1 Chapter One: Idea

HUNTOR

"Huntor, did you hear me?" I looked up. My eye flashing to her. My attention snapped off the  poem I was writing. MS. Lara was standing in front of me, her arms crossed. I couldn't see her expression, but, for some odd reason I knew she was annoyed. I put on a poker face. "I'm sorry, um, what?" I asked. She sighed. "I was asking, if you were working on your project." "Oh," I said feeling slightly guilty. I was working on none of the sort. "Oh, right well, um. Yes yes, the project." My mind ran in two places. The front was on the conversation at hand. The back was on something else. The back was in the poetry I was writing. I was comparing words together, searching for rhyme and enigma.

"Huntor." "Huh?" Dauntless smiled and kicked me under the desk. I closed my mind. I allowed the poetry to fade into mist. The back of my mind closed into mist. But I knew it would be there when I called for it. Ms. Lara turned as I began clicking on my bluetooth keyboard. My brailliant BI 40, was showing the pages app on my iPad. I went to the english folder and began another section to the essay I was supposed to be writing. I already knew I'd get a B on it, so me slacking on it would be ok. I wasn't sure how I knew, gut feeling maybe. I heard the bell ring and when I didn't immediately get up, Dauntless gave me another kick. I hissed and rose. I packed my things and walked to the door. I grabbed my cane on my way out. The cane, was not a cane. At least, in my opinion. It was a six foot staff. Useful for echo location and smacking people with. A high voice said, "Hey Huntor." I responded in a hug. Kitty, who's long brown hair always fell into her face. She smiled and tickled my waist. I pushed her playfully away. "Kitty, you're so cruel." I said. She replied with  a smile. Her like most of us here was blind or visually impaired. The school was called Maryland School For The Blind. But there were more than blind people here. Multi disabilities were here too. However they were in another wing of the school. We were the higher level of students. What that meant, I neither knew nor cared. I turned to Dauntless and kicked him back. "Ouch, woe you. I was just bringing you back from whatever world you were in." I rolled my bright blue eye. He laughed. My other eye was closed. I received my blindness from the cause of a car accident. But my actual loss was from medicines that I was given that made me blind. You know, a near death experience at six, with possible poisons is a great way to start your new life.

I heard footsteps and said, "Quick, we gotta--Let's get a move on boys and girls." Ms. Gayla said passing us to her classroom. I sighed and turned to the algebra classroom.  "Come on Dauntless, Gale, and--" I was cut off by Andrew, who crashed into me on his way to the classroom. The other two walked with me. I️ looked at Diamond who gave me a devil's nod that said she'd be late, again. I sighed and walked in. The teacher was one of my favorites and there were actually a lot. The classes went by slowly, that always happened when I wanted something to come. This time i would be working with the sixth, seventh, fifth, well, basically the elementary wing. We'd be outside for their free time and I got to basically ensure their safety and fun. Even though I was apart of it mostly. But today was new. I wanted to show them something. Something I wasn't even sure I knew of. We were walking down the back steps to the cafeteria  and Andrew was next to me. "Aye, I got something to tell you." "What is it this time?" "Oh, well then, I guess you don't care." "Good guess, I really, don't." He sighed. "Nah, look alright. This is some deep shit." He said. I sensed before it registered to my ears how serious he was. I️turned to him and stopped. He stopped too. "Look Huntor. I know you weren't paying attention in English but--"Please don't try berating me. An irate Andrew isn't what I️ needed right now." I said. "Nah look you. It's about what you can do. What we, can do." "What?" I asked but Gale, his idiotic self, he slammed into Andrew and the  moment shattered like glass. Andrew turned and began cursing at him. Gale, oblivious annoying friend walked calmly away. Andrew said, "Look I'll tell you tomorrow." I nodded and walked into the dining hall.

After lunch I walked along the halls and up the stairs and out the west doors. Fresh autumn air met my face and I walked/ran to the fields before hearing their voices. I called out to them. Hecate heard me first and turned and said, "Huntor!" I met up with the sixth graders first. There wasn't many of them and we gathered waiting for the rest. Camille, Lorna, the Phoebe twins, Fiji and Phoebe, but where was the others. "Where's Audrey?" I asked. Fiji said, "She's coming Twinkle Toes." I rolled my eye, knowing she couldn't see it. Fiji was a tall fifth grader, her and her best friend Phoebe were just alike. Except Phoebe was from another country, but they were always seen together and became close friends. So I called them the Phoebe twins. "There she is," Hecate said. I indeed heard Audrey's footsteps in the grass. I wasn't truly sure how I knew it was her, nor did I know how Hecate even knew. But we were all strange that way. Knowing each other's footsteps and voices like different colors on the spectrum. Audrey came over and as if she wasn't completely blind, she walked over to me and hugged me around the middle. There were some giggles and Fiji said, quietly, "See Twinkle Toes. It is so true." I ignored her and so did Audrey. She let me go and said to us all, "Hi you." We all responded. The rest of the time was a mist. Well, that doesn't make sense. It was like my mind went blank, but the back opened up as we ran around, playing different games. I heard one of the teachers calling for the fourth graders and Audrey sighed. She turned and walked away. I smiled and received a hard poke in my side. Hissing I turned to Fiji and poked her back. She tried to dance away but I jabbed her hard in the belly.

The rest of the day faded away and amazingly the Thursday ended on the 3-00 o'clock bell. I walked along to the west doors and towards the dorms on the other side of campus. Naiad, Kitty, and Ramya were walking with me. We were walking along the sidewalks to the first of two streets. Ok so there were three streets, but they did construction that basically paved over the street. It was nice I guess, but we still had two more and with how the hills came and went it made it hard. We passed the music auditorium and down the hill to the first stree. The real first street would have been by the Russo building, but I won't bore you with that detail. It was here, now it's gone. The crossing Guard, one of the dormetory staff was standing at attention, ready to stop the buses. They had came up with this a few months ago. Now realizing that with buses coming directly into campus here from the west gate we needed someone to regulate traffic. We waited until he called clear. "How do you know?" I always asked this question as a joke. "I don't know man. Guess you'll just have to take the chance." "I'll take it." I said. We walked passed the Knefly gym and up the path, passed the parking lot to the gym to our right and towards the bridge over the creek. "They destroyed our creek." Kitty commented as we took a look over the edge. I wasn't sure whether the others knew like I did. Wasn't sure if they felt what I felt when I looked at the creek. The creek called to me. It's dirty brown water singing in a strange language. I felt it running over the rocks and I bent towards it. I felt the tadpoles in it's embrace. The life in it was fading so fast. "Huntor, you ok?" I was hanging over the railing, my arm out towards the water. I rose slowly, glancing towards kitty. I wasn't sure how but I knew she was curious and a little nervous. Well, curiosity kills the cat. "I'm fine. Just, just thought I heard something." She made a growl that could seriously rival a panther's. She dropped her backpack and cartwheeled over it, as if she couldn't help herself. I watched her curiously. Then I shook my head. We were just all insane that's all. Or was it all. We trekked up the long steep hill. Kitty, like me, were able to climb without complaints. Naiad and Ramya however, had trouble and complained with much swearing and use of colorful language. "Holy shit, why don't they damn it, I ahhh, shit. Like oh hell..." All the way until we reached the break. My dorm was ahead of me. Further down the sidewalk to our left a huge building separated us from the street we just crossed. Further down was the girls dormetory, Randal. The boys dormetory, Thompson, was ahead of me. Connecting the two dorms was a catwalk enclosed by a roof. A field was parallel to the building separating us from the street. Swing benches sat on either side of the field. Think of it as a soccer field without all the extra junk, the benches sat on either side of the huge rectangle. I said my goodbyes to kitty and the rest and walked into the dorm. I dumped my pack on the bed and turned to Shawn. He was tall and thin, maybe five foot seven or so. He was always hanging around me and since he joined the track team last year I called him my little brother. "Hey Hunt." He said. "Hey Little Brother." "What you up to?" "Well, currently I'm just getting in." He laughed softly. 'Oh, well, I've got something for you." Andrew had said nearly the same thing. Why was that. Was I reading too much into what people said these days. Either way, Little Brother pulled his phone out and read an article. Apparently the article was about a group of men in black, pun not intended, kidnapped a boy of around seventeen in Washington. Apparently they vanished into thin air. "That's not possible." I said. He nodded as he dropped his phone from his face. Like us all he had some vision loss and had to hold the phone close to his eyes to see. I on the other hand relied on a different kind of sight. "You ready for Goalbaall?" He asked. "Oh hell yes." I said, smiling at the color I used. He smiled. "So am I. I missed it." "Well," I said pulling out my gym clothes. "Let us take our leave Brother." We hurried down to the Gym where practices were held. Goalball was a six person sport. Three people on one side of the court and three on the other. Everyone is blindfolded and you have to be able to hear the large ball, a little bigger and heavier than a basketball coming at you. Not only that, it required fast reflexes and perfect timing and stiff strong blocking form.

    After a short intro for the newest people which was quite a few. The coaches, Mr. Lupin, yes I know, Harry Potter, him and Ms. Smith was leading the boys and girls teams. They set Devonte, Chetah, and I against Diamond, Ramya, and kitty. I was at the center, Chetah was to my left, Devonte was to my right wing. "Ladies first." Ms. Smith said. "Playing favorites." I muttered. "Quiet please!" She called. Probably to me. Then the back of my mind open for the thing I'd yet to explain to anyone. I saw Ms. Smith, a good six feet away near center court. Mr. Lupin was at the other large goal. Diamond stood and stepped back, preparing to roll. I saw her feet, step, step, step. She touched the goal with her shoulders. She stepped, two quick steps and prepared her throw on the final step. She got low and rolled the ball...

    The ball rolled fast over the smooth wood floor. Most would say that you could barely hear the ball moving. But I was not like most people. I had in the passed few months developed echo location. The ability to use sound to see, in 3D. I saw the ball like a bright white light, three brighter lights bounced in the ball. The bells. I saw it moving passed the center court on the spot where Ms. Smith was standing. Then it moved towards Chetah, "Chetah." I called easily throwing myself in his direction. I felt the ball catch in my feet and I tightened my grip. I called, "Got it." In my lovely British accent. Then I prepared my throw. I saw kitty, on their right wing settle herself closer to Diamond. Then I had an idea, risky because I had ten seconds to get rid of the ball. But I knew only nine had went by. I walked silently over to Chetah's side and rolled. Then I went back to my spot, easily finding it. The ball rolled pass the high-ball line and towards Diamond. She called, "Got it, uh, uh, oh no." As I had predicted, Diamond's body was towards Kitty, leaving a large gap between her and Ramya. Also as I had predicted, Ramya was too far to the sideline to do anything and the ball flew into the goal. Barely even a minute in the game. "Goal!" Mr. Lupin said proudly. Maya grumbled under her breath. She repositioned herself and I saw Ramya scoot closer, she wasn't taking this laying down. Literally since we did have to lay down. Ramya picked up the ball and bounced it. "Quiet please. Play!" Ramya rolled the ball and I saw it roll along the sideline. "Devonte." But I didn't need to because he flew towards the sideline. His hands caught the ball and he stood in one fluid motion and in the next he'd rolled it at top speed towards Diamond. "Too direct Devonte." I commented quietly as indeed, Diamond shouted "Got it." We spent the next few minutes with that trade. We searched, or at least, I, searched for weaknesses from the girls but there wasn't any. Them, like us, were a well set of three. Each knew their weaknesses and filled in for them. At the end the score remained one to nothing. They took us off and began our training. Over the rest of practice they set some new people with veterans and we taught different ways of blocking and different situations. Too soon five O'clock came and we had to get dressed and head for the Dormetories. One of my friends in my group made pizza, and vegies I proudly ignored. I ate like a starving blind teen. Like there was a difference. I was always starving. We accounted our days, joked around, and generally had a good time. I'd forgotten all about the article Little Brother read to me. But how did I not know that I was in danger. In so much danger I was likely to die...

    The next day Andrew entered seeing me and Naiad talking. He came over and touched her neck suggestively. He and her were together so I guessed it was like him to do that but seriously it made me feel like a third wheel. "Aye, I need uh talk to you." "Yes, you've said such things yesterday. Why?" I asked. He, like Brother took his phone and looked at it. He read an article about some strange kidnap from this morning not to far from here. Then, "This is something different." He said. "Uh-huh." I said. "This is about the Indigo." He said. "Who?" I asked. "Do you believe in religions." "Kind of sort of." "Well, this isn't a religion, but a kind of people." "Right," "Indigo, are people, teens, children, adults with Psionic, supernatural, and paranormal abilities." I raised my eyebrows. "And you believe such things?" I asked. "I wouldn't if it wasn't true." "Right." I said. "Huntor, I watch you everyday. You're nearly blind but you see perfectly." "Echo location." "You, sense emotions, you can calm someone down so easily--"Experience." I said. "You can control water." "Wait, what?" He nodded. "I know, I've seen you at the swim meets. You cut through the water like a manta. Your fast and swift. You glide through it like it's a part of you." "Huntor, you--" He was cut off by Gale who wrapped his arm around his shoulders roughly and said, "Sup." I heard the anger in Andrew's voice but there was something else. A flash of anger ran through me like a whip. Had I not been so attuned to my senses I may have missed it. But no, it was there and gone in a flash. Was Andrew right? I couldn't I, but the proof was right there. But as Gale pulled Andrew away with two cups of coffee I remembered how I had indeed cut through the water like I was made for it. Was he right? Was I some unnatural teen. Then I felt it again and I turned, knowing I was too late to stop it. Naiad was talking to me, and he and Gale was talking about the coffee. Andrew turned to Naiad and Gale slapped the back of his head. His cup was open and I smelled the hot liquid and the back of my mind opened and I saw the drink spill over Andrew and over Naiad who chirped quite unnaturally and jumped. "I told you to stop playing!" Andrew roared at Gale who was just realizing his mistake. The fool. Andrew's anger was a dark flash of power. It burned through him and me. I felt his adrenalin and my arms shook with suppressed power. Gale spluttered as he was sent into the closet door, promptly breaking the thing to pieces. Damn, he was right. I watched as he held him there, yelling at him. I felt Gale's fear and I tried to not let it show. I sensed someone in heels coming fast in the room and I heard Starlight's voice commanding the two apart. Gale tried to get at Andrew and I realized what Andrew had meant by real power. Had he not been holding back, Andrew could've killed him without even trying. Damn. Like water down a drain, the emotions fading into mist and I felt calm again. The power still roiled in my blood, needing escape. I squashed it down, I wasn't going to cause another useless scene. Ms. Lara asked if Naiad and I were ok, when we replied we were fine she sighed and mumbled how dramatic the two were. Then she walked over and began no doubt writing the report. I turned to Andrew who was talking to Dr. Starlight. He was right. At least, I had some abilities. That, to be honest, terrified me. I watched as he left with her and the class bell rung out. I made my resolve at that moment and it was like there was a snap in my brain. The two parts of my mind, always divided and in two different worlds. They now snapped together in a sync of mist and hidden power. I felt it, the dark power I had taken from Andrew, but there was also a different power, a blue/green power that flowed like water.

It was some hours until I saw Andrew again. When I did, before lunch without warning I glanced at his profile and was hit by ecstatic confidence actually over confidence. He knew he'd won. Not only that he was proud of himself. When the lunch bell rang out I stopped him on the stairs. "You saw, right?" "Ok, fine. Maybe, just say I believe you. Say I believe I'm some indigo. Say I am willing to unlock said power, how would I do that." In answer he opened his phone and told me about the past, when the indigo were here the first time. That there were two different kinds, Scouts and protectors. "Yes, and so what?" I asked, not getting the point. Andrew sighed. "Huntor, you saw my power. You saw. You have to figure out why are there more indigo species and what kinds there are. Then what kind you are." I rolled my eye. "Andrew how the hell am I gonna do that. No training, no leadership no guide." Then I realized what he was driving at this whole time. "You want me to lead you. To teach you?" "Well, I know what kind of indigo I am. A new species called the warrior." "Right, ok that makes sense. But how do I figure what kind I am." "What and where do you feel strongest. I could tell you my suspicions. But I know you. You'd want to figure it out on your own." Damn, sure he was right. He did know me well. "Fine. But do we tell people this? I mean, who'd believe me anyways?" "You know Devonte and Dauntless already developed something. Not only that but you've seen your little cat friend. All of us have some power, but it's up to you to help connect us with them." I sighed. Only seventeen and so much responsibilities. "Fine, Andrew I'm in all the way. But we are so gonna do this my way. When I figure out my powers, how to teach these gifts. All this is gonna be done my way." He agreed and I felt something else sync into place. "You feel that?" I asked. "Yeah? Do you feel more powerful." I wasn't sure how to say, because I felt it, it was thrumming in my blood like adrenalin. "Yes, yes I feel it. It's like I could run the mile or like I could swim for hours." He squeezed my shoulder. "We'll work together, don't worry." But something flashed into my mind and fear boiled like acid. I turned to Andrew but I didn't see Andrew. Instead I was looking at a tall thin red haired girl. I couldn't see her eyes but I knew they were green and as cold as chips of ice. She raised a knife and commanded something. I felt around me and looked with my mind. As if I had done it a thousand times. In reality I had with the echo location. The gym was huge and I saw the goalball nets. I heard screams and I felt utter betrayal in my blood. Betrayal and pain, terrible pain, much like heart ache. She commanded again and I raised my fists. No way would I go without a fight. "Huntor. Huntor Huntor you there?" Andrew came into focus. His profile was protective and I sensed his worry. "You saw it too?" I asked. He agreed. "Was that--"A vision." He said grimly. "What did she say? I couldn't hear her." "I don't know, did you ever go to that gym before." He said. I shook my head. I felt like it was familiar but I couldn't decide. Andrew took my arm as we walked to the dinning hall. I ate quickly because I was going to definitely put the first part of my plan into action. When the next bell rang I smiled and practically ran to the doors. Ms. Flora was waiting with her class, a bunch of noisy and pushing second graders and third graders. I saw the other teachers coming with their classes. Then I heard her footsteps. They rang out like flashes of light within all the pell-mell commotion. "May I open the gates and set these monsters free?" Ms. Flora nodded and I open both doors wide and said, "Be free my creations." They didn't even spare me a glance as they flew towards the playground. I watched a fourteen year-old Audrey pass me and she reached out and touched my arm. Then a thirteen year-old Fiji poked me and said, "Hi Twinkle Toes." I followed them and decided to pull them all together.

I told them each everything. First about the kidnappings. Then about the indigos in the past and me and Andrew's suspicions about how and why they left. Or actually, how they were driven away. Then about the indigos this time, how there were more species and I had to lead them all. They all sat with wrapped attention and I saw how diverse we all were. Finally Fiji said, in a much unlike Fiji voice, "So that's why I can run like I do. Not only that but I can read thoughts by will. It's like a buzzing in the back of my head." I nodded. "Telepathy is apparently one of the gifts that an indigo will develop that and empathy. However, there are those who will have their own power. A selected power that is their own power. That is what, if you all are in with me teaching you, figuring out what you can do." "So. You want to basically bring back the indigo and spread powers across the world?" Phoebe asked. "That's the big plan." I said. "Well I'm in." Phoebe said. "So am I." Said fiji. Then each person was agreeing to the cause, Audrey was the only one who stayed silent and who didn't reply at first. "Audrey?" I asked softly. "You don't have to do this. It's up to you." She sat forward and said, "Will you be teaching me everything? What if we get into trouble by these people. What if we get hurt." "I promise Audrey, by my blood I will protect you and keep you safe. I won't let anything happen to any of you." In the back of my mind, I sensed Audrey's emotions, but there was something I couldn't describe about what I felt from her. Then the moment shattered like glass and the teachers began to call different grades and we had to split.

When I got home that day my cousin walked into my room and said, "Ok, tell me everything." So I did. When I was done she nodded and without any explanation, took my arm out the door, on our bikes and to the park. On the way she explained how she had a vision in her dreams last night of this moment and of what I was going to show her. When we got there she took out a water bottle and said, "Sense what's in here? Feel what's in here?" I nodded. She threw the bottle in the air and said, "Catch it." I felt the water rise, up, up, up, up, up, and slowly turn. Then it began to fall. I reached out with my hands and my mind. I tried to grab it, the water felt like cold silk and it slipped out of my mind's fingers. The bottle tumbled like someone tried to catch it and it bounced three times on the grass. I reached down with my mind and tried to pick it up. The water was indeed cold and felt like silk. I pulled and the bottle tumbled to the left. "Open the damned thing." I said. She complied and I felt the silk spread. I took it up and the water rose, splaying out like a cloud. I felt the pebbles of water within the silk and I tried to manipulate the silk. It twisted and undulated like a snake's coils. I felt something within the pebbles of water. Like some tiny tiny symbols or shapes but I ignored them. I instead wove the silk into a curved shape and brought it up to my shoulder without even touching it. The bow I had made was glowing where the sunlight poured into it. The bow was loaded and I saw the bright water arrow. I tried to hold the bow, surprised that I could hold it. It did indeed feel like silk in my fingers. I raised it and aimed at my cousin who cowered. "Try it though, just not at me." She said. "Like a walk in the park." I said, a weak pun. I aimed at a tree and fired. The tree exploded. I thought it would turn to bits of wood, but no instead it dropped to the ground in a huge splash of water. Squirrels screamed and ran for another tree. I smiled and raised the water again but this time I felt a twinge of pain in my forehead. The water trembled and I concentrated harder. The water reshaped into the bow and I took aim again. This time I searched for another target. Then I had an idea. I turned to the pavilion and pulled the crystal string back, surprised again to know it looked like crystals but felt hard as steel. "Shit, Huntor you idiot. Don't shoot there, the hive.." I let the arrow fly. It glittered like true crystals in the air. It disappeared in the wasp nest and the whole thing dropped. A fleet of angry insects took to the air. They tumbled and spun out of control. Their wings were no doubt wet and it would take them a great while. My cousin ran and road her bike out the park. I followed but I paused. The wasps were circling the pavilion searching for their enemy. I pulled the water up, noticing that the egg junk that fell was left behind. I wrapped it around me and began to ride. Three specks flew in my direction. Damn it. But they hit the shield I set around myself and promptly fell to the ground. The others however were drawn by the pheromones that their friends were sending. Soon I'd have the whole sworn on my ass. I road faster, houses flew passed me and I spun the handle bars, too late noticing the car that came around the bend. I hit the brakes and my front tire got caught. I spun and felt the world tip over. The sworn of bees came and were about to pepper me with repeated stings when they got a face full of car. Thousands of wasps were instantly killed. The others tumbled like blocks and tried to avoid this new threat. I took the chance and dragged myself to my feet. I road my bike the rest of the way home.

After berating my cousin about leaving me to fend for myself I went to my room and immediately texted Hecate and told her about my experience. Then I went online and did my research on the indigo and our gifts. There was plenty on the indigo especially on the psionic abilities. Then I read about how they were lost in the nineties and how no one knew exactly why. Over the next few days I worked on what was unmistakably hydrokenesis. When I could make a shield and a bow with a loaded arrow, my cousin and I practice fighting with the shield, realizing nothing could penetrate the shield. In turn we found her voice was quite dangerous and she could track and find any animal to her choosing. She and I worked on our power until Sunday came and I had to leave. But even at the dorm I worked relentlessly on what was obviously my given power. But the goalball season has started and over the next month I was juggling everything from new indigo lessons with the middle and elementary schoolers. Sports practices. School projects and homework. Also trying to figure out how these kidnaps were working. It seemed that these people would take a boy of seventeen or sixteen, blind, black, and with a scared face. "Maybe it truly is link to you?" We were outside and kitty Naiad and Dauntless were with me. We were connecting another kidnap, this making the seventh this week. "Well they ain't gonna get him." Naiad said. "We already started. We all already know our power." She said. That was true. Kitty apparently could converse with cats and was Basically part cat. Not literally, but she acted and gave you the impression of a cat. She could climb trees with ease. Hills and walls, oh forget it. I kind of waited for her to grow claws or something. "Ok, so here's the deal then." Dauntless said. "We just got to be careful with you Huntor." I nodded but something still bugged me. After that things just seemed to slow, every lesson there was something new. Every day we found another indigo. Soon I was truly juggling lessons and classes and sports to the point I thought I wouldn't ever have time to myself. But I liked feeling like the leader, liked feeling as if I was the most powerful and could spread power to all the indigos. To even think that all this all started with a single idea. A suspicion of kidnaps and boom, we all were controlling and distributing power and emotions and thoughts.