Chapter 9: Max

Oh boy

There we stood. Freezing. And out of nowhere, lightning struck a tree across the great lawn. The sound of the cracking of the tree mingled with the crash of thunder accompanying the lightning. Mrs. Sullivan had us continue training.

Another crash.

"Use the lightning in your attack." Mrs. Sullivan said with the slate calm she always possed.

"What?!?"

She did not respond. You've got to be kidding me. I'm supposed to be able to control lightning now?

"Jake, what are you thinking?"

He looked just as puzzled as I.

"Well let's break it down for a second." He started. "What is lightning?"

"A strong electrical current?"

"Which is caused by what?"

"The movement of individual electrons, in this case on mass."

"Right, so what if we were able to control the movement of electrons?"

What if we could control the movement of electrons. Jake must be kidding. I can control my hand. I can control my leg and my tongue. We can control the movement of electrons?

"Start by bending it." Mrs. Sullivan said. "Max first."

Oh boy.

I closed my eyes. The flash of lightning came to quickly for me to be reactionary about this. I had to be able to sense when another flash might occur. You know that feeling you get when there is a slight electrical charge and the hairs on the back of your neck raise. Yeah in essence that is what I was looking for. Out here, if the electrons started moving, which, through training we had become better able to notice as a current, there is a high likelihood that in the surrounding area a lightning bolt might occur.

Crash.

"Try again."


I stood open-mouthed. For now, if I could move it even a little bit that would be incredible. If I could be even conscious of where it was before it struck that would be

Crash.

"Try again."


Sigh.

Concentrate.

The electrons were flowing towards the ground and headed for the tallest object. For some reason it wasn't hitting the buildings around us. We were in New York's central park after all.

Crash.

I've got it. I can see it, almost in slow motion. If I can see it... could I move it?

Crash.

"Concentrate!" Mrs. Sullivan barked out.


And this time the lightning began moving towards the tree besides the field and I could trace a path to the ground next to it. The tree caught fire.

Crash.

I can do this. The next bolt flowed towards the ground and I urged it to hit the center of the deserted field. The air was warm.

Crash.

Mrs. Sullivan held her hand up. She walked over to the center of the field and held up a piece of the fulgurite I had made. I smiled.


Jake's turn.

There's a reason that they start young when they recruit for this. If we don't think it's impossible, we can do it.

Here is the basic principal. The average human only uses up to 11% of his or her brain at any given time. Through training and concentration (and also through surgery I guess) you can access an even greater percentage of that brain power. This gray area of the brain apparently contains the latent potential of a human. Abilities.

And here, I can control the flow of electricity.