The New Prototype

Chapter 4

Ryan told me about everything happening in Manhattan. There was a virus going around called Blacklight and it is infecting a lot of areas. I kept my mouth shut about the virus part and listened to Ryan go on and on about the news. He hugged me again and I asked him why.

"On the night that mom passed, dad told me that you left some where and you never came back home. I got worried and I went to look for you, but I couldn't find you. Then I went to work and my friends told me that they killed Alex Mercer and an innocent civilian. It got me worried, but you're alive and alright." He held me tightly and I gave him a weak smile.

"...what is that smell? Ethan! Go take a shower!" My brother pushed me up the stairs and I walked into my room. I took off my clothes and wrapped myself in a towel. I entered the bathroom and turned on the water. I felt it to see if it was hot and as soon as my hand touched the water, I hissed in pain and retracted my hand. Was it that hot? I turned the handle to warm and waited for a bit. I put my hand in the water again and it still hurt. Was the shower not working? I opened the door and asked Ryan to test the water for me. He entered the bathroom and put his hand in the water.

"It's warm, so what's the matter?" He asked me.

"Nothing, just my imagination then." I said.

He left and I decided to not take a shower. Something inside of me was hungry and it suggested that my brother seemed like a good meal. I ignored the feeling of eating my brother and tried to focus on why it hurts taking a shower. I shut off the shower and put on clean clothes. I sprayed cologne everywhere on myself to cover my stinky smell. I went downstairs and talked with Ryan some more. It was boring, but I had nothing to do.

"Ethan, can you get us some sodas?"

"Sure." I said and went to the fridge. I pulled the handle and the WHOLE FUCKING DOOR CAME OFF. I dropped it and Ryan ran over to me and looked at the mess.

"What the fuck happened!?" He asked me.

"I don't know! I pulled the handle and then it came off!"

"Why the fuck would it do that? That's weird." Ryan bent down and examined my mess. I looked down at my hands and made them into fists. What happened to me after I was killed? Did they experiment on me? Is that why Alex and I can do crazy shit?

"Welp, we needed a new fridge anyways. How the hell would it come off just like that?"

"I have no idea." I said. Ryan took out all the food from the fridge and started cleaning up. I went back into the living room and watched television. It was fun not going to college. I wanted to stay home and watch my shows and then play some video games. But what about Alex? Does he know where I live? I shook my head and tried to get rid of the thoughts about Alex. He only wants information from me, he clearly doesn't care about me.

I was having fun watching my shows when there was a loud knock at the front door. Ryan went to answer it and there were a bunch of soldiers standing there talking to my older brother. I continued watching television and then it shut off out of no where.

"What the hell happened to the t.v.? Ryan what hap-" I turned around and saw Ryan with the remote in his hands.

"Why did you do that?" I asked him.

"Ethan, where were you last night?"

"I don't know. I left the hospital and then everything was a blur after that." I didn't want to spill the beans about Alex and Dana.

"Ethan, tell me the truth. Where were you?" He walked over to me and I got up from the couch. I could feel the tension in the air and I felt uncomfortable that Ryan kept asking me that question.