"What did I just do" James said to himself in a surprise tone as the curtain and shower in front of him were now burning in fire.
James immediately opened the door and ran out trying to escape the fire. Immediately he opened the door he saw Martha Edward and Carlos Edward who were just outside the door.
Smoke came out of the bathroom as James opened the bathroom doors. Immediately Martha and Carlos noticed the fire through the smoke they ran to bring water.
Carlos was the first to reach there and he brought water and poured it on the shower and curtain that were catching flames and the flames extinguished.
"what is really going on James" Carlos said to James. "and we want full explanation" Martha added.
*******
They were all sitting at the dinning table. Martha Edward and Carlos Edward were both shocked at the words spoken to them by James.
James had just explained the whole story to both of them, he had left no detail, he explained how something hot left his eyes and how he had a dream about a girl called Layla.
"The dream felt so real" James said while looking at both of them.
"we can tell it was, you were shouting remember" Martha added trying to make him laugh a little. But James found nothing funny.
James actually left the part of something in his head. James could feel like there was someone talking to him through his head something it happened once a while. it was that person in his head that gave him the name JAMES THEODORE. James did not bother to tell them because he found it irrelevant and it sounded foolish.
Imagine telling people that you can feel someone inside you, what would they say about you. They might think you are crazy. And besides he did not know if he was just daydreaming about the voice or it was really in existence.
"So you actually can't remember anything about yourself except your name, how is that possible, if you were to forget everything you could have forgotten your name as well" Carlos said to James in a serious tone. He felt like James was hiding some part of the story from them.
"I woke up at an hospital I can't remember the name nor do I remember the location, but if I see the hospital I would know instantly" James replied. "it was the hospital nurse that told me my name was James THEODORE" he then lied.
The Nurse in reality had actually not given James any name, It all came from the voice inside his head.
"how can you leave an hospital and you don't know the way back, we can't buy this your story, you might be a serial killer or something" Carlos Edward said to James.
It was like an interaction between a police officer asking a suspect questions.
Before James could reply, Martha stepped in: "why would you say such words, James had done no harm to us, and besides we both agree that he would be living early in the morning, didn't we?" she said these words to her husband offended by the way he asked James questions.
Only Carlos knew what he was scared of. His wife only knew he was scared of something but since he refused to tell her, she only had hints. Carlos Edward had been security cautious these past few days.
James was a little bit confused of the question, but he tried his best not to sound ride in his reply: "I have told you nothing but the truth, if I was a serial killer I would have burnt you alive with my heat vision".
"Although James did not know how to do that again, it happened unexpectedly. He still had confidence he could do it again.
"That's a good point; you are leaving tomorrow morning," Carlos Edward replied in an offensive tone as he left the dining table and slammed the door as he entered his room.
"Please don't take it too personally," Martha Edward told James THEODORE, seeing the offended look on his face.
"Okay, ma," James said to her, trying to crack a smile on his face.
"So how did you fly the other day? My husband said you fell from the sky. Please explain that part."
James's senses were somewhere else at this time, as his mind was elsewhere. He could hear a conversation going on in a room where Carlos was. The room was at the end of the house, and Carlos was speaking quietly so that others wouldn't hear. What James didn't realize was that he had activated his super hearing abilities once again. Martha couldn't hear anything.
"Please, I just need more time," Carlos said to an unknown caller through his phone.
"Time is no man's friend or enemy. I have given you more time than you need, and yet you fail to perform your part of the bargain," an unknown caller said to Carlos. James recognized the masculine voice; it was the same voice that had spoken to Carlos earlier that afternoon.
"I will be waiting for you," the unknown man said as he ended the call immediately without listening to Carlos's response.
Carlos's heart rate increased, and it was clear he was scared. James could hear his heartbeat clearly. Carlos then attempted to calm himself, but he couldn't.
"What is Carlos so scared of?" James said these words aloud, unaware that Martha, who was sitting opposite him at the dining table, could hear.
"Carlos, my husband, what do you mean? Do you know something I don't know about?" she asked James.
James had previously spoken to Martha when she inquired about how he fell from the sky, but he didn't provide her with an answer. He merely turned his head rightward, facing the direction of their room. She didn't press him further, thinking it was his choice to share that information. However, this time she wanted a response because it concerned her husband.
"Give me an answer!" she shouted at James as she tapped his wrist gently.
"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" James said to her.
She found his response rude, as she had been talking to him all this while, and all he did was look in the direction of their room, as if she wasn't there, and then he asked her if she was talking to him. This would appear rude to anybody. But the truth was that James didn't actually hear her. Unknowingly to him, his senses had been focused on the call between Carlos Edward and the Unknown Man.
"Don't worry, I will ask my husband myself first thing tomorrow morning," she replied to him in an assertive tone as she left the dining table.
James was confused. He wondered why he could hear the conversation between Carlos Edward and the caller, but his wife could not. He didn't know at the time that he had super senses and how he could activate them.
When Martha entered the room, she opened the door gently and closed it softly behind her. She expected her husband to be asleep. But he wasn't. She decided to save all the questions for tomorrow morning. She herself was also sleepy, and Carlos had replied rudely to her earlier, so she wanted him to calm down. It would be better to ask him tomorrow.
Carlos was on the bed, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His eyes were wide open, a clear indication that he was not asleep.
"Good night, love," Martha said to Carlos as she lay down on the bed. Carlos was lost in thought and did not respond. She didn't press him and turned to face the other way, with her back to him, as she fell asleep.
"What should I do? How can I save myself from this? Will I die? Will he kill my wife? Will he kill my son, Miller? Should I tell my wife, or should I tell my son? Who should I tell?" These thoughts raced through his mind as he was about to sleep.
*******
James had left the dining table for the room that Carlos and Martha had provided for him to sleep.
"Keeping my existence was a good move on your part," a voice said in James's head.
James immediately stood up from his bed and checked all around him to see if anyone was talking to him, but he found no one.
"Is someone there? Why are you looking in all directions?" the voice said again.
"Who are you?" James said as he looked left and right, trying to find someone.
"I am in your head, you fool," the voice in his head uttered.
This made James a little calmer; he was now sure the voice in his head was real.
"Who are you?" James asked the voice inside his head.
"I don't have a name. You have to give me one. I have already given you a name," the voice replied.
"So, you just gave me the name James Theodore. Is that really my name?" James asked the voice with curiosity.
"I only gave you that name because you needed one at the moment, and I need a name to call you, just like you, I have no memory of who we are, and I also want to find out," the voice said to James.
"How did you get into my head?" James asked the voice in his head.
"How do you expect me to know? I woke up the same time you woke up. I am also curious to find out who we are," the voice said to James.
"Why do you always say 'We'?" James said to the voice, confused.
"This body belongs to both me and you. I can feel it, and you are just in control at the moment," the voice said.
"What do you mean?" James asked the voice.
"I can feel everything you feel, sense all that you touch, and can also see what you see," the voice replied to James. "We are connected. I can feel it. I would also like to be in control someday. So, what's up? Would you not give me a name?" the voice asked.
"I will give you a name later," James replied.
Since the voice in his head, which was another personality of its own, had given him a name, JAMES THEODORE, it was also right that James gave him a name in return. But right now, he had no name to give to him yet.
"We are friends," the voice said.
"How can we be enemies if we are sharing the same body?" James replied to the voice.
The voice was identical to his own voice. It was like he was talking to himself.
"The future will tell," the voice said to James.
James was now a little sleepy, and he fell onto the bed and fell asleep.
It was now morning, and the sun was shining. It was a sunny day. The wind blew from left to right, and the tree branches moved in the direction of the wind.
James THEODORE had just woken up and was sitting on his bed.
"Good morning, James THEODORE," the voice in his head said to him.
"Good morning, bro," James replied to the voice.
"How is this morning going to be like? We are already hungry. What are we going to do?" the voice asked him.
"I don't know yet," James replied to the voice.
Martha Edward and Carlos Edward had woken up. Carlos was outside in the cornfield, seemingly admiring it, but in reality, he was deep in thought: 'Can I escape this?'
Martha was looking at her husband through a window, worried about him. She went to meet her husband and gently tapped him on the shoulders. "Babe, food is ready. Is there anything wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?" she said.
"It's just about the debts," he lied to her again.
They both went inside the house.
"I will go and inform James," Martha said to her husband as she left.
James was looking at himself in the mirror in the room. "James, food is ready," she said to James as she knocked on the door.
"Thank you very much," James said to Martha.
They were all sitting at the dining table, and James was trying to break the silence.
"Is there anything I can do here, like any work? I don't need payment; I just want to help you guys because of the shelter you gave me the other night," James said these words while looking at both of them. He first looked at Martha and then looked at Carlos.
"So how do you plan on finding your home?" James asked in a rude tone. It was not because he did not want James at his house; it was because he was security cautious during this period, and James had powers he was scared of.
"Carlos, do not give our guest such a reply," Martha said as she playfully punched her husband's shoulder.
"It's okay, ma, I understand," James said to Martha.
"Now, this is making me uncomfortable. What do you know, James THEODORE, and what is my husband hiding from me?" She asked James in a serious tone.
"He is right there; you can ask him," James told her while looking at Carlos.
"What do you mean? I am not hiding anything from you," Carlos said.
"What bargain do you have with that Unknown caller?" James asked Carlos. Carlos was a little shocked as to why James, who had just stayed at his house one night, already knew about the caller. 'Does he know too much?' Carlos thought.
"I have nothing to say to you," Carlos replied in an aggressive tone, trying to end the topic immediately.
Martha knew Carlos did not want to say anything about the situation, so she let him be. She planned to talk to him about it later.
They were now done eating at the dining table, and James had thanked them for the meal.
James was given some work to do by Martha, and he gladly accepted it as his way of showing gratitude for what they had done.
"Hello, is anyone there? Knock, knock," James said inside his head.
He was trying to contact the other personality within him.
"You know you don't have to say words like that," the voice inside his head spoke to him.
James was milking the cows on the farm while talking inside his head.
"I just don't know how to contact you," James said inside his head.
"So won't you give me a name? I am still waiting," the voice said to James.
"Is it necessary? Why can't you just give yourself one?" James said to the voice a little confused.
"I gave you a name, which is James Theodore, and it would be right if you also gave me a name," the voice said to James.
"What was your name before you came into my head?" James asked the voice in his head with curiosity.
"Like I said earlier, I cannot remember anything. I also think this is my body, and you stole it from me," the voice said to James.
"What do you mean? Please enlighten me. This is my body. The only problem is I cannot remember anything. I cannot remember who I am, or who my parents are, or what my name really is," James said to the voice in his head.
"I also feel the same way," the voice said to James.
Little did they know that this body actually had two personalities. They both believed that this body belonged to either of them and the other had stolen it.
"So what about the pen?" The voice said to James.
"You know about the pen?" James asked the voice in his head.
"It was the pen attached to our shirt the day we woke up," the voice said to James.
"So you were really there this whole time," James said. "Can you remember the name of the hospital? I can't seem to locate that place or remember how I left," James asked again.
"It seems like we kind of denied gravity that day. From what I can remember, we were hit by a car, and when we woke up, we were at a hospital in a place where I cannot also remember."
"Wait a sec, me getting hit by a car should have damaged my bones, but I am still walking with both of my legs. Does that mean that we also have super healing abilities?" James interrupted.
"I don't know," the voice said back to James. "Now let me tell you what I can remember."
"A nurse was talking to us while we were lying on the hospital sick bed. Although we were not sick, she introduced herself to us as Isabella Patrick. I will never forget that name. She had bright-looking skin."
"Then we asked her if she knew our name, but before she could reply, you asked her another question. 'Did you guys take my pen?' you asked her angrily, like you were ready for a fight."
"Isabella Patrick then replied to us, saying: 'Don't worry, it's in good hands with us; we'll return it to you as soon as we learn you're safe.' You then asked her 'from what, exactly?' It was clear we were both confused."
"It's complicated, but please know that you are safe with us," the nurse spoke out to us.
"We started to hear people talking from another room. It was as if we were there, just like how we could hear Carlos Edward's little whisper clearly, but his wife could not. It is as if we have super hearing."
"I suspect this, but wait a minute. If you were in my body all this while, why did you not speak to me earlier?" James interrupted again.
"This is not your body; it is mine. If you don't want us to have an issue, just say 'our body.' The voice inside James's head replied to James angrily.
"I am sorry, but you can now continue the story," James said apologetically to the voice in his head.
"Good, we heard people talking. If I could remember correctly, their words were like this:"
"We are ready to transport him, and the government will send the funds to you as soon as he lands at our secure base."
"So, where is he so that we can capture him?" A man was talking to a lady, and we could hear them clearly.
"I can remember that part; those words sounded like they were trying to sell me... sorry, I meant us," James said to the voice in his head.
"I think I can remember from here now. I can remember that we tried escaping the place. When we peeked through the window, we could see it was at a height that could fracture our bones, so we did not decide to jump through the window. At that time, we did not know we had super healing abilities."
"I remember I waited for the men to enter the room, and also did Isabella Patrick follow them inside. One of them said to me... sorry, I meant us that we should raise our two hands up."
"We agreed and were shackled by them, but when we got out of the hospital, I remember I started running and someone shot my leg. That was when I fell, and the next thing I could remember was when I opened my eyes I could see Miller Edward in front of me." James was done speaking.
"Now here is the funny part of all of it: immediately, as you fell asleep when you were shot, it was as if I gained control of the boy for a moment, and your mind was exchanged with mine. Our skin, sorry, our skin turned very hot immediately, and when I stood up, I started levitating, which shocked everyone there. I could remember someone, and her name was Layla."
"Yes, I know that name. I believe she was my... sorry, our love interest. Do you know anything about her?" James interrupted again.
"No, I was about to ask you the same thing. We only had a dream about her last night. I believe it was a memory that played in our head. But I believe if we could find Layla, we would remember everything about us," the voice said. "I started flying into the air," the voice continued and was interrupted by James again, which was kind of annoying.
"How did you do that? I mean how did we fly?" James asked with curiosity.
"I felt heat around my entire body, and when I tried to remove those heats from my body, a blue-like energy came out of my body, and it pushed me into the sky. That was how I did it. When I started flying to an unknown destination, I said something that amazed me too: 'Layla, I am coming for you.' When I said those words at the moment, I could remember something. If I still think, I would remember."
The voice in his head started to think about what happened. "Argh!!!" They both shouted in pain; they were using the same brain, so they felt the same pain.
"Like I taught, whenever a memory is blurred in our head and we are trying to recall it, we will feel pain," The voice said to James.
"So you knew about this pain, and you still did this," the voice said to James.
"I just want to know who we are," the voice said back.
"After some time, I fell to the ground. It was like I could no longer deny gravity, and that's when I lost control, and you took over," The voice said to James.
"How did you take control of our body when you were flying?" James asked him out of curiosity.
"I honestly don't know," the voice replied. "Immediately I fell to the ground, you took over and..." Before he could complete his statement, James interrupted again.
"So you were the one who told me the name James THEODORE in my head," James said.
"Yes, that's correct," The voice said to James.
"I think I have a name for you," James said to the voice.
"What is it?" The voice answered.
"Edmund," James replied.
"Edmund Theodore," the voice replied.
James was a little bit upset that Edmund also took his surname, Theodore. But since they were like brothers, he did not take it too personally.
James was now finished milking the cows and had informed Martha that he was done.
Martha saw James as a brother. James's face looked familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where she had seen his face before.
*******
"Is he dead?"
"What happened to him?"
Passers-by said this after seeing a man on the ground who had been stabbed to death.
As authorities barred people from going through a specified area, this sight became a crime scene.
A forensic scientist was sent to the spot. The ambulances had arrived, carrying four guys who had been killed.
One of them was stabbed to death, while the remaining three were shot. This occurred in a restaurant.
The four men were just sitting at a table in the Eatery chatting because it had been a long time since they had met.
A lady entered and greeted them, dressed in black and wearing black glasses. Her shawl covered her face. She was clearly trying to conceal herself. She wore a black jacket and black trousers; everything she wore was black.
"Can I see you, Carlos?" she asked Carlos, who was seated with the other three at the same table.
"No, I can't. I already told your boss I can no longer get involved in that illegal business," Carlos said to her. It was clear from his words that he knew who she was and who sent her.
"You cannot just fail to perform your part of the bargain," the woman said to James while her hands were now on the table.
"He can," one of the men seated there said these words as he stood up from his seat. He raised his chest so that the woman could see he had a masculine figure. But she actually did not care about that.
"Bye, I just came to deliver a message, but since you don't want to hear it, I am leaving," she said to Carlos as she left.
"Dude, what have you gotten yourself into?" one of the people sitting at the same table with them asked Carlos. He was dressed in a blue T-shirt and black jeans. He had a beard all over his cheek. He was a lot hairier than the others.
Carlos was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and black pants.
"It was a mistake; I'm trying to get out, but I can't," Carlos remarked, frustrated.
The man who was standing had just sat down when he saw that the lady walked through the eatery's entrance.
"We have to do something about this because they could kill you today or tomorrow if we don't." The person who was once standing with a big chest had said to Carlos while sitting down on his seat.
"I understand, but how can I protect myself from him?" Carlos responded.
After talking for a while, they sat down in the Eatery for something not wanting to leave the place. It was now evening, and they had just gone out of the place but not too far away; they were just standing outside the Eatery.
"Please, sir, I need your help," a man said to them. He appeared crippled and could not move his limbs.
They walked over to the man. "What is it that you need our help with?" Carlos asked.
"Why don't you want to fulfill your part of the bargain the boss told you to do? Remember, he saved your life. Can you recall when our boss saved your life?" The man said to Carlos.
As those words reached Carlos's ears, he shifted slightly backward and drew his gun, pointing it at the man. His friends also took a step back upon hearing what the old man said. It was evident that the old crippled man was working for someone who was after Carlos' life because Carlos failed to fulfill his part of a bargain.
"You can go ahead and shoot. I came only to deliver this message. Now, do you plan to fulfill your part of the contract or not?" the man said to Carlos as he stood up.
Carlos and his three friends were shocked when they saw that the man they thought was crippled was actually pretending. Right before their eyes, the legs that had appeared weak and broken became straight immediately. The man they were looking at possessed superpowers.
"Run!!! He was sent to kill!" Carlos shouted as he also shot the man. The bullet struck the man, but the wound healed instantly. It was clear that the man had superhuman healing abilities. Before they could run, the lights inside the Eatery and outside the Eatery went out. It was as if a force caused the lights to go off temporarily.
It was now a bit dark, but there was enough moonlight to see where they were going. Carlos and his friends had fled back into the Eatery for protection. It was challenging for them to enter inside because when Carlos shouted, "Run!!! He was sent to kill!" people started running in and out of the Eatery. It was evident that the people were scared.
BANG***BANG***BANG***
Gunshots could be heard outside the Eatery. Carlos and his friends were now hiding inside the Eatery. The interior was dimly lit.
Carlos was breathing heavily as he concealed himself beneath a table.
Almost everyone had left the Eatery, leaving just a few people behind. Those remaining had taken cover. Some hid under tables, like Carlos and his friends, while others sought refuge in the restrooms. A few stood there in fear.
BANG*******
The doors were no longer closed shut, as they had been pulled away by a figure with superhuman strength.
Footsteps were audible as something or someone entered the building. One of Carlos' friends, the one with a broad chest, cautiously peered out to see who or what it was.
It was a person dressed entirely in black, like a Japanese ninja. Their body was entirely covered in black, and they had four guns strapped to their waist. Two short swords were also visible at their side, along with a large sword positioned behind their back.
BANG***BANG***BANG***
Carlos's friend had been shot in the forehead by the unknown man. The moment the shot rang out, adrenaline coursed through the bodies of those who were still hiding.
The man cloaked in black raised the table beneath which Carlos and his friends were concealed. Carlos didn't bother using his gun, as he was up against a superhuman. Guns were ineffective against superhumans.
SPLAT***SPLAT***SPLAT***
Carlos's friend with a broad chest was now lifeless, blood dripping from his forehead.
When the unknown man lifted the table, he discovered both Carlos and his friend.
One of Carlos's friends attempted to confront the unknown man. As he rushed forward, the unknown man drew a small knife from his pocket and swiftly stabbed him in the chest, as though he were a piece of meat.
Carlos realized that two of his friends had perished because of him, and he said, "I'm sorry, I'll do what he says."
"It's too late," the unknown man replied to Carlos as he shot both Carlos and his remaining friend, then departed without harming anyone else.
It was evident that he had come specifically to eliminate Carlos. But what was the reason?
*******
AUTHOR'S NOTE: NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE RELEASED ON FRIDAY 00:00 GMT+1