[Nell]: 226.Stories.Shorts.Moods

Melinda oozed across the gravel driveway. She slid her socks over the loose, textured surface, trying to make as little noise as possible. A shiver of excitement went up her spine, and the air around her began to shimmer. "Stop that!" she muttered. The shimmering stopped.

Through the trees ahead of her, Melinda could see flashes of distortion and colour. Forcing her emotions to stay in check, she continued her easing progress across the driveway. When she had made it to the grass on the other side, she allowed herself to relax a little, but not much. Crouching down behind the bushes, she crawled silently through the trees towards the now violently flashing colours. As she went she could hardly contain a grin from spreading across her face, and the grass beneath her changing from emerald green to a giggly pink with orange spots. Melinda felt pretty sure the couple in the trees wouldn't notice at all, what with all the transformations they were making.

They'd be really mad if they caught her. But really it was they're own fault if she saw anything; what kind of idiot would choose the patch of trees when it could easily be seen from the upper floors of Melinda's house? She counted herself lucky that she'd happened to glance from her bedroom window just as her brother Colin and his girlfriend started up their little firework display. She had immediately rushed downstairs to get a closer look. Admittedly, she could have just stayed in her room and adjusted the environment: open up the tops of the trees, or better yet, just made them see-through on the top side, and turn her window into a magnifying glass. But it was much more exciting this way, without the emotions to help her cheat!

As she gently pushed aside the last of the branches in her way, she had to control a surge of exhilaration. She was much better at this kind of control than most of the other people she had met, including adults. The fact that she could turn her window into a magnifying glass just by the manipulation of her emotions showed a level of control that few people in the world had, not that she let on to anyone that she could. In fact, her parents often got annoyed at her for not using her powers much at all, not allowing her emotions to guide her and show. Melinda had been the cause of many upheavals of the living room floor and furniture when her parents tried to "reason" with her.

She pushed the thought of her parents away, as well as the small dark cloud that had begun to circle over her head. She couldn't allow herself to loose control now when she was so close. Another suppressed shiver ran through her. What kind of things was she about to see? Maybe she could use it to blackmail Colin!

She peeked through the leaves…

Just as the ground fell away beneath her.