Inhuman Being

Inhuman Being: Chapter 1 - The Condition

My horrendous coughing woke me up, my breath icy cold. I shiver and wrap myself in a wool blanket I keeped by my bedside, incase of moments like this. I could feel the cold running up my spine as if someone has just poured ice water directly onto the bone, stiffening my body. It travels to my brain freezing over hell itself. Ice formed a frosted cover over my organs, my blood pumped by drops. Air came in and out by chops, my lungs refused it. I coughed again and, pieces of crushed ice came flying out of my mouth. "Great, it's happening again", I said quietly between blue lips unsurprised to see crystals of charred ice spat in front of me. I tried to keep my coughing to a minimum as to not alarm my dad. He knows about my condition, but not to its fullest extent. My condition used to be just slight chills, slight coughing, and icy fingertips. It has now escalated to the point where both of my hands can turn a pale shade of blue, and my body stiffens to the point where I'm immobile.

I don't want him to have to worry, I can handle it myself. It doesn't last long anyway. Usually goes as quickly as it comes. Never more than three minutes tops. I timed it once before, then a time after that to make sure.

With this condition that not even the internet has the answers for, comes an extreme sensitivity to heat. Summer heat eats away at my skin like maggots to a dead doe. When heat doesn't pay a toll on my body physically it's guaranteed to mentally, with constant heat flashes in any degree that lands over room temperature, and even room temperature isn't comfortable to be in.

Ice thawed from my body, leaving me with a borderline orgasmic sensation. I worm out of the wool blanket kicking it off my bed once I'm better. I don't want to get overheated.

Just as I felt the first wave of sleep nearing my eyes it was shattered by my step mother's faint, "Rowen, get ready for school, you're going to miss the bus."
I roll out of bed landing with a great thud, purposefully trying to be loud as to wake up anyone else who was peacefully sleeping. "I almost died. The least you could do is let me sleep it off", I mutter, face into ground.

I conscientiously run down the flight of uneven stairs into the kitchen, trying to slip on a baby blue tank top under the bookbag I already had on.
"Bye pop", I call out as I fly across the kitchen floor. He's always neck deep in bills. I bet most of those are Andrea's.

"Wait Rowen", he calls out to me.

"Yea dad, what is it, I anxiously call back, antsy to leave. My bus is coming any second. "I'm kind of in a rush."

He stares at me, his eyes locking with mine, "Did you take your pill"?

I solemnly say yes, and try to head out the door only to be called back again.

"Yes dad", I answer, slightly irritated. His eyes once again lock onto mine as he says I love you to me.

"Dad, what's wrong, last time you said you loved me you came home with Andrea. I let my body relax it's self, allowing myself to see composing pain in his eyes. "I can miss a day if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you". Walking over to him, I place a gentle hand on his shoulder creating a safe space for us. "We're a team remember"?

"It's nothing like that Rowan", he says dipping his shoulder to make my hand fall of, dismissing any attempts at comfort. He was never one to talk about how felt. Instead he'd leave noticeable signs to pick up on. Not for the reasoning of pity, though i'd be understandable to get confused. "You need to stay ahead of your work in school". He hesitates before continuing, "You'll be heading off to college soon".
"Missing school is not as serious as it sounds, I can miss a day if it's really that ba-"

Just as I was about to finish that sentence I see my bus speeding past my stop from the corner of my eye.

"Oh crap! Later dad, love you too", I shout back at him, and B-line it across my front yard flailing my arms above my head and shouting, desperately trying to get the driver's attention. "Wait", "Stop"! I keep yelling as if my life depends on it.