The sunlight glared directly into her eyes when Arman exited the highway via the Tanjung Malim interchange, a half-eaten apple in her hand. Told her he needed to stop to take a leak, refuel and get them proper breakfast. She nodded, said nothing in return.
Ain.
She thought the name was good enough until she recollects her actual one. For the last few minutes, she had decided to turn off her resonance with Arman's mind. Their close vicinity unnerved her. She found herself having near full access to his thoughts and memories. Some which he himself had buried in vaults deep within for obvious reasons. She didn't want to jeopardize their early friendship (no... more like a forced companionship) and contented with a general scanning of her immediate area to exercise her telepathic ability.
Deep in her own thoughts, Ain felt a strange sensation likewise an athlete who ran her first jog after a long-drawn rehabilitation process. She knew there was so much more she was holding back in reserves. At the same time, a trepidation in the extent of her capabilities if she let herself go. She had begun much earlier exploring her abilities. Under the guise of sleeping, she had begun extending her mind scan further, picking out and tuning in to thoughts of those not only residing on the highway but also those in the nearby populated areas.
She searched in vain for her limits. Decided to maintain what she deduced as a reasonable radius for her active scan. One where she could anticipate potential threats against them. Her body felt flushed with adrenaline, experiencing a high as she continued tapping into a depth of wonders within her as intuitively as one would in breathing naturally.
They had stopped at a petrol station about seven miles north of Tanjung Malim. She followed him into the mini mart to stretch herself. Looking around at the items on the racks Ain began to recollect sensation of tastes, scents, and feel as she went from one aisle to the other. Walked out as soon as Arman was nearly done in refueling the pickup. She strode up to his side, a chocolate bar in her hand.
"How did you pay for that?" he asked.
"I didn't. The cashier gave it to me free of charge," she replied.
She turned towards the counter and waved to the young man inside, who returned her wave with a raised hand. Saw Arman's face clouding up.
"I did ask to pay. He said it was a gift. Can't help it if he's feeling generous, can I?" she added.
"No. Of course not…" he said, slipping inside the pickup and starting the engine as she clambered in, "…but please also remember the mind reading maniac who's after us."
She had winced at the word maniac and Arman had caught the expression, in his mind going "Oh shit how stupid could I get".
"Sorry. You know who I meant. I don't know if you were already conscious when he attacked me. It felt like I was but a puppet. Unable to do anything. Kept thinking he's still in my mind even now. Just lying low and waiting to take control of me."
Turning towards her, Arman looked deadly serious.
"Can you stop him?"
"I don't know. I managed stall him back at the hospital but the malevolence in his mind is suffocating."
"He's nasty, all right. Attacked Din, then me, Chang and God know who else. Last night he picked you out as a target. I seriously think he came with you and the others."
"His thoughts are familiar. Just that I cannot remember anything. My mind seemed to have erased whole chunks of such memories. Let's just do the right thing. Give ourselves up to the police. Tell them you were protecting me. They will clear you and I may just get to the right people who knows who I am."
His features had softened, his grip on the steering wheel loosening.
"That is an option open to us, but is it the right one? We won't know for sure. I don't to want to end up handing you on a silver platter for another attempt on your life. He was just crazy. Are you, like, his lover or something?" he said.
She half turned towards him, smiled.
"I've wondered the same. Maybe I was. Maybe I broke his heart. I wish I can remember what I did. Even when I was tapping the fringe of his mind, I didn't feel anything. No guilt, no remorse. Nothing. Just disgust in being so close."
She saw him tapping his fingers on the steering column, following the infectious drum solo playing in his earphones, the cloud in his mind clearing.
Am I the reason? Did I drive him crazy mad?
A man is dead because of her, and she knew the man responsible would try again to get at her through others. She knew exactly why Arman wore the earphones despite disliking most of the songs blaring in his ears. A fear of succumbing and losing control of himself.
Yet, she could read him clearly. And so too could the others. They were far sneakier in gaining access to his mind. John wasn't the only dangerous one, but he was the least as a threat in comparison.