Glitches in My Code

Pen and pencil

His hands were smudged with black ink and covered in grey pencil. He had been drawing all night.

"Why are you doing this to yourself? It can't be good for you." I ask, gently but firmly holding his hand in mine, palm facing the gloomy morning sky. He grabs my wrist with his other, only slightly less monochromatic, hand.

"Don't you get it?! I can finally help people! I can draw what they need and they get it! I've never been able to help people like this before, and I don't know if this will disappear, so I have to use it while I can!" He exclaims, voice frantic, eyes wide.

"But what good can you be to people if you die from exhaustion? This... this... this power as you call it... you can't let it control your life! It's a part of you, yes, but it isn't you." I reply, stumbling over my words."You were perfectly happy before this thing showed up. Why does that have to change?"

"Life is full of change. You should know that by now, and you just have to accept that. Maybe I should draw a book of common sense and give it to you." He looks hurt as he pulls his hand out from my grip, turning and walking away. "I thought you would be happy I was helping all those people. I guess I thought I knew you better than I do."

"That's... that's not what I'm saying..." My voice trails off as he walks out of earshot. 

"Some power it is... Seems more like a curse if you ask me." I grumble as I make my way down the sidewalk, head down as I complain to myself. "He can't seem to think about anything else, he's not sleeping anymore, and he's forgetting who he is. 'Don't you see? I can finally help people!' It's not like you couldn't before, just that you couldn't be bothered to. That only changed because now it's easy for you to do it. It's a good thing that you're helping people, but you can't devote your life to drawing stuff for other people. You can and should give to others, but don't give your life to others instead of yourself." I keep muttering as I duck into my apartment complex.