How to Be a God [ManXMan]

Chapter Eight: More News and a Phone Call

~Chapter Eight: More News and a Phone Call~

Someone knocking on my door has me jolting awake late Friday afternoon. As I was literally thrown into consciousness by the sound, I end up flailing around a bit, trying not to fall off my bed in surprise. I grab the headboard to keep my balance, but am unable to keep the book next to me from sliding to the floor. Blinking a few times to clear my vision, I stare in confusion at the book, trying to remember when I feel asleep.

Last I remember, I was reading another children's book...

Before I can figure out why I was asleep – I slept well last night – there is another series of knocks at my door, reminding me why I woke up in the first place. Still slightly disoriented, I slide out of bed and head for the door, bumping into a couple of things along the way. This is why I rarely take naps; it feels similar to the time I was hit over the head with a stone slab.

Swinging the door open, I blink at Jasper in confusion. "Spider?" I grunt, having to force the words out of my dry throat. It would have been wise to take a sip of water before answering the door.

Jasper looks about ready to say something, but then he frowns and tilts his head. "I...Did I wake you up?" He asks, and then promptly looks horrified. "Oh goat, I woke you up."

Before he can work himself up into a panic, I wave off his concern. "No matter. I fell asleep unintentionally and it was best I woke up," I inform him, willing my mouth to water to lessen the rasp in my throat and rubbing my eyes a couple of times in an attempt to wipe the sleep from them.

"Still..." he trails off, looking uncertain.

When he does not continue, I ask, "What did you come to tell me?"

"Oh, uh, right," he says, stumbling over his words a little. "After that explosion a few days ago at City Hall, I've been watching the news a lot and tonight I saw something kind of, uh, weird. Disturbing, even."

"What would that be?" I lean against the doorframe, only mildly interested in the news. While I do enjoy news stories, it is mainly the good things that I find interesting. Something 'disturbing' on the news is only meant to make humans wary and suspicious, and does nothing more than bore me. It is not like I have not seen worse.

Should I not at least act concerned? After all, I am supposed to be human...

"The police found..." Jasper stops himself to look around, as if worried someone might overhear him speaking in the hallway. He takes a step back and looks at his apartment door, which I can tell is slightly ajar from my position. "It would be easier if I just showed you."

Though it would probably be wise to put on a pair of shoes before leaving my apartment, I walk out with only my socks and close my apartment door behind me. Pleased that I am willing to follow him, Jasper leads the way to his room and closes the door once I am inside. He then gestures for me to sit somewhere and unpauses the television, though he takes a moment to rewind once he realizes it is starting halfway through.

"Police are still trying to locate the male streaker that ran through the lobby of the JW Marriot hotel-" the news woman says, though she is cut off by Jasper pausing the TV.

I do not see what is so disturbing about this.

When I look at him, wondering why he felt the need to show me this, I am surprised to see his cheeks and ears are a bright red. "I, uh, went too far back," he mumbles, fast forwarding for a few seconds while pointedly not looking at me. When he stops it again, the news story headline reads, Bodies Found in Commissioner's Basement.