NANCY’S STORY (cont) The Story So Far: Nancy Hartwick, a mild-mannered schoolteacher in Crystal Lake, Illinois, was assaulted in the parking lot of her elementary school one night after a Parent- Teacher meeting. Instinctively using her limited judo skills to defend herself, she sent the assailant flying 20 yards, into a wall. Further distressing her is the discovery that her attacker is a fellow teacher, someone she considered a friend. After talking briefly to the police, she returned home and told her husband what happened. Skeptical at first, he is convinced when she tests her new power by throwing a concrete block out of sight. The next morning, they experiment some more, and discover that Nancy seems to have somehow acquired the power to control gravity! They make plans to investigate further, but first, Nancy must go the police station and give a complete report. She learns that her friend/attacker, Jack Fennody, is still unconscious, but expected to recover. [For the complete story, read the file “Nancy’s Story” (NANCY.ZIP), available in section 6 of the CIS RPG Forum library.] ====================================================== "N...no," stammers Nancy. "I wouldn't want to make things worse, definitely. I just...." Words fail her as she gestures helplessly. She is relieved, though, that Jack is expected to pull through. "So what happens now, Detective?", she asks after she's answered their questions. "Will there be a trial?" The young blonde teacher takes the card, nods silently, and puts it into her purse. It's only when she's gotten into the car and they are on the road that she allows herself to relax. "Thank goodness that's over!", she exclaims. "That's one less thing to worry about, at least for a while." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] The detective tells you, "First he has to be arraigned. I imagine the D.A. will want to talk to you about that, since you're the entire case." Mike tells you he will call his friends at the University, and ask them who he'd talk to around here if he had a sudden interest in gravitics. In the meantime, "Please don't go around playing with your powers. I mean, there might be side effects, or something..." I assume she has taken the day off from work (your principal actually called you and suggested that you probably should...give you some time to recover, and let things at the school settle down, before you return.) At about 4 PM, you get a call from Detective Macelli. "Mrs. Hartwick, Jack Fennody has regained consciousness. I want to question him, but he says he wants to talk to you before he'll talk to police." After a pause, he says, "He's claiming that he doesn't remember anything that happened. He doesn't remember attacking you." His tone is carefully neutral, as if he doesn't want to indicate what he thinks of this. <><><><><> "Oh poo," she says, wrinkling her nose at him. "You never let me have any fun." She holds the expression for a moment then smiles. "All right...I promise I'll try to be a good girl and not play with them too much. I would like to find out what all I can do sometime soon, though." [Okay, here it comes...I claim a No-Prize! In this latest move, you say Nancy stays home from school...but previously, they had gone to the police AFTER she and Mike had gotten home from work. My suggestion for a fix: Nancy did go in and try to teach class the day after (like the trooper she is ), but things didn't go smoothly. Her kids were disruptive all day long and things seemed tense with the fourth graders. So the princpal suggested letting things calm down (as you wisely suggested )...and that's how it stands for the next couple of days. Nancy will ask him (let's name her princpal Frank Wilson, just to hang a name on him) to call her when he feels her presence would no longer be disruptive.] At first, Nancy feels a little disturbed by the unwished for vacation. However, she uses the opportunity to catch up on some of the things that she'd been meaning to get around to. She'll also use this free time to take a look through Jeremy's comic books and see if she can get any ideas (code name, costume, etc.) [This, of course, brings up an interesting point. What is the state of the comic book industry in this world? I am very well read, so if you want to tell me what titles she finds, I can probably work it from there. And if you tell me he's been reading Prime, she'll go around and make sure he's not hiding puddles of green goop under the bed. ] "That's wonderful, Detective Macelli!", she exclaims. "If he wants to talk to me, I have no problem with that. What time would be good for you? I mean, I assume you'll want to speak to him immediately after I get through, right?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Jeremy's comic books are entertaining and amusing...you sense that ALL the women in these books must have some kind of gravity-defying power....most of the costumes you quickly decide look swell in four- color ink, but would look stupid and/or embarrassing and/or fall off if you breathed too hard and/or be VERY cold if you tried to wear such a thing in real life. But we'll assume you find something that catches your eye.... Macelli would like you to come to the hospital as soon as you can. The doctors will only let Jack have visitors for another couple of hours anyways, and then you'd have to wait until tomorrow. Macelli meets you there, and accompanies you to Jack's room. Inside, Jack lies in a bed with bandages wrapped around his head. A metal frame immobilizes his neck. But he seems very alert. He looks at you mournfully. "Nancy...I'm glad you came." He speaks very quietly and somberly. "They tell me I attacked you. With a knife." His voice becomes harsh, as if he is trying to fight something back. "I don't remember it. I don't remember it at all! I would never do something like that! I don't know what's happened to me!" He gasps for breath, and then closes his eyes and can't go on. <><><><><> She can't help but wonder if women like this is why kids are turning out the way they are. Well, she'll borrow a couple of his more likely prospects and start working out in her head how she's going to sew them up. Nancy is obviously moved by Jack's tearful plea. "I know, Jack, I know," she says softly. "It doesn't seem right to me either. You don't know how much I wished it hadn't happened...that I hadn't hurt you so badly trying to defend myself! But the fact is it was you." She moves in close and puts her hand on his arm. "What's the last thing you remember before waking up here? Do you remember the parent-teacher conference night at all?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Jack says, "That's the last thing I remember....the last parents had gone home, and I was heading out to my car to go home. Then I woke up here....I know that sounds ridiculous." He looks at you pleadingly. "Do you really believe me? I swear Nancy, I would never hurt you! I'm not a violent person, the last time I ever got in a fight was when I was 14! And I've never had any...any mental problems." <><><><><> She sighs deeply and looks at him, her face an mixture of emotions. "I believe that you don't remember doing it, Jack. I...I don't know what else to say." She gestures over to the detective. "This is Detective Macelli...he wants to get a statement from you. I...I've got to get some air." With that, she'll let go and step out into the hall for a while. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] After about ten minutes, Detective Macelli comes out. A doctor shows up and says your time is up, so you stick your head in the door to say good-bye to Jack, and the two of you leave. Macelli is quiet, apparently thinking about something, and you don't feel like talking for a while. Finally he says, "You believe his story, that he doesn't remember anything?" You say you do, and he nods. "Most cops would be more cynical, figuring he's getting ready for some kind of insanity defense, but this doesn't fit. Either he really IS insane, and has psychotic 'blackouts'...which I'd think would've manifested before now....or...." He sticks his hands in his pockets, as you walk across the parking lot towards his car. Puffing breath out in the cold evening air, he asks, "You know a kid name Chad Reiter?" The question is such a non-sequiter you have to stop and think about it for a moment. Then the name brings a face to mind. Chad is a fourth-grader (in Jack Fennody's class, in fact), and a troublemaker with a foul mouth. You don't know anything about his background, but he's new to the school, and has been in trouble numerous times for picking on smaller kids. You have sent him to the principal's office yourself, twice, once because he was bullying children in your class, and another time because when you told him to move away from the water fountain (he was blocking it so other kids couldn't get a drink) he swore at you. <><><><><> "Or what?", Nancy asks. She thinks for a moment and says, "Yes, I know Chad. He's a fourth grader...in Jack's class. I've sent him to the principal's office on a couple of occasions. What does he have to do with this?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Macelli starts the car and begins driving, not answering your question at first. Finally he says, "Something about the kid attracted my attention earlier. I don't know, just struck me as, um, odd." "He's a foster child. I guess you don't need to know all the gruesome details about his real parents, it's the usual bit with drugs and alcohol and abuse. Except last year his old man strangled his mother, then hung himself." You shudder as Macelli goes on. "The first social worker who had him as a case didn't seem to like him. It was mutual. That social worker was badly injured when someone burglarized her place and beat her up." "Then at his first foster home, one of the kids ran out in front of a bus and got run over. A boy Chad had had some real fights with. Another one slipped while playing on the roof and fell, broke both legs." "The next place he went...no one seems to want him for very long. A neighbor flipped out, walked out into the street firing a shotgun, almost got gunned down by the police, but he ran out of ammo so some brave and stupid cop tackled him. He's pleading temporary insanity now. Says he doesn't remember doing it." You're considering the unpleasant possibilities while Macelli says "Nothing can be tied to Chad, he didn't do any of this stuff. But it's really a strange coincidence, all the violence that goes on around him, usually involving people he doesn't like. I can't really say what it means, I don't want to say some of the crazy thoughts I've had....but I don't like it. Now you and Fennody, and what a coincidence, Chad doesn't like either of you." <><><><><> "That certainly does sound...suspicious," Nancy says thoughtfully. "Maybe you're not as crazy as you think, Detective. I mean..with all of these weird things happening in the news...that Cyclone person showing up in France...that weird fireball thing that's shown up in Chicago...who's to say that maybe Chad isn't...one of those types too. Except he can make people do things against their will." "The question is...what could you do about someone like that? I mean, what crime could you charge him with?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Macelli looks at you, startled. "So you don't think it's a crazy idea?" he almost whispers. Then in a more firm voice, "I don't know. There's no crime against mind-control...how can you outlaw something that supposedly doesn't exist? Even if people believed in it, how could we prove it? And just supposing a judge took it seriously enough not to laugh the prosecutor out of the courtroom, assuming the prosecutor takes ME seriously enough not to have me sent in for psych evaluation...suppose somehow this kid is sentenced....what's to keep him from walking away? If he can mind control people... Jeez, would you listen to me? This is crazy, it can't be real! What kind of sick 10 year old would pull crap like that anyways?" Macelli brings you home, saying "Look, don't...start repeating this to anyone, OK? I'm still doing some more investigating, maybe I can dig up something that makes more sense." He doesn't look like he believes that. "And if this craziness is real...that kid could be real dangerous." Walking inside, you think about that. IF this craziness is real, there's no "could be" about it. Jack Fennody is in the hospital with a fractured skull and a shattered reputation, still facing felony charges. You could have wound up worse. Bonnie and Jeremy go to your school. Bonnie is in fourth grade also; she's not in Chad's class, but the two fourth-grade classes mingle frequently. Bonnie would see Chad every day, probably be near him in the auditorium, on the playground, in art class....if someone is capable of controlling the mind of an adult, how easy would it be to control a child? Mike is waiting inside. He's reading the newspaper, and shows you the newspaper story about the fireball in Chicago. "What do you think about this? Chicago's only an hour and a half away!" Then he sees the look on your face and drops the paper. "What's wrong Honey?" he says, moving quickly to your side. Jeremy and Stephanie appear in the doorway from the living room where they were playing. <><><><><> "No, I don't think it's crazy," she says firmly. "But isn't there some kind of law against forcing people to do something against their will? I know that an agreement isn't valid if one of the people is forced into it...." Her tone doesn't sound very hopeful either. "I'll agree, though, that it'll be difficult to do anything about him. I mean, you don't want to have to hurt the boy, but what if he can just tell an officer arresting him to kill himself?" She shudders again. She looks at him when he asks about the "sick 10 year old" comment. "I've gone to a couple of seminars on treatment of abused children," she says quietly. "A lot of rage can build up in a small child like that. And if he doesn't think his life is worth anything, why should he value anyone else's? We're probably lucky, if he can do what we think he can do, that he's only used it to get even with people who he feels threatened by. If he ever came around to the idea that he could get other kinds of gratification by telling people what to do...." She lets the unpleasant thought hang in the air. "Don't worry," she says softly. "I want to talk to Mike about it...but that will probably be it." As she walks up to the house, she tries to slam the lid on her wildly running thoughts with little success. The notion occurs to her that he already HAS controlled other children...the incident with the boy running out in front of a bus is a very good indication that he's already figured that out. The thought of Bonnie being somehow forced to cater to the whims of such an abused mind makes her blood run cold. She wants desperately to be comforted...but doesn't want the children to see how disturbed she is. "I'd rather not talk about it now," she whispers in his ear as she hugs him. "Later." She pulls away and forces a smile on her face. "What does everyone want for dinner tonight? Did you already start making something?" She heads for the kitchen, hoping that the routine kitchen chores will help her regain her equilibrium. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Mike has started dinner, but you complete it, trying not to think too much about all the implications you have heard today. Mike is concerned as he watches you at dinner, while the children chatter about their day at school. Except Bonnie....she is quiet, subdued, and the more you watch her, the more you think you see a haunted look in her eyes. All your parental alarm bells start screaming, and you curse yourself for not noticing something was wrong before, although you're not sure there was something to notice before. Mike notices the focus of your attention, and looks at Bonnie too. A slight frown crosses his face, as a dim inkling that something is wrong with her seems to be pushing its way into his awareness, but not surprisingly, your empathy tends to be more acute than his. Bonnie eats with her normal appetite, but she doesn't speak as much as she usually does, and she seems distracted. <><><><><> Dinner goes well enough, despite the pensive moods of two of the Hartwick women. Nancy efficiently cleans the table and sets the dishes to soaking...and then goes looking for Bonnie. [Note that if Mike wants to know what's bothering her, she'll put him off, saying that Bonnie is having a problem too...and that they can discuss her's tonight after the kids go to bed.] She finally finds the child in her room, sitting quietly. Nancy taps on the doorframe. "Hi honey," she says softly, coming into the room. "You look like you're thinking about something. Would you like to tell me what it is?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie sits on her bed, chewing her lip. "No...I mean, I'm not thinking about anything." She avoids your eyes. "I heard Mr. Fennody attacked you," she whispers. You sigh, realizing that the story must have already gotten around the school. <><><><><> Nancy comes in and sits next to the young girl. "He did," she replies softly. "But he didn't hurt me...and I'm not angry with him." She reaches out and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I bet something like that must sound pretty scary," she continues. "Do you want to talk about it?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie looks into the distant reaches of her far wall, with its poster of- [geez, I'm so out of touch! Who's the big heart-throb for pre-adolescent girls nowadays? Maybe we should just say it's a poster of Wonder Woman? ] "I'm glad you're not angry with him," she says. She doesn't need to mention the obvious, that she's even more glad you're not hurt. After all, she'd have known by now if you were. She swallows hard and says hesitantly, "I think maybe....maybe he didn't really want to hurt you." <><><><><> [Gosh...what are the kids into? Let me think.... Stephanie is probably just getting off the Barney bandwagon. She'll probably still like him until about first grade when the scorn of older children will rub off. The only four year old I know also liked to play with Barbies and her Aladdin action figures. Jeremy is at the age when he's just starting to learn about rebelliousness, so he probably likes the Simpsons, even if he doesn't get all of the jokes. He also gets comic books, but doesn't have money to get a lot of them, so he probably gets the odd X-Men and Spiderman that catches his eye. He's also seen Beavis and Butthead once at a friend's house...asked Nancy if he could watch it...Nancy saw it...almost threw her TV out the window and immediately called the cable company. He's hiding a copy of the new B&B comic book in his school bag, since he knows that Mom recently went through his room. Pre-teenage girls I'm not sure about. I know that TEENAGE girls like Melrose Place and BH 90210 for some odd reason. In lieu of something I know nothing about, let's say that she likes the new Power Rangers TV show. Yeah, I know, I know. I think it would be a good one, though, since it has some good strong female role models...and a couple of cute boys. But a Wonder Woman poster is good too...though I wouldn't recommend the current series to anyone, especially a child (they're going through a "she must become grim and gritty" phase ). Anyway, those're just a couple of my thoughts.] * * * * * * * * * * Nancy strokes the youngster's hair. "What makes you think he didn't want to hurt me, sweetie? Did you hear something about it at school?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie shakes her head a little too vigorously and says "No...I just don't think Mr. Fennody...would do that." She sniffles, trying to hold back tears. <><><><><> Nancy pulls her little girl close. "There there, dear," she murmurs softly. "It's okay to cry if you want to. I had to cry after it happened too." [Does it seem to Nancy that Bonnie is lying about something? She's getting a couple of conflicting signals.] -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] [Yes, she definitely seems to be holding something back- it's not hard to tell, because Bonnie very rarely lies.] Bonnie starts crying, and says "I don't want you to get hurt! I don't anyone to get hurt! I think we should go to another school!" <><><><><> Nancy comforts her daughter, bringing her in close to cry on her shoulder. "Don't worry, sweetie...nobody's going to get hurt." She waits for the child to regain a bit of her composure and asks, "Bonnie...why do you think anyone else is going to be hurt? Did you hear something about why Mr. Fennody tried to hurt me?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie sniffs and shakes her head. "No," she says weakly. But her eyes are full of fear, and it's too obvious that she's hiding something. <><><><><> "Honey," Nancy replies softly, "it doesn't help anyone if you hide the truth. Remember what we always say...'Never tell a lie, no matter why'." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie bursts into tears again and says "I can't tell! I can't tell! People CAN get hurt, and no one can do anything!" She sobs and covers her face, trembling with fear. <><><><><> "You have to tell, sweetie," says Nancy in a firm but loving voice. "Somebody has to tell sometime. There's no problem so big that it can't be fixed somehow." She pauses for a moment, takes a deep breath as she strokes the young girl's hair, then asks, "Does this have something to do with Chad Reiter?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie stares at you wide-eyed, and starts crying even harder. "No one's s'posed to know, he'll hurt people he'll get me if he hears I told you he'll hurt YOU I think he got Mr. Fennodey an' he can make people DO things it's REAL no one will believe me but he SHOWED us he'll get you an' no one can stop him..." she becomes incoherent, and you have to hold her and try to calm her down as she becomes almost hysterical. Mike leans into the room, distraught, hearing his daughter crying. He looks at you questioningly, obviously wanting to help comfort Bonnie but not sure if this is one of those mother-daughter things where he shouldn't get involved. <><><><><> Nancy nods to Mike as he peeks in, looking for help in calming the little girl down. "Bonnie, listen to me!", she says urgently. "It's going to be all right. Now that we know, we can try to do something about Chad. I won't let him hurt you or anyone else." There's a certain determination in her eye that would probably alarm Mike if he saw it.... Once Bonnie is calmed down, Nancy will immediately go to their room, close the door, and call the police station, asking for Detective Macelli. If he's not there, she'll look up his home number and call him there. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] (original message lost: the police won’t give out his home number, and it’s unlisted, but they agree to call him, and have him call her, which they do.) <><><><><> "Yes, Detective," she answers in a somewhat relieved voice. "I need to talk to you. My daughter Bonnie is in the fourth grade too...not in the same class as Chad, but she does have contact with him. I asked her about him and she became hysterical." She takes a deep breath and continues, "Detective, she says that Chad SHOWED them that he could control people. They're all frightened to death of him. She seems fairly certain that he made Mr. Fennodey attack me." She pauses, waiting for his reaction. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] There is a long pause. Then he says "Well." Pause. "Can I come over and speak to your daughter? I need to know exactly what she thinks Chad can do, and why." He sighs. "I can't just go and arrest him because another ten year-old says he can possess people. And if it's true, arresting him might be....difficult." <><><><><> [Well, Nancy is the expert on children...does she think Bonnie is up to it, assuming she's approached correctly? Does she think that doing it tomorrow might be a little less stressful?] Nancy thinks a moment and says, "Well, if you saw him forcing someone to do something, would that make it a little more 'legal'? If you have to catch him in the act to give you something to arrest him for, I could...see if he would try to control me." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Macelli sighs. "I don't think that's a good idea. What proof would there be that he was controlling you? Your testimony? I doubt I'll see little strings running from his fingertips to your body. I don't know...let's talk to your daughter first." You think you can get Bonnie calm enough to talk about what happened...you've always had a good rapport with her, and you've also indoctrinated the kids pretty well in the "The Policeman is Your Friend" routine. <><><><><> "Well," she answers hesitantly, "I was thinking that you'd be watching...maybe through a camera or one of those two way mirrors or something. If I have a confrontation with Chad, suddenly get a glazed look in my eye, and go looking for a gun; I think you can be certain that this would be out of character for me...and could reasonably assume that Chad was the one responsible. Believe me, I'm not fond of the idea either...but it's the only way I can think of that we could get any sort of real proof of his ability to control people." "All right...I think I can calm Bonnie down enough so she'll talk to you. I've always taught her that it's important to cooperate with the police, so that should help. Why don't you come to the house in an hour or so [just a benchmark, Nancy will give what she thinks is a reasonable amount of time] and you can talk to her then." Once she's finished on the phone with Detective Macelli, she'll go and find Mike, take him aside, and give him a brief run down on the situation...including the fact that she wants Macelli to speak to Bonnie. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Macelli arrives, and after being introduce around to the family, you go with him and Mike and Bonnie to the family room. (Mike will keep an eye on the other two kids, but isn't about to be kept from hearing what's going on.) Macelli leans forward and tries to adopt a friendly demeanor when speaking to Bonnie, but you can tell he's not used to working with kids, and succeeds mostly in sounding patronizing. You help him out as much as possible, prompting Bonnie and holding her hand the entire time, and trying to rephrase Macelli's questions when he becomes (unintentionally) too abrupt...he's a cop, used to grilling suspects, not extracting information from a frightened child. He begins by telling her that he's been investigating a juvenile who has been in some trouble before, and who he thinks is committing criminal acts now, someone who goes to her school....Chad Reiter. Bonnie's eyes widen in fear again at that name. Macelli asks her, "Are the kids at your school afraid of Chad?" Bonnie nods. "Because he might hurt you?" She hesitates, and nods again. "Are you afraid he could hurt other people too?" "He can," Bonnie whispers, looking down. "He can hurt anyone..." "How?" Macelli asks, gently. "How can he hurt people?" Bonnie looks at him, and at you, but can't or won't answer. "Does he...can he make people do things they don't want to do?" "He did!" Bonnie bursts into tears. "He made Mr. Fennody try to hurt my mom! He told all of us, he was gonna get Mr. Fennody 'cause he called his foster parents and got him in trouble for not doing his homework, an' he said we'd all see what happened to Mr. Fennody and that's what would happen to anyone who made him mad..." Bonnie clutches you and her words become choked up, as Macelli, compassion obviously warring with frustration, says "HOW did he make Mr. Fennody try to hurt your mom? Why do you think Chad's responsible, just because he said so?" <><><><><> Nancy lets Bonnie cling to her, signalling the detective to be patient with her. After a few moments, she asks, "Bonnie, I know this is scary, but we have to know. Did you see Chad make anyone do things that they didn't want to do or did he just tell you that he could do that?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] "He CAN!" Bonnie says. "He made Alex eat dirt, and Jennifer ran out in the street in front of a bus and almost got run over except he let her run back just in time, and he made all of us march around in a circle on the playground!" She shudders and says "I could....he was like....I could FEEL him inside my head, he was laughing and I couldn't STOP him and I was walking except I wasn't moving my legs, HE was..." She looks at Macelli. "You can't stop him, Detective Macelli, 'cause now we know he can control grown-ups too!" She looks at you fearfully. "Please don't go back to school, Mommy, he might try to hurt you again....he could make YOU jump off the roof, that's what he said he'd do to anyone who made him mad! He said he's done it before!" <><><><><> "I know, dear, I know," Nancy says, comforting the small girl. "But if we don't do something to help Chad now, he'll just keep pushing people around any time he likes. He's got to learn that he's responsible for what he does, even if he can do things that aren't normal." She waits to see if the detective has anything to add, but it's obvious that she thinks nothing more needs to be said. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] "HELP him?" Macelli asks. He sighs. "Why don't us grown-ups have a talk?" he says. Mike takes Bonnie to her room, and tucks her into bed, comes back and said he promised you'd be in shortly. "Look," Macelli starts. "I know he's an abused kid and I know if anyone's responsible for creating this little sociopath, it's the adults who abused him. But I'm not interested in 'helping' him, I'm interested in figuring out how to STOP him. I suppose we're lucky, in a way....he's obviously flaunted these....powers, with his peers. If he were older, he'd probably have the sense to keep them hidden." "I'm not sure what to do about him. We don't know the extent of his power, how many people he can control at once, what's his range, if he has to see you to control you or not. And your daughter apparently remembered being controlled, but Jack Fennody says he didn't." "I'm thinking the only way we can do anything is if I can somehow convince some more people that this is for real, and I'm not crazy. That won't be easy. Especially doing it in such a way that he can't escape, or hurt someone." "As much as I hate to say this, though, I think it would be best if you DO go to school, Mrs. Hartwick. You're the only person who knows what he can do, and what to watch for...if you suspect for a minute that he's going to hurt someone, I want you to call me, immediately." Macelli rises to go. "I'm going to talk to some of my friends, see if I can start...maybe getting the idea into their heads, gradually, try to prepare them for what I want to demonstrate. Without letting them know beforehand, of course." He sighs. "I hate the idea, but it would almost be simpler, and probably better, to just shoot the little monster." <><><><><> "I know," Nancy says with a sigh. "But I guess I'm just one of those 'bleeding heart liberals'. "I deal with children who have problems all day long...I guess I tend to think of abused children in that light." "The only reason he showed them what he could do is so they'd 'respect' him," she replies. "And a display like that would only work if they couldn't remember it. I think he can probably choose whether or not they know what he did. That's why the man with the shotgun and Mr. Fennody have no idea of what they did. Chad must have caught him alone after the conferences that night." She sighs. "I wish Bonnie had said she remembered there being some kind of colored lights or something when he did this...it'd at least provide some kind of evidence that he was doing something that wasn't normal. As it is, there's only the effect of his control that's noticable." For a moment, she sits silently, then says in a thoughtful voice, "It is possible that I could goad him into giving me a 'demonstration'. If I approach him right, I could set myself up so he would think that he could intimidate me like he did the children. And if you actually saw it...maybe even had it on tape...that would probably make people more inclined to believe what you have to say." "I'll have to give Princpal Wilson a call," she answers. "It's his decision whether I'd work tomorrow or not. But I'm certainly willing to go back...if only to make sure Chad doesn't hurt anyone else." She nods. "I'll admit the idea has crossed my mind. It frightens me that you'd have to kill a young boy like that. But I...errr...we can't let him hurt anyone else." She'll show the detective out and then head up to Bonnie's room. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Macelli says "It'll take more than your word for it....I don't think people will jump to the conclusion that I'm crazy, but it will still take something more, I don't know, dramatic, to convince them. If I could get him to control another cop...making sure he doesn't have his piece, of course. Look, just try not to get Chad riled, and I'll be in touch." After he leaves, you go upstairs, where Bonnie is sitting up in bed, with her blanket wrapped around her. She looks at you with a mixture of dread and hope. <><><><><> It's obvious that the strain of the day is beginning to tell on Nancy, even though she's trying to keep her cool. "If you or somebody else is watching when he controls me, then it's not 'just' my word, is it?", she asks in an exasperated voice. "I don't want some big media circus around this...the children are already upset enough as it is. When YOU figure out what we have to do, why don't you give me a call?" After he leaves, she'll take a moment to calm down. Nancy moves over to Bonnie and sits on the bed next to her. "You were very brave," she says softly, giving the youngster a hug. "You were a good girl to tell Detective Macelli about Chad and what he did. I'm very proud of you." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Macelli looks like he's going to say more, then just sighs. "Yes Ma'am. I'll talk to you tomorrow." He leaves briskly. When he's gone, Mike erupts. "Are you crazy?!" he demands. "Offering to let that little monster control your mind? How do you know you wouldn't be permanently under his control once he does that? What if he can just....erase ALL your memories? You have no idea what he can do. You are absolutely NOT going to be bait for this kid. The police...Macelli at least...can figure something else out. My God, Nancy, what if Chad finds out about your....powers? What kind of havoc could he cause, and you being blamed for it?" [After your response to Mike- upstairs, with Bonnie:] "Did he really believe me?" Bonnie asks tremulously. "Can the police really arrest him now?" <><><><><> "Keep your voice down!", Nancy hisses. After a moment, in a somewhat calmer tone, she continues, "Yes, I know that offering myself to Chad isn't very bright. Yes, I realize there are dangers involved. But someone's got to do something, Mike! I mean, I've been chosen for some reason to have these powers...and that means that I have to be worthy of them...that I've got to try to be an example of the good people can do. And if that means that I have to risk myself to try to stop someone like Chad, then I'll do it." She pauses for a moment, then says softly, "I can't let him go on like this, Mike. I just...can't. I wouldn't want to live knowing that I could have done something to keep him from abusing another child...possibly killing another adult...when I could have done something to stop him. The thing that frightens me is...how far might I have to go to stop him?" * * * * * "Yes, he believed you," she answers. "But they can't arrest him...not yet. But until they do, it's important for you not to let him know that you talked to Detective Macelli. Don't act any differently around him than you were before. You know I won't let him hurt you, no matter what." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] "I'm scared of him, Mommy" she says. You don't know what else you can say to that...you're scared of him too. The Principal, Mr. Grove, agrees to let you return the next day. "We can't make too much of a commotion over this," he sighs. "I still just can't believe that Jack....well." He sighs again mournfully. "It will be hard to replace him." You pay close attention to Chad. He's an average-sized boy with straight brown hair and brown eyes, and a perpetual sullen glare. There's no doubt, all the other kids are afraid of him. He walks right to the front of any line, he gets any equipment he wants, sits where he wants, and generally struts around like a little emperor. The worst thing is, you see that he has several friends, a couple of other fourth graders and one sixth grader, who hang around with him, and they also lord it over the other kids, obviously riding his coattails to obtain dominance for themselves. A gang of bullies terrorizing the entire school....it makes your blood boil. The substitute teacher who's filling in for Mr. Fennody even seems intimidated by Chad...you don't know if he's actually used his power on her (doubtful, she'd probably flip out and do something, adults aren't as easy to scare into silence), but she obviously senses something about him that makes her nervous. And at one point, you spot Chad looking at you. A cold, sullen stare. Then the corners of his mouth twitch, when he sees you looking back, and for a moment he gives you a mocking, insolent smile, before turning away. This afternoon, from Nancy's perspective, the news about Deathstorm's attack in Tel Aviv breaks. <><><><><> "I know, Mr. Grove," Nancy replies. She doesn't add that she hopes that things will eventually work out so he will be able to come back. She'd hate to be the blotch that ends his career forever.... What almost makes her angrier than Chad's bullying is the fact that it took her so long to notice his little empire on the rise. True, he probably only revealed his abilities to the children a short time ago...but Rome was not built in a day. This has probably been building for a while. When he smiles at her, Nancy's expression remains dead even. She refuses to show him the fear. When she gets home from school, she'll call the police station and ask to talk to Detective Macelli. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Before you call Macelli, Mike speaks to you, and tells you that he got in touch with an old friend who's now a physics professor at the University of Chicago. "His specialty is the physics of force," Mike tells you. "Studying the fundamental forces that hold the universe together...nuclear, gravitic, etc." [Actually, I need to go find an old science article I read...it made reference to five forces, from weakest to strongest, of which gravity is one. I'll try and find it and throw in some more genuine-sounding scientific jargon in the future. ] "I talked to him a little bit about gravity. There isn't a whole lot of gravity-related research being done, outside of the space program, but he recommended some books and papers that I'll look up. And we could go to Chicago and talk to him...." Mike pauses, "if we wanted to let him in on your secret. After that terrible stuff that's happening in Israel, I think he might not assume we're crazy. And he's not working for the government, so if anything, his ulterior motive will be publishing a paper on you." Mike grins. "'The Gravitic Effects of an Illinois Schoolteacher'. Doesn't exactly sound like Nobel prize material, does it?" Detective Macelli, when you get him on the phone, greets you politely and says "I've been talking to some of my friends on the force. That bloodbath in Israel, and some other stuff that's been happening recently, is opening up a few minds to the possibility of...unusual things. I think I can set it up to give a demonstration of what Chad can do...if the little punk will 'cooperate'. Problem is, which I didn't want to spend any more time trying to explain to you last night, since you were so upset, let's suppose I convince a D.A. that Chad can control peoples' minds. That won't get a conviction for any of what he's done in the past. Trust me on this, Mrs. Hartwick, nowadays we can catch someone WITH a smoking gun standing over the corpse, and sometimes STILL can't get a conviction." You hear a cop's bitterness showing through. "Even if we demonstrate a high probability that Chad did kill those people, and force Fennody to attack you, there's virtually no way it can be proven legally. Especially against a minor. Even assuming a court recognizes the possibility of mind control, there'd have to be tangible evidence that Chad mind- controlled the people in question...and I doubt there's any such thing as 'tangible evidence' of mind control. The best we can hope for is maybe convincing the D.A. not to prosecute Fennody, and that's a long shot. As for Chad...." he sighs. "I don't know. Unless he'd conveniently control someone's mind, make them commit a crime, and do it all while credible witnesses are watching...our system just isn't set up to deal with this kind of thing." <><><><><> [Well, according to my American Academic Encyclopedia (on CD-ROM ), there are 4 "fundamental interactions": gravitic, electromagnetic, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. I remember hearing rumors that someone had discovered a fifth, but I couldn't find any reference to it.] Nancy thinks for a bit. "Well, do you think we can trust him with a secret this big? I mean, I really *would* like to get into a lab where we can find out what kind of limits I have...but I really don't want to become the center of some kind of a circus. I suppose it would be fair if he published about me as long as I was 'Madame X' or something like that." She laughs at his mention of the Nobel Prize but does seem very interested in actually making some headway about finding out more about her powers. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," she says in a chagrined voice. "I was under a lot of stress, with Bonnie being so afraid and all...but that's no excuse for my being rude to you. Your job is difficult enough without me making it worse. I'm sorry if I was a little overwrought by it all." The remark about Fennody puzzles her. "I thought that the District Attorney needed my testimony to prosecute Jack. If I refuse to testify against him, doesn't that mean he has no case?" There's a moment of silence, then Nancy says, "Well, you're the professional here. I'm willing to co-operate IF you can come up with some kind of a plan that you think will work. I didn't mean to tell you how to do your job...I was just trying to think of SOMETHING we could do. Let me know how I can help you and I will." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Mike says "I knew him when we were both in college, and I've kind of kept in touch over the years. I think you met him briefly the last time we went to Chicago for the teacher's conference, in July...remember? You were at that child abuse seminar while I did some shopping, then I was having lunch with him when you met me in our hotel. Kind of portly, going bald...his name's Arnie Blackburn. I...think we could trust him. We'll have to trust someone, eventually." Macelli tells you, "Technically the D.A. could still prosecute Fennody even without your testimony, although it would be difficult. Yeah, he'd probably drop it if you refuse to cooperate. But that alone won't salvage his name and his career, will it?" "I'm still working on something for the kid. Hell. I don't really know. I'll call again soon." <><><><><> Nancy thinks for a moment. "Arnie....oh yes, I remember." She sighs deeply. "Well, he's your friend. If you think he's trustworthy, then I'm willing to go along with it." There's an uncomfortable pause. "No, it wouldn't help him get his job back or save his reputation. There's only so much I can do, Detective. That's why I'm so eager to help with Chad. I feel I owe him something for all of this." "All right...when you do think of something, and if I can help, just let me know." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Mike suggests, "Before we get Arnie's, umm, scientific viewpoint....maybe we can test your abilities a little more on our own. We could go somewhere where we'll be alone, leave the kids with the sitter and go on a picnic up in the hills." The next day, you're at school again, giving a lesson to your class. Bonnie suddenly runs into the room and grabs your wrist. "Mom!" she pleads, looking terrified. Your class snickers. Normally, you'd be very angry with her, since she knows better than to interrupt you while you're teaching, unless it's an emergency. But you have a nasty feeling this is. You take her out into the hallway. "Billy Lacota tried to get Chad!" Bonnie gasps. Billy is a sixth-grader, a large boy who used to rule the roost on the playground. Some of the classes, including Bonnie's, are on recess right now, while your class is in session. "He tried to sneak up on him and whack him with a board, but Larry and Daniel" [two of Chad's little "lieutenants" that you noticed before] "stopped him and now I think they're gonna kill him or something they took him way over to the edge of the playground where there's that hole in the fence to the woods that...uh...that none of the teachers know about." She finishes abashedly. <><><><><> "You know," she says in a teasing but seductive voice, "the last time we went out on a picnic like that was when we had Stephanie." She pauses and then winks at him. "Sounds good to me." A cold chill runs down Nancy's spine as Bonnie relates her story. She takes the child's hand and goes over to the teacher on hall duty. "Cecille, there's an emergency out on the playground. Go in and watch my class for me, will you?" When the other teacher leaves, Nancy kneels down and looks Bonnie in the eye. "I want you to do something for me," she says in a serious voice. "It's very important. Go to Mrs. Ferguson (the school's secretary) and have her call the police. Tell them you want to talk to Detective Macelli. When you talk to him, tell him who you are and that I want him to come here right now. Tell him Chad is hurting someone if he asks." Once she's sure Bonnie has the sequence down, Nancy hurries out to the playground to find Chad and the other boys. She prays that she's not too late. [Oh, one other thing. Nancy will also quickly stop and tell the teacher who is supposed to be watching the playground that Macelli is coming and to tell him where to go.] -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Bonnie nods, and runs to the office as you hurry onto the playground. After telling the startled monitor to keep an eye out for Detective Macelli, you head for the back fence, that separates the school grounds from a thin woods beyond. There are several kids clustered around one spot, but they scatter as you approach. As Bonnie reported, there is a hole where the chain link fence can be pushed aside, easily large enough for a child to fit through, and with some difficulty, you can do the same. One little girl runs up to you and says "Don't go, Mrs. Hartwick! You'll...you'll get hurt!" She starts crying. You have to assure her you'll be all right (something you're not entirely sure of, in fact), before continuing into the woods. You hear voices not far ahead, and coming through the trees, you see four boys standing around a clearing. Chad, Larry and Daniel standing in a circle around a frightened and angry looking Billy Lacota. Billy is holding a 2x4 piece of hardwood, and his face is bruised and battered, and blood is running from his scalp. "Come on, you wanna get me, come'n get me!" Chad laughs, mockingly. Billy breathes hard, standing in a "fight-or-flight" stance, holding the board ready. He suddenly spins and lunges for Larry, but as he raises the board, his body jerks....and he swings it backwards, cracking himself over the head with it. The three other boys laugh as he staggers and falls to his knees. He springs to his feet and runs. He gets almost to the edge of the clearing when he suddenly thrusts his arms and legs straight out and holds them erect like a scarecrow as he crashes into the ground. The other boys laugh again. <><><><><> [One thing I'd like to know before I go on...Nancy should know how far it is from the police station to the school. Does she think that Detective Macelli should be there fairly quickly (ie within a minute or two) or will it be longer than that? She wouldn't want to delay much more than that, because eventually Chad is going to tire of playing with Billy.] <><><><><> [GM] [The police station isn't too far away, but it will take more than a minute or two. Even if Macelli drops the phone, sprints for his car, and floors it all the way onto the playground, it would take him at least five minutes.] <><><><><> [I was afraid that was the case. It didn't hurt to ask, though.] Bonnie steps into the small clearing. "That's enough!", she says sharply. "Chad, I think Billy's learned his lesson. You don't need to hurt him any more." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Billy looks up at you, terrified and pleading, blood streaking his face. Chad's two thugs look nervous, having the natural reaction to the sudden arrival of an authority figure. Chad, though, just glares at you. He shifts his stance slightly, betraying the fact that he's not completely immune to years of viewing adults as omnipotent. But he's entirely too confident, for a 10 year-old facing a teacher. "What if *I* don't think he's had enough?" he says. <><><><><> Nancy looks at Chad, not showing any fear. She moves over to Billy, helps him up, takes a kleenex out of her pocket, and starts wiping his face. "Chad, did you like it when other people beat you up?", she asks in a conversational tone which sounds almost surreal in the current situation. "I mean, did you like it when other people hurt you?" She doesn't wait for his answer. "You probably didn't. Nobody likes to be hurt. I know that you're angry, but that doesn't give you the right to punish them. Let me take Billy with me. If he tried to hit you with that board, then Mr. Wilson will punish him. That's his job. Not yours." Nancy looks around the clearing for something she can topple with her gravity powers. Perhaps the rotten branch of a nearby tree...she wants something she might be able to use as a diversion if Chad decides to act. -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Chad looks at you warily...and angrily. But nothing happens, yet. "Yeah, let Mr. Wilson punish him," he mutters. You start to turn away, with Billie, and Chad says "Bad things happen to people who piss me off, Mrs. Hartwick. Tell that to Bonnie too." <><><><><> Nancy stops. She looks down at Billy, handing him the kleenex. "Go and see the nurse...have her take care of those cuts," she orders him. "I need to talk to Chad for a moment." As the beaten boy runs off, Nancy turns back to the other three. "I know the kind of 'bad things' that happen, Chad," she says in an even voice. "But I want to remind you of something. Before you became...different, there were lots of people around you who were bigger and stronger than you. They used that to hurt you...and that wasn't right. And now things are changed...you're the stronger one now. But what you're doing...it's still not right. You're hurting people who weren't responsible for what happened to you. You have to see how wrong that is." She pauses a moment. "Let me ask you...do you think it's fair for bigger people to beat up on smaller people?" -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Chad's friends shuffle and look at each other uneasily. Chad still wears a malevolent glower, but it's tinged with uncertainty. "What's 'fair' got to do with it?" he snaps. "Everyone does it, big kids pick on little kids, grown-ups pick on kids. No one cared if anyone was beating me up before. Not you, not Mr. Wilson, not these two-" he gestures at his erstwhile friends, who look more nervous. "Now *I* can pick on people, and suddenly you're all concerned with 'right' an' 'fair' and how suddenly *I* should be nice an' sweet. You only care 'cause you and YOUR kids could be the ones gettin' picked on now! Mrs. Goody-Goody Hartwick, where were you when I was gettin' beat up on the playground and beat up at home and all you thought about me was I had a dirty mouth? Bitch!" <><><><><> Nancy nods slowly after Chad curses at her. "You're right, Chad. I didn't think much of you before. That was very narrow minded of me and I apologize. If I were perfect, I would have seen you being beaten up and done something about it. But the fact is that I'm only human." "No one person can solve all the world's problems. No one knows all the answers. All we can do is work on our own little corner of the world and try to make it better. Not to ignore your problems, Chad, but I've got kids in my class who have trouble drinking from a cup. I know you have big problems, but when you compare those to something like that, well...sometimes it's hard to see who needs help more." Her voice is soft but urgent. "And you are right about things not being 'fair'. I'm not trying to say you haven't been treated badly. But where does it end, Chad? You keep pushing other people around until some day comes when somebody becomes bigger than you come in, and then he pushes you around...don't you see what a waste of time that is? It doesn't make you a better person...it just means that you're making things worse for the next person down the line." She takes a step towards him and holds out her hand. "If you want me to, Chad, I'll try to make up for the way I treated you before. I'll do what I can to make your life better. I'm not making any promises...but it's a better chance than you've got on your own." -Nancy- <><><><><> [GM] Chad glowers at you. You can see doubt and fear and hope warring in him. Maybe a little guilt. But a LOT of anger. You think Macelli may have been overstating the case, to call him a sociopath...he doesn't seem irredeemable to you. On the other hand, if Macelli is right, he HAS killed people. He also seems sharper than you'd expect from a fourth grader. Doubt and anger win. "You sound like a social worker," Chad sneers. "I suppose you wanna help every kid who's getting beat up now? Or just the ones who can mind control your daughter?" "Get away from me. Leave me alone. If you tell anyone, and if you ever come near me again....I'll make you sorry." You are suddenly standing back on the playground, facing away from the fence. With no memory of how you got here. You see Detective Macelli running across the playground towards you, with the playground supervisor chasing after him, flustered at the sudden appearance of a strange man on school grounds.