Empathic Echoes, Ch.1 - Sex Stories

Empathic Echoes, Ch.1

Empathic Echoes

by Quiver

Chapter 1: Feedback Loop

"I know what you are," said a voice.

Sienna glanced up from her phone looking to see who had spoken. It was some guy, mid-twenties, long dark hair, unkempt. He was sitting at a nearby table watching her, his feet propped up on an extra chair. He had this ineffable kind of sleezy charm that she couldn't quite describe. He definitely stood out. He was wearing a tight black band t-shirt, black jeans and combat boots. It was July. Who wears combat boots in the middle of the summer?

"...what?" Sienna responded, looking around the coffee shop for anyone else he might be talking to. But aside from this new guy, it was just as empty as when she had arrived. Old man reading the paper in the far corner, a couple of employees shuffling behind the counter, no one remotely close enough to be the target of his declaration.

"I know what you are," the odd young man repeated. "I know your secret."

"I think you might have me confused for someone else," Sienna replied. This dude is really pushy, she thought.

He stood up and came over to her table and pointedly straddled the chair opposing her. "I don't think so. We can see it in each other, I think. It's easy to spot after a while, like an echo. You see bits of yourself reflected back at you. Though, I gotta say, you're doing a pretty good job of hiding it."

"What are you talking about?" Sienna was getting a little annoyed, and her anxiety was starting to peak. She could feel her face warming, and knew that her cheeks would be fully flushed in seconds. She hated that. She hated that her emotions were so visible to anyone and everyone, which was actually more than a little ironic. She brushed her auburn hair behind her ear, growing more uncomfortable. None of what this guy was saying made any sense. But... it was coming dangerously close.

"You're a reader, an empath. Like me," he said quietly. "Well, kind of like me. I'm more of a writer, myself. I think you're a pure reader though. Must be tough, feeling all that stuff and not being able to change any of it."

Sienna had never really had a name for what she was. But she knew it was a secret, and she knew she didn't want it. Hearing that word... empath. That word struck a chord deep down inside and it just felt true. She knew she had always had an uncanny ability tell when someone was upset, or excited, or any intense emotion. But it was more than 'reading' people. When she was near people in heightened emotional states, she

experienced

those heightened emotional states. And it was really fucking disruptive. And sometimes, terrifying. She winced as a brief flicker of a memory passed by, which she quickly and reflexively pushed away.

Thankfully, she hadn't had to deal with all that in a while though. Years ago, it all shut off, went numb. When

it

happened. But she tried not to think about that. At least all the intrusive feelings had gone quiet. Even though her own ...