Microstory 105: Blake Williams

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There were a handful of anomalies who had some form of telekinesis; the ability to move objects from a distance. They each had their own niche, and none of them possessed a more generic variety like that which one might find in the witches or prosper humans. Blake Williams was no different, though his was probably the most frustrating and, at first, the least useful. He could create small seismic events, which was perfect for all those times he desperately needed to knock over a table or shatter a few glasses. For the first few times that it happened, his mothers assumed that they were just experiencing minor tremors. However, they grew suspicious when the quakes began to follow them around, and were always so very localized. Having known no other way, Blake never thought to explain to them that he felt a surge of energy in his chest every time it happened, and that he was always rather moody at the moment. Since he was so young, he just assumed that that’s what people felt when quakes were happening. Once they realized that he was the source of the disturbances, they immediately got to work. They enrolled him in Eastern spiritual disciplines so that he could learn ways to remain calm and centered. They spent their very last dime purchasing a nearby botanical garden so that Blake could always find tranquility. They encouraged him to become a hair stylist because it was considered to be one of the least stressful careers. He was happy, and the only time he ever generated quakes was when he chose to (i.e. never). After years of a sheltered but contented existence, he decided to take a trip to the coast. While he was there, the area began experiencing what was shaping up to be one of the largest and most devastating seismic events in history. Except that it didn’t. As it started, and Blake was sure that it wasn’t originating from him, he instinctively planted himself on the ground and lowered his center of gravity. He quickly discovered the shaking from the ground being drawn into his body and dissipating. He was settling the quake, rather than creating it. There was no telling how many lives Blake Williams saved that day, but it gave him a pretty good rush. He quit his job and revealed his secret to a team of scientists who were working on predicting seismic activity so that he could travel the world and prevent them on the regular.