at the guy, wondering for a moment if he’d really asked her what she wanted or if she had read his thoughts. “Miss, you okay?”
“Oh,” Karen said, shaking her head and feeling silly. “Yes, is the grill still open?”
“Not for dinner, just for the greasy things like fries, mozzarella sticks, pot stickers, and wings.”
“I’ll take an order of fries and wings.”
“You got it,” the man said, and was about to turn away when Karen spoke up.
“You know what,” she said, not wanting to seem like a pig, but starving. “I’ll take two orders of wings and add a mozzarella sticks, too.”
“Expecting company?”
Karen’s face reddened. “No, I just haven’t eaten all day.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just wanted to know if you needed more room at the bar. I’d have made you some. You know, in the event you had friends meeting you here.”
Karen laughed, feeling better. She watched the man as he walked away and heard him say he hoped she doesn’t throw it all up in the ladies’ room. “Excuse me?” she asked loudly. The man turned around to face her.
“You need something else?”
Karen realized that the man hadn’t actually said anything aloud. “Ah, no, thought you said something is all.”
The man continued down the bar and through a set of double doors which she guessed led to the kitchen.
Karen could read thoughts, but it appeared to be selective. She looked around the room, focusing in on individuals. Most people were talking. It was the ones that weren’t that she could read. When people talked, they didn’t think, at least not like they did when being silent.
Karen glanced at a couple sitting near her. They were in deep conversation, appearing as if the noisy bar around them didn’t exist. The woman listened as the man spoke. She thought he was adorable as he professed his love for her. He was drunk, at least she assumed, so she didn’t take his words with certainty but enjoyed the declaration nonetheless.
Karen turned toward a lone man—quite handsome—sitting at the end of the bar. She concentrated on him, prying into his thoughts. He was happy to be alone, listening to the people around him and having a good time. He seemed different from everyone else, and, like Karen, wasn’t from the town. She felt herself drawn to him, enamored by his presence, but unsure why. She sat and listened to his thoughts, before the man turned and looked directly at her.
Karen glanced away. What had she just heard? He was happy to be away from all the death, killings, and evil. Was he a cop? Someone from the military? A soldier on leave?
To Karen, he looked like none of those things. She turned back, wanting to hear more. Concentrating on him again, the man no longer staring at her, she heard that he was here for a short time and happy not to be hunting. And glad that no others like him were around. Others like…
“Miss?” the bartender said, breaking her intrusion.
“Yes?”
“I’m out of wings. Would you like something else?”
“Sure, pot stickers then. Two orders please.” She spoke quickly, wanting to get back to the stranger at the end of the bar. The bartender left and brought back a pint of beer. “It’s local; let me know what you think.”
Karen quickly sipped the brew. “It’s wonderful, thank you.”
The bartender smiled, and Karen, using a quick probe, knew the man was genuinely glad. She hadn’t liked the guy at first, but realized he was a good fellow. His anorexic comment earlier had bothered her, but Karen realized people often thought things they would never say aloud and that she had cheated.
Reading people’s minds gave away sacred and private thoughts. People were entitled to their own feelings without criticism no matter how good or bad they might be. Karen truly had no right to hear them, but she couldn’t help it. It hit her hard then that she might never again meet another human being without being able to judge
“Oh,” Karen said, shaking her head and feeling silly. “Yes, is the grill still open?”
“Not for dinner, just for the greasy things like fries, mozzarella sticks, pot stickers, and wings.”
“I’ll take an order of fries and wings.”
“You got it,” the man said, and was about to turn away when Karen spoke up.
“You know what,” she said, not wanting to seem like a pig, but starving. “I’ll take two orders of wings and add a mozzarella sticks, too.”
“Expecting company?”
Karen’s face reddened. “No, I just haven’t eaten all day.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I just wanted to know if you needed more room at the bar. I’d have made you some. You know, in the event you had friends meeting you here.”
Karen laughed, feeling better. She watched the man as he walked away and heard him say he hoped she doesn’t throw it all up in the ladies’ room. “Excuse me?” she asked loudly. The man turned around to face her.
“You need something else?”
Karen realized that the man hadn’t actually said anything aloud. “Ah, no, thought you said something is all.”
The man continued down the bar and through a set of double doors which she guessed led to the kitchen.
Karen could read thoughts, but it appeared to be selective. She looked around the room, focusing in on individuals. Most people were talking. It was the ones that weren’t that she could read. When people talked, they didn’t think, at least not like they did when being silent.
Karen glanced at a couple sitting near her. They were in deep conversation, appearing as if the noisy bar around them didn’t exist. The woman listened as the man spoke. She thought he was adorable as he professed his love for her. He was drunk, at least she assumed, so she didn’t take his words with certainty but enjoyed the declaration nonetheless.
Karen turned toward a lone man—quite handsome—sitting at the end of the bar. She concentrated on him, prying into his thoughts. He was happy to be alone, listening to the people around him and having a good time. He seemed different from everyone else, and, like Karen, wasn’t from the town. She felt herself drawn to him, enamored by his presence, but unsure why. She sat and listened to his thoughts, before the man turned and looked directly at her.
Karen glanced away. What had she just heard? He was happy to be away from all the death, killings, and evil. Was he a cop? Someone from the military? A soldier on leave?
To Karen, he looked like none of those things. She turned back, wanting to hear more. Concentrating on him again, the man no longer staring at her, she heard that he was here for a short time and happy not to be hunting. And glad that no others like him were around. Others like…
“Miss?” the bartender said, breaking her intrusion.
“Yes?”
“I’m out of wings. Would you like something else?”
“Sure, pot stickers then. Two orders please.” She spoke quickly, wanting to get back to the stranger at the end of the bar. The bartender left and brought back a pint of beer. “It’s local; let me know what you think.”
Karen quickly sipped the brew. “It’s wonderful, thank you.”
The bartender smiled, and Karen, using a quick probe, knew the man was genuinely glad. She hadn’t liked the guy at first, but realized he was a good fellow. His anorexic comment earlier had bothered her, but Karen realized people often thought things they would never say aloud and that she had cheated.
Reading people’s minds gave away sacred and private thoughts. People were entitled to their own feelings without criticism no matter how good or bad they might be. Karen truly had no right to hear them, but she couldn’t help it. It hit her hard then that she might never again meet another human being without being able to judge
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