Page 16 of Black Hollow: Awakening

“Don’t you get it?” Will said nervously. “I want to leave.”

Liam reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

“I think this is yours.”

Will looked at him, first with surprise, then with indignation, and walked over to Liam to retrieve his property.

“You think?” he huffed. “Don’t you remember who you sto—Ouch!”

The moment his hand touched the device, he felt a jolt like an electric shock. The phone fell. Will hissed quietly, rubbing his hand, then picked it up from the floor and made sure it still worked.

“Do you really think that was a coincidence?” Norma asked.

Will didn’t answer. His head was spinning.

“Because if not, I guess we do have something to talk about, huh?”

Will needed a long moment to compose himself, but finally, at Norma’s encouragement, he sat down in a chair, deciding to hear her out.

“You’re really not normal people?” he asked, still unable to believe it.

“Liam and I aren’t people at all,” Blake corrected him, in a tone that suggested he’d just been offended.

“You know what he meant,” Norma said, then focused her attention on Will. “With vampires and werewolves, it’s a bit more obvious. When did you start noticing that something about you had changed?”

“The first day of school? I think?” For some reason, this declaration surprised the others. Abby muttered something under her breath that sounded like, Late. “I have no idea what happened then. I don’t remember how I got home. The next morning, I woke up in my own bed, unable to remember where I’d been or what I’d done.”

“That could be related to the Awakening,” Norma stated. “I went through mine pretty smoothly, apart from setting my math teacher’s house on fire, but I’ve heard of people who sleepwalked. Maybe something similar happened to you. Anyway, it’s a difficult time. Your powers are emerging. You don’t know how to control them yet, so things like today happen. You’ll learn in time. None of us will be able to help you with that, because it’s a personal thing, but treat your abilities like any other skill. Soon you’ll be able to control your power, give it direction and form, and keep it in check. Like I said, the fact that you’re seventeen complicates things a bit, but either way, you have to get initiated into this world, or things will go badly. Your parents never mentioned any unusual abilities?”

“My parents are dead.”

“Oh.”

“Subtle,” Blake commented with distaste.

“My grandparents never mentioned anything,” Will clarified. “Am I to understand that my family has magical powers too?”

“Not necessarily. Since you have them, they must be in your genes, but magic doesn’t always manifest. Sometimes it stays dormant for several generations. So there’s a good chance they have no idea.”

“Should I tell them?”

“No!” Norma exclaimed firmly. “That’s the thing. You can’t tell anyone who isn’t… initiated. Not your family, not your friends, not your boyfriend.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“What about that handsome, scruffy guy you hang out with?”

Will rolled his eyes.

“That’s Danny. He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Either way, don’t tell him anything either.”

“I trust him.”

“That’s not the point. People react… differently. Some will believe you, some won’t, even if you show them proof. And in either case, we have a serious problem. Either someone will think you’re crazy and want to cure you or at least spread your ridiculous fantasies, or someone will believe you and get scared. Or curious. They’ll start digging. Asking questions. Prying. Eventually, they’ll attract someone’s attention.”

“Like who?”