The Poisonous Touch - Part 1 - Magic & Mushrooms

I will it to happen and it does.

That sentence crept it's way into the mind of the small toadstool frei many times over the course of that week. "All I have to do is will it to happen." Ryder stated, floating about his room as if to pace back and forth while thinking.

Ryder was quite the studious little frei, but for whatever reason, he didn't truly understand his powers, nor how to control them. He recognized that magic was innately inside of him. That he was basically created of magic and imagination. That he was actually quite powerful, even Ethiriel had said so. It was just a matter of learning to control these powers and actually go figure out what all his magic was capable of.

The logical first step was to figure out what exactly it was that caused those he touched to react in such a way. The conversation Reuben had with him on their way home from the bookstore that day played out in his mind.

"So Ethiriel told me what happened. And I think her theory is correct," Reuben stated, hands on the wheel of his Prius and eyes strictly on the road.

"What theory is that?" Ryder questioned, almost ashamed, as he had a feeling he knew what Reuben was about to discuss.

"About what happens when people touch you. Like Aunt Cali, and when Ethiriel touched you. It has to do with your essence and your soul. You're a powerful kid, and I didn't even realize," Reuben's tone lightened, a proud smile grew on his face.

Ryder became rather annoyed, he just wanted the answer to his original question. He glared over at Reuben and waited patiently for him to continue.

"As you're already aware, your soul is a hallucinogenic mushroom, a toadstool. The agaric mushroom to be exact. And your essence is Visible Imagination. Those two things combined can send people into a very vivid hallucination by touching your skin. It's like your skin is poisonous to the touch. Maybe whatever oils your skin contains can seep into other's skin and cause them to start to feel these strange sensations that both Calista and Ethiriel experienced."

Ryder sat in silence. His skin was the problem? Ethiriel had stated that his magic was potent for his age, but that was all she had suggested to him. Why hadn't she told him her theory?

The frei looked out the window, contemplating what to do next. That was, until his guardian spoke again.

"Ethiriel told me she thinks this ability may never be able to be turned off, but the potency of it may be able to be turned down. Why don't you see if you can try and work on that, hmm?"

The rest of the car ride was basically silent. Soft music played in the background as Ryder stared out the window, thinking.

How was he supposed to turn down or turn off a power he barely understood? His skin was his skin, he couldn't help that. The only thing he could think of was to will it to happen.

The frei glared at his soft, pale hands and turned it over to view the many freckles that adorned the backs of his hands and speckled their way up under the ruffles of his sleeve. He closed his hands to create fists and then relaxed, flipping them back over palm up.

With a heavy sigh, he just looked up and continued to pace back and forth across the bedroom.

"I will it...and it happens," he stated aloud. "You have to believe in something enough to make it work. That's what magic is...a fair amount of imagination, belief, and will."

With that said aloud, he closed his eyes and continued to repeat it over and over in his mind. He didn't feel any different, and after a few moments he realized that just telling himself that he believed his skin was no longer hallucinogenic wouldn't be enough. He had to test the theory.

"Reuben, can you come here?" Ryder called through a small crack in his door.

Reuben came in a few moments later with a concerned face. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Here," the frei stated, holding out his hands.

"Ryder, what're you doing?"

"Just hold my hands, please."

Reuben's brow raised as Ryder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The toadstool began to think the thought that his skin was no longer hallucinogenic over and over again.

Reuben nervously took a deep breath and slowly clasped his hands onto Ryder's hands.

Ryder tightened his grip on Reuben's hands and scrunched his face as Reuben began to feel more and more uneasy. Finally, Reuben ripped his hands away. "Okay, that's enough!" he exclaimed.

As Reuben backed up, his hands began to shake and his skin fell pale. Nausea overcame him and he began to sweat instantaneously. "I...need to sit down," he said, wobbling over to Ryder's bed.

Ryder felt sick to his non-existent stomach as well, more out of nerves of what he had just done to his guardian. "I-I'm so sorry! I won't ever touch you again!" he exclaimed in nervous sadness, his own hands quaking at the thought of what he had done. He quickly floated out of the room in embarrassment as Reuben laid down on his bed feeling faint and sick.

Reuben knew what he needed to do was sleep off these effects, while Ryder didn't know what to do whatsoever. Ryder paced the hallway outside of his room while Reuben laid down in the fetal position on his bed. "What have I done?" Ryder huffed under his breath. "It was supposed to work. Willing it to happen...that's what Ethiriel said. She just wills something to happen and it works. Why didn't it work for me?"

Your magic is quite strong already if you are able to give me hallucinations just by contact.

Ethiriel's words danced inside of his head. His powers were strong...potent...

But he wasn't able to control them. Not by will alone, anyway. What could he do? He only held onto Reuben's hands for a mere ten seconds at best, and it sent him into a state of nausea and instant sickness. There had to be another way. There just had to be.