Psy-reN (Chapter 1)

(Sorry if this is a bit slow...it's more of an introduction chapter, and there isn't actually any hypnosis in it, but it's leading it it. Hopefully maybe some people might show interest in another chapter. All character are of legal age)

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Senior year’s supposed to be the best part of your high school education. Hell, I’ve even heard people go so far as to call it the best year of your entire life, though admittedly, most of those people didn’t go very far. Never the less, I’d been looking forward to it for the last three years, longing for the day that I could step on campus and know for the first time that I was ‘Top Dog’; ‘The Big Cheese’; a somebody, you know?

And of course, the summer just prior to senior year happened to be the exact summer that SinTech, the company my mom works for, decided to relocated.

So now I’m here, in La Ripson, a town a good three hours away from anyone I know; a ‘clean slate’, my mom called it. Great. That’s exactly what I wanted: to spend my senior year in a new school with new people…

…so much for being a ‘somebody’…

--

“So you’ve got everything you need?” my mother asked, fumbling through her purse as she scrambled to get ready. This was her first day at the new laboratory, just as it was my first day at Fortsworth High. Honestly, despite her best efforts to tell me exactly what she does at SinTech, I still don’t really have the faintest idea. The clearest answer I’ve ever been given, minus the techno-garble, is that they research into advancing technologies for military use or something.

“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled back, hunched over a bowl of cereal. Admittedly, I wasn’t in the best of spirits. Ever since we moved in, I’d been moping around the house everyday. I won’t lie; I’ve never been a big fan of change. I like consistency. I like to feel comfortable, and once I find my comfort zone--my little bubble, I like to stay in it. Needless to say, our complete uprooting had shattered that bubble entirely, and the lack of familiarity in this place had me feeling sick to my stomach. I dabbed at the bowl idly with my spoon.

“Oh, come on Casey,” my mother urged lightly, throwing an arm across my shoulder, “things may seem gloomy now, but they’ll get better.”

“Yeah, you say that…” I muttered, sighing heavily. I didn’t have much of an appetite. Pushing up out of my chair, I took my bowl over to the sink and dumped my wasted attempt at breakfast down the drain, flicking on the disposal.

“Coming at this with a bad attitude and an empty stomach certainly isn’t going to improve your situation, I can tell you that much,” she stated in a very matter of fact tone, glancing over her shoulder as she slipped on her company jacket. She was right. I knew she was, but that didn’t mean I was going to listen. Right now, I didn’t feel much like listening to anyone; all I wanted was to get this day over with so I could trudge my way through the next one.

We said our goodbyes and my mom slipped out the front door, the engine of her Sonata sounding a few moments later as she pulled out of the driveway. Fortsworth was within walking distance, only a couple of blocks, so she got the car and I got the sidewalk. There was still a bit of time before I’d have to leave, so went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

I’m sort of scrawny, for a boy my age. I’m 18 this year…honestly, it doesn’t feel as special as people lead you to believe. I don’t suddenly feel the power of adulthood within me, or any innate sense of responsibility or being. Quite frankly, I’m still just as confused and childish as I was the year before, but that’s irrelevant.

I did what I could to clean up my hair, running a comb through the messy brown tangles before I slipped on a jacket, grabbed my backpack, and headed outside.

--

“Aaaand…Kinna, Casey?”

I raised a hand meekly, and the man gave a subtle nod before marking my name down on the role sheet. For the most part, I kept my eyes down, my hands folded. The first day of high school is the same wherever you go, as I found out; your teachers take role, and then they spend an hour going through the same syllabus that the teacher before them had, and by the end of the day you would have heard it six times or more.

It was the my forth period, English, and by now I was seriously beginning to regret not eating breakfast. My stomach was growling irritably, churning and clenching in painful knots as I slouched in my seat, trying to keep my mind off food. Every time I lifted my head, I’d find at least a few people looking at me; Fortsworth was fairly small for a high school, and if you’ve been in a place for a few years, a new face sticks out. As soon as I’d glance their way, most of them would avert their gaze, or look right past me; no one ever spoke to me though. Honestly, the whole thing made me very uncomfortable.

What made me the most uncomfortable was one boy in particular. He sat a row in front of me, slightly to the left, his feet kicked up in a chair beside him. He had a presence about him, the way he held himself. His hair was died a bright blue, and he had a piercing through his lip. I assumed right from the start that he was probably in a band, though at the time I never would have guessed that I’d ever know as intimately as I do now.

Unlike the rest, he’d just keep right on staring at me when I’d catch him, and I caught him several times. At one point he even grinned at me quite knowingly, and there was something in that gesture that sent a shiver down my spine and forced my eyes back down onto my desk; something predatory. I can’t really explain it, but it was really unnerving.

After lunch was forth period, and I decided to excuse myself about ten minutes early for a ‘bathroom break’; really, I just wanted to get a head start on my lunch. More than that though, I wanted to get away from that strange boy.

The halls were empty, and as I walked I flicked on my MP3, drowning out the world. One thing you should probably know about me is that, sometimes, I have a habit of losing myself to that kind of thing--music I mean. That’s why I hadn’t noticed myself start to hum, then sing lightly to myself as I made my way over to my locker, fiddling with the combination. That’s also probably why I hadn’t noticed the footsteps following me, or the form standing quietly behind me, that predatory grin etched on his face.

Needless to say, when I finally turned around and saw him smirking, standing just a little too close for comfort, my heart nearly flew out of my mouth. I can only imagine how I must have looked. Gasping, I threw myself back against the lockers, yanking the buds out of my ears as I stammered angrily, glaring at him.

“W-What the hell do you want?” I snapped shakily, trying to sound tough, but at this point my rouse what pretty obvious. The boy stared at me for a moment, cocking his head before he light chuckled, leaning in a bit, like he was looking me over. Something about that had my face hot. After a moment, he leaned back, quirking a brow as he brought a hand to his chin and tapped it thoughtfully, clicking his tongue.

“Well?” I tried again for toughness, but it came out as more of a squeak. Finally, he grinned again, then spoke.

“I knew there was something special about you, but this puts the icing right on the goddamn cake, you know?” I blinked stupidly at him. What the hell was he talking about? The expression on my face must have spoken for me, for he continued, “Your voice, I mean. You wouldn’t believe how many good vocalists are quiet little things, let me tell you, but I wouldn’t have pegged you for a voice like that; so soft, smooth..” He did that grin again, and I swallowed nervously, blushing from ear to ear.

“I-Is…there a point to this?” I asked, anxious to get myself away from him. He nodded coyly, stepping back.

“You’re perfect--exactly what I need!”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, sorry,” he smiled, shaking his head, “you misunderstand--” I cut him off before he could finish, shutting my locker and turning my back on him.

“Listen, I’m not interested, alright?” I had no idea what the hell he was getting at, but something about him left me feeling very uncomfortable. I realize that I wasn’t being particularly friendly, but I’ve never prided myself on my social skills, and something about him really had me on edge--and for good reason, as I soon found out.

Just when I thought I was rid of him, I suddenly felt him grab me strongly from behind, forcing me up against the lockers. He was a lot stronger than he looked. Smirking, he held me there, a hand against my chest as he leaned in one smooth motion and locked his lips with mine. I froze up, eyes wide, a deer in the headlights. I could tell that he was still grinning, holding me there. Trembling, I finally found enough of myself to start pushing back against him, and that’s when I felt him firmly grab me between my legs, sending a jolt through me and--

“Boys! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Oh crap.

--

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

The principal had turned the corner just in time to see my stalker pin me up against the lockers, and now, ironically, we were alone together in detention. It was obvious now why he’d done it; he had me alone, though I still didn’t have a clue why. Why the hell was he out to get me?

“Well yeah, but you weren’t about to listen to me nicely, now were you?” he smirked, crossing his arms. He was seated opposite me, his legs propped up. He had a guitar case beside him, and some other thing that I couldn’t make heads or tails of.

“So…what is it then? You’ve got me now, so what do you want?” I asked, rolling my eyes. He smirked.

“Good question, Kinna,” he paused, blinking. “Oh, my name’s Quinn by the way, and you’re here because I have something to show you…”

(TO BE CONTINUED)