I'm Not Insane (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 24 - Explanation

Ash pov

When I wake up, a plate of food sits by my door. It's the standard hospital food for patients, but mine has more portions. Probably because I'm 'special'. Just thought makes me sick.

The shock of being alive has yet to fully wear off, and neither has the fact that I'm a Special now. If I'm a Special, what ability do I have? I grimace when that thought comes to mind. I don't want to get comfortable with this. This isn't right.

I slide out of bed, picking up my food and placing it on my bed. I go to the bathroom and do the usual routine for the day.

By the time I'm done and I finish eating, Dr. Wilson comes in, smiling casaully, as if noithing has changed. "Good morning, Asher. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," I mutter.

"Good. Now, any questions? I know you have lots."

He sits down on my bed, looking around. He expects me to suddenly bombard him with questions, but they stay stuck on the tip of my tongue, begging to be let out.

"Didn't I die, Sir?" I blurt suddenly, needing him to answer my questions.

Not the question I wanted him to answer first, but it will have to do. He nods, knowing I would wonder this. After all, last time I checked, I did die.

"You didn't die."

"What?" I laugh.

Is he insane? I know I died! I felt it. I felt myself leave the world, felt myself get drowned in darkness. How can he say I didn't die?

"You didn't die. When Ryan exploded, he didn't kill you, but he did end up doing something strange. His ability is withering almost anything he comes into contact with, especially living organisms.

"When he exploded, you were supposed to be protected, but he broke through the protection your clothes offered because of his raw strength, but only enough to wound you enough to put you into an almost comatose state. It looked like you were dead, but your brain was still responding, then slowly, your heart started to show its beating. It was beating the whole time, actually, but the effects of his ability enshrouded your vital readings.

"Then, after a few days of you being in that state, you started showing abnormal signs. Signs in the brain that we look for in children to identify them as Specials or humans. That's how we found out that through some bizarre occurrence, you became a Special."

I absorb the information. It makes some sort of sense, I guess. "What's my ability?"

"Ah. After two weeks of you showing signs of being a Special, one day, we noticed something stranger. We noticed that the shadows from the equipment seemed to all pull away from their objects, and seemed to instead originate from you. It was strange, but it's a common warning sign for shadow manipulators. We believe you've gained a certain version of that ability."

"Shadow manipulation," I whisper.

"Correct. The traits are more or less the same compared to a natural Special, but we want to run tests to see how you're different."

My breath catches in my throat. Test? They want to test on me to see what's so special about me? It doesn't feel right, and it shouldn't. I'm not a lab rat. If anything, I should be dead. My face must be showing my emotions, because Dr. Wilson flashes me a pitying smile.

"Now, now, Asher; you should've seen this coming. You and I both want the same thing right? To have all Specials eradicated. By testing you, we can unlock so much more knowledge, and maybe even find a way to exterminate the pests we so loathe once and for all."

Pests. That word makes an strange sort of anger flare up in me. Ryan was never a pest. He was a human boy. My human b- wait...what am I thinking? He wasn't mine. He'll never be mine. He's across the building with someone else, probably already almost completely void of most emotions. How can I be thinking such a thing when he's not here with me?

"Sir," I start, looking him directly in the eye. "You can do what you want to me, but only on one condition."

What am I saying? What condition? Why would he agree to it anyways? Dr. Wilson only cares about the science, not the human being involved. He never has, and never will, even when I'm involved.

"What is it, Asher?" He asks me, surprising me when he actually looks mildly concerned.

"You let me see Ryan. At least once. I need to see him," I tell him firmly, only realizing a second later what just came out of my mouth.

He looks at me, surprised by my request. "I'm sorry, but you cannot, Asher. Like I told you before, patients are not aloud to see other patients," he tells me, shaking his head with a sigh.

Damnit! His words send that previous anger ablaze. Why the hell can't I see him? It would only be once, and I'm not even a real patient. I'm a test subject.

Something strange pulls at the pit of my stomach, making my vision start to go black and white. It scares the crap out of me, to be honest, but my anger pushes it on, until Dr. Wilson gasps.

"Asher! Stop it! Your ability is manifesting. Calm down!" He demands, his eyes telling me nothing about what he truly feels at the moment.

His words somehow make me calmer, once I realize I'm gathering a large and dark cloud around me. I gasp, instantly breaking whatever haze I was in, causing my vision return to normal, and the dark cloud to dissipate. "Was that...?"

"Your ability. You triggered it with your anger, much like Ryan had," he tells me, before thinking for a moment. "We'll need to do some tests right away, and record what you just experienced. Come on, let's go to the lab."

He stands up, brushing invisible dust off his pants, before heading to the door. He turns to me and motions for me to come with him.

I stand up, feeling sick. That was strange, and I honestly don't want to relive it.

We walk to the lab, me trailing behind to look at the cells as we pass by. Somewhere across the building, Ryan's in one of those. It makes my heart pang again, something I'm finding happens often now, especially when I think of him. Why? I'm not certain yet.

But I'm certain about one thing: I will see him again, whether they like it or not.

This is the last chapter I have fully written. Again I'm so sorry I couldn't continue this book!