Her power ripped out as her hand closed around the hairbrush. It cut into the medicine cabinet, the wall, and into part of her bedroom. It annihilated a segment of pipe that ran through the wall, and it tore into wiring. Water flowed out and electricity flashed and the two made for a scary combination.

The electricity wasn’t visibly going for long, but she wasn’t sure.

She wasn’t sure about anything. Everything was scary. Some of the collected toiletries had fallen into the basin of the sink. She didn’t dare go after it. She would find another way to get a toothbrush and soap.

She went back to her room. Her bag. Favorite clothes. Essentials.

As she brought the strap around her shoulder, the power flickered. The strap broke.

She stared down at it, where it lay on the ground, her heart pounding.

She tried again, putting the one remaining strap over her shoulder. She couldn’t go out the front door. That was dangerous. People would see her.

Ashley could smell smoke as she passed through the house. Into the back room. Past the dining room, where the remains of the dining room table had been cast away.

Past what was left of Mom, and into the grass behind the house. She didn’t dare try shoes, so she ran barefoot.

The further she got from the house, the less light there was to go by.

☽

The room was dark, as she opened her eyes.

“How are you doing?” Jessica asked.

Ashley’s mouth was dry. She reached for her water bottle, initially moving her hands in a careful way, then realizing she didn’t have to.

She drank before answering. Jessica stood and attended to the light switch and the blinds.

“Do you want more water?”

Ashley nodded.

Jessica took the water bottle and went to the sink in the corner of the office. “Is the thirst because of what you experienced in the dream? Stress?”

“The medication.”

“Of course. It’s only been a short while, so we’ll give it time.”

Jessica returned with the bottle. Ashley drank more, then put the bottle aside.

“I’m… out of order,” Ashley answered the question from earlier. “Right now, everything feels incoherent and it’s hard to get it sorted in my head. Memory and present day. What came when and what’s…”

She trailed off. She felt tired and she didn’t like feeling and acting tired in front of someone.

Jessica didn’t finish the sentence or prod her. She took her time, instead, to sit up, to fix her hair, and to compose her thoughts.

“What came when and what’s mine and what isn’t mine,” Ashley said.

“This was an experiment. Some people with powers report success, some struggle with it. It’s unique to the individual and the powers, and does not reflect on you. I thought it was worth a try.”

Ashley nodded.