Page 32 of Professor and the Seer

Grams pinched her lips. “First by imagining it. My wall is a thick thing of stone, impenetrable unless I open its gate.”

“I don’t see how picturing a barrier will do anything.”

“Are you going to argue with everything I say?”

My mouth slammed shut, and I shook my head. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“Don’t be sorry. Listen. Do what I’m telling you. Now.”

I closed my eyes and pictured a wall. It looked like the brick one I had as a feature in my apartment.

“Not good enough,” Grams muttered, and a second later, a hole was poked in my brick wall.

My eyes flew open. “What the hell?”

She smirked at me. “I told you to build it strong.”

I gaped at her. “How did you poke it?”

“That’s a different lesson. Build it again. Thicker this time.”

My eyes clamped tight, and this time my brick wall had another layer around it of concrete.

Tap. Tap. Cracks appeared, but Grams muttered, “Better.”

My brows squished as I concentrated and added a third wall of steel around my concrete and brick.

Bong. Bong. My barrier remained intact as Grams said, “Now open your eyes.”

I did as told and had started to smile when the whole thing collapsed. “I lost it.”

“So rebuild it.”

When I would have shut my eyes, she barked, “Open them.”

I tried to picture the wall, finding it hard to shape it while she stared at me. It caused me to grumble, “Do you have to watch while I do it?”

“You need to learn to hold it despite distraction. As you practice, it will become second nature.”

“I’d rather learn your trick of seeing only one future and then nothing ever again,” was my muttered complaint as I kept trying and failing to hold my mental wall.

Grams leaned forward. “I’ll let you in on a tiny secret.” She lowered her voice. “I can still see possibilities if I choose. I just find it more peaceful if I don’t. People can get pushy when it comes to the future, always asking what they should do, what’s going to happen.” She waved a hand. “Much easier to tell them once and declare it done.”

I gaped long enough Grams smirked.

I gathered myself to say, “So you lie?”

“To preserve myself. Think of it as setting a boundary. One that’s for your wellbeing.”

I thought of the people who knew of my power, especially my friend in college who abused me because of it. “Just say no.” I shook my head and uttered a low chuckle. “Guess I should have paid more attention to those drug commercials growing up.”

Grams reached out and put her hand on mine. “If it helps, I was older than you before I figured things out.”

“How old are you?” Yeah, not the most subtle thing to ask.

“Old enough to know you’re unique.”

“Not really, considering you’re sitting in front of me.”