In Control

Stephanie sat in her living room, watching TV. The city council had scheduled a public speech regarding the new zoning policies. With the new suggested policy, Stephanie would be paying double in city taxes.

Stephanie thought it was appalling to even consider a tax increase on her home. In fact, she felt like the city should be paying her for taking care of her land so well. At the rate they’re discussing, she would likely have to sell part of her land to decrease the amount. There was no way she could accept that.

“We’re currently live outside City Hall, where officials and members of the community have gathered for today’s city council meeting. We’re awaiting the start of the session, which is expected to address several key issues impacting the city. As soon as the council convenes, we’ll bring you live updates and coverage.”

Stephanie grumbled and rolled her eyes.

“Of course you people are taking your time to appear,” she sputtered at her screen.

All she needed was to see them, but they had to take their sweet time.

Stephanie kicked her feet up on the ottoman in front of her and sighed. She always had these – abilities – and now, they’ll be put to good use for her. She couldn’t remember when or how exactly they had started, but memories of the first day she fully learned what they could do swarmed into her mind.

She was eight years old and her family had gone to a large festival. It was her first outing ever. Prior to this, her mother and father kept her indoors – away from other people. They even homeschooled her. Stephanie was so excited to see everything, she skipped all the way into the festival grounds.

Ahead, she could see a large group of children playing at a small playground. She tugged on her mother’s hand who turned to look at Stephanie.

“Momma, can I go play with the other kids?” she asked, joy filling her voice.

Her mother clung to Stephanie’s hand tightly.

“Stephanie, sweetie, please stay close to mommy,” her mother warned. “I worry about you getting lost.”

Stephanie pouted, but before she could speak, her father interrupted.

“Darling, look – there’s a pastry stand! Let’s go grab a few!”

Her father guided Stephanie and her mother to the stand where they ordered a dozen assorted tarts. Stephanie gobbled the first raspberry tart with delight and held out her hand for another. Her father smiled and reached into the box.

“I think that one is peach,” her mother said, looking over the pamphlet that came with the box.

Stephanie took one glance at it before shoving it in her mouth and reaching up for another.

“Stephanie, we can take these home…” her father began.

“MORE!” Stephanie demanded.

Her father’s eyes widened for a moment. Without turning his gaze, he reached into the box and grabbed another. Stephanie snatched the tart immediately and gobbled it up.

Stuffed and satisfied, Stephanie began looking at the dolls in the booth closest to them. Her mother, who had been stunned by what had just transpired, paused to study her father for a moment. Then, without breaking her eye contact with him, she said:

“Stephanie, if you want something – what do we always say?”

Stephanie turned toward her father. She looked at him once, then turned her eyes down, fiddling with the hem of her dress. She knew she should have asked nicely, but she just wanted another tart so badly.

“Sorry Daddy,” was all Stephanie could say, but her father hadn’t budged.

Stephanie reached out and grasped her father’s motionless hand.

Taking a deep breath, her mother turned towards Stephanie.

“Stephanie sweetie, do you want Daddy to play with you?” she asked.

Stephanie nodded, and as she did, her father’s hand tightened around Stephanie’s. She looked up to see a warm smile on his face.

“Let’s go play,” he said before lifting her up onto his shoulders.

Stephanie laughed and threw her hands in the air as if she were a plane zooming through the sky. Her father was making whooshing noises while he jogged a few steps.

Out the corner of her eye, Stephanie noticed the other kids at the playground and tapped her father on the head.

“I want those kids to play with me too!” Stephanie shouted with glee.

Her father halted in his steps and her mother spun to look at them, her face drained of color.

“Stephanie!” Her mother shouted – but it was too late.

All the children in the playground, old and young, suddenly stopped in their tracks and turned toward Stephanie. In the blink of an eye, they all began their way to her and her father. Toddlers who could barely walk crawled desperately toward her, while the older ones sprinted. Shouts from parents began echoing the festival – beckoning them back to the playground – but it was as if none of the children could hear. They just kept going.

Quickly, Stephanie’s mother grabbed her and pulled her off her father’s shoulders.

“Stephanie, sweetie, don’t you want the children to continue to play at the playground?” Her voice cracked with concern.

Stephanie watched the children coming towards her with joy.

“I want to play, Mommy! I want to play!” Stephanie began shouting.

She yanked herself out of her mother’s grasp and ran toward the other children. As she gleefully jumped into the crowd, they caught her and carried her back to the playground. The parents, dumbfounded, watched their children resume their play once reaching the playground again.

Decades had passed since that incident. Stephanie remembered spending at least an hour at that playground before anyone truly became concerned. The other children’s parents started trying to gather them to leave for home, but they refused. One child even bit their own mother before Stephanie’s mom finally stepped in. She promised to buy Stephanie ice cream on the ride home if she told the other children she wanted them to return to themselves.

That evening, Stephanie’s parents sat her down and explained that she needed to be careful with her desires. Her mother stepped in and explained that she, too, had special powers. When Stephanie was younger and more demanding, she was able to control her father frequently – which caused problems for her mother since she could not take control over anything already controlled. Nor could she control Stephanie.

Stephanie sighed as the news confirmed “no new updates”.

“Take your time, I have all day,” she muttered.

Since the festival, her mother had taught her how to develop her skills to better control herself. She warned Stephanie that her abilities were raw and untamed, and that she must always be careful not to force others into her desires. People needed their own will, their own wants. To rob them of that was not only unkind – it was dangerous.

The commercial ended and the news returned.

“Finally!” Stephanie leaned forward.

When she was a child, she had to be within a close proximity to control someone. But the more she learned, the farther her reach became. She secretly controlled many major events throughout the world - many for good, like the cease fire she forced one country to announce. But now?

Stephanie smiled as the city council members gathered in the hall.

“Screw being nice this time,” she thought.

As each council member stood to speak their thoughts on the zoning policy, Stephanie could see others in the room gasp or furrow their eyebrows at the repeated “Denied” statements. Many had expected a different outcome, but Stephanie had no plans of allowing that to happen.

The news concluded its coverage, and Stephanie leaned back in her chair. Controlling others in such an advanced way can be exhausting. Closing her eyes, she reassured herself that no one would ever know who truly pulled the strings in this world.

But it wasn’t like she needed their thanks – just their compliance.