I Believe in Magic - Phan [#Wattys2017]

Chapter 23 - Magic Pulse

He was only asleep for no more than ten minutes or so. Phil woke up in a frenzy on the floor. Was it a dream? He looked over at the shattered coffee table. He stood and went to the kitchen to find a burned pancake in the sink and a broken coffee mug on the floor.

No, it was no dream.

What happened? He felt no pressure or pain anymore. His body was in tact. He looked out the window of his apartment.

Grey clouds dominated the sky, making everything dark and dull. There were no people outside.

Upset and scared of himself, Phil decided to go to Dan and WFM. Yes, then he would be safe, and not alone anymore. Maybe he would be more in-control.

As he walked out, he found a woman standing near the door of the lobby of the building. She was facing away from him, perfectly still. Curious, Phil moved around to her front. He face was blank, he mouth slightly hung open, and her eyes wide and bloodshot.

He was right in front of her, but her eyes did not see his. "Hello? Ma'am? Are you alright?"

She didn't speak or move.

Phil slowly backed away and ran from her.

He encountered a couple on his walk to the magic studio. Both were in the same stunned and frozen position as the woman before, staring off into space and seeming to barely be breathing.

He took a detour through the park, hoping to avoid any more crazy people. As he did, he came across a little girl holding a stuffed rabbit doll by its paw in one hand. She too was wide eyed and bloodshot, her mouth slightly open, staring into nothing. Her mother was in the same state not far behind her. He stopped walking to look closer – the rabbit doll's button eye had fallen out again. She was a few years older than when Phil first encountered her, but he still remembered her.

"What... is this..? What is going on?" He left them and went on again.

A strong, stormy gust of wind made him stop walking. It wasn't natural. He could feel the magic within it.

"You're such a dumb kid," a deep voice called from behind him.

Phil turned around to see none other than Hector Wellsin his casual attire standing directly behind him. "Hector!"

"No time for a reunion. Have you seen this mess?"

"Hector please, help me! What is this? Why are these people like this?"

"The are like this," he huffed, "because of you."

Phil stepped back. "Me?"

"You. Phil, you are so pathetic. I can't honestly believe that my student, who was so powerful and so good at what he does, somehow managed to do the one thing I told him specifically not to do!"

"W-what do you mean? How did I–"

"You idiot!" Hector bellowed. The sound echoed across the dead city. "You fell in love, didn't you?!"

"What?!"

"This!" he yelled, waving his arms around, gesturing towards the girl and her mother. "This is all your fault! You fell in love! Do you know what happens when a being possessing magic falls in love? Clearly not! You lose all control, no matter how strong you are! Do you know what you've done?!"

"I..."

"You've released a magic pulse!"

Everything caught up to Phil. The pain, the light that rippled out from him. It was pulse of magic, just like Hector had described so long ago to him.