character of my creation. Still, it is based on the context of one of the works involved in this story. More will be explained about this character later.