What if you could tell a lie so much that it would come true? Would you? Shawn never wanted the burden of it being real, but he couldn't change his fate. No one could.
**********
Santa Barbara, 1987...
"Shawn! Get inside!"
"But Gus and I are going to race in the rain!" Shawn said, pointing at Gus on his bike.
"No, you're not," he said. "Gus, get over here!" Gus trudged through the already muddy lawn to Henry's porch.
"Dad, why can't we do just one race?"
"Because, Shawn, this is a thunderstorm, and your bikes are metal. What if you got struck by lightning?"
"Then I would get superpowers! And Gus could be my sidekick!"
"Yeah! I could be Tap-Man!"
Shawn turned to Gus. "If you want to be my sidekick, you're gonna need a cooler power than tap dancing and throwing sand in people's eyes."
"Guys!" Henry shouted, which silenced both of the young boys. "There's no such thing as superpowers. If you got struck by lightning, you'd most likely be dead. Now get inside. Leave your bikes on the lawn for now, I don't want to risk you getting struck." Shawn and Gus let their bikes drop and walked inside, restarting their bickering about Tap-Man.
**********
Santa Barbara, 2011...
"Hey Shawn," Gus said as he walked into the Psych office.
"Hey buddy! I was actually going to go for a bike ride," he said, motioning to his helmet and jacket. "Maybe stop by the station and charm Chief Vick into giving us a case."
"There's a thunderstorm about to hit here. You sure?"
"Yeah! It always seems to work better in person."
"That's not what I meant and you know it," Gus replied, clicking his tongue.
"Wait, are you worried that I'll get struck by lightning?"
"No!" Gus shouted defensively.
Shawn tilted his head and laughed quickly before turning back to Gus. "You are!! You are totally worried! Gus, I'll be fine. Plus, if I do, I'll get superpowers!" Gus just shook his head as Shawn skipped out the door.
**********
Shawn mounted his Norton and pulled the kickstand up. Putting the keys in and revving his engine, he zoomed away from Psych and into the city of Santa Barbara. There was a bright flash and a loud bang, and rain came cascading down over the city. He looked up for a moment, marvelling at the beautiful lightning flashes, when a super bright one came down. And it looked like it was headed right for him.
He tried to swerve his bike, but it was too late. The feeling of being set ablaze filled his insides, while the feeling of hugging cacti spread quickly throughout his skin. He let out a short-lived scream, then collapsed, unconscious, onto the ground. People swarmed over his body, many calling the police for EMTs. Luckily, the paramedics arrived quickly, and Shawn was still alive. Barely, but alive. They whisked his body into the ambulance on a stretcher and began CPR on the way to the hospital.
**********
Gus sat down on the couch and flipped on the news channel, when "Breaking News!" flashed across the screen. He turned the volume up and listened carefully.
"Well, this storm has gotten bad very quickly. Half of Santa Barbara has lost power already, so if you're watching this now, make sure to let everyone on the other side of the city that they should remain indoors because there has already been a couple serious injuries. There was a car crash on the highway, but shockingly, no pun intended, a man captured this video. It may be graphic, so if you are uncomfortable with this, please turn the volume down and close your eyes."
Gus debated whether or not to look away, but the video started and then he couldn't take his eyes off of the screen. He nearly threw up when he saw the man get electrocuted, but even more so when the video zoomed in just enough so that Gus could make out who the injured civilian was. "Oh my god! Shawn!" He lunged towards his phone to call Henry, the news playing in the background.
"If you have any information on who this John Doe is, if you could make out his face from the grainy video, then please call Santa Barbara General. This man is in serious danger and if worse comes to worst, then we do not want this man to die alone. Thank you, and stay safe."
As Gus walked out of the door, he noticed Shawn's wallet still laying on his desk. Of course. He grabbed it on his way out.
**********
Henry was enjoying a nice drink while watching The Discovery Channel when his phone rang. Not even looking at who was calling, he answered it. "What now Shawn?"
"Mr. Spencer..."
"Gus? How are you?" Henry inquired, surpised at the call."
"It's Shawn..."
"What has he done this time?" Henry asked, rolling his eyes.
"He went for - for a bike ride."
"In this weather? That kid is nuts."
"Mr. Spencer... he uhm... he got ele - electrocuted. He's at Santa Barbara General. I'm o - on my way now."
"What?!?!" Henry thundered. "I'm on my way!" He sprinted out of the door and leaped into his truck. Putting the keys in the ignition, he sped off to the hospital, five minutes behind Gus. All he could hope was that he wasn't too late.
