Austin couldn't have been more right. Something would happen the next day. Something extremely important. Today was the day when everything happened. All powers given. All nemeses made clear. It was a big day for a lot of people.
Thursday, October twenty-second
Austin Pov
I woke up feeling odd. I don't know quite how to describe it. It felt like a mixture of dread and giddy anticipation. Something important was going to happen. I don't know how I knew. I just kinda did. Never the less, I started getting ready for work. As I walked, I started hearing a strange sound. I stopped and looked around. I couldn't see anything immediately, but when I looked up I could see a flaming rock flying straight at me. As I saw it, I could practically feel my pupils dilate. I was frozen to the spot. I thought for sure I would end up dead, when at the very last moment, I was knocked to the ground by someone. Even though he had moved me enough so that the rock wouldn't kill me, it still nicked my arm. As I got up, I checked around me and, to my surprise, the person who saved me was gone. As the fear started to die down, I noticed what I thought was just a nick, was actually quite a deep cut. As I turned to go back home I looked behind me and saw the rock that had hit me. It looked sharper than anything I had ever seen before. I decided to grab just to check if it seemed to have anything I should be worried about. I scooped it up and started walking back home.
As I made my way back home, I took my phone out of my pocket and sent a text into the group chat I had with Stephanie and Justin. Hey, I won't be able to make it to work today. Actually I probably wont be able to work for a week or two. I say. What? Why not? Did something happen? Justin texts back. I don't know why but as I started to compose the next text, I suddenly felt a strong urge to not tell him what had happened. Slightly perturbed, I text her back, Nothing much happened, some dude just tried to mug me. He nicked me with his knife, but don't worry, there's one less mugger around the streets now. What!? Why are you acting like this is no big deal?! You've been stabbed! Justin texts me back. Oh relax. I say. It's hardly the worst thing to happen to me. I'll be fine. I'm going back home to treat it right now. You mean you aren't going to a hospital!? And what do you mean its not the worst thing to happen to you?! I could practically hear him yelling through the phone. Ah... I thought, He's always so considerate and concerned. So cute! Er, I mean, it's nice! Very nice! Nothing else! I could feel my cheeks heating up, even with the mentally checked out state I was in. I noticed I was at my apartment building, so I text, Hey, I just got to my building, so I'm gonna fix myself up. I'll text yall later. What!? Don't avoid my questi- I turned off my phone off and went into the building.
I unlock my door and put my phone on the coffee table before heading to the bathroom and grabbing the first aid kit. As I went to start cleaning the cut, I noticed it had been cauterized. (That's when they burn the wound to stop bleeding and infection and stuff) "I wonder how that happened...?" I wonder aloud. "CRAP!" I yell when I realized the rock must have been very hot. Hot enough to cauterize a wound at least. I can't believe I put that in my bag! My stuff must be completely melted by now.I ran and grabbed a hot pad from the kitchen and tried to grab the rock. It cut through the glove, but for some reason, it didn't cut me. It was definitely warm to the touch, but it didn't feel hot enough to seal a wound. How odd. Looking into my bag, I see it only kind of melted the stuff in my bag. Hot enough to cauterize a cut, but comfortably warm in my hand. It looks sharp enough to slice through concrete, but I can't feel a single thing. I decide to ignore it for the time being and just figure out what's going on.
I sit down on my couch and process what's been happening. As I think back, I really take a moment to think about what the rock is. I look at it, soaking up every detail. The longer I look at it, the prettier I think it looks. I think I should put it in a bracelet. It looks like it would go incredibly with my skin. As I mull over that thought, I hear a knock at my door. I get up, confused. As I open the door, I groan. "Didn't I tell you I was fine Justin?" I ask, slightly annoyed he felt the need to check on me, and also slightly flustered that he felt the need to check on me. "I came because I didn't believe you. If you got stabbed, it requires a bit more than ibuprofen and a mickey mouse band aid." I sigh and open the door wider, gesturing for him to enter my apartment. "I find it offensive that you think I would just put a single mickey mouse band aid on it and call it a day. I would put at least a dozen on there, and then I would be fine." I joke. "Either way," he says, blatantly ignoring my attempt at humor, "I'd like to take a look at it." "Oh, relax." I say, wanting to put him at ease, "I cauterized it earlier. It'll be fine. I actually feel good enough to go to work tommorow!" As I say that, he freezes up, not moving or saying anything. He looks... confused. "Hello? Earth to Ju-" "YOU WHAT!? WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU GET THE TOOLS TO BURN A CUT SHUT?!" He yells at me. "What do you mean?" I ask "I just used the stove." After that he just stands there stuttering for a bit. As he does... that, I go to the kitchen and grab his favorite snack. Walking back into the living room, I see he's still in shock, so I place the food in his hand.
As he slowly recovers, I think about what I'm going to do with the flame crystal, as I've dubbed it. Looking at it, I don't think a bracelet or a necklace will quite do it justice. Hmm, what to do, what to do? As I think it over, a strange thought enters my head. The thought feels. . . foreign. At first I don't understand it. It just sounds like a garbled mess. Slowly but surely, as time moves on, it gets clearer. It reminds me of a turning the dial on a radio so the noise becomes clearer. I eventually decipher it. It says: Armguard. Something about the way it says it, feels very final. 'Well," I think, 'at least even if I snapped, I still have a good taste in fashion.' I have always liked armguards. It seems like an unappreciated fashion item. I make a mental note to go to the jeweler to get the fire crystal cut on Saturday. As I slowly tune back into reality, I notice that Justin was finally functioning again. He's eating the snacks and from the looks of it, there aren't going to be any left for me if I don't step in soon. "Oi! If your done eating all my food, do you still wanna see the cut? Or can I take a nap now?" I ask, feeling extremely tired all the sudden. "Yeah sure, show me." He says, suddenly remembering why he was at my apartment in the first place. I roll up my sleeve and show him the cut. After a short examination, he seems content, says goodbye, and is off. I fall on my bed and nearly immediately pass out.
Slowly I push myself up. As I look around I notice that I'm no longer in my room. As I fight to stay calm, I notice the room around me is a soft orange. In the middle there's a fireplace and some furniture. I get up and move towards it. As I get closer I notice there is someone in the chair next to the fireplace. As I move towards them, I hear them say "Hello Austin." I gasp. I recognize that voice. It-It's the voice in my head.
A/N: 1k words pog
