Mind Reader

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It was Saturday. 2

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The sky was grey, and a few suspicious looking clouds were advancing toward the small town of Becksdale. It wasn't a good day to be out.4

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Amy Parker was in the kitchen, looking for sandwich ingredients when the story started. She was rather peckish, and really loved a slice of cheese to sate her hunger. 6

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Amy rummaged through the fridge for a couple more minutes. Then she finally found a block of cheese, and pulled it from the fridge.8

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Hmm... There was something a bit peculiar about that cheese. If Amy wasn't mistaken, it seemed to be... glowing?10

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Her eyes widened, questions racing through her head. Why was it glowing? Had it been effected by nuclear radiation? Was it alive? Maybe the cheese was poisonous? 12

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Maybe I should taste it, to make sure it's okay. I'll spit it out immediately if anything goes wrong, Amy decided.14

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So, very carefully, she retrieved a knife and cut off a small sliver of cheese. Then put it into her mouth...16

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It tasted okay.20

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Amy swallowed the cheese with relief. It wouldn't kill her, or turn her into a giant. 22

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With these thoughts, she prepared her sandwich happily. The glow of the cheese was probably just the light reflecting off it or something. 24

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When she had finished her afternoon tea, and was sitting at the table, something very unusual happened.26

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'I wish that stupid woman would just shut up! All she does is go on and on...' A male voice was saying. Amy recognised it as Mr Parsley's, the man who lived across the road from her. 'He's not listening to me! He never listens! My husband is a lazy, stupid idiot who never does what he's told!' That was Mrs Parsley's voice. 28

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'Wow, my mum can certainly cook! This is delicious.' Amy thought that might have been the little boy who lived down the street. 30

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'We've run out of books. I'd better pop over to the library,'Amy's mother was saying. 32

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Then, more and more voices started to speak. They spoke louder and louder, until the voices were almost shouting- 34

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Amy could bear it no more! She screamed, and jumped from her chair. The poor girl fled the room and ran past her surprised mother to the front door. She flung it open. Amy ran out and around the house, to the backyard. 36

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The backyard had always been her special place, her sanctuary. Whenever she was upset in any way, Amy would come here. 38

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It was a rectangular shape, about 15m across with a width of 8m, carpeted with long grass, green as an emerald. A small plum tree stood proudly in the corner. The area was dotted with patches of colourful flowers. 40

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Amy and her mother had planted the flowers themselves a few months ago, and they were all her favourite types. Geraniums, agapanthus, daisies and pansies. 42

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Already, Amy was beginning to calm down.  The voices she had heard before had quietened down to low murmurs. All together, it sounded as if Amy was at an evening party, and each individual was talking quietly.44

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She sat down on the grass and tried to make sense of what had just happened. 46

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What if I'm going crazy? I mean, glowing cheese and voices in my head couldn't be real! 48

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Or I could have superpowers! The cheese might have given me  super hearing!50

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Or maybe this is all a vivid dream? 52

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Amy pinched herself to check. Unfortunately, she didn't wake up in the middle of the night, but felt a little sting on her arm. 54

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She didn't want to think she was crazy, so went with the superpowers theory.56

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'Amy, are you alright?' the voice belonged to Amy's mother. 'I heard a scream, then saw you running past. What happened? Are you hurt?'58

'Mum, I'm okay. I just saw a... spider. It scared me, that's all.'59

'Is she telling the truth? Well, I'll never know. Maybe I should go to the library now.'60

Amy frowned. She had just heard her mother talking, but her mouth hadn't moved at all.61

'Is something wrong?' Mrs Parker asked, puzzlement written clearly on her face. This time her lips had moved.62

'No. Everything is fine, absolutely fine.' Amy tried to keep her voice sounding normal.63

'Okay, then. I almost forgot to tell you. I'm going to the library. Would you like to come with me?'64

'No, thankyou. I'm feeling really tired. Actually, I think I'm coming down with something.' Amy gave a fake sneeze. 65

Her mother seemed to be convinced.66

'I think I'll leave now. I'll only be an hour or so. Remember to call me if anything happens. If you get hungry, there is some left over shepherds pie in the fridge.'67

Amy nodded, trying to stay calm until her mother left.68

'Are you sure you're okay?'69

'Yep.' 70

'Well, I'll see you soon. But first, come inside and lock the doors. You'll be safer that way.'71

She followed her mother into the house, and to the front door. 72

There was a plastic bag bulging with overdue books sitting by the door. Ms. Parker picked it up. She opened the door, and said,'Goodbye!' 73

'Bye, mum,' Amy waved to her.74

Then she closed the door and locked it. Amy didn't want any other strange and horrible things happening to her, like a robber breaking open her piggy bank and stealing her savings.75

She decided to go up to her room to think it all over. Amy's super hearing theory had been proved wrong, and she needed to figure out what had really happened to her.76

So Amy ascended the stairs, to the upper floor.77

The upper level was a short corridor, with two rooms on each side. 78

It was palely coloured, with the walls and ceiling an off white. Each door on either side of the corridor was painted creamy yellow, which was Ms. Parker's favourite colour. 79

The floor was covered with a soft, beige carpet. When Amy was younger she used to put thick socks on, and run through the corridor, as fast as she could. Then she suddenly stopped, and would slide a couple of metres, like a skater on ice. 80

Amy walked to the closest door on the right side, the entrance to her domain. She opened the door and stepped inside.81

Amy's room was quite small, so small there was about 1m between twin-size bed and the walls. She didn't mind though, and in her opinion it was nice and cosy, not cramped at all. 82

The walls were light blue, because Amy thought off white was extremely boring, and light blue was a very pretty colour. 83

There was a painting of a unicorn that she had done in kindegarten, though it bore a striking resemblance to a pudgy cat. Two school certificates from last year were blue-tacked to the wall. A photograph of Amy with her mum at the zoo, when she was five.84

There was a small wooden shelf to the left of her bed. It held a silver trophy for soccer, a porcelain bear and her piggy bank.85

Amy sat down on her purple bedspread.86

So, let's go over what has happened. I eat some glowing cheese. Now I can hear voices when no one is near me at all. I go to the garden. Mum talks to me, but her voice is inside my head and talks when the real mum isn't. 87

What could be wrong with me?88

Amy couldn't think of anything. 89

What could it be?90

Suddenly, she realised something. If people were talking and their lips weren't moving, they could be talking in their heads!91

Amy could hear thoughts!92

Wow, I can read minds! I can do so much cool stuff! I can discover the criminal in court, find and rescue people from burning houses, win quiz shows and heaps more!93

She was elated and shocked at this amazing realisation. 94

One of the voices in her head grew louder. 95

'Where should I dispose of Edith's body?'96

TO BE CONTINUED97