Chapter 26

I woke to a bright white room. I felt fully rested, but pain still pushed through my veins. I slipped the white and light blue sheets off me and jumped off the bed. The carpet was a tan and calm color. This whole room looked like it came from a beach house. I walked around the bed to a large window that sat directly in the center of the light blue wall. I slid open the shades to look out onto a private beach that the house had its foundation planted on. Outside the siding glass window was a light wood deck. I opened the door and stepped out to smell the familiar salty sent. I looked down to a grey driveway leading up to the front of the house. I stepped back into the room and left the lace curtains whipping in the ocean breeze. I hoped that by the time I came back in the room it would smell like the ocean.

                I opened my white door and stepped into the light hall and walked toward, what I hoped would be the main room. I came to a large sitting room with white wicker and soft fluffy couches. All the floors were bright white wood that would be slick if it was wet. I walked further into the room to get a better look. There was a large flat screen plasma TV sitting in the corner of the room. I went and ran my hand across the top of it. This was the largest TV I had seen in awhile. I could imagine someone worshipping this TV on Sunday nights for their football games. The thought of football sent a cut of pain through my heart. I stopped and grabbed at the beating muscle for a few minutes. It wasn’t beating the way it used to�"full and excited for life. Now it was as if it just beat to keep me barely breathing. My body was giving up more than I was.

                I turned around in an attempt to forget about my troubles. I saw a wide open kitchen that seemed to be the main focus of this house. Windows and sliding glass doors looked out over the beach from the light room. I slowly strolled into the kitchen and ran my hand across the granite countertops. It was painted the same light ocean blue as the rest of the house. Everything in this house was either; white, light blue, or glass�"I loved it. There were strange straight dry decorative grasses coming from white ceramic vases decorating the whole house.

                No one seemed to be in the house. There wasn’t even evidence that anyone lived in the house. I sighed and took the alone time to shower. It felt like years since I’d been clean. I walked back towards my room until I found the bathroom directly across from my room.

The bathroom was white and blue�"the same as everywhere else. The shower was the grey sandy color from before in the kitchen. I took off my shirt and realized how dirty it was. It still had blood from my mother on it I instantly threw it onto the floor. I looked down at myself and saw that I was nothing but skin and bones. It seemed that my body had restored its previous state�"thin.

                I kicked off my pants and started the warm shower. The water felt nice over me. I looked down to see dirt and blood run from my body into the drain. How dirty was I? I felt sorry for anyone who had to see me these past few weeks. I put shampoo through my hair, it seemed longer, but hey I hadn’t showered in a week almost. It more than likely grew�"usually that’s what hair does. The white shampoo cleaned out dirt and grime from my hair. As I conditioned I also scrubbed my whole body down with a bar of soap. I cleaned underneath my fingernails and every crack that I could find in myself. I was never one to actually be dirty, so getting clean was a priority.

                Bruises still lined my side from the fight with Jerry. I was glad to see that they were still there�"reminding me. Jerry, what would he think? Would he even be worried? Would he look for me like my mother? No. I answered my own question. He wouldn’t care. If anything he hardly knew I was there. I crouched down in the shower and sat on the floor. I leaned up against the glass doors and let the water fall on me. I could fall asleep there curled up in the corner.

                I missed my mom, but mostly I missed Phoenix. It seems like an awful thing to say, but Phoenix loved me more than my mother even imagined she could. Not a second went by that I didn’t think about him, even in this new strange place. He was always on my mind, but how could he not be? He was my first for everything; my first real relationship, my first kiss, my first love, and my first lover. I didn’t want to be separated from him, but now that’s where I’ve ended up. All alone, with some strange Hero who really seemed like a hard a*s.

All I wanted was for Phoenix to tell me it would be alright. Actually all I wanted was anyone to tell me it was alright. No one ever seemed to say that. All they ever did was apologize for what happened. Why would they apologize? It was my fault wasn’t it? Of course it was. Who am I kidding? I’m the reason my mother is being buried tomorrow. Not tomorrow. It can’t be tomorrow. I can’t do this tomorrow. I’m not ready to say good bye. Not yet. 

                Tears rolled down my face, connecting with the shower droplets. I guess I wasn’t dried out. Would I ever be? I don’t want to live my whole life like this. I repeatedly hit my head against the glass surround the shower. What have I done with my life? Why did I ever let anyone like Phoenix even close to me? I somehow, in the back my mind, knew that he would hurt me. It all seemed too perfect. Nothing could actually be that perfect. Yet I still let him in? Was this all my fault too? Of course! Everything seems to be my fault. How did I manage to completely ruin my life?

I didn’t want to think about life anymore�"it was too painful. I shut the warm water off and stepped out of the shower. The tears were still streaming but they were no longer sobs. Tears just seemed to fall out now as if I didn’t have the power to stop them I was just leaking. I grabbed my pants off the floor and pulled them up around my waist. I grabbed one of the perfectly folded towels from the rack and rubbed it over my head to dry my hair. When I did that I decided to wipe the mirror steam off and take a good look at how sick I really was. When I did it wasn’t me there. I screamed as loud as I could and jumped back.

                The man looking back in that silver reflector did the same thing that I did. I freaked out even more. The Collin now had dark black hair that hung over his eyes�"his silver eyes. This was the Collin I saw strangling Jerry. The silver eyes stared back at me piercing right through me. I wiped at the steam again and got my face really close to the small square on the wall. My skin had become paler, softer. My muscles were more toned despite the not eating thing. I touched the mirror and so did the man in the mirror. I ripped away and ran out the door. 

                A man was standing at the end of the hallway with a plastic water bottle in his hands. He looked down the hall at me. My knees got weak and I leaned onto the wall next to me. He ran over to me and grabbed me by the waist. His strong arms pulled me into him and helped me with the support that I needed. I breathed him in and what I smelt was a very distinct aroma�"rain and ocean. “You smell good.” I said and his hands released my body dropping me to the floor. I fell to my knees onto the light wood beneath me. Kneeling next to me, he hurried down to my level.

                “Sorry, that’s not what I was expecting.” He said in perfect English. I didn’t get weak from my obvious condition. This man was beautiful, more beautiful than Veronica�"or anyone for that matter�"could dream to be. He was obviously from somewhere near islands. He had thick beautiful tan skin that complimented every feature he had perfectly. It melted my knees and made me weak. Instead of having dark hair like someone from the islands would. He had dazzling white hair that curled throughout the large mane of locks. His eyes brows and eye lashes were a dark black that accentuated his dark grey eyes. His eyes were the same as the Hero holding me the night before, it had to be him. I didn’t recognize him because now he was shirtless with some basketball shorts on. Sweat ran down his chest magnificently as if he had been out exercising.

His hands held my shoulders so delicately�"as if he knew I would break if he touched too hard. His eyes watched me like a hawk, so intently and directly as if I was the only thing to be worth focusing on. I pointed to the bathroom�"ready to trust him. “Who’s in the mirror?” I watched as my finger trembled towards the small bathroom.

                The Hero looked into the door and back at me. “You?” he said politely trying to not make me sound crazy.

                “That’s not me.” I said and gasped for air. My voice shook as I tried to speak.  His eye brows sunk and he looked at me.

A smirk appeared on his face. “We have a lot to talk about. Why don’t you get dressed so I can tell you about it?” He rubbed my shoulders gently and helped me up.

                “I don’t have any clothes. They’re all home.”

                He smiled with perfectly white and straight teeth, “I know, but don’t worry. I took care of all that.”

                I spun around and went back into the light room where I had woken up. I opened the closet to see a giant room. I stepped in to see all my old clothes and shoes, plus a ton of new things too. The Hero had walked in behind me, “You’re starting a new life, and I thought maybe you’d like to have a fresh new wardrobe to match.”

“It’s wonderful.” I said, exasperated, as I ran my hands over the new fabrics. New jeans hung up perfectly by pant hangers. I’d never had my closet this organized. I went through each layer. There were now dress clothes in my closet. I’d never had dress clothes.

                The Hero left. My ears listened to his perfect light melodic footsteps. I picked out a pair of new designer jeans with built in wear and tear. I paired it with a tight slim fit black tee. I looked at myself in the mirror. My, now, black hair was a mess on top of my head. I brushed my fingers through it a couple times. Not only had my hair turned black, but so did my eyebrows and eyelashes. I gawked at myself in the mirror. Was I more attractive? Doubt it, maybe that was just happening with age.

                I walked out to the main room again. The Hero was in the kitchen drinking some more water. He watched me seriously once again as I walked into the kitchen. I sat at the bar across from him. I folded my hand in front of me on the counter and watched him as he watched me. He set the glass down and stood with his arms holding his weight in front of him.

                The urge to reach out and touch him was too much. I’d never had such an attraction to someone before, not even Phoenix. I mean, sure Phoenix was quite attractive but he was nothing compared to this man and for a minute I almost forgot about Phoenix. I wanted to jump on this new Hero right now. He had changed into a pair of tan shorts with flip flops and a green t-shirt. “Firstly, do you have any questions you’d like answered before I start my whole thing?”

I nodded indicating my question. I took a moment to pick out one question from the pool of thoughts in my mind. “Who are you?” I finally asked the words with a slight hitch in my voice.

                He smiled kindly ignoring the tremble in confidence. “I’m Ryszard Khtulu.” My eyes got huge in amazement at each letter. What kind of name was that? “Or you can call me Rylan. Actually I’d prefer it.”

                ‘Rylan,’ I said in my head over and over again. It was strange, it almost seemed like the name was already printed in my mind. Once again I listened to all the questions in my mind but one continued to stick out, “Who are you?” I asked out loud making known that he didn’t really answer the question the first time.

                Rylan laughed and looked at me with a glimmer in his eyes. There was a huge difference from when he was a Hero compared to now. He walked over to the fridge gracefully and grabbed the fridge handle. “Would you like anything?”

                “Whiskey, if you have it.” I cleared my throat and got a little more comfortable on the stool beneath me.

                Rylan pulled out some water and handed it to me as if he ignored my request. “You won’t be drinking while you’re here.”My mouth gaped open. Who was he to tell me what I could or couldn’t do? “It’s not healthy.”

                “Maybe for you,” I hissed under my breath.

                Rylan slammed his water bottle on the countertop. I jumped and tried to act like I hadn’t. “No.” He said sternly, “it’s not good for anyone.”

                I nodded, agreeing to something I didn’t agree to.  As my voice shook, once again I said, “Who are you?”

                “I’m Rylan Khtulu.” His chest puffed out a little when he spoke his name once again. “You may know me best by my family’s Island.” Again, nothing fired off in my brain cells. I still had no idea who he was. “That’s where Ryder went when he went to school. It’s a secret Island that has the largest school for Heroes. It’s a place for them to come and learn about their powers as they get them. It is near Hawaii. No one, unless you’re a Hero, can find it. It’s protected by powers.” He walked around to my side of the counter and he sat in the stool next to me. He spun it so he faced me.

He continued with his explanation. “I’m a professor there, I teach the anatomy part of Heroes. I’m twenty six years old and one of their greatest educators.

                “Wow,” I said sarcastically, “you’re pretty cool then I guess.”

                He didn’t change, “Would you like me to tell you now about what you have?”

                It was bound to happen eventually, I might as well listen to it. I nodded and he started. “You have what I call the Khtulu virus. I found it when I was eighteen. Heroes, mainly absorbers, like Phoenix and I. We have a gene we-“

                “Absorbers?” I asked. Rylan didn’t have to speak two words before I was lost and confused. My eyebrows twisted together as I tried to fathom everything he was trying to explain.

                “You don’t know about Phoenix’s powers?”

                My eyes shied away and looked down at the counter. I looked at each grain in the granite. “I never really asked. I figured it was a delicate subject.”

                Rylan smiled at me “I’m sure he wouldn’t have minded.” Rylan’s grey eyes looked over my whole body once before continuing. “See, Phoenix and I aren’t normal Heroes. We were born with a certain gene, an extra gene. Our power is to absorb other’s powers.” I thought about this a moment it would make sense. Phoenix hadn’t fully developed Ryder’s powers so he couldn’t warp people without making them sick. That gene must have something to do with it.  Rylan looked at me and saw that I had made sense of his first sentence. “When we,” he paused choosing his words carefully “make love to others, when our blood mixes with others it creates a type of virus. The blood mixes and deforms all your genes, slowly turning you into one of us.” I felt all of the information processing in my mind. I’d heard this kind of logic. It was the same logic that seemed to be taught in every single Sex Ed class I’d had since 7^th grade�"STD’s. I’d never heard of an STD turning you into some magical creature.

                “Wait.” I seemed to realize what Rylan was saying now. I grabbed the end of the counter and gasped, “I’m a Hero?”

                “Well it takes more than just genes to make you a Hero. But physically yes. You are becoming one.”

                My mind spun on this fact. Me, a hero? My mind went back to a conversation I had with Jo. We decided that it, of course, would be cool but totally not worth it. Was it worth it now? As a Hero you were always wanted and needed to save people. You could never tell anyone, unless of course you were an Oreson. Your whole life would be changed and you wouldn’t have control over it. Almost like what was happening to me right now.

“There’s still a lot that needs to be said and learned. But the most important for you to know now is that you must learn how to control that once gene or it will take over your body and you will die.” His eyes looked over my whole body once again as he spoke softly.

                “Nothing like being subtle, huh?”  I spat my words at him and returned my face to the granite.

                His hand touched mine and electric currents ran through my body and shot out my ears. The pain shooting through me was so good�"but immense. Rylan’s hand snapped away as if he was touching a hot stove, “Sorry.” He said quickly as he realized his mistake. He sighed and looked away from me, “We’ll start training tomorrow after the funeral.” This conversation had completely thrown me for a loop. I had forgotten about the funeral. I shuddered at the thought. “Oh I almost forgot, you can’t tell anyone.” Rylan added during my quick panic attack.

                “What? why not?” I whined thinking of all the people I would brag to�"or show off to.

                A mischievous smile crossed his face and a devious plan being devised behind his grey eyes. “You do want to completely take over the Oreson’s job now�"don’t you?” He was speaking to my inner most person now, “You now have the ability to put Larsen in his place.”

                “More than ever.”

                Only a few things were established in this conversation: Phoenix Oreson had in fact poisoned me with his Hero blood causing me to slowly turn into a Hero�"which was totally unexpected, I could die from this strange virus; I had a bizarre attraction to this random Hero, Rylan, who saved me on top of a lonely building in downtown Miami; and I was about to go on the most epic and exciting journey that would lead me to happiness�"I hoped. 

Reviews

[Bookboy]

I really loved this story and thought you did a really good job of fleshing out the characters. You really feel for Collin/Shiloh when he loses all those people close to him. He goes through hell so many times I'm surprised he doesn't become a villain. I would've. Although, the constant errors was a little annoying.