Transference

SOPHIE
Since the moment I saw his face, my life has been in chaos. I don’t know his name, but still I see him night after night—his striking face appearing in my dream. Is it a portent of things to come, warning me to run from him? Or could it mean something else? I can’t seem to make any sense of it, and lately, my idyllic life hasn’t been so idyllic. I can’t tell my parents about these impossible things I can do because I don’t want to see that fear in their eyes—the same fear I feel growing stronger in me every day. So instead of running, I make the decision to trust him. I let him calm my fear while I confront truths I’d rather keep hidden. Still, I can’t tell him that my greatest fear is the little time we have left. Soon, I’ll have to watch him walk away.

ZACH
I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but who hasn’t? Okay, maybe I’ve done a few more than most, but these days I don’t give into those distractions. Especially when I feel the consequences in ways nobody could ever understand. Now, I occupy my time by going where I’m needed. I keep things calm and controlled while helping them see the hard choices they’ll have to make. I’ve done it countless times. Except nothing about this girl is like those other times. There’s more for her to fear than just these strange, but extraordinary things she can do—she also has a past she doesn’t even know about yet. So even if she would prefer to keep me at a distance, I simply can’t let that happen. I need to know her secrets and keep her safe. It’s what I do. I’m the empath.