Adam

Josie uses her powers outside for the first time, rewinding to find out what happened to Justine. Now she has to find her sister before it's too late.

Written and produced by Adam C. Prince.

Digitally narrated using the voice clone of a real Brummie.

Music from ElevenLabs - Temporal Rift

Transcript:

Girl in Control. Episode 2. Girl in Panic. 

Here's the thing about having superpowers. They're only super if they actually work when you need them.

And right now, I really, really needed them. I grabbed the remote, shoved it in my pocket and ran. No time for overthinking.

No time for doubt. Dad's face from that vision kept flashing in my mind. That look of pure disappointment.

Like I wasn't his daughter anymore. Yeah, not happening. I'd never used the remote outside before.

I had always used it at home. Safe space. Familiar territory.

But desperate times, right? Birmingham in December is basically nature's way of saying, stay inside. Grey skies. Wet leaves everywhere.

The kind of cold that seeps through your clothes and makes you question all your life choices. I didn't care. I sprinted to the music hall like my life depended on it.

Because honestly, it kind of did. When I got there, the place was dead. Empty car park.

Locked doors. Not a soul in sight. My heart sank.

I yanked out the remote and slammed the rewind button. Nothing. Hit it again.

Harder. Still nothing. Panic started creeping up my throat.

Please work. Please. I was literally begging the universe.

Me. The girl who once used her powers to cheat on a school test. I'll be better.

I'll listen to my parents. I'll clean my room without being asked. I'll even be nice to Jonah.

I wasn't sure if I could live up to that last promise, but I had to give everything a go. I hit rewind so hard I thought the remote might explode. And then the world hiccuped.

Everything started rolling backward. Clouds sliding the wrong way. Cars reversing with squealing tyres.

Birds literally flying backward to their perches. It was like watching the world's weirdest movie in reverse. And it was beautiful.

Time only went back about two hours, but that was enough. I just needed a clue. Now the car park had life.

A few cars scattered around. Parents doing the pickup shuffle. Normal Saturday stuff.

I scanned for Justine. Those unmistakable braids with the colourful hair bands. Her violin case.

Her annoying habit of talking to everyone. Nothing. But then I heard it.

Josie. Josie. Her voice.

High and scared and so, so small. My chest tightened. She was calling for me.

Looking for me. And I wasn't there. I ran toward the sound, weaving through people and cars.

My lungs burned. My legs screamed. I didn't care.

Finally, I spotted her. There she was. Standing on the pavement.

Violin case slung over her shoulder. Looking around like a lost puppy. And then I saw it.

A red car pulling up to the curb. Door swinging open. No, no, no, I whispered.

But she couldn't hear me. I was only seeing a vision of the past. Josie climbed into the car.

Just like that, my 11-year-old sister got into a stranger's car. She knew better. We'd had the stranger danger talk a million times.

Don't talk to strangers. Don't take sweets. Don't get in cars.

But there she was, glancing around nervously before disappearing inside. The car sped off before I could even blink. My stomach dropped to my shoes.

Her face looked pale. Scared. But also determined.

Was she taken? Did she go willingly? I couldn't tell. And the not knowing was killing me. All I knew was that my little sister was with someone else.

And I had no one else to blame but myself. I had to find that car. I had to find her.

I needed to be the girl who saves her sister. And time was running out.