Chapter 3 - coincidence

The following Monday, the heat in the estate felt oppressive, like the air itself was holding its breath. Mina was near the old well that had been sealed off for years. She was humming a strange, discordant tune."Deji," she said, not turning around. "Some people here don't like me. I can feel their thoughts about me.""They're just cautious," I stammered. "It's understandable."She turned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Let's see about that." She pointed toward the community gym, where someone was being bullied."Don't," I whispered, sensing a change in the atmosphere. The birds went silent. The sky didn't darken, but the colors around us seemed to dim, leaving everything in a muted grey—except for Mina. She looked more vivid than ever.She didn't move a muscle. She simply stared. Suddenly, something strange happened. The bully reached out, but his movement seemed to stutter, like a skipping record. Then, the ground beneath his feet shifted strangely. He gasped, stumbling.The most unsettling part? No one else seemed to notice the oddity. They just saw the person trip and fall, but I saw the brief, inexplicable change.Mina giggled, and the world snapped back to normal. The color returned. The bully was on the floor, looking confused."See?" Mina whispered, leaning closer. "Things aren't always what they seem, Deji."I looked at her, my heart racing with a mixture of fear and intrigue.