Annihilation Series-Searching for a Hero Read Free Page A

the King this Friday.”
    Coryn stared at Ping for a long moment and then sat down, “Why do you want to avoid seeing the King? It’s part of your duty as a citizen of the Realm to attend that gathering.”
    Ping blew out a breath and picked up the remote control for the family monitor. He moved the channel to the story about the Glod students visiting the King and rewound it. He sat down beside his mother and he slowed it down when the video showed the giant cats moving through the massive crowd. “Mom, what are those cats doing?”
    Coryn stared at the video and after a moment she said, “It looks like they’re looking for someone or something.”
    She turned to Ping and he said, “I believe they’re looking for me, Mom.”
    Coryn moved her head back in disbelief and furrowed her brow, “What on Earth would make you think that?”
    “Give me a moment.” Ping went upstairs and returned a few minutes later with a small info drive he plugged into the monitor. He activated it and turned to his mother, “I’ve been collecting this for the last nine months.”
    Coryn watched as video after video showed the giant cats visiting various schools and cities. She saw them walking up major streets and they appeared to be listening for something. They would be seen in front of schools with their ears up and staring at the buildings. Coryn turned to Ping, “What are they doing?”
    “I believe they are looking for me.”
    Coryn looked in her son’s eyes and saw something, “Surely you’re not that paranoid? Why would they be doing that?”
    Ping took a deep breath, blew it out, and shook his head, “I believe they have somehow sensed me. I don’t know how, but I do know they are attempting to find me.” Ping saw the doubt in Coryn’s expression and he took her hands in his, “Mom, I’ve been sensing changes taking place in me for more than ten years. I determined in the first level that if anyone possessed talents different from those around them that they should hide them from the powers that be.”
    Coryn scoffed, “How did you make that determination?”
    “Thomas Gardner had to do it as a young boy. I have no desire to have the government looking over my shoulder at everything I do for the rest of my life. I want to be free to live my life unencumbered and not be restricted in what I choose to do.”
    “Ping, I honestly find this hard to believe. You’re no different than anyone else. What is it about you that has caused this imagined search?”
    Ping tilted his head, “I have some talents I’ve been deliberately hiding.”
    Coryn crossed her arms, “Such as?”
    Ping saw his mother staring into his eyes and he looked across the room at the bowl sitting on the table. He raised his hand and the bowl lifted, floated over to him and hung in the air in front of them. Coryn’s eyes went wide and Ping said, “I can sense things before they happen and I’m able to see things that are impossible.”
    Coryn forced her attention away from the bowl, “Such as?”
    “I can see the settlements on Mars. As I age, I think that vision will increase in distance. The point is; I sense they’re looking for me and I’m worried that if I go to that gathering on Ross, the cats might sense me. I don’t want to be forced to leave my home, Mom.”
    Coryn’s eyes narrowed, “Do you think that will happen?”
    “Mom, you know there have been numerous ads on the monitor asking anyone that possesses psychic talents to go to the government and discuss how to help the Realm. If the government discovers I possess mental abilities, what do you think they’ll do? I don’t think staying at home will be an option. Besides, that part of me that sees the future says I will lose my freedom if I’m discovered. I don’t want to take the risk of that happening by going to the gathering.”
    Coryn looked at the bowl hanging in midair, “I find it hard to believe they would take you away just because of some telekinetic ability.”