Branded (The Branded Series) (16 page)

I opened it up
to a page full of drawings and writings, similar to the ones that I had drawn
with her in mind, but in her own handwriting. And at the bottom, she wrote the
same poem and signed her name beneath it. As embarrassed as I still was, I also
felt relieved.

“Thank you . .
. so much,” I said after I had re-read each word at least three times.

“Thank
you
.”
She winked.

Then I handed
mine back to her. “Keep this then. But if you show anyone, I might have to kill
you.” I laughed as I pulled her in and held her tightly. The sweet, lavender
smell of her hair filled the air. I pressed my cheek to her head and just
wanted to squeeze tighter and tighter. I would have to remember to thank Abby
later.

“What does
this mean for us?” Anna finally asked as I released her.

“Anna,” I
started, “I just can't be with you. Not right now. I wish I could explain it better
than that.”

“I don't get
it, Jake.” She lowered her eyes to the ground and slid the paper into her pocket.
“But I trust you.” It was exactly what I needed to hear her say.

Noah and
Rachel interrupted us with the announcement that we were leaving now for the
airport.

“Can we talk
more when I get back?” I hoped.

“Yeah, I'd
like that.” She smiled meekly and then winked. “Have a good weekend.”

My heart
fluttered as she walked away. I missed her already.

The two-hour
plane ride to
Toronto was comfortable in first class where I could stretch out and listen to
my music with little distraction from anyone; however, the three-hour, cramped
car ride to our destination wasn't made any easier by Rachel's constant
chattering. Nick drove the rental car, and Claudia sat up front with him, which
left Rachel sardined between Noah and me in the back seat. I tried numerous times
to nod off, but just as I was starting to drift, Rachel would start with
another mind-numbing story.

Nick and
Claudia were seniors at Bedford High. Claudia was captain of the cheerleading
squad, and Nick was probably the most famous face at Bedford High, as he was
the starting quarterback on the rugby team. They had been a couple for as long
as I had known of them.

Finally, Nick
interrupted one of Rachel’s monologues. “So, Jake and Noah?”

It didn’t
matter what he had to say because it
had
to have been better than
listening to Rachel. I sat up straight and leaned forward. “Yeah.”

“Have you been
told yet about your other gifts?” Nick asked in a casual tone.

Other gifts?
What is he talking about?

“They
haven’t,” Claudia answered.

“What other
gifts are you talking about?” Noah said.

“Well, they’re
not really gifts since anyone in the world is capable of having them, but
they’re abilities that you will learn to develop.”

“Which are?” I
asked.

“The two big
ones are extreme strength and speed,” Nick answered plainly.

“What do you
mean?” Noah pressed.

“You’ll learn
more this weekend, but basically the human body has been designed to run speeds
of over thirty metres per second, and to lift weights of over thirteen hundred
pounds. Our motto is 'If you think you can, or you think you can't, you are
right,'” Nick explained.

“So you're
saying if I think I can run as fast as a cheetah, then I can?” Noah questioned,
unconvinced and a bit sarcastic.

Claudia
answered, “At least as fast as a cheetah. But the trick is to believe it. Not
often do humans one hundred percent believe something. You have to want it bad
enough. Truly want it so bad that nothing will stand in your way. That is how
athletes win gold medals, you know. It's all about who wants it and believes
they can have it. They’re all capable, so it comes down to desire and faith.”

Nick added,
“It's like the example of the mother whose child was trapped under a three
thousand pound vehicle. She knew that if she didn’t get her kid out of there
immediately then he would die, so she was able to lift the car up with one hand
and pull the toddler free with the other.”

“And we will
learn how to have this superhuman strength and speed?” I asked.

“It's all in
your mind. Everything is in your head. If you think you can, you are right,”
Nick answered.

Nick’s deep
voice commanded attention and respect. He seemed only to speak when necessary,
which created an aura of mystery around him.

“Can you guys
do it?” I asked.

“Yes,” Nick
and Claudia answered together.

“What about
you?” Noah asked Rachel.

“Sometimes,”
she said quietly, appearing somewhat ashamed. She had been quiet up until this
point so I wondered what she was thinking.

Claudia added,
“Sometimes it’s really difficult for prophets to master strength and speed.
Being able to achieve these goals requires you to one hundred percent believe
that you can do it. Prophets rely on their visions for faith; if Rachel can’t
see
herself with these superhuman skills, then she won’t be convinced that she can
do it, and if she isn’t convinced that she can do it, then she won’t be able to
do it.”

“Why aren’t
you able to see yourself doing it?” I asked Rachel.

She rolled her
eyes and although she clearly thought the answer was obvious, she continued,
“Because I don’t believe I can do it. And I don’t believe it because I can’t
see myself doing it.”

“It’s a
circle,” Claudia added, “but once she breaks into it, she will be great.”

Everyone was
quiet after that, and Rachel must have decided not to add anything further to
the conversation. Before long, Nick announced that we had arrived. I peeled my
forehead from the window and looked around as we made our way down a long,
bumpy drive. We finally reached a large gravel parking lot which was already
half full of rented vehicles. We slid in between a Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen
Beetle, and then started unloading our gear.

“So does
anyone even know what exactly we will be doing here?” I finally asked.

“This is
training camp for your skills,” Nick began. “Claudia and I have been here a
couple of times. You guys are gonna love it.”

“A couple of
times?” Noah repeated.

“This is our
third year,” Claudia said.

“I didn't
realize that you've known Ms. Peters for three years. Didn't she just move
here?” I asked.

“We did just
move here,” Rachel answered. “Mom isn't the only Seeker. There are Gifted Ones
everywhere. We're only a small part of what's happening all over the world.”

The amount of
new information was becoming overwhelming.

“So let me get
this straight,” Noah began. “This training camp is for gifted people from all
over the world?”

“No,” Claudia
laughed. “This is only North America. There are training camps happening all
over the place.”

“Do we work on
our gifts here too? Or is this just for our strength and speed?” I asked as we
followed Nick and Claudia down a well-trodden path with our backpacks and sleeping
bags in tow.

“All of it,”
Nick explained. “You'll do it all this weekend. It's quite intense actually.”
He stopped and turned to face Noah, Rachel and me, then continued with a depth
of seriousness that I feared, “And this will make or break you. If you’re truly
cut out for it, you will be great. But if not . . . you're out.”

I exchanged a
troubled look with Noah.

“Ms. Peters
already told us we're great,” Noah said.

Nick turned
and started walking again. “Well, let's just hope you've got your head in the
game this weekend.”

I thought
about what Nick had said as we continued down the path. What did it actually
mean to have your head in the game? I was eager to get started because it was
already pretty cool being able to heal people, and I could only imagine how
awesome it would be to be able to run super fast and be super strong. How could
I
not
do well at the training camp? I certainly wanted it bad enough. I
had given up so much for it.

As we neared the
camp, the commotion of dozens of voices filled my ears. We came to the end of
the path and were greeted by a half-dozen men in black suits, black sunglasses
and earpieces, standing guard at the gate. It was then that I observed the
high-velocity electric fence that ran along the entire property. I guessed that
they were protecting our kind from being targeted by the Defiers, but I also
couldn't help but notice that once we were in, there was no getting out either.

Beyond the
security gate I could see clusters of people. About a hundred or more, I
guessed. Some were playing soccer in the field to the right. Others were
socializing by the main lodge entrance, which was further beyond the field. I
could see a group of teenagers, roughly our ages, with their sleeping bags and
pillows, getting instructions on where to unload their stuff. There was also a
group of little kids, no older than Abby, sitting on the grassy hill by the
soccer field. Was this their first time here? Or had they been discovered even
younger?

“Alright, come
on guys,” Nick said as the huge metal gates slowly opened.

I hesitated
before crossing the threshold. Once through, the gates swung closed with a
deafening sound. I took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

Noah, Nick and
I were
assigned to Cabin 3. Rachel and Claudia were closer to the end of the lineup of
cabins in Cabin 6. We parted ways with the girls and headed into our cabin.
There were five bunk beds on the left, and five on the right. Everything was
wooden from floor to ceiling, with names carved into every part of every bunk
bed, floor and ceiling. I quickly assessed that this was not going to be a
luxury vacation by any means. Most of the beds had already been spoken for, so
the three of us headed to the back of the cabin and took the remaining three
beds. I threw my duffle bag up on the top bunk and then sat down beside Noah on
the lower bunk. We both watched Nick as he spread out his sleeping bag and
threw his pillow on top.

“So, boys,”
Nick started, “ready to get dirty?” A smile spread across his face in a mischievous
fashion.

Noah and I
exchanged a look, and then I dared, “Dirty?”

“Yeah, time
for a warm-up game of soccer.  Check your schedule. We play first, and then
it's to the mess hall for supper. Let's go!” Nick rubbed his hands together as
he headed out of the cabin. We followed like lost puppies.

There was a
group of about ten guys gathered at the edge of the soccer field. Nick led us
over to join them just in time to get in on the team distribution. Noah and I weren't
going to be on the same team because we were both too “inexperienced.” I was
slightly offended, but I figured it was in our best interests. I couldn't have
been more right. The game started friendly, at a good pace, but quickly turned
when I got possession of the ball. I intercepted a pass to Noah and started
running toward the net, controlling the ball as I went. Impressed with the
ground I had covered, I wound up and took a swipe at the ball only a few yards
away from the goalie. Next thing I knew, I was on my back with my foot over my
head. The goalie was laughing and the ball was nowhere in sight. I jumped up
and looked around, and to my amazement, the ball was at the other end of the
field, in play. I started running back down the field trying to figure out when
I had lost the ball. Then I saw a blur in front of me. It was Nick. He had the
ball and was heading back toward the net with it. And then the ball was in the
air, travelling at lightning speed. I thought for sure it was a goal, but the goalie
jumped from one end of the net, through the air and snagged the ball before it
went in.

The game went
on like this for quite some time. Noah and I found our way to the sidelines and
watched the scrimmage. It took a few minutes for our eyes to adjust to the
speed, but it was all very entertaining.

“Having fun,
boys?” Nick asked, suddenly appearing beside us.

“Yeah, sure.
Great fun,” Noah said sarcastically.

“Well, don't
get your panties in a knot. You'll learn to keep up by the end of the weekend .
. . maybe.” Nick laughed and disappeared again.

Noah and I sat
down on the grass and continued watching the game.

“Do you really
think we'll be able to do this?” Noah motioned toward the field.

“I don't know.
It seems bizarre, doesn't it?”

“I hope I'm
focused enough. I'd hate to be sent home with a big 'LOSER' written on the
front of my file,” Noah half-joked.

“Tell me about
it,” I groaned. “But I think I'll do well. I've decided that if I can't be with
Anna, then I'm going to devote my time and energy to making sure she's always
safe. So I have a motive. I need these powers and gifts to fulfill that.” I
plucked a few blades of grass and rolled them together between my fingers as I
let myself think about Anna.