Awa stood on the riverbank, her gaze locked onto the spot where she had been dropped into the cold, rushing water by Forrest just a night ago. But now, as she watched the river flow steadily beneath the pale moonlight, a strange sense of calm settled over her.
She flexed her fingers slowly, her hands tingling with the memory of the impossible strength she had wielded just hours ago. I'm not crazy, she told herself, a small smile curling at her lips. I'm not losing my mind. The thought brought her a strange peace, a kind of acceptance she hadn't expected. Maybe all the chaos in her life lately—everything, from her explosive arguments with Tina to her terrifying encounter with Forrest—was because of this new, uncontrollable power coursing through her veins.
Her mind buzzed with theories and possibilities. Maybe she had always been special. Maybe she was only just now discovering it. But whatever the reason, this was real, and it was hers to figure out.
She looked at her hands again, flexing her fingers and clenching them into fists. It felt... different now. She felt different now. Stronger. Invincible. And, for the first time in weeks, she wasn't afraid. Awa smiled to herself, the weight of uncertainty that had hung over her like a dark cloud lifting just a little.
She turned her gaze toward the metal railing running along the riverbank. Just one more test, she thought, her confidence growing. She stepped forward, placing both hands on the cool metal, her fingers wrapping tightly around it.
I'll bend this, just a little, she told herself, determined to prove her strength again. Her smile widened as she gripped the railing harder, imagining it bending under her touch like it had been nothing more than soft clay in her hands. She gripped tighter, pulling with all her strength, expecting to feel the metal give way beneath her fingers.
But... nothing happened.
She frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. The railing remained perfectly straight, unmoved by her efforts. What? Awa leaned down, peering at the rail more closely, her confidence faltering. Maybe I didn't pull hard enough. She gripped it again, this time using both hands, and squeezed with all her might.
Still, nothing. The metal didn't budge, didn't even creak under her touch.
Her heart sank slightly, a flicker of doubt creeping in. She raised one hand and flicked the metal railing with her fingers, listening to the dull metallic dong that rang out. The sound was perfectly normal.
With a growing sense of unease, Awa lifted her hand and brought it down hard on the railing, expecting the metal to bend.
Instead, sharp pain shot through her palm.
She yelped, jerking her hand back and cradling it to her chest, tears welling in her eyes from the sting. Ow. What the hell? She looked at her hand, red and sore from the impact. There was no damage to the railing, no sign of anything bending or breaking.
Her heart rate quickened. What's happening?
Awa took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She looked around at the trees lining the riverbank, their trunks tall and solid. Okay, let's try something else. She walked over to a smaller tree and gave it a light kick. The bark didn't even flake.
She kicked again, harder this time, but the tree stood firm, unmoving.
Panic started to creep in. No. No, this can't be right. Her mind raced with memories of earlier—tearing trees from the ground like they were toothpicks, bending metal like it was plastic. It wasn't my imagination. It was real. It happened.
Desperation clawed at her as she tried again, this time swinging her fist toward the tree with all her strength. A dull thud followed, and pain rippled through her knuckles, causing her to wince. She looked down at her hand, now throbbing painfully. Why isn't it working?
A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. She glanced around, searching for something else to try, her breath coming faster. There had to be a reason for this. There had to be an explanation. I'm not crazy. I'm not imagining things.
She sat down heavily on a nearby bench, her head spinning with confusion and frustration. What changed? she thought, trying to piece it all together. The first time... I was angry. Furious. The second time... same thing. Maybe it's the anger?
Her hands shook as she ran through every moment she could remember. Both times she had used that impossible strength, she had been filled with rage—white-hot, blinding rage. Is that it? Was her power tied to her anger?
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to think about the things that made her angry. She thought of the fights with Tina, how her sister could be so infuriatingly flippant about everything. She thought of Kelsey and how he had tried to manipulate her at the office, his smug, arrogant smile making her blood boil.
But... nothing happened.
She sighed, opening her eyes and staring down at her hands. No, it can't just be the anger. It didn't make sense. Anger was fleeting, unreliable. There had to be more to it. What else made my heart race? What else made me feel... alive?
A thought crossed her mind, one she hadn't considered before. She bit her lip, feeling embarrassed even thinking about it. What if it wasn't anger? What if it was... excitement?
Her heart thudded in her chest as she imagined herself in different situations. Scenarios that made her pulse quicken, that made her body heat up in ways that had nothing to do with rage. Her thoughts drifted to Stanley, her boyfriend, and the way his touch could make her heart race. She imagined the two of them together, in bed, his hands on her body, her heart pounding with anticipation.
Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced around, embarrassed by the direction of her thoughts. She stood up, took a deep breath, and tried again. This time, she imagined Stanley, and every intimate detail of their time together.
She raised her hand and aimed at the tree. Her heart was racing, but when her fist connected with the bark, pain shot through her knuckles again. The tree didn't move.
Awa winced, cradling her sore hand again. Great. That didn't work. She sighed, rubbing her temples as frustration mounted. It's not anger. It's not excitement.
She ran through a few more scenarios in her head, swapping Stanley for random models or celebrities she had seen in magazines, hoping to trigger that heart-pounding feeling again. She tried kicking the tree after each attempt, but the result was the same—nothing. Her strength wasn't coming back.
But then, just as she was about to give up, a different thought crossed her mind.
What if... She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to go there. But as soon as the idea entered her head, she couldn't push it away. What if I thought about... Forrest?
Her heart leapt into her throat.
She bit her lip, trying to suppress the sudden rush of warmth that spread through her chest at the thought of him. No, this is stupid. But her pulse quickened anyway, her mind betraying her as she remembered Forrest's cold, unreadable eyes. His hand around her throat. The way he had lifted her, held her over the river like she was nothing, then dropped her without a second thought.
Her heart thudded louder in her chest, beating so hard she could feel it echoing in her ears.
She clenched her fists, her breath coming faster, and her mind raced with the memory of Forrest—his power, his presence, his danger.
Why does he do this to me?
Awa shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but her heart kept racing, her pulse hammering in her veins.
She didn't want to admit it. She didn't want to think about it.
But as her pulse quickened and her body tensed, Awa knew one thing for certain.
Forrest made her heart pound more than anyone else.