Darin James: Voltage

Chapter 2 - Power

Even though I could apply full weight on my leg now, I still wasn’t able to live on my own. Doctors Orders. Now the Doctors were getting on my nerves, even if they knew what was best for me. I had felt fine since they removed the stitches and everything was getting to be normal again. Work was just around the corner and to my surprise, I had missed it. Sitting around a house doing nothing all day isn’t me. I had been doing that for about a month and I was sick of it.  But I would miss seeing Martha, she and Clark were great hosts. But she still refused to leave me when I still couldn’t live by myself.  I admired her persistence. But even the two of them needed time to themselves.

On Martha’s birthday Clark took her out for the night, but she still left me something on the stove. I had been asleep on the couch when they left, otherwise I would have insisted she not. I woke up smelling the delicious scent of whatever was on the stove. I walked over to it and lifted the lid off , inhaling yet another whiff of it. I was almost sad to eat it. I put the lid back on and reached for the switch to turn the stove off. But the moment I touched it the lights flickered. I pulled my hand away and looked around the room in surprise. I shook the feeling away and laughed.

“Stupid kids downstairs. Must be trying to-” I grabbed the switch again and it happened once more. This puzzled me, but again I reached for the switch.  For the third time the electric flickered. I repeated this over and over, and every time the same thing happened. I was speechless and confused. I grabbed the switch and flipped it off quickly, the electric flashed. I sighed having thought I had solved the problem. I reached for a plate on the counter next to me. Inches from it on the wall was an outlet. I was just about to grab the plate when a bolt of electric shot from the socket and to my hand. I yanked my hand away in alarm. I stared at the socket with uneasiness. Minutes later my curiosity got the best of me and I reached for the socket, slowly. I was about a foot away from the socket and electric surged from it and toward my hand. I could feel electric flowing threw me, like it had from the accident, but this time it didn’t hurt me. I didn’t pull my hand away and the electric still flowed as if it were being pulled.  My interest for this pulled my hand toward my face. Then I quickly clenched my fist, causing the apartment to go dark. I looked around me and chuckled at the newfound “power” I had.

 Clark and Martha came home almost three hours later to a lighted home.Clarktook off his coat off then hung it on the rack. He returned to his mother and smiled. I greeted them and Martha handed me her coat, and likeClarkhad, I put it on the coat rack. The whole apartment was filled with the smell of burnt food.Clarkwas the first to notice it,

“Darin… what happened?” He asked. I walked over to him and answered patting him on the back.

“Well I guess you can say that I had some problems with the stove…” I paused and looked at the scorched outlet, “… and the outlet.” I chuckled remembering the hours before. He looked at the two melted objects.

“I see that.”

“Illbe sure to replace them both.”  I assured him.Clarksmiled at me.

“That’s not necessary, Darin.” I knew I was the one at fault for the, “accident” so I was going to replace it. I had almost four days until I went back to work. I could walk now without crutches or a cane, so I would go to the hardware store and pick up the parts to fix them.

 Clarkwent to work the next morning, earlier than usual so he could catch up to rest of the news team. I woke up around seven in the morning on the couch. Even thoughClarkhad an extra bedroom, many times I found myself sleeping on the couch.  Martha was in the kitchen cooking on a small portable grill.  She had been instructed to leave the stove alone until it could be fixed.  I stretched out my muscles and got up off the couch.  She smiled at me,