Hey readers, hopefully this is just the first in a series, but one never knows. While this story deals with telepathy, it doesn't involve actual mind control- yet. All characters are aged 18 or over and all that.
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People to some extend had always believed in mind-reading, foresight of the future, or the ability to move things by sheer thought; and maybe they had been right to, but it was only a few years before the beginning of this story that belief in such things became truly widespread- and only then because it suddenly started happening out in the open. There was the judge who could catch a liar on the witness stand by reading his mind, the Youtube footage of a mom heaving a car off her trapped child before getting in arm's reach and others. At first people even started hailing it as a new and wondrous stage of evolution.
Unfortunately for every one person who used such gifts to be a hero, there were a dozen more who used them to steal, to control, to commit mass murder. Predictably those sins birthed such fear in society that newly-dubbed 'mentalists' had to play normal to avoid ostracism, if not outright violence.
Colin Forbes was one of those people. A young man with a handsome face, but regarded as also a bit of a nerd for most of his life. This night, he was at the Steam Tunnels (odd name for a bar, he thought), relaxing after a gruelling first week at the Mignola institute of higher learning. Across the table from him sat Gavin Riley.
Gavin was a friend of Colin's from high school, and the only person outside the Forbes family Colin trusted with his secret; Horatio to his Hamlet, Harold to his Kumar. As Colin sipped his beer, Gavin got his attention, "Check out who's looking your way."
Colin turned his head and saw her, 'Faith' he thought to himself. That wasn't her real name of course (or it would've been a freaky coincidence if it was); Colin referred to her to that in his mind because her looks and bearing reminded him of someone named Faith from an old TV show. Both he and Gavin had seen her around yet neither mustered up the courage to actually approach the woman. Surprisingly, her eyes did indeed gaze in their direction.
"Wonder who she's looking at past us," Colin said as he took another sip.
"What, you just assume she's looking at someone behind you?"
"I learned my lessons from high school."
"Exactly- high school. People are supposed to be more mature now."
"Just because they're supposed to be doesn't mean they actually are."
"I still say you're wrong- but I know a way we could find out for sure."
Colin shot his friend a dirty look, "Forget it. Bad idea now, bad idea always." Ever since learning Colin could read thoughts Gavin had tried to goad him to divine what people around them were thinking. Colin always had to spell out that one didn't just pop into somebody's brain uninvited like that. Not only was it considered incredibly rude, there was the good chance he might not like what he saw in someone else's thoughts- to say nothing of the fact most people were suspicious of psychics at best and such cavalier use of said abilities could end up putting a bull's-eye on the head of the psychic in question.
Besides such intrusions seemed unnecessary, as the woman they discussed got up, walked toward- and right on past their table.
"Told'ja," Colin said as he took another swig of his beer.
With both their backs turned, neither of them saw 'Faith' turn her head to look at Colin, even if only for a second.
A Monday later Colin fought desperately to stay awake during Astrophysics. What could have been an interesting subject- and one that, in an age where businesses and governments were genuinely looking into colonizing the other planets of the solar system- could have actual use outside academic circles, was reduced to desert-dry lectures droned on by a Methuselah who could have retained his professorship only through the miracle of tenure.
Colin had started shaking his head in an effort to keep from drifting off when as it turned he glimpsed the woman he and Gavin had been discussing the Friday night earlier. At first seeing her surprised Colin, but as he started to think about the matter, why should it? It was a big campus, hundreds of faces of students surrounded him, though a good many of those had lost their battle with tedium.
Trying to make another glance as discreet as possible, Colin noticed she kept her head up, but not because she found the lecture interesting. No, Colin had long ago learned to recognize the far-off look of a daydreamer- Hell, he himself could have given many people lessons on the subject. He briefly wondered what she could be imagining right now, and debated having a look-see?
Almost immediately after thinking that he inwardly chewed himself out for doing so. All the warnings that had been drilled into him against probing another's mind in such a fashion- to say nothing of his lectures to Gavin on the matter.
And yet, his curiosity was starting to get the better of him. Besides, would it really do any harm?
'You can be in and out without anybody even knowing you were there,' he told himself, totally ignorant of the Pandora's Box he was considering to open. Taking care not to advertise his intent by looking anywhere but straight ahead, Colin mentally reached out, envisioned his mind drilling into 'Faith's' skull, and staring face to face with- himself?
'What the hell?' Colin thought. He had been fairly certain this woman didn't even know he existed, and for a second wondered if this was just projecting. He decided otherwise though, 'imaginary Colin' had his face, but his hair had been cut differently, and was black instead of brown. Also he wore unfamiliar clothes, namely urban camouflage pants and a black tank top.
'Even in daydreams I'm too scrawny to pull off the tank top look,' Colin sadly observed. Looking past his imagined doppelganger he noticed they were in a locker room somewhere, though he'd been in the one at the U and this wasn't it.
"Did you like what you saw?"
Both Colin and imaginary Colin turned their head's to see 'Faith' (He really should get around to learning her real name one of these days) smirking. She was dressed similarly to Imaginary Colin, a thin metal chain worn around her neck down her top; her hair (also styled differently than in real life) was wet, that along with some damp spots on her shirt suggested she had rushed towelling off after a swim or shower. If she sensed the real Colin's presence she chose not to acknowledge it.
"Well did you?" She pressed the question again.
Imaginary Colin, suddenly looking very nervous, held up both hands before speaking, "Look, I walked in on you totally by accident, really."
"Hm. Sure you did." Her tone making it obvious she didn't believe him- or really care either way. Her expression shifted into one Wile E Coyote might wear had he stumbled on a crippled Roadrunner. Imaginary Colin, seeming even more uneasy, started backing away.
In the space of a breath the girl was on Imaginary Colin with a tackle worthy of an NFL linebacker, slamming him flat on a short bench. She sat up while whipping off her shirt, showing the chain hanging from her neck bore military style dog-tags between two pert, natural breasts, then reached down at imaginary Colin's pants.
