Chapter 3: Marie was a good first target.
Before the apocalypse, Violet’s life wasn’t all roses. She had left home at the young age of eighteen; she took various jobs just to take care of herself.
She experienced major hardship this year because she lost her job as a waiter and had been unable to get any other job. As a result, she had defaulted in paying rent.
Violet peeled her eyes away from the door and looked down at her phone. She unlocked it and at once, messages flooded her screen.
There was a lot to pay for.
Her hand turned sweaty and she placed the phone beside her and wiped it on her jeans. She inhaled deeply, trying but failing to steady herself.
Marie wasn’t going to give up tonight. She kept pounding on the door, and with each heavy knock, Violet felt her heart pace quicken.
"You either open this door right this moment or I’ll have to force it open." Marie’s relentless voice floated through the door.
Violet balled her palm, the wheels in her mind spinning. Not having a roof over her head when the apocalypse was just three months away was not something she’d like to imagine.
She knew she couldn’t avoid the woman forever. Slowly, she rose to her feet, biting hard on her lip. Her entire apartment was trembling from the noise, and Violet could hear some neighbours urging her to open her door so Marie could stop interrupting the peace.
Her steps towards the door were slow and unhurried. She schooled her features as she reached for the doorknob, hiding her anxiety under a perfectly tired look.
Her grip on the doorknob grew tighter as the door parted a little; she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
Marie was a woman in her late forties. Her hair was neatly brushed backwards. She held a bag in one hand.
"Good evening, Marie." Violet greeted.
"What took you so long to open the door?" Marie asked, angry lines etched across her forehead as she took Violet in. Violet heard the neighbours’ doors shut, her face heating up. She knew they had all been listening.
Violet placed one hand on her head. "I was trying to sleep, my head has been banging for days now and your—"
"I’m not here to listen to your stories, I came for my rent." Marie cut her short. She wasn’t the least interested in Violet’s health. For all she knew, Violet always had one excuse or another to offer whenever it was time to pay.
She stretched out her hand. "You know why I am here. Go inside and bring my money. You are not the first orphan to rent an apartment." Marie’s words were sharp, her eyes devoid of any warmth.
Violet scratched the tip of her nose, feeling a crack in her practiced composure.
"Well," Marie snapped, "my money."
Violet stared at the palm in front of her. Money? She didn’t even have enough to buy dinner.
Violet suddenly felt a sharp sting in her eyes.
Ding!
At the sound, a familiar blue panel appeared before her, floating in the space between her and Marie. Her eyes widened, her entire facade slipping as she looked between Marie and the blue screen. What would Marie think of her if she saw this?
But Marie’s eyes were firmly locked on Violet, her lips still moving. The panel was right in front of her face, hard to miss, but she didn’t give any sign that she noticed it. That was when Violet realised that the translucent screen was visible to her eyes only.
Target Detected.
Name: Marie Lawson
Current Emotion: Irritated
Deepest Desire: Financial Security
Greatest Fear: Tenants who disappear without paying
Weakness: Mounting debt
Fatal Flaw: Impatience
Resistance: 1/5
Mind Push Available.
Daily Uses Remaining: 2/2
As Violet read this, her breath caught in her throat. It was working, she could see Marie’s information on the screen.
Violet blinked rapidly, the system was not a prank after all. Maybe, just maybe, this was repayment for all the years of suffering she had experienced, and she would be stupid not to grab hold of it.
Her eyes sharpened, a fierce resolve cementing itself in her mind. Marie was a good first target. She would use her to test the ability of the system. Violet felt no guilt at this thought.
Her gaze lingered on one line.
Weakness: Mounting debt.
So even Marie was desperate for money.
Marie’s mounting debt was the reason she had been hounding Violet for money every week.
Just then, another line flashed on the screen.
Suggestion: Mind Push may now be activated.
Violet swallowed.
How? She thought, and an answer appeared immediately on the screen.
Step one: Lock eyes with target.
Step two: Issue a concise command. Commands that strongly oppose the target’s personality are likely to fail.
Violet slowly raised her head, her eyes landing on Marie’s impatient ones. "I have been patient enough with you. Ask around, no other landlord can take what I have endured from you. Today, I have exceeded my limit of patience. You either give me my money, or I throw you out. You pick." Marie said, tapping one foot on the floor.
Violet said nothing. She was too busy trying to establish eye contact.
Seeing that she was quietly staring at her instead of giving her the money, Marie barked, "What are you staring at?"
"Marie," Violet called slowly.
The moment the words left her lips, a strange pressure built behind her eyes and her surroundings seemed to slow.
She noticed that Marie’s movements became sluggish; it felt as though her own mind had accelerated while the rest of the world lagged behind.
Then Marie froze, her eyes dilating.
Violet’s heartbeat doubled each second. This was completely insane, Marie was different.
Violet drew in a breath, slow, steady. She never once broke eye contact.
"Give me one more week."
Violet’s words came out in a wave and landed like a punch on Marie.
Marie blinked, her hand clutching her bag. She nodded, as though her head were being moved by an invisible force. "Fine." Immediately, she agreed, and the moment snapped.
"You have until next weekend." Marie said.
Violet watched as Marie turned around and left without another word.
A blue spark rippled through the panel before it disappeared.
Violet placed one hand on her heart.
The moment the door clicked shut, she pressed her back against it. It worked.
It truly worked.
Ding!
Congratulations, host, your first use of Mind Push was successful.