totally meta

chapter three

The tests started like any other: heart rate, lung capacity, endurance. For the most part, everything was perfectly normal. I wasn't breaking any records, but I wasn't failing miserably either.

Dr. Harris, clipboard in hand, watched me closely through all of it. Her face didn't show much emotion, just a calm, clinical focus. The same look she'd had since I woke up in this place. It felt odd having someone study me like this, but I didn't say anything. I just did what they asked.

Then came the mile run.

"Let's test your speed next," Dr. Harris said as she handed me a pair of running shoes. Her voice was even, like this was just another routine checkup. She had no idea.

I laced up, feeling an odd sense of anticipation. There was something buzzing under my skin, something I couldn't explain. My muscles were more awake than they had ever been. I stepped onto the track, my body almost vibrating with this strange energy.

I started at a jog—at least, that's what I meant to do. But my legs had other plans.

One second I was running, the next, the world around me blurred into a smear of colors and shapes. Wind whipped against my face, and the track beneath my feet seemed to disappear.

My brain struggled to keep up with what was happening, but my body didn't need any convincing. It was moving on its own, fast. Faster than I ever thought possible. I didn't stop until I realized I had already finished the mile.

Thirty seconds.

I skidded to a stop, gasping for breath. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to make sense of it. I wasn't even tired. But then the burning smell hit me.

"Oh, no," I muttered, glancing down. Flames were licking at the edges of my shirt, and the heat hit me like a punch to the chest.

Without thinking, I ripped the burning shirt off, throwing it onto the track and stomping it out. My breath came fast as I tried to process what had just happened.

Dr. Harris rushed over, her face a mix of concern and confusion. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I panted, wiping sweat off my brow. "Just... a little warm."

Her eyes darted to my now-bare chest, and she quickly turned away, her face flushing red. "I didn't expect... I mean, we didn't realize you'd be generating that much heat."

I half-laughed, though my mind was still racing. "Me neither."

I glanced back at the scorched remains of my shirt and then at the stopwatch on the track. Thirty seconds. That wasn't humanly possible. At least, not normal human. But I wasn't about to say that out loud.

Dr. Harris cleared her throat, clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. "We'll need to adjust the tests. This is... unexpected."

Unexpected was an understatement. I'd just run a mile in the time it took most people to tie their shoes. My body wasn't just fast; it was producing enough friction to set my clothes on fire.

I didn't have any more words, just stood there as the reality of what had happened sank in. But even then, I stayed quiet. What could I say, anyway? Everything that was running through my head was too wild to make sense of right now.

Dr. Harris finally looked back at me, her face now serious, the earlier embarrassment replaced by something else. "We need to monitor this more closely. Your body is... responding to the lightning in ways we hadn't anticipated."

I nodded, still feeling the heat radiating off my skin. I wasn't sure what came next, but I knew this was just the beginning.

As she turned to leave, I stared down at the stopwatch one more time. Thirty seconds.

Yeah, I knew what this was.

But I kept that thought to myself.