Thrown Out

Max gently probed the minds around him. Not in a weird way, just to find something. Something had been coming in every night. It had knocked out some guards. Almost every night, for the past week. And the guards' minds were badly erased.

Max felt the moon glow of Molly's mind. It was a soft pulse, but it was brighter than the minds of the guards around him. ''Max? ''Molly's mind said. Is that you?

I thought you were asleep, Max mused.

I am, Molly replied. ''But I can feel your mind looking around. You interrupted my dream, by the way.''

Sorry, Max rolled his eyes. But I need to find the guy who's been sneaking in.

Yeah, well- Molly's mind suddenly went dark. The glow collapsed into darkness.

''Molly? ''Max yelled in his head. ''MOLLY?!?! ''But the darkness expanded, causing the guards' minds to go dark as well. Max found a guard in the hallway that hadn't quite reached the darkness yet. He latched on to the guard's mind, hanging on with all his might. Soon it became quite hard to hold on. The guard's mind was being siphoned away by the darkness, out of Max's grasp. And then it disappeared. The only thing left was the oblivion just outside his door. Max went into its mind, expecting to find dark thoughts. But there was only darkness. It was an enveloping darkness, one that skewed off Max's connection with everything else. But Max probed harder trying to reach the innermost areas. And then: one thought.

'Who's there?!?! 'Came the thought, loud and sharp. 'WHO'S THERE?!?! And then, one, small, infinitesimal last thought: Max. '

The darkness disappeared, and the glow of the minds around him returned.

'' Max? ''Molly thought. Where are you?

Right here, Max replied.

''What happened? ''Molly asked. ''Something was here. I felt it. ''

''I know. It returned. ''

''I couldn't read anything in there. ''