It takes Chiku two days to nail the anesthetizer, and I've never felt more like a Science experiment in my life. The original concoction just didn't work, so she had to alter it for my Frankensteinian arse. This one doesn't taste as nice as the last, even with a stronger dose of orange and mango squash, but it's still suspiciously pleasant.

The Medakis are being pains in the arse over it, though. They won't let me give up on trying to learn to control the ability myself, and live off Chiku's cocktail. Granted, their argument is centred around the fact that prolonged exposure to anesthetizers has been known to cause brain tumours, but hey, no need to get caught up in the details.

Today is the first day Kato and Sefu have deemed appropriate for me to go cold turkey on the anesthetizers. So far, so shit. I'd almost forgotten how deafening the voices were. Today isn't one of the better days. I slept fine, but I just feel tired, like I never should've gotten out of bed this morning. I've been in the house long enough to get used to the blessing daze now, and no longer feel nauseous by simply existing in this place. I still feel like a pile of crap, though. I think the Medakis have been waiting for a day like this, the sadists.

"Stop ignoring us! Let us in!"

"It won't be directly related to him, it probably just feels--"

"Stupid child! What are you waiting for?"

"... a lot more about you, not whoever is around. It will help to have someone--"

"This is cruel! Cruel!"

"You're the evil one, not us! Look at what you're doing to us!"

"... not rely on details like that, so--"

"This isn't working," I blurt, then realise I may have accidentally shouted, given the startled look Kato is giving me. "Sorry, I just--I can't really concentrate, or y'know, hear what you're actually saying."

"Stupid child!"

I'm lying on the sofa, staring at the white textured ceiling in a poor attempt to try and relax myself. Safe to say, it isn't helping. Kato, Sefu and Ava are sitting on the other sofa, and this is my first real attempt at trying to control the banished voices. As fruitless as it's proving to be, I'm glad Ava's at least here for the adventure. She's way less terrifying than her grandfather.

"Stop ignoring us!"

"Is Carmen still here?" Ava asks, which steals my attention away from the ceiling. I turn to her, and she shrugs. "She helped with the telekinesis."

I guess.

"We know you can hear us!"

I wince, then shut my eyes. I appreciate it, but I don't need the Medakis' help. Nothing needs to be figured out. I've controlled the voices before. I know how it works. It's just really damn hard to ignore them when they're endlessly screeching in my ear, and I don't have Connor or Dad here helping me. Besides, even if I do figure this out, what am I supposed to do? I don't want to live the rest of my life constantly aware of needing to distract myself to escape the screaming.

"I've been prescribed as your therapy, apparently."

I snap my eyes open to see Carmen standing above me with her arms folded, her hair falling in waves around her oval face. She has a mischievous look in her eyes, and her lips are curved into a smirk. The Medakis have left the room, and not even Annabel has stayed, so it's just me and Carmen.

"Don't get cocky," I mutter.

"Stupid child!"

"Was that one?" Carmen questions. I give her a blank look. "Just then. You flinched."

I shrug. She knows me well enough to know that means yes.

"What does it sound like?" she asks.

She taps my legs, and I take it as a signal to lift them so she can sit down onto the sofa with me. I don't budge from my lying position, and instead, just dump my legs onto her lap once she's sitting. She doesn't complain.

"What is wrong with you? Help us!"

"Loud," I mumble as I shut my eyes again.

"Are some louder? Is it constant yelling, or is it ever just normal?"

"There's always something, like when you're in a crowded room and there's loads of people talking, but you can't understand much of what they're saying. That's okay, I guess. The screaming comes and goes, unless things are really bad. Then it's just nonsensical screeching twenty-four seven." I sigh. "The screams are pretty on and off at the moment. Every fifteen seconds or so."

"You're useless! This isn't fair!"

"Case A," I mutter through a flinch.

"Keep your eyes closed," Carmen demands as she shuffles around underneath my legs.

I do admittedly feel calmer around her; that's been well established. I don't think even she can help much though, not with this. My eyes are still closed when Carmen takes my hand, and her thumb lightly traces my own.

"We're real! Listen to us!"

I wince, and don't mean to, but clench Carmen's hand. I apologise, but she doesn't say anything. She keeps tracing her thumb across mine in circles. Round and round and round. I think she's trying to relax me. It's kind of working. Round and round and round. Shit, is this working?

It sort of worked. I was able to focus enough to quieten the screams a little, and they became less frequent. Nothing groundbreaking. I've been able to omit them completely in the past. I'm not as desperate in the safety of this house as I was back then, which I suspect plays a part.

Nearly two hours have passed since Carmen worked her magic though, and the voices are still in their more muted state. When I have gotten rid of them completely before, it's rarely lasted longer than half an hour. I kind of feel better too. So much better that I've given Ava permission to cut my hair.

"This is not going to go well," Carmen murmurs.

I lift my eyes to her face via the mirror in front of me, and flash a cheesy grin. Ava stands behind me, her braids pulled into a low ponytail and a pair of small scissors in her right hand. We're huddled into Chiku's downstairs bathroom where I'm sitting in front of the sink, my butt perched on one of the kitchen stools we've brought into here.

"If you hear a banished scream that makes you flinch mid-cut, you're screwed. We're official now. There's shame in it for me if you look like shit."

"Too late for that," I say through a chortle.

"It's groovy, I used to cut my cousin's all the time," Ava reasons.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing your cousin's hair texture is slightly different to Felix's."

Ava shrugs. "Exactly, white boy hair will be easy. Besides," she says as she runs her fingers through my hair. "It's, whoa, sort of curly."

Eh, I'd say more wavy than curly. I guess it's curling more now it's longer though, least on the ends where--

"Let us in! Stupid child!"

"See!" Carmen snaps.

Oh c'mon, I hardly jumped that time. Besides, my head stays perfectly still when I flinch. Sort of. Pretty much. Ava runs her fingers through the back of my hair, and holds a chunk of it in-between two fingers as Carmen squints her eyes, and turns away. Ava cuts. See, it's fine.

A few snips later, I ask Ava something that's been niggling at my mind. "Hey, what's the deal with this spirit talker who could see dead folk before me?"

Ava looks up, and her eyes meet mine via the bathroom mirror. "Most of us assumed it was fiction--a myth, really. It's a story most spirit talking parents tell their kids, to scare them from turning dark."

"So like parents telling their kids about Santa to make them behave, but with more death," I offer.

"Yes," Ava replies. Fair enough. "According to the story, there was this woman--no one knows her name--who was, whoa, crazy admired by the spirit talking community, almost like a messiah or something because she could see spirits outside their open state. Then she totally ruined it."

"How?" Carmen asks.

Ava shrugs. "She turned dark. There are variations in the story of how, but it's generally agreed that she thought she was immune to everything, and that arrogance became her weakness. No matter which version of the story you hear, it always ends up with her losing control over the spirits, and them killing her."

"Shit. Sucks for her," I mutter. "So her being a cocky swine screwed her over in the end?"

"Yes, I guess so. That and the pure extent of her abilities would've made her more susceptible to dark influences."

"What, as in the stronger someone's abilities, the more likely they are to become a baddie?"

Ava pauses. "Yes." Her eyes shift back to my hair as she cuts another strand, and she says, "if you can hear more, see more, do more, there are more temptations."

This is starting to feel like a personal attack. Ava must notice the hurt look on my face, and she laughs.

"I'm sure you're safe, it's groovy," she responds.

I'm legitimately stunned once Ava has finished her artistry because that's what it is: artistry. It looks good. Despite those pesky banished spirits, she's managed to cut my dark hair to an even length. She's even managed to style it in a way that hides the thinner spots by using the healthier strands to cover them. Carmen has been well and truly converted, and she's even asked Ava's to cut hers later. Screw law, Ava should take up hairdressing. There may admittedly be more money in the former.

I scan myself in the mirror. I actually look okay. I genuinely don't look shit anymore. It's a miracle. Having less hair around my face makes it look even thinner, which isn't ideal, but I'll take it. Besides, I'm starting to fill out a bit more now. I even ate a whole meal yesterday.

God, that sounds pathetic.

I concentrate on my reflection again, and a smile breaks onto my lips. I'm starting to look like myself again.

By the time evening rolls around, the voices are tolerable. They've retracted to a state of pained murmuring, just with the occasional screech. Compared to this morning when I had to be dragged out of bed for demon training with the Medakis, I'm itching to get out of this place. I'm practically climbing the walls.

I'm so bored that I spent an entire hour trying to telekinetically lift Annabel the Second from my bed earlier. I sort of managed it in the end--got him to float a tiny bit for a few seconds. That's why when Jamie calls into the house to pick up some shit he left here yesterday, I jump on my chance.

"You heading back to the uni flat after this?" I ask.

We're both in Chiku's kitchen, and while I'm standing--well, jumping from one foot to the other--beside the kitchen table, Jamie sits on one of the chairs with an eerily controlled posture. Annabel's sitting on one of the countertops, and paying way more attention to the forest outside the window than me.

He narrows his eyes. "Why?"

I move--Hell, I slide across the tiled floor towards the kitchen door, then poke my head around the doorway to peek into the living room. Chiku is fast asleep on the sofa while Lucy sits on the floor opposite her, telekinetically flicking the loose sleeve of her dress up and down, up and down. I spin back around and muster up the sweetest smile I possibly can.

"It's your lucky day. Despite your flaws, of which there are many, I've decided to join you."

"No!" Annabel snaps, suddenly having decided to pay attention to us.

"You're not supposed to leave this house," Jamie bites.

I wave my hand in the air. "It's fine, literally just for, like, a few hours. Then one of you can chauffeur me back."

"No," Jamie and Annabel say in unison.

You'd think they'd rehearsed or something.

"Aw c'mon, nothing will be able to catch us, I swear. I promise not to let you get possessed this time. The blessed stone will work its magic, and I'll stick to you like glue."

"Is that meant to be a selling point?"

"C'mon, please, man. This place is driving me crazy." I momentarily stop bouncing, and hold my hands out in front of me. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I was already crazy before."

"No."

Jamie stands, which makes the wooden chair screech across the floor. I whip my head back towards the doorway, but to my relief, Chiku is still fast asleep. It catches Lucy's attention enough to make her manifest into the room.

"What's going on?" she queries.

"Nothing," Annabel snaps.

I plead again for my freedom, but still no luck. Jamie, now with the pile of crap he left here in hand, moves into the hallway in search of his shoes. Honing in on my practice from earlier, as he reaches for his left brogue, I telekinetically shove it aside. It moves about 2 centimetres. He barely registers it as strange. Damn it. I ask him again. Still a no. Ugh, he's going to force me to have to be clever about this.

"Where's your economics book?" I comment as Jamie places his pile of paper onto the stairs.

"I didn't leave one here," he replies, to which I raise my eyebrows. He pauses. "Did I?"

"Well, it's not mine, and I'm pretty sure economics isn't one of Ava's law modules." I nod my head. "Upstairs."

Jamie mumbles a thanks, then starts barreling up the staircase, which is really bloody annoying because he's going to wake Chiku. Thank God Sefu isn't home at the moment. The second he's out of sight, I return to the kitchen as quickly and as quietly as possible, and take one of the bottles containing Chiku's anesthetizers from the fridge. I drink what I figure will be enough to last me the night. Damage control.

"Felix! What are you doing?"

I ignore Annabel, and head back into the hallway. Where would he put it? Hm. I shuffle through the papers Jamie left on the stairs. Nothing. Damn it. He better not have it on his person.

"Felix, seriously?"

"Felix?" Lucy tries this time.

I ignore them both. Jamie's jacket is on the banister, so I try my luck with that. I delve my hands into its pockets, but the one is just full of receipts, which is shady as hell. I'm going to have to interrogate him on that later. Maybe he's partaking in tax avoidance, although he doesn't have a job, so I'm not sure that's poss--

"Fuck!"

I shoot my hand out of Jamie's pocket as a dizzying sensation washes over me. My hand is tingling. Shit, that's it. It must be.

"What is it? Felix, what the hell are you doing?" Annabel demands.

"I think he's..."

Lucy doesn't finish her sentence because before she can, my hand is in the pocket again, and with gritted teeth, I grab exactly what I'm looking for.

"Holy shit," I gasp, only just keeping myself upright.

This is mad. Crazy. I want to laugh, so I do. I burst out laughing, and in my glee, almost open my hand, but force myself to keep it closed around the blessed stone. I can't stop laughing. I'm laughing so much that I have to get out of this house because not only am I going to wake Chiku, but steal Jamie's attention. I stumble to reach the front door, and I can barely stand straight. Hell, I can't stand straight.

"Where did you see it?" Jamie calls from upstairs, and the guy sounds panicked, and it's so dramatic that I burst out laughing again.

I need to get out of here before my sides literally split, I swear to God. I have to lean on the door handle as I close it just to stop myself from falling over once I'm outside. It's hilarious. This whole thing is hilarious. God, why is this so funny?

"Felix! Felix, put it back! Go back inside!"

Nag, nag, nag. Bloody Annabel. I burst out laughing again. Hey, it's kind of warm. Air! Actual fresh air! Annabel is whining, and I have to block it out because otherwise, I'm going to start manically laughing again. I want to run. I just feel like running, y'know? Just got that running feeling.

I resist the urge to sprint down the driveway, and instead, shove the blessed stone into my pocket. Something shifts, and I have to regain my balance. Whew, that was weird. My head doesn't feel as light, and everything is still hilarious, don't get me wrong, but a little less so. Maybe it's a skin thing. The stone isn't touching my skin anymore. Still great, though. Would definitely recommend. Five stars.

I start humming to myself as I skip down the driveway, and goddamnit, fresh air is good. I keep skipping, just skip, skip, skip until I'm out of the street, and I don't know the way, but it's fine. I can figure it out. Easy.

"What the hell are you doing, you absolute imbecile?"

A deep voice crashes into my head, and ha! Have the banished expanded their vocabulary? That's funny. That's hilarious. I'm still skipping--still trying not to run, mind you--but something grabs my arm, and yanks me backwards. Whoa! Something spins me around. Ha, this is fun.

"You lied! I didn't leave my economics book there!"

Ha! Jamie! As if he bought that. What a guy. What an absolute guy. He's kind of tall. Was he always this tall? Even I'm not as lanky as him, and that's after being severely malnourished and chained to a radiator for several weeks. Yikes. He'd come out of that place looking like a sheet of paper. He'd probably fit down a drain. Ha! Sewer Jamie.

"You're tall!" I announce with a grin.

I try to skip away, keep skipping, just keep skipping, but Jamie grabs me again.

"What? What the hell is wrong with you?"

I start laughing. His dull eyes are wide, his lip twitching, and a strand of his perfectly straight hair has fallen onto his forehead. I lift my hand up to his face, grab the strand, and yank it.