Honestly, people usually say folks like me “have a gift.” I always felt it was more of a curse. Let me tell you why.
Just a month old, my mum left me on the doorstep of a children’s home in Leeds. Why she dumped me? Blowed if I know. Maybe she had the same “gift” and didn’t want it cropping up in me. Fact is, I grew up there, never knew my folks. One of our carers, Mrs. Evans, spotted my… thing first. She claims I was playing once, little Alfie pinched my toy truck, and well, her words: “I swear I saw the lad fly backwards clear across the mat, and you just picked up your truck.” Bless her, Mrs. Evans was lovely. Straight away, she knew I was different, knew if anyone found out, I’d be under a microscope. “Don’t want you hauled off for tests,” she’d say over and over. So, she looked after me proper, helped me tame it. Lose my rag? Things moved. People moved. I could feel everyone’s energy buzzing around them. Didn’t need to chat to know if someone was dodgy. Sounds useful, right? But people somehow felt *I* was off too. Kept their distance. That’s why no foster family ever picked me. Hurt, that. I just wanted cuddles, love, a real family like everyone else. Wanted to know what a mum felt like.
Had one real mate at the home: Poppy. Well, her name was Penelope really, but she hated it, so Poppy it was. Top girl, we had a right laugh. She was my family, I was hers. She knew about my… stuff. Always kept it secret. Never once asked me to use it for her own gain. Dead grateful for that. Poppy had given up hope of a family – fifteen’s ancient for fostering. Everyone knows the older kids get passed over.
Then, one day, Poppy burst into our room, eyes shining like headlights. Her energy hit me like a wave.
“What? What happened?”
“Lily! You’ll never believe it! I’m getting adopted! I get a family!”
Poppy jumped at me, hugged my shoulders, spun me round the room. “Found people who want me! I’m so lucky!” She stopped then, looked dead serious. “Don’t fret, I’ll come visit loads. When you get adopted too, we’ll have family days out! Come on, quick, I’ll show them, they’re by the headmistress’s office!”
She dragged me by the hand. We stopped by the door just as it swung open. A couple came out. Man, big fella, broad shoulders, sharp chin, strong jaw. I got the full blast of their energy right then and there, and I did *not* like it one bit. From him, pure aggression. Brutish. A proper nasty buzz. The woman? Weak as water. Terrified. Just… empty tiredness. That’s what washed over me.
“Oh, Poppy!” The man broke into this big grin.
Made my skin crawl.
“Nearly sorted the paperwork. You’ll come home with us tomorrow!” Poppy flew at him for a hug. And in that second, I felt this new spike flare in his energy. Like love? No. Not fatherly. More like… lust. Felt grubby.
Back in the room, Poppy bounced off the walls. I sat on my bed, trying to digest it all. Maybe I’d imagined it.
“What’s up with you?” Poppy plonked down beside me. “Don’t be sad! I promise we’ll stay mates.”
“Pops, I didn’t like them. That man… felt wrong. Nasty.”
Poppy frowned. “Stop it, Lily. Why are you saying this? Jealous? I waited *years* for this! I finally get a family! Mr. Henderson seemed dead nice when I talked to him. Said I’d get my own massive room! Imagine?”
“Pops, you *know* I feel people!”
“Lily, pack it in! Every couple gets checked by the psychologist *and* the headmistress. They’re perfect. He works, she stays home. I’ll have Mum all to myself! They’ve got all the clearances. If they were nasty, it’d be in their records!” She jumped up, walked to the window. “Thought you’d be happy for me. Thought you were my mate.” Her voice went wobbly.
Felt awful then. I hugged her from behind. “Sorry. Course I’m happy for you. You’re right, I imagined it. Just don’t want to lose you.”
“S’alright. You’re only seven, someone’ll snap you up. Right, got to pack.”
Slept terrible. Dreamt of Mr. Henderson like some monster, eyes blazing fury, drool dripping off sharp teeth.
Poppy barely woke me. She was dressed, bag packed. I stood ages on the porch holding her, like that hug could somehow keep her safe. When she got in the car and the carers went back inside, only I stayed. Only I saw her new mum slump into the passenger seat like she’d escaped something, and Mr. Henderson give this horrible, sly smirk.
Felt awful all day. Mrs. Evans noticed. At playtime she pulled me to the back garden.
“Lily? What’s wrong? Missing Poppy?”
“Mrs. Evans… d’you believe me?”
“‘Course I do, love.”
“They took her away. Bad people. Especially that Mr. Henderson. Proper wrong ‘un.”
Mrs. Evans thought hard. “That’s… not good. Maybe you are missing her, love. Maybe they are bad. But us? Can’t do a thing. Their background is spotless. Perfect parents on paper.”
“But why take Poppy? Why not a younger girl? Doesn’t fit.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dunno, Mrs. Evans. Dunno. Need to think.” I walked off, leaving her to chew it over.
Felt rougher all afternoon. Head banging. Everything inside screaming I had to do something. When the sun dipped low, my heart started hammering in my chest. Closed my eyes… jumped up. Swear I heard Poppy scream.
Couldn’t take it. Ran to the only person who could help. “Mrs. Evans, please! We have to help her! Somethin’ awful’s happening! Please believe me! We could just go check – you’ve got the address? If it’s all fine, I swear I’ll leave you alone!” Crying like a little kid, tugging her sleeve. She pressed her lips tight.
“Alright,” she whispered. “But if anyone finds out, I’m done for. Right. Out the back garden, quiet as you can, to my car. I’ll fetch the address from the office. We’ll go.” Huge relief. Had to know.
Dead silent drive. Just fiddled with the bead bracelet Poppy made me. Got there, pitch black. Huge, spooky house standing alone. “Lord, Lily,” Mrs. Evans breathed, “I don’t have your… thing… but that house feels cursed.” I knew. Felt it deep. “What now?”
“Stay here. I’m small. Can crawl under the fence there,” I pointed. “Just look through a window. If it’s bad, I’ll run back, warn you.”
“Can’t, love! What if they see you?”
“Won’t!” I said, feeling suddenly strong. She nodded.
Sprinted to the house, scrabbled under the fence, muck all over my dress. Who cares? Cre
Honestly mate, it took me a while to truly believe it, this thing inside me, this force I used to dread? Well, it turns out that power isn’t a curse at all, not when it brought us here – safe at last in our little cottage near Bath, Rina laughing beside me and Mum, bless her (Mrs. Turner now, proper adoptive mum she is), humming away in the kitchen baking ginger biscuits, the whole place warm and safe and finally, wonderfully, ours.
