The Human Mind:
600 miles of synaptic fiber. Five and a half ounces of cranial fluid. 1500 grams of complex neural matter. A three-pound pile of dreams.
For many, the human mind is untapped potential. It is the very mechanism that allows an organism to live. It makes the heart pump, the lungs breathe, and allows you to act and remember. Most people are only able to access a fraction of the mind’s capabilities.
But for some, like the five year old wandering around the fair by himself, the human mind does things that it’s not supposed to be able to do. Claude didn’t care about that. All he knew was that he could hear what other people were thinking about at a glance, he could make things float if he thought about making them float, and he could detect and communicate with the souls of the dead. Little Claude Richter was a psychic.
Psychics were born with a natural immunity to Haze, so he could see the transformations happening around him that no else seemed to be able to see. Being only five, he didn’t know about the Haze, so he was confused why no one was freaking out about things that shouldn’t be possible.
“Excuse me, little guy,” a woman with wings growing from her back approached him, “are you lost?”
“I know exactly where I am, ma’am,” Claude answered, “I’m not lost.”
“Do you know where your mommy and daddy are?” the woman asked next.
“They’re out of town,” Claude answered, “They trust me to take care of myself because I’m a genius. Did you know you have wings growing out of your back?”
“Oh? These old things?” the woman looked at her back, “I’ve had them for years! I’m actually one-eighth Angel on my mother’s side. Are you sure you don’t have someone responsible here with you?”
“Are you sure you’ve had those wings your whole life?” Claude asked, “Or did you forget that you weren’t born with wings? I can read minds, and I can tell that something is gunking yours up. There’s something gunking a lot of people’s minds up, now I look around.”
“Reading minds?” the woman gasped, “Oh! Are you psychic? Can you read the future?”
“I don’t have clairvoyance,” Claude explained, “Mommy is the fortune teller. I can see ghosts though, and this fair is crawling with them. One of them looks like they’d be your kid. I can see her trying to get your attention.”
“Okay, now I know you’re just screwing with me,” the woman huffed, “I don’t have any kids, and I never have!”
“You just made the ghost of your child very upset,” the boy glowered, “She said her body got turned into water vapor yesterday and she’s really scared.”
“Now that is it, young man,” the woman took Claude by the ear, “I’m taking you to the missing children’s tent.” She dragged Claude a bit roughly as she went, making the boy yelp.
“Ow! Ooowww! I’m telling you the truth, lady! Let me go-o!” Without even thinking, he suddenly lifted the woman into the air with his mind, making her let go of his ear in shock. He let her go, and she kept herself suspended in the air with her wings. “I’m psychic, remember? Now leave me alone, please. I’m looking for my big sister. She never came home last night.”
——///——
“Your Uncle Kaine really seems to like it when you test out stuff at the fair, huh?” Quincy said to Patricia as they went over a list of attractions to hit, “Quincy thinks maybe he spoils you.”
“Well I mean, he’s kinda kooky, not gonna lie,” Patricia shrugged, “but he knows what he’s doing. Not sure why he said he wants his niece of all people to test whether the Entities work, though. You’d think that’d be child endangerment or something. So, the things on the list are the Guess Your Weight machine, a Hall of Mirrors, some kind of gender changing concessions stand, the Limb Melter roller coaster, and… the Bimbo tent? Huh. Hey babe, which one do you wanna do… first? Quincy?” The former Quim had wandered off, noticing a five year old boy who seemed to be looking for someone.
“Excuse me,” she asked the boy, “are you looking for your family?”
“Something like that,” the boy nodded, “I’m looking for my big sister. She came here last night and didn’t come back. I’m hoping she didn’t turn into a ghost.”
“Maybe Patricia and Quincy can help you,” Quincy assured, “What’s your name?”
“Claude. Your breath smells like flowers.”
“Aww, thank you!” Quincy blushed, smiling, “It’s one of the things left over from before Quincy was human. It still works like an aphrodisiac!”
“Quincy, too much information,” Patricia shook her head, “Let’s just work on the list. Maybe we’ll find Claude’s sister on the way.”
“Patricia, you don’t think she got vaporized, do you?” Quincy whispered.
“God I hope not,” Patricia whispered back, “but knowing the foundation, I wouldn’t be surprised.” She looked at the five year old and said she would help.
“Y’know, speaking of looking for people,” Quincy pondered, “Where’s Miss Teacher? Quincy’s getting a little worried.”
——///——
“Quincy, where are you,” a ragged Claudia Steinberg searched around the fair for her pet project. She’d just found out the connection between 5932 and those glowing blue eyes. She just prayed that child hadn’t taken her Quincy’s virginity, True Love be damned.