Glitch

part of me, and I could use it as instinctively
    as walking. The realization fl ooded in as every part of me
    sizzled with power: Control over my power only came when
    I abandoned control.
    With a burst of invisible energy, I hurled my mind out-
    ward until it encompassed the entire space. I could feel the
    sloping contours of each of the other four bodies in the room,
    the rustle of their clothes against their skin, every micro-
    millimeter of space in between them, and lastly, the hard
    lines of the weapons.
    339

    Heather Anastasiu
    Again, I had the sensation that the room was inside me,
    like it was a 3- D image held captive in my mind. I could
    zoom in on any part of it, passing easily beyond the inconse-
    quential barriers of metal and skin. I zeroed in on the Chan-
    cellor’s chest and suddenly I was inside— I could see the blood
    vessels and feel the four chambers of her pumping heart.
    My hatred rose up inside me. It would be so easy to deac-
    tivate her. I saw the Chancellor’s eyes widen as if she could
    feel the intrusion. I felt the single beat of her pulse as she
    made the decision to make Molla pull the trigger.
    My rage seared red, burning away all doubt and fear.
    No.
    I felt Molla’s fi nger shift infi nitesimally and I surrounded
    the metal in her hand and ripped it away from her just as it
    fi red. The laser shot across the room in a fl ash. It sliced into
    the wall with a sizzle as it fell.
    I turned and time seemed to slow. Adrien jumped to his
    feet. He ran straight toward me, knife raised.
    I looked at him but reached out through my web of en-
    ergy to where the Chancellor stood. No matter what, I had
    to save them from her. I closed my eyes and located the
    main blood vessel leading to her brain. But could I kill her?
    Could I take that fi nal step and risk becoming a monster
    myself? Just as Adrien jumped toward me with the knife, I
    closed my eyes and squeezed the vessel shut.
    I turned in time to see awareness come back into Adrien’s
    face, but his momentum was already set, the knife coming
    right at my chest. He swerved to the side at the last second,
    340

    G L I TC H
    and the knife crashed so hard into the concrete fl oor that
    the blade broke from the handle.
    The Chancellor’s body crumpled to the ground.
    Molla shook her head, eyes widening in terror as she
    looked around her. Her whole body was shaking. “I was
    there inside, watching but I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t
    stop it!” Her cries edged on screams.
    I ran over to Molla and smoothed down her hair, tugging
    her trembling body into my arms.
    “Get Max up if you can,” I yelled to Adrien. “We have to
    get out of here now.”
    “After what he did?” Adrien said incredulously.
    “Is she dead?” Max’s voice was oddly calm. I spared a
    glance for him, still curled up on the fl oor. He was looking
    at the Chancellor’s ashen face.
    “No,” I said, looking away. “I just
    couldn’t do it. I
    couldn’t be like her. I stopped the fl ow of blood to her
    brain for a few seconds to make her pass out. So we have to
    get out of here now. All of us,” I said pointedly to Adrien,
    gesturing to Max.
    Adrien’s nostrils fl ared but he nodded in one sharp motion
    and hauled Max up to his feet. Arm still around her back,
    I led Molla out the door. Max could barely stand but Adrien
    dragged him along behind us. Adrien’s leg was bloody and
    I knew it must be hurting, but he walked forward steadily.
    We hurried down the hallway with the metal holding
    cells. “Which cell is Juan in?” I asked Molla, slowing down.
    “We don’t have time!” Adrien yelled.
    341

    Heather Anastasiu
    “Which cell, Molla?” I said, just as loud. She looked up at
    me, her eyes glazed with terror.
    “Molla, focus.” I grabbed her face so she was only looking
    in my eyes and not everywhere around us. “Are there any
    people in these rooms we’ve gone by?”
    “There was a boy,” she fi nally said, voice trembling.
    “Where?”
    “Two doors back on the left.”
    I ran back, not caring that Adrien was cursing loudly. I
    heard him drop Max and come after me.
    “This one?” I pointed at a door. Molla nodded. I let the
    rage swirl back up again until the humming was singing
    through my mind. I thrust a web around the door and forced
    it sideways in its track. It made a grating noise as cables
    snapped. The boy on the other side jumped up in surprise.
    “Juan?” I asked.
    He nodded, looking terrifi ed.
    “Come with us,”