True Fiction

Chapter 2: Human

"Why don't I let Natasha show you around the house. I need to collect your blueprints. I'll be back in a few hours." Ashen's Mother said as she got up and left the room.

Ashen turned to look at his sister who remained silent throughout the whole recount.

"Natasha?"

"Oh sorry." She snapped out of her silence and focused on Ashen.

"I just... forgot what it's like to have a little brother after all these years." She said sadly as she stood up. Ashen followed suit, making Natasha realise how tall and mature her brother had become after all those years.

"It's ok," Ashen replied not wanting to make his sister feel sad. He didn't even know how to feel right now. The whole story was so bizarre. Too many missing pieces.

"Come with me." She said softly. Ashen followed her around the house which was enormous for 3 people. The master bedroom meant for two looked too big. Natasha showed him her room and an empty room Ashen assumed was meant for him. The living room, study, kitchen all so familiar to Ashen. The yard outside messy and unkempt, as if it hasn't been cleaned for years.

As they walked back from the yard, Ashen peered at a surprisingly battered room, taped and sealed off. A searingly painful memory suddenly went off in his head. He winced in pain.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Natasha panicked. Ashen nodded, recovering from the shock. Taking his mind off weird painful memories, he sat down with his sister.

"What is it that people do normally?" Ashen asked seriously. Natasha stared, bewildered, wondering if her brother was really some alien robot. "Well, we eat, sleep, go to school or work, hang out with friends." She listed off.

Ashen swept his messy black hair to the side, his soft brown eyes shimmering in curiosity. "Is it weird that I don't want to go to school?" Natasha laughed at her brother. "No one wants to." She said mischievously, "What a bad influence I am." Ashen cocked his head to the side, not understanding the joke.

"I feel emotions, have memories, sense pain, read humans like a psychological book. However, I don't feel the need to learn. I have all this information when I close of my eyes and at the snap of my fingers, understanding so much more than anyone on earth could ever know, yet it's all so empty." Ashen ranted. Natasha patiently listened watching as her brother's eyes glowed from brown to electric blue. Mother had told her this would happen when he was 'thinking'.

Ashen suddenly grabbed his sister's hand and pulled her in, causing her to fall on top of him. Her head was hot and flushed as she stared down at her unfeeling brother who gently pushed her back up. "Is this how you make a woman feel better?" Ashen asked.

Natasha slapped her brother hard, causing him to recoil in shock. "What was that for?" Ashen said in pain and confusion. "For someone as 'smart' as you, you have no idea how to treat a girl properly." Natasha huffed, still blushing a deep red. She quickly muttered an apology. He had just returned.

"The colour on your face indicates that you enjoyed the experience," Ashen said. Natasha facepalmed. "It's very rude to show such intimacy to a girl you know? Thank goodness I'm your sister and not some random person." Natasha scolded.

"I'm sorry, I'll keep that in mind," Ashen said quietly. Natasha's glared softened as she ruffled her brother's hair. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get used to being alive again soon." Ashen smiled confidently back, nodding his head.

"Natasha. Do you know if I had any friends?" Ashen asked. Natasha's expression changed "Yes. They'll be dying to meet you! There's news of your resurrection all over the city. Do you remember any of them."

Ashen shook his head sadly.

Natasha then frowned. "In all honesty, I haven't seen your friends in a long time." She smiled sheepishly. "I may also have forgotten their names." She racked her brains to remember even at least one of them.

"Do you know a Ryan?" Natasha asked. Ashen was about to shake his head when a flash of memories went through his mind. This time, not painful, almost delightful. Yet a red, ambient glow was tearing it to shreds in his imagination. A brutal force that scared him half to death. The young, dark-haired Asian boy in his mind becoming more and fainter. Ashen screamed loudly as he gripped his aching head.

Natasha rushed over to calm him down. What was happening now?

He looked at his sister gratefully. "Thanks so much... Sis. I'm fine" Natasha giggled, "You used to call me Nata just saying." Ashen took note of that.

"Well bye, Nata," Ashen said, heading for the door. Natasha's jaw dropped. "Where are you going? We just got you back you know? Now you're doing weird stuff and getting headaches." Ashen looked intently at his Sister. "I... I'm going to find Ryan. Don't let mom worry about me okay?" Ashen said.

"What if you get lost or someone mugs you or something. There's still a lot you don't know about the world outside. When you left us you had only turned seven." Natasha panicked.

"I have a GPS in my brain and I'll call you with my... something if anything goes wrong ok? I may or may not have found your number." Ashen replied as he continued to walk out the door.

His sister nodded silently, thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. "Please be safe." She pleaded in her heart, not wanting to lose her brother for the second time.

*************

In all honesty, Ashen lied. About his GPS brain and calling. He had just thought of a good way to convince his sister.

Ashen has no idea where he was going, yet a certain internal compass directed him slowly to the richer and richer district of the city. Houses grew larger and larger until Ashen finally stopped at what seemed to be a mansion. The huge three-story house came with an outdoor swimming pool and its own garden. Yet the peaceful house emitted an eccentrically gloomy glow.

Ashen looked at the name printed in large letters on the front. "JACKSON RESIDENCE." The name same as the one he saw in the virtual map in his brain. Yet faintly, another name could be seen at the back, erased for some reason.

Just as he was about to press the doorbell, a hand roughly pulled him back into a bush beside the gate. Ashen thinking he was really getting mugged, swung his fist clumsily at the shady figure in the bush. He dodged Ashen's punch easily and forced him into a choke hold, speaking for the first time.

"Who are you and what do you want here?" The person snarled. Ashen calmed down, eerily recognizing the voice. The mature, Asian voice still familiar to his ears. "I'm Ashen Tohero and I'm here to see my friend," Ashen stated clearly. The person released him and spoke softly.

"Is that really you, Ashen?"