The 50/50 Vaccine

Chapter 11

3 months later

It’s been an exciting few months. Everything in the apartment has been switched to non-magnetic items, making us only have plasticware and a non-magnetic fridge. I’m not entirely sure where they found a fridge that isn’t magnetic, but it’s working out for us here. I feel bad for Lexi, but she’s a trooper. They have assigned a specific roundabout route to get from place to place where she won’t accidentally attract anything magnetic. Even in the apartment, I’ve taken over most things to help her out.

Lexi is still figuring out how her ability works. From the stories she’s been telling me, her ability is not completely controlled by her emotions as most seem to be. Instead, hers seems to be more along her thoughts or wants. When it first appeared, she was trying to find the ice cream scoop in the drawer, and then everything slowed out at her. Last week she was thinking about the task she needed to do and nothing happened until she began to get upset over how badly she wanted the object she was trying to summon. I pointed this thought out to Lexi last night in our chat, and she was going to try to focus on wanting whatever her target is to come to her today during her training. I’m hoping it helps her as she keeps coming home looking defeated when it doesn’t work for her.

The apartment door opens and Lexi enters looking tired as always. “How’d it go?” I ask as she drops down on the sofa with a sigh.

“Your theory proved to be the trick. The only problem is, it’s a lot of work concentrating on wanting things I don’t truly want.” Lexi admits. “I don’t want a fork to fly at my face, but in training, I need to focus on wanting a fork to summon it to me like a magnet. If that’s not enough, after doing that five times in a row, they up the ante. The next level after the fork was a frying pan!”

“What?” I can’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not funny but at the same time, it kind of is.”

“I managed to handle the pan just fine. Then… You guessed it, they got bigger. A full metal trash can with a lid, full of trash to weigh it down. The lid flew at me like a frisbee three times in a row. Then the barrel tipped over and old food can containers flew at me, flinging bits of nastiness at me.”

“Oh, no…”

“Oh, yes. After two long hours of that nonsense I got a lunch break, and an outdoor break for twenty minutes. When I returned the barrel was still waiting for me. Another hour and a half, I finally conquered that task by pulling it to me ten times in a row as a solid object. Then they added two more cans. I focused on them one at a time, but they changed the rules. Instead of dragging the cans to me, I was supposed to move them across the room to the wall. How was I supposed to know that? I have a magnetic field, why or how could I repel them?”

“When two of the same magnetic fields come together they repel each other.”

“Do I look like I have more than one magnetic field?”

“Something tells me that was how you handled their challenge…”

“You bet it was. They gave up after thirty minutes when I refused to cooperate.”

“What happened next?”

“They gave me a stove to move, then a fridge. I stopped when they brought in a car. I need to speak to Sasha. This is getting a bit crazy.”

“Sasha said there were others with your ability. I would think they would have someone with your ability training you and explaining how they work theirs. I assume it would be similar.”

“I think they are just having fun and humiliating me, and I’m not going to put up with it.”

“I wouldn’t if I were in your shoes. I probably would have quick at lunchtime and not returned after the trash fiasco.” I admit.

“I thought about it.”

“I'm proud of you, though. You stuck with it and figured out how to summon things to you. The only issue with your ability to work when you want something to come when you want it, is how do you avoid summoning things like someone’s jewelry or change? Think about it, if you see a bracelet that is pretty and you think, man I would like one of those. What’s to keep it from snapping off the person wearing and it handing it to you?”

“Mandy, can you stop coming up with things?” Lexi asked with a smile. “I’d much rather practice things like that than pulling trash cans, and cars to me.”

“I’m surprised they didn’t start you with learning how not to summon things to you. After all, you are a walking magnetic field now, everything made out of magnetic metal will be pulled to you.”

“This is a good point, and just another reason why I need to speak to Sasha.”

A knock on the door has us both looking at it in confusion. “It’s probably Nolan.” I speculate. “Unless Sasha has super sonic hearing on top of her fire ability.”

“It’s early for a Nolan visit,” Lexi commented glancing at the clock. Usually, he comes around or just after 6, it’s barely 3.

I open the door and find Nolan standing in the hallway grinning from ear to ear. “I wanted to stop by and let you both know the news as soon as I received it,” Nolan stated rushing into the apartment. “I just got notice that I’m leaving first thing in the morning.”

“Leaving? Where are you going?” I ask.

“They passed me on my ability training. I’ve been given a townhouse in the community cul-de-sac. Then I have two days to get settled in before I start my job as security personnel.” Nolan announced.

“That’s wonderful!” Lexi replied. “Congratulations.”

“Why are they giving you such a small window?” I blurt out.

“Mandy, this is a good thing. Once we finish training, we are given a few options for jobs, and then we select the job and get moved out of the building. In the community, we are free to come and go as we please, as long as it doesn’t interfere with work.” Lexi explains. “As he lives alone in his apartment, it’ll open up an apartment for new arrivals, which should be coming through soon.”

“Yeah, I was giving the choice of chauffeur for Sasha and the other founding family members, outdoor security, mail carrier, or trainer. I don’t see myself as a trainer, and I never wanted to be a mail carrier. Security was the easy choice for me.” Nolan continued. “When I asked, outdoor security is the main idea, but sometimes we rotate indoors as well depending on the need of the grounds.”

“That sounds right up your alley,” I note.

“It beats being stuck inside or confined to a specific space.” Nolan agreed.

“I’m happy for you, Nolan. I hope we get to see each other again once we all move into the community.” I add realizing that Lexi is the only one who congratulated him on this news.

“Thanks,” Nolan said with a smile as he took a seat in the armchair. “I’m going to miss you ladies. We’ve been hanging out so much, making life here less lonely. Now I’m moving to a community where you won’t be until Lexi conquers her ability, and Mandy develops hers and masters it. That could take up to a year.”

“We need to be positive,” Lexi stated. “I’m hoping to figure this ability out sooner than a year from now. I’m sure Mandy will get her ability within the next couple of months.”

“I’m not in any hurry to find out what my ability will be,” I admit.

“We’ve talked about this, Mandy. There is such a large array of abilities that have been documented, and I’m sure there are several more not documented here. There is no telling what ability you will develop. You need to think positive.” Lexi stated. Every time the discussions of abilities come up she gives me the same speech ever since I admitted to being afraid.

“I know, but that fact still doesn’t ease my nerves. I’m still afraid I’m going to get a dangerous ability. Honestly, I’m going to be nervous and scared until I get my ability.” I reply.

“I hear that.” Nolan piped up. “I felt a bit antsy about what I could develop before mine came in.”

“Not to sound mean or insensitive, but I doubt you were bothered about it given all the crazy impulsive things you have done in the past, right down to getting the vaccine on a dare.” I point out.

“Okay, you got me. I was just trying to ease the tension. You girls seem very stressed out tonight.” Nolan confessed.

“Just tired.” Lexi sighed. “expanding a magnetic field repeatedly for hours on end is exhausting.”

“And I’m beginning to get a headache. Which I thought we weren’t supposed to develop after getting the vaccine.” I inform them as my vision seems to be blurring and my head is throbbing. “I’m sorry, I’m going to go lay down.” I walk into my room close the door, lay down on my bed, pulling the comforter over my head to block out the light in the room.

“Mandy, I’m going to head out. Feel better, and I’ll see you when you get into the community. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to do some security in the building and be able to drop by to say hi.” Nolan whispers into the room.

“Goodbye, Nolan. Take care of yourself.” I murmur without uncovering my face. I hear my bedroom door close again, and I allow myself to relax more and fall asleep.