This is chapter 2 to the Conduit.

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My childhood? (sigh) Gee, let me think for a minute. Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Alexcia. My full name is Alexcia Marie Smith. I grew-up in Upstate New York during my childhood years. My family didn't like the city so much so we lived in a rural part of New York. My favorite part of living there was trees. When fall came. The leaves would turn colors then fall onto the ground. I loved hearing the crunching leaves under my feet. The air is cleaner and crisper up there as well.

During the hot summer months I would go swimming wherever I found water, which was everywhere of course. Life was good until I turned ten. I received my first monthly. It's embarrassing now, but back then I thought I was dying. My poor mother cradled me in her arms, calming my fears. It wasn't only my body that changed. It's when I received my gifts. At first it wasn't a gift until I took the time to hone it. To learn to control it. I didn't know what was happening to me, feeling menstrual cramps for the first time and hearing voices. The voices weren't speaking directly at me per say. But they were speaking nevertheless. I sat at the kitchen table having a bowl of cereal when I heard my father speaking. I dropped the spoon. "Did you say something?" I asked. My father looked at me oddly.

Then I heard my mother speaking: "I wish George would throw some of these old clothes away." My mother's name is Grace and yes I heard the joke before. "Goodnight Gracie." That's the line my mother would say before going to bed. For the younger readers out there, look up George and Gracie on YouTube. Anyway, I sat looking at my father. He acted as if he didn't give a flying leap pertaining to his clothes. "Aren't you going to say something?" I asked.

He bent the right corner of his newspaper and stared at me. This time he didn't look at me oddly, but looked at me as if I'm an idiot. "What are you talking about?" He replied, going back to his paper.

It wasn't until I got to school that I realized that I could read people's thoughts. My friend Marcy waited for me at the bus stop. Now, we know better wandering off, but we decided to walk to school instead of taking the bus. I think we were about, um, five to ten minutes into walking when a man in a blue car stopped in front of us. I think it was a Buick not sure. I never saw the man in my life. So, he stopped us and said that he was lost and if we would ride along with him.

For some reason I heard his innermost thoughts clearer than my mother's innermost thoughts. I'm unsure why but it was clearer and louder. I quickly learned he had two other girls in the back of his trunk and he used chloroform on them.

"Marcy! Run to my house and tell my mother to call the police!" I said to her. She ran to my parents place while I ducked into the woods.

As I ran into the wood. I heard a car door slam shut. Then the sound of gravel under his feet. Quickly looking around I found an old hollowed out log. I crawled inside and stayed still and quiet. I prayed to God that he wouldn't see me. I felt more and heard of his perverse thoughts sink into my head. He wanted to rape us! Then a vision of a freezer filled with blocks of meat stacked onto themselves. The freezer is in his basement. I saw chains and shackles bolted to the wall. Next to the freezer is a butcher's table covered in dried blood. He rape's girls then carves them up, placing them in freezer bag!

"Dear God!" I said.

He lit a cigarette. I know because I could smell the smoke as he came walking by the hollowed log.

"Come out wherever you are," he said as if it was a fucking game to him. "I just love it when girls. No, I take that back. Young women like yourself play hard to get. I love the hunt. You can't hide from me little missy, no ma'am, about time your friend gets a hold of your ma and she calls the police, well lets just say, you'll be long gone."

I laid there in the old hollowed out log hearing the sounds of leaves crumbling under his feet. Then I heard something faintly from a distance. It's voices calling for help. What happens next is so hard to explain, but I found myself in a bedroom seeing grown-ups that I've never met before. The woman looked to be a mother. She's crying as her "husband," I guess holds her. The mother holds a picture of a young girl. She looks to be my age. She's so pretty with her light brown hair in a French twist.

I felt a hand placed on my shoulder. I nearly screamed but a hand slapped over my mouth. It's the little girl from the picture. "Shhh, the bad man can hear you," she said. "I got in the car with him. He said that he was lost. I believed him. Please help us."

I screamed inside my head. I'm not only hearing thoughts from others, but I'm actually walking inside her mind. "My name is Emily." She said to me. She also said that having me with her made her feel safe. She said that I looked like a glowing angel.

"Shhh, stay calm." I told her. She smiled at me.

"Maybe we can be friends?" Emily asked, hoping to find a yes.

"I would love that," I replied.

What happened next gives me goosebumps when I think about it. I felt numb inside all at once. All of my worries melted. I heard the man's footsteps coming ever so close. Something inside me took over. I stood up from the rotting log. "I'm over here you piece of shit!" I screamed. Waging war with him! My instincts took over. I felt like a mother lifting up a car with her bare hands to save her own child's life. I felt myself being pulled into his mind. That's when I filled his thoughts of the dead! Every single thought of how he raped and murdered the innocent came back to haunt him! All he could see was the flesh falling from their faces calling out to him for revenge!

I heard my mother calling for me with the police. I ran over to her crying. She held me and I held on to her for dear life. The cops found a shaking terrified man in a fetal position screaming about seeing dead people that he murdered.

"He has two girls in his trunk!" I screamed out to the police.

Question: What do you think happened? What gave you the courage to stand up to him?

Answer: I think it's the will to survive. My Conduit part of me snapped into action. Like I said. It's like a mother protecting her baby.

Question: Did you testify in court?

Answer: No, he admitted to everything. They gave him the death penalty I believe.

Question: Did you ever see Emily after that?

Answer: I let go of my mother and walked over to the blue car. The police already popped open the trunk. Emily and the other girl that I never did meet held out their hands to block out the light. I guess they were in a dark car for a long time. When Emily's eyes adjusted she smiled at me like how I saw her in her own mind.

"It's you!" She said running over to hug me.

As the years waned on. I heard less and less of her. I'm a big Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel fan. When I hear the song, " For Emily, when ever I May Find Her" I think of her. We only met for such a short time, but she made a big dent in my life. I just hope that I did the same for her.

"I'm sure you did," said Monk.

"Well here's to hope."

As I listened to Alexcia's story. I couldn't help but be moved by her fear and bravery in taking over a man that had every intention of doing unspeakable harm to her, and to the other girls in the trunk of the man's car. There is so much to unpack from Alexcia's story, that I had to break it down in small increments:

First: Alexcia started to notice her abilities in her budding years of life known to others as puberty. This is normal. As the body changes into adulthood so do the gifts. The reader must take notice of what Alexcia said in her testimony. "It wasn't a gift until I learned how to harness it." Joseph found himself in familiar waters with Alexcia. He nearly hung himself due to his gifts. But in time he learned to control his abilities. Likewise, Alexcia did just that.

For those interested in this study please read of the account of "Flying Knives."

Second: As Alexcia told her accounts of laying still in a hollowed out log. She found the strength to fight back! This is the most important part of the gift that has been given us. Every human on the planet has what's called adrenaline. It's the chemical in the body that gives all of us the abilities to achieve great feats of speed and strength. In some cases, people have noticed time slowing down just to save a person from a moving car.

But, if we add the Conduit part to the equation. We get a very powerful person. When a Conduit's back is pressed up against the wall the Conduit becomes that much more dangerous. The supernatural mixed with adrenaline, equals disaster! ( To learn more on this please read Jason's account)

"Before we continue with the interview, I just want to thank you for your time and thank you for sharing snapshots of your past. If at any point during this interview that you feel uncomfortable please feel free to tell me. We'll come back to it at a later date only if you choose to. That being said. I interviewed Joseph first. He only had good things to say about you."

"Oh Wow! I hadn't heard from him in a while. What's he been up to lately?"

"During the interview he got a call from his girlfriend. They're expecting their first baby!"

"Shut the fuck up! Are you kidding me? That old man is going to be a father?"

"Joseph also said that he proposed to her. The date is still in the air."

Alexcia lays her back on the chair taking it all in. The war that happened ten years ago still hangs over Alexcia like a dark storm cloud. It still feels like yesterday. A lot of good men and women gave their all in the fight.

"Well, that's so great for Joseph. Thanks for telling me," said Alexcia. "Is there more that you would like to know?"

Question: How were you turned?

Answer: It was when I was in high school. After the man in the blue car I told my mother what was happening to me. She didn't believe me at first. I poured myself into her mind. As I walked around in the dark stillness I walked deeper into her thoughts. I saw my mother as a little girl playing with dolls. Then I saw her grow into maturity, dating boys kissing and that's when I was kicked out. The look on her face was the look of horror. I didn't understand her expression at first until she told me days afterward.

Question: What did your mother say to you?

Answer: She could feel me moving inside her head. My mother referred to it as a snake slithering. That's when I found out that people can feel me inside their mind. But, I found ways around that. When inside a person's thought you'll see footprints. If someone with my abilities walks inside someone's mind. Then moments later I walk around in the mind of that same person, then I can see their psychic footsteps. I have learned to erase my psychic steps after walking in the person's mind. I feel it's only polite. Now, if a person wants to stay linked to me, then I leave just enough of my psychic charge in said person. It sounds complicated, but it's not. I keep that psychic charge hidden so it wouldn't be traced back to me.

I'm sorry. I wondered off topic. What's the question you asked me? Was it about me being turned into a vampire? I feel it's important that the reader has an understanding of what a "cerebro" does.

" It's quite alright. I'm glad that you explain more of your gifts to our readers. And yes, the question was about how you became a vampire. Joseph, liked vampire 2.0," said Monk.

"Yeah, we played around with the wording. Vampire 2.0 didn't seem to stick with some people. I personally don't want to be called a Luminary-hybrid. I call myself a vampire. My boyfriend Jason and I, will sometimes drink each other's blood. I love the feel of blood over my white soft flesh. Not all of the time of course. Only when I feel a bit sexually naughty."

Question: How did you become a vampire?

Answer: It was during my freshman year in high school. A new boy came to our school. I believe he was from the Bronx. I can remember him clearly in my mind's eyes. Tall, thin, long black hair just above his shoulders. He didn't smile or say much. He also wore a long black trench coat that made him look so very hot. Everyone at school thought he was a bit odd, which I liked. Maybe because I felt a bit of a freak as well. My friend Marcy wanted to go out with him, Shit! Nearly all of the girls wanted him.

Odd and out of place, but no one played a prank or teased him. He gave off a presence that made the girls in school drool.

I dropped off notes in his locker and said hi to him in the hallway. I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember his name. It's funny how one forgets. I th-ink his name was Orion. Yes, I believe so. Yep, Orion!

It was late spring school was closing for summer. Jimmy's father owned the biggest property in the area and Marcy and I went to the bonfire party. It's a mixture of stupid and horniness, which I don't think we ever outgrow. But, it was a special night for me. I was roasting marshmallows on a stick when he came and sat beside me. The wood crackled and popped as the fire grew.

"Hey, are you the girl that keeps putting letters in my locker at school?" He asked.

I didn't know what to say or do at that moment...I took out the marshmallows from the open flames and blew on them. "Do you want one?" I asked, handing him the stick. "Yeah, it's me. I'm sorry if it came off lame."

Orion tossed his hair back, smiled, and blew gently on the marshmallow. "Here," he said, handing me back the stick. "I'm not too much into sweets."

I remember noticing how tanned he looked by the fireside. The orange flames colored in his pale complexion. He looked so cute with his long moppy hair. He turned to me. Then said what I was waiting to hear him say.

"I like you, you know. Would you like to take a walk with me? I promise that I won't bite. Will not hard anyway."

I walked with him into the woods leaving the fire and the noise of kids getting wasted on cheap beer. As we entered the stillness of the dark, I felt his hand brushing up against my hand. I of course invited him in. I've never felt someone's hand feel so cold.

"Are you afraid?" He asked.

"Of?" I answered.

"Some are creeped out by the coldness of my hand. And I meant what I said to you by the fire."

"You don't like sweets. Yeah, well, I'll keep that in mind."

He grabbed me and our lips aligned. " It's okay if you want to. I want you to," I said.

I spoke as if I was out of breath. Orion was a gentleman that night. I, on the other hand, didn't want a gentleman, I wanted him to take me. And he did.

The rest is history. I gave myself to him. He bit me while we made love. As he did that I saw Orion's Belt over us. The drain felt so good as orgasms stacked upon themselves. He could have drained me dry, and I wouldn't care. I loved him.

The next morning. I found myself alone in the woods. A note was attached to a tree with a pocket knife sticking through it. It was a dear John letter. Basically saying that he must be moving on.

I began feeling thirsty. Not like a mouth is dry thirsty, but more of a hungry thirsty. The letter said that there were two jars hidden somewhere in the forest. Then, a P.S.. Rely on sense of smell.

I crumbled up the paper and threw it on the ground.

" What the fuck did he mean by "rely" on sense of smell?" I said feeling the thirst getting worse.

The hunger pains increased rapidly. My nose picked up a scent from a distance. Somehow I knew the distance down to a tenth of an inch, but how?

To me the smell had a meaty scent like a steak grilling on a grill, or a big fatty cheeseburger. My mouth salivated. I followed the scent feeling more like an animal than a human. My ears became sensitive to sounds. I followed the scent of the intoxicating smell. My sight shifted to a different way of seeing. I saw the glowing orange jars of blood under a pile of leaves. I ran to it then grabbed the jar. I twisted the lid hastily and drank hard giving into the need to drink blood. The blood dripped from the edges of my mouth. It tasted sweet! Then my vampiric abilities became stronger. The sense of smell increased. I found the second jar! Quicker than before. After I drank the second jar the need stopped. My vision went back to normal.

Now I found myself learning two different lives. One, learning the gifts that were handed down to me from genetics (Conduit). And now, learning a totally new set of skills in being a vampire, What kind of shit is that?

In some ways, Orion helped me. He gave me what I needed. The blood from the jars was deer. I to this day like to hunt and drink deer's blood. Overall, no, I really don't need to.

Question: How did you overcome the obstacles that laid in front of you?

Answer: I think it was about a month later that I received another letter from Orion. He sent me letters from the mail, helping me honing in on my second abilities. The Conduit part, I had to figure out for myself. Which was fine.

One of Orion's letters stated that he knew how different I was and that I could do great things with the skills that I now possess. Which now makes me think that he knew of a war that was coming. He was my first and that night is still special to me to this very day.

Question: Would you give up anyone of your abilities just to be normal?

Answer: I don't know what normal is. I'm not trying to be cute or anything, I just don't know what it's like to be a person without gifts. A long time ago, kids that were born without legs or arms were given prosthetic arms, or legs. Kids couldn't use them. No matter how hard they tried. They just couldn't use them.

Question: Why do you think that is?

Answer: Because it wasn't never registered in their brain in the first place. Okay, let's say that I get myself into a car accident. And a surgeon had to amputate my arm. I can use a prosthetic arm in time. But a person born without limbs can't. It wasn't part of who they are in the first place.

What I'm trying to say is this. For me to be stripped from my supernatural gifts would be a major blow to me and to anyone that is a conduit, because it would be like losing a giant piece of yourself.

Question: Joe wonders if our government would experiment on the Conduits. Do you worry about that?

Answer: From the war between the Luminaries and ourselves, one thing is certain in this world. Evil replaces evil. Yes, that has crossed my mind some. We can't worry about the things that might happen, but think of the things in the here and now.

Question: What can you tell us about the war?

Answer: I contacted Bradley when William took Bradley in. I combined my abilities with his making an astral projecting an image of myself in Bradley's cell. It was his first time knowing that we existed, which was a gamble on my part.

Some Conduits practice an act called "Conduit Suffering" it's an act that a Conduit undergoes life-threatening torture. There is now a black market group that helps Conduits to achieve an added subclass to their normal abilities. I think who's doing these things ought to be closed down for good. I have found and killed a few on my own. Bradley was different. He didn't allow himself to be tortured just so he can accrue more gifts. He knew that he needed to get stronger, which he did. The rest, I'll let Bradley tell you.

I first saw Bradley by the fire with one of our members. His clothes hung on a line next to the fire. A. J. let him borrow his clothes until Bradley's drys. For you to understand why it was so funny, you need to know what A.J. looks like, and broad isn't a good enough description. The man is a freaking mountain. A.J.'s clothes covered Bradley like an over large blanket. He did look cute though.

We of course hugged each other happy to finally see each other in the flesh. My boyfriend Jason was asleep upstairs. We made love and I guess I just tuckered the poor boy out. Bradley is with every sense of a word a great guy.

Bradley's sub-abilities are teleportation. That's how he got away from William.

Question: Could we continue this at a later date? I want the readers to get an understanding of everything you went through. We'll get back to Bradley and what happened to you when William came and took Bradley away.

Out of all that I've interviewed or going to interview you have the most to say. Can we have a part 2?

Answer: Yes, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of this. I have a feeling there's more than a part 2 to my story. Whatever you want, is fine with me.

Monk and Alexica shook hands and hugged. She gathered her belongings and walked out of the room.

I stopped the interview to give the reader time to process the information that's been generously given by Alexica. Hopefully new information would surface as her subconscious mind thinks what happened ten years ago. There is so much more to unpack.

My next interview is with Jason. He'll talk about the burning rage that burns inside. Until then I hope all is well.

—Monk—

By Donte-highwater

From: United States