The Weight of Blood: Chapters 12–15

Papa sat in his recliner, watching The Beverly Hillbillies, chuckling at their antics while Maddy finished dinner.

She made something extra special, hoping to soften him, make him more malleable to the conversation that she intended to have.

Heart racing, she pretended to be enthralled with Papa’s meandering thoughts, agreeing at the appropriate times.

Heart racing, she pretended to be enthralled with Papa’s meandering thoughts, agreeing at the appropriate times.

Maddy scuttled away from him, one-handed.

Stunned, Papa stomped his foot, shaking in indignation.

His indifference had intrigued her enough to allow him to take her on a first date.

Jules would hold out for some oil-tycoon trust-fund baby, venture capitalist, or maybe even a football player.

Jules had divulged her plan in the car, and his eyes sparkled.

She wasn’t mad, but watching him empty his book bag like he didn’t have a care in the world made her squint, mouth forming a terse line.

Dr. Englert: I want to speak in layman's terms here because, well, I don’t know how else to describe what happened. But based on my findings, it appears the reactors were drawn to something...like by a magnet of some sort, causing the core to overheat, resulting in dangerously increasing levels.

When we later had a timeline of all the events that transpired through the evening, the increasing levels directly coincided with Maddy's location.

Someone just like him, estranged from their own race, forced to pretend.

“I see you folded the pages with Malcolm dating a white girl. Nice. Real subtle.”

Kenny, you don’t think I’ve had things thrown in my hair? Or been the butt of jokes? Or was told how I’m very articulate or very pretty for a dark-skinned girl? Or accused of being too aggressive for simply stating an opinion?

She thought praying, in a familiar setting, would help her battle the bitterness leaking through, the darkness roiling inside her chest, and the unfamiliar voices shouting in her head.

The tendrils of her dark thoughts wrapped every corner of the house as the cross hanging above her clattered to the floor.

You were born on a cusp, the smirk of the stars. This gives you great power. You are more than just a Cancer, more than just a Gemini. You are a combined force, made with the type of magic no one could steal even if they tried.

The stars within you will guide, sustain, and nourish you.

The thought of the potential existence she’d missed out on, a dream deferred...took her breath away.

He didn’t want to be anywhere near his friends or even in the school that revered him.

His copilot gazed out the window, taking in the scenic route—the lush tree-covered mountains, thick green underbrush, cable bridges, and narrow gorges they passed.

“Um, you were going to ask me something,” she prodded.

Across the room, Kayleigh painted letters over the DJ booth, and Charlotte wrapped navy-and-silver tulle bows around the back of faux bamboo chairs.

“Of course it’s going to be weird! For a whole slew of reasons. You picked a hell of a time to get all noble on us.”

Wendy blinked, utterly confounded.

“Oh. I...right. Yeah, of course,” she mumbled, handing the stack back over, annoyed that the sight of a name had elicited such deep feelings.

We pretty much all know the gist of what telekinesis is. I mean, who wouldn’t want to call a remote over from across the room?

But telekinesis is actually quite spiritual. We're all born with the ability, but various factors, such as nature or nurture, can hinder it. To make any object move, you have to have faith in your abilities to actualize those powers.

She had no interaction with other people or media until she was twelve, thus wasn’t subjected to skepticism or acculturation forcing her to adhere to societal norms.

Michael: Wait, iron? Maddy had anemia! Her doctor prescribed her iron pills three months before prom.
Kit: That would explain the sudden discovery, which would make her first period the original catalyst of her powers.

But if she was a witch, the intensity of her powers might have only manifested when she was under extreme duress and needed to protect herself.

But if she was a witch, the intensity of her powers might have only manifested when she was under extreme duress and needed to protect herself.

Then there’s the high-frequency sound that only kids heard when she used her powers. One described it as mic feedback? She could’ve inadvertently been communicating via telepathy.

Power like that is something you’re born with. Definitely an inherited trait. I’d suggest tracing her lineage.

Maddy had waited until the last possible moment to shop for a dress, afraid that Kenny would change his mind and she would’ve wasted her meager savings on something she’d never wear.

She stood in front of Able’s Consignment Shop, next to the pharmacy.

They never did anything egregious or made school a living hell. They did much worse. They made her feel small and insignificant.

Their father’s expectations were a weight he silently carried. A weight that made him choose survival over culture. And still, she loved him, through all his blind, ignorant transgressions.

She licked her lips, imagining the scene, how the chaos would all play out. A giggle escaped her. Brady frowned, as if worried she had become unhinged.