I felt energized, more energized than I had ever felt. I just got out of bed and felt like I could bench press an entire house.
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"Wow," I said with a smile as I looked down at my hands, my fingers twitching, unable to stay still. I had never felt this way before, and I honestly hoped it wouldn't end.
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I began to get dressed, picking up whatever I found on my floor. There was only one problem...
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"Shit!" I yelled as my hands tore through my shirt, ripping it apart with ease. "That's my second favorite shirt," I muttered, looking down at my destroyed clothes. I guess having all this energy wasn't such a good thing.
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"Careful, careful," I said to myself as I picked up another shirt, black, with an unrecognizable logo on it. I slowly put my arms through the sleeves, put on some shorts, and walked towards the door.
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I reached down, grabbed the handle, and was about to turn it, but something stopped me. I could feel the metal of the handle bending around my fingers.
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"What the hell?" I said as I let go of the handle. "What the hell is happening?"
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I thought about the dream I had last night. I thought about Hazel's warning and the full moon. Could my new strength be related to all of that?
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"No," I said, shaking my head. "That's nonsense. This is all because of that damn vial." I shook my fist in front of my face. "All of these dreams, all this strange stuff happening to me, it's all because of that bastard," I said, thinking about the bearded guy in the lab coat.
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"I'll be fine," I said as I opened the door and walked out of the room, hoping this day wouldn't be too weird.
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I walked down the hall, my body tingling with every step. It was like I could feel every strand of the carpet. My nose was also on fire. I could literally smell everything—some sweet, some sour, others not so good. I did my best to ignore it all, hoping I wouldn't go insane.
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I walked down the stairs and headed toward the living room, where I found my mom watching TV.
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"Morning," I said as I headed for the door and began to put on my shoes.
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"Hey, hold on, where's the fire?" my mom asked.
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"I'm going to meet up with the boys before school," I said.
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"Oh, is that all?" my mom asked, rolling her eyes. "Well, do you think you have a little time to spare for your mom?" she asked, patting the couch cushion next to her.
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I sighed as I walked over and sat down. "Sure, what's up?"
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She turned to face me, her expression softening. "How have you been feeling since you got out of the hospital?"
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"I've been fine," I said, trying to sound convincing.
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"Well, the front door that you busted yesterday isn't," she said, nodding toward the door that was now leaning against the wall, unhinged.
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I looked at the door and winced. "Sorry about that."
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She sighed and shook her head. "I was so worried when you were in the hospital. I don't want you doing something stupid."
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I laughed. "Then how am I supposed to have fun?"
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She chuckled, shaking her head. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"
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"Yeah, I promise," I said, standing up.
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"Have a good day," she said, giving me a warm smile.
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"Thanks, Mom," I said, heading for the door again. This time, I opened it gently and stepped outside and was met with the same breeze against my face and the same loud noises that assaulted my ears all at once, but this time it didn't hurt as much.
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I was really hoping that meant it wasn't going to be a bad day.
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I began to smile as every nerve in my body seemed to scream out in joy. I wanted to run.
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I jumped off the stairs that led to my front door, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, I began to sprint down the street.
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I ran fast, faster than I had ever run in my life. I could feel the wind rushing through my hair as my feet picked up more and more speed.
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My body urged me on, begging me to go faster, and soon everything seemed to fade away, becoming nothing but a blur. Before I knew it, I was at my destination: an old, broken house that stood next to the woods leading up into the mountains.
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I tried to catch my breath, wanting only to run more but restraining myself as I looked up at the torn-down house where my friend Charlie lived.
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I walked toward the door, and before knocking, I heard Charlie and his dad having an argument.
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"I told you, I'm not going to quit school!" Charlie yelled.
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"You're wasting your time there, boy," his dad slurred. "You think you're better than me? Think you can make something of yourself?"
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"Yeah, maybe I do! At least I'm trying!" Charlie shot back.
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"You ungrateful little—" His dad's voice rose, then dropped into a harsh whisper, too low for me to hear.
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I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of anger. I never liked Charlie's dad. He was nothing but an alcoholic, always putting Charlie down.
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The door flew open, and Charlie stormed out, slamming it behind him. He stopped short when he saw me.
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"Leyton!" he yelled, his face a mix of surprise and relief.
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"Hey, Charlie," I said, trying to smile despite the tension still hanging in the air.
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Charlie took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry you had to hear that."
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"No problem," I said, waving it off. "I just got here."
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Charlie nodded, his expression softening a bit. "Thanks for coming, man. I needed to get out of there."
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"Anytime," I said. "You want to go for a walk or something?"
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Charlie glanced back at the house, then back at me. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
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We started walking away from the house, the sounds of the argument fading behind us. Charlie seemed lost in thought, and I didn't push him to talk. Instead, I focused on the feel of the ground beneath my feet and the sounds of the world around me.
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"So, how have you been?" Charlie asked after a while, breaking the silence.
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I hesitated, wondering how much to tell him. "Weird, honestly. Ever since I got out of the hospital, things have been... different."
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"Different how?" Charlie asked, looking at me with concern.
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I looked down at the ground and smiled. "Charlie? There's something I need to tell you."
***
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Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUqG9ri6G2U
and then Add to home screen.