Original Superhero Co-Write

Beau was not someone who was impressed easily. This was due to the large influx of voodoo influence in his family, the most obvious being his uncle Naveen, who owned a suspicious-looking shop around the outskirts of New York City, right behind his cousin's diner. Yet today, Beau couldn't help but feel strange.

He felt strange when he awoke. He felt strange when he ate breakfast. He felt strange when he left his dorm. He felt strange when he sat in class and greeted his girlfriend with a sweet kiss. And then, in the middle of class, he realized why he felt strange.

As a Cajun, Beau felt things. Maybe not like you felt a kiss or a caress, but he felt things and this time, instead of being a simple brush against his mind, it was an invasion.

Beau gasped for a second, eyes widening, paralyzed for a single moment before another whisper flared on his ears, giving him a splitting headache for just a second.

"I need my coffee, why didn't I grab one before class...?"

It was a familiar voice, and he looked discreetely behind him in time to see Ophelia sighing, with bags under her eyes. Inhaling deeply, with a shudder, Beau made nothing of it and tried to pay attention to class again, gripping the table tightly.

"I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have slept with her."

Jesus christ, was that AJ? He was on the opposite side of the enormous room, he couldn't have heard him. He couldn't have. No. It was impossible.

A cold sweat broke on Beau's back when another whisper came, as if someone were placing their lips right behind his ear the headache didn't come this time, just a mild throb, but Beau  still tensed.

"Maya, God, Maya, please be okay..."

"I want to go home."

"I should've gone to bed sooner."

"She's so fucking ugly."

"That jerk."

"Whish he'd die."

"He is so pathetic -"

"What?" Beau turned to his girlfriend Alice, sitting by his side, who glanced away from her phone with a caught look dancing in her eyes. Beau and Alice were still for a moment, his wide mocha eyes scared.

"What?" she chuckled nervously. 

"Who's pathetic?" he swallowed. She must've said that out loud. She has had to. And the whispers... he's so tired, rehearsals were brutal yesterday, that must be it, right?

"Oh, I said that out loud?" she plastered her usual smile and leaned to kiss his cheek, probably leaving a pink stain behind it. "Just that Remy boy other there. Word says his cousin's in the hospital and he's got something to do with it."

The Cajun boy looked towards the front, where said Remy was fidgeting in his seat. He didn't know him, but he'd waved at him one time or another. He seemed shy, so Beau didn't ever press him for anything. Some people didn't like him because of his ethnithy but Beau thought he looked too sad to be a stereotypical muslim.

"I'm so sorry"

"Fuck," Beau tangled his fingers in his hair, shutting his eyes, but the action only made more whispers get louder and louder. 

"You okay, Boo?" Alice pouted at him, resting her flawless dark hair on his shoulder. "Were rehearsals so late last night?"

He would've said no. He would've told her that it wasn't anthing she could even think about, feel. But in that moment he couldn't hear anything, just them, all of them. Voices blended and blurred, getting gradually louder, saying such horrible things, telling him such terrible thoughts that before he could even process what was happening, he was on the floor, gasping for air.

"...I'd do so many things to that body..."

"...She's just another girl...."

"...How am I ever going to pass this class...?"

"...Maybe if I tell him it was an accident..."

"... he's staring at me again..."

"...what's happening to me...?"

"Beau!" he thought he heard Alice gasp.

It had to be a hex bag. Somebody cursed him, threw something at him, made him hear everyone's goddamn thoughts and he couldn't fucking breathe.

"Beau, man, you alright?"

"He looks utterly stupid."

"He looks lke he's having a panic attack!"

"He just wants all the attention, doesn't he?"

"Call the paramedics?"

"Maybe I should slap him?"

"Someone do something!"

"He's always the center of attention."

"So fucking dramatic, he's such a good actor, fuck him."

"Beau doesn't just like to act on a stage, doesn't he?"

He broke through the crowd of people, staggering towards the door and trying to get away from it all. People shouted after him, sounding concerned but thinking so, so badly of him. Tears of frustration, confusion and desperating welled in his eyes but Beau just kept walking, hearing new voices whisper behind his ear and say mean things about other people.

With phone in hand and back against the wall of the bathroom on the lowest floor of Columbia University, Beau called his uncle Naveen, rubbing his eyes furiously.

When he didn't pick up at first, he wasn't surprised. As he was about to hang up, though, the soothing voice of the voodoo warlock responded with slight panic.

"Beau?" he asked, hesitant. "Are you alright, my boy? You're supposed to be in class."

"Uncle," The Cajun sobbed. "Something's happening to me. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but I'm hearing voices and I think it's everyone's thoughts."

"Oh, dear," he seemed to rub his face, but Beau could only guess. "Alright, why don't you come to the hospital?"

"The hospital? Why would I -" Beau froze, swallowing the knot on his throat. "It's mom, isn't it?"

"She just had a mild one this time, forgot to take her pills last night, she says." Naveen sighed. "She's stable, but I can't go to the shop just yet, so you'll have to wait until later for me to do something, Beau."

"It's okay, uncle," with a hand pushing his hair away from his eyes, Beau left the bathroom, flinching at the voices before heading towards his motorcycle in the parking lot. "I'll be there, too. Is Dr. Kizer there?"

"As always. They say he'll be the one to take care of her from now on, which personally, makes me as happy as a partridge. Between you and I, Dr. Knight was an ass."

Beau laughed, dried his tears, hung up and started the bike, oftentimes breaking the speed limit. Thankfully, the speed of it didn't let any whispers become full sentences, and he could finally breathe. 

He knew he'd forgotten his bag, his coat, and his everything in the classroom, but maybe Jake and Alice would bring them back to his dorm. Yet, after all he's heard, he doubted more than any ther time who really liked him, and who really hated him.

Omg I don't know if this is a little to late but I would love to do this with you guys but are they to many people already? Pls let me know

@ Maleficent A
Aww I'm sorry but we've already started writing!

@ starfire.
That's ok, I look forward to reading it! Thanks for telling me

Beau was not someone who was impressed easily in both the normal and abnormal sense. This, of course, was due to the large influx of supernatural shit he's had to deal with since early childhood, the most obvious being his uncle Naveen, who owned a suspiciously-creepy-looking voodoo shop towards the outskirts of New York City, right behind his cousin's diner. Yet today, Beau couldn't help but shiver at the strange feeling that settled on the bottom of his spine that day.

He felt strange when he awoke. He felt strange when he ate breakfast. He felt strange when he left his dorm. He felt strange when he sat in class and greeted his girlfriend with a sweet kiss. And then, in the middle of class, he realized why he felt strange.

As a Cajun, Beau felt things. Perhaps not like you felt a kiss or a caress, but he felt things and this time, instead of being a simple brush against his mind, it was an invasion.

Beau gasped for a second, eyes widening, paralyzed for a single moment before another whisper flared on his ears, giving him a splitting headache for just a breath's hold.

"I need my coffee, why didn't I grab one before class...?"

It was a familiar voice, one he'd heard inside his girlfriend's dorm a lot of times, and he looked discreetely behind him in time to see Ophelia sighing, with bags under her eyes. Inhaling deeply, with a shudder, Beau made nothing of it and tried to pay attention to class again, gripping the table tightly. She had surely just said it really quietly.

"I shouldn't have done it. I shouldn't have slept with her."

Jesus christ, was that AJ? He was on the opposite side of the enormous room, he couldn't have heard him. He couldn't have. No. It was impossible.

A cold sweat broke on Beau's back when another whisper came, as if someone were placing their lips right behind his ear. The headache didn't come this time, just a mild throb, but Beau still tensed.

"...Maya, God, Maya, you're a fucking idiot..."

"...I want to go home..."

"...I should've gone to bed sooner..."

"...She's so fucking ugly..."

"...That jerk..."

"...Wish he'd die..."

"...He is so pathetic -"

"What?" Beau turned to his girlfriend Alice, sitting by his side, who glanced away from her phone with a caught look dancing in her almond, brown eyes. Beau and Alice were still for a moment, his wide mocha pools swirling with emotions. He's always worn his heart on his sleeve. At least that's what Tina always said.

"What?" she chuckled nervously.

"Who's pathetic?" he swallowed. She must've said that out loud. She had to. And the whispers... he was so tired, rehearsals were brutal the previous night, that must be it, right?

Right?

"Oh, I said that out loud?" she let her usual smile play over her lips and leaned to kiss his cheek, probably leaving a pink stain behind it. "Just that Remy boy other there. Word says his cousin's in the principal's office, that they caught her smuggling drugs inside."

The Cajun boy looked towards the front, where said Remy was fidgeting in his seat. He didn't know him, but he'd waved at him one time or another. He seemed shy, so Beau didn't ever press him for anything. 

"...I should've been with her..."

"Fuck," Beau tangled his fingers in his hair, shutting his eyes, but the action only made more whispers get louder and louder. 

"You okay, boo?" Alice pouted at him, resting her flawless dark head on his shoulder. "Were rehearsals so late last night?"

He would've said no. He would've told her that it wasn't anthing she could even think about, feel. But in that moment he couldn't hear anything, just them, all of them. Voices blended and blurred, getting gradually louder, saying such horrible things, telling him such terrible thoughts that before he could even process what was happening, he was on the floor, gasping for air.

"...I'd do so many things to that body..."

"...She's just another girl...."

"...How am I ever going to pass this class...?"

"...Maybe if I tell him it was an accident..."

"... he's staring at me again..."

"...why do I feel so warm...?"

"Beau!" he thought he heard Alice gasp.

It had to be a hex bag. Or a curse. Fuck. Somebody cursed him, threw something at him, made him hear everyone's goddamn thoughts and he couldn't fucking breathe.

"Beau, man, you alright?"

"He looks utterly stupid."

"He looks lke he's having a panic attack!"

"He just wants all the attention, doesn't he?"

"Call the paramedics?"

"Maybe I should slap him?"

"Someone do something!"

"He's always the center of attention."

"So fucking dramatic, he's such a good actor, fuck him."

"Beau doesn't just like to act on a stage, doesn't he?"

He broke through the crowd of people, staggering towards the door and trying to get away from it all. People shouted after him, sounding concerned but thinking so, so badly of him, of everyone. Tears of frustration, confusion and desperation welled in his eyes but Beau just kept running, hearing new voices whisper behind his ear and say mean things about other people.

Such goddamn mean things.

With phone in hand and back against the wall of the bathroom on the lowest floor of Columbia University, Beau called his uncle Naveen, rubbing his eyes furiously in an attempt to dry his face. The voices were muffled now, and he tried hard to focus on the beeps of his phone as he grit his teeth and felt the tesrs running through his cheeks.

When his uncle didn't pick up at first, he wasn't surprised. As he was about to hang up, though, the soothing voice of the voodoo warlock responded with slight panic.

"Beau?" he asked, hesitant. "Are you alright, my boy? You're supposed to be in class."

"Uncle," The young Cajun sobbed. "Something's happening to me. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but I'm hearing voices and I think it's everyone's thoughts."

"Oh, dear," he seemed to rub his face, but Beau could only guess. "Alright, why don't you come to the hospital?"

"The hospital? Which hospital? Why would I -" Beau froze, swallowing the knot on his throat. "It's mom, isn't it?"

"She just had a mild one this time, forgot to take her pills last night, she says." Naveen sighed. "She's stable, but I can't go to the shop just yet, so you'll have to wait until later for me to do something, Beau."

"It's okay, uncle," with a hand brushing his hair away from his eyes, Beau left the bathroom, flinching at the voices before heading towards his motorcycle in the parking lot. "I'll be there, too. Is Dr. Kizer there?"

"As always. They say she'll be the one to take care of her from now on, which personally, makes me as happy as a partridge. Between you and I, Dr. Knight was an ass."

Beau laughed, dried his tears, hung up and started towards the bike that once belonged to his grandfather. It was a vintage beauty, and as soon as he was on top of the bike as it roared with life he felt much, much calmer. Sighing, Beau placed his helmet on and began to mae his fast way through the now familiar way to the now familiar hospital. Thankfully, the speed of it didn't let any whispers become full sentences, and he could finally breathe in peace.

He knew he'd forgotten his bag, his coat, and his everything in the classroom, but maybe Jake and Alice would bring them back to his dorm. Yet, after all he had heard, he doubted more than any other day who really liked him, and who really hated him.

Another knot formed in his throat, and an even bigger one replaced it when the hospital came to view. Parking decently, Beau made his way confidently with his helmet in hand inside to the front desk, right behind a blonde with an obvious grouchy tone of voice.

"I've been waiting for three hours, Miranda" he stated.

"... I don't have time for this..." Beau heard him think. He shuddered.

"I'm sorry, Hollace, you know Dr. Leighter has a lot in his hands," she apologized, seeming familiar with the patient. It was only then that Beau recognized him from one of his classes, but not sure which one. "Beau?"

"... Poor boy. He spends more time here than in school..."

"... Boudreux, of fucking course, my day can't get any worse..."

"Ah, yes," the Cajun smiled sheepishly, trying to ignore the angry puff of air that hit the side of his face thanks to the blonde. "I'm here for mom."

"Naveen, Tina, Craig and Tom are already there," she huffed in affectionate annoyance. "You lot keep everyone awake. Someday Naveen's charms won't keep the nurses at bay!"

"... They're such a tight family. I wish I was as close to my family as they are..."

"Is she okay, though?" he frowned.

"She's fine," she sighed. "But it seems she did forget to take her pills."

"... Maybe I should tell them about the rise of prices..."

"I'll make sure she takes them everyday," he coughed. "But, uh, room number?"

"207B," she then turned to the Hollace boy after checking her screen. "Dr. Leighter will see you now, dear."

The name finally clicked into place as the especialist in prosthetics and Beau turned to wave to the boy as he walked backwards, "Don't be such a grouch, Barnes, someone could be falling in love with your smile!"

"... Did he just make a Marvel reference...?"

Hollace seemed stunned for a moment before swearing and mumbling under his breath about nosey ass douchebags and so on. Beau tried not to think how pleased he was that he got the reference and quickly sobered up, passing the hallways with growing stress.

"... She can't die. She can't. She's my whole life, what will I do...?"

"... My baby. My poor, poor baby. He doesn't deserve this..."

"... I know you can do it, Brandon, you just have to be strong..."

"... If he doesn't die by tomorrow, Allen will be present at the will, I can't let that happen..."

Beau had always been a happy boy. Ever since he was born, he was considered somehow a sun in his family. No matter what, Beau was never deterred. His history wasn't lacking of horrors, the kind that made you want to never leave your bed. But Beau still pushed through it, because he genuinely believed in the goodness of humanity.

Yet there, at the hospital, trespassing the door that let to his epileptic mother and hearing the thoughts of a son who wanted his father dead so he could enjoy his fortune, Beau thought that the Earth was a cruel, cruel world.

Has this story been posted yet? And if not what will it be titled?

@ XOXOnyx
It's called The Undertakers! I would link it, but I'm on my phone. If you go to starfire.'s profile, you can find it, though!

@ parry otter.
Thankyou so much! I'm really excited about it, it looks awesome!

@ XOXOnyx
We're excited about it too! Hahah

Remy Ansari was sitting at a desk, waiting for class to begin, and a student standing outside the window with his friend lit a cigarette with a lighter. The slow flame sparked and grew, it's orange and red colors seeming a lot brighter than it really it was in Remy's eyes.

"Rehan! Where's Remy? Take him and go!"

"Baba, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Remy, stay here..."

Students started to sit down in the seats around him, talking amongst each other about some party or an exam coming up. Remy couldn't tear his eyes away from the flame.

"Baba? Ma?"

He watched as his father ran inside the blazed house for his mother. The house collapsed in the middle and an explosion of red and orange fire plumed out.

Remy's phone started ringing, causing him to jump and his heart to beat at an abnormally fast pace. He pulled it out and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" he asked, flustered and breathless.

"Rem! It's me, Maya!" said a hushed voice.

Remy, slowly regaining his breath, furrowed his eyebrows. Maya was his little cousin, whom he lived with along with his aunt Zarah and Maya's older sister, Leila. Maya was supposed to be in school. Why was she calling him?

"Maya? Why are you calling me? Is everything okay? And, whose number is this?" He looked at the unknown number on his phone.

"Remy, chill. It's not that big of a deal, but uh, I'm in the principals office. Mr. Trent thinks I'm calling Ma."

"What? Maya, what did you do?!"

"My English teacher, Mrs. Daines–that bitch–caught me with Adderall and now they're threatening to suspend me. Remy, I swear, it's not mine! I was holding it for a friend!"

"You were caught with drugs?" he exclaimed loud enough for the people around him to hear. They gave him funny looks.

Remy was too surprised to believe this was happening. It was a dream, wasn't it? How could his baby cousin–his baby sister–even know what Adderall was, much less have it on her. Maya was sixteen years old and he forgot that sometimes because she was always just a baby in his eyes. He moved in with her family when he was eight and she was five and they were closer than him and Leila were (who was only a year younger than him). He just had a connection with Maya.

"Remy, please, can you come pick me up? I'm scared Ma will just leave me here until midnight or something," Maya pleaded.

The professor had walked in at this point and the clock on the wall said that it was 1:25, almost time for class to start.

"Maya, I'm in class right now," Remy sighed. "I can pick you up in an hour."

"Okay, I'm sorry, Rem–"

He hung up and sat down. Maya, God, Maya, you're a fucking idiot..., he thought, angrily.

The students around him kept looking at him, even though he knew for a fact a lot of them did much worse than Adderall on a regular basis, so why was it suddenly so weird for someone he knew to be caught with drugs? Remy shook his head. That wasn't the important part. What was important was that he was going to kill Maya when he got home. But it wasn't anything near was Aunt Zarah was going to do.

Remy's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a commotion and several students started crowding around someone who had seemingly collapsed. Remy stood up and was about to walk over but the boy stood up and pushed through the crowd and left. He recognized him as Beau Boudreaux, a student with an affinity for theater. Remy had seen Beau around sometimes but he didn't know him very well.

Class started just when Beau left and the professor acted like he had no idea what even happened and eventually, the students forgot about the whole ordeal too. The professor droned on and on for the rest of class and the time felt like a whole year. Remy felt antsy. He wanted to up and leave but the class took attendance and he wanted an easy A.

When it was over, Remy bolted out the door and went straight to the parking garage where he parked his car. A bush nearby suddenly burst into flames, but he didn't notice. He got into his car and started the ignition. The distance between Columbia and Maya's high school wasn't very far, but he drove past the speed limit and got there in twenty minutes time.

Maya was waiting in the office, texting on her phone, when he got there. She looked up and gave him a smile, but when she saw the look on his face, it vanished and she immediately said, "Remy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please–"

"Do I need to do something?" Remy asked, cutting her off and looking around the office.

"What?"

"Do I need to sign something or talk to your principal or...?"

Maya shook her head.

"No, surprisingly, Mrs. Daines suggested I should just get in-school suspension, so Mr. Trent isn't going to actually suspend me. So, you don't have to do anything!"

"Okay, let's go."

The drive home was silent. Maya shifted uncomfortably every few seconds and Remy just drove. Out of the three adults in the house, Remy was the kindest one. If Maya went to Aunt Zarah, she would never see the light of day. If she went to Leila, Leila would just tell Aunt Zarah. Remy never did anything like that.

When they got home, Remy and Maya threw their stuff onto the couch and he turned to look at her. Maya took a step and couldn't keep eye contact with him.

"Maya," he sighed. "I love you, but how can you be so stupid?"

"Remy, I'm sorry but I hate this! I have three fucking exams tomorrow because this college prep school that I go to is only for smart losers who have nothing else in life except going to school. You know that mom made me enroll here because she wants me to be like you–top of your class, going to Columbia–and I hate it! I don't regret the Adderall because I don't know any other way of surviving here!"

Remy shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Maya, if you hate going to Island Prep, then talk to your mom about it, instead of bringing drugs to school! This was just stupid on your part because you knew you'd get in trouble if you were caught, and you were!"

"Are you gonna tell mom?" Maya asked, her voice small.

"No, I'm not gonna tell your–"

"Remy!" Maya gasped. Remy looked up at her and she screamed like she saw a murderer. Remy looked down at himself and he started screaming too.

His whole body was on fire. How did that happen? There were flames licking every single inch of his skin and hair and he and Maya kept screaming. Maya ran into the kitchen to get a bucket of water and poured it over him, but it did nothing. She kept bringing buckets of water and he tried putting it out with Aunt Zarah's favorite curtains, but the fire wouldn't go out.

Stop, stop, stop! he thought. The fire extinguished like someone had pressed a button to shut down a video game.

Remy looked down at his body and there was no damage; he wasn't even breaking a sweat. Maya looked at him like, well, his whole body was engulfed in flames. He looked down and saw burns on her hands and he went,

"Oh, my God! You're burned!"

"And you're not?" she shrieked.

"We have to go to the hospital!" Remy exclaimed, grabbing his keys and ushering Maya out the door.

He wasn't sure how he drove to the hospital so quickly, but he and Maya walked into the ER five minutes later and Maya held out her burned hands to the nurse, who immediately got them situated in a bed.

Everything after that moment felt like a blur. He hurt Maya. He somehow, through some weird act of God or voodoo or magic or whatever, burst into flames and wasn't hurt.

"Maya, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

"I'm more worried about you," Maya replied just as a doctor approached them. He looked at her hands and declared the burns as treatable. Remy felt sick to his stomach.

"Hey," said a voice next to him. "You okay?"

Remy look up and saw Beau Boudreaux, his classmate. He was sitting on the bed next to Maya's and he was looking at Remy with his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," he nodded, even though he wasn't. "Are you?"

Beau cracked a grin and said, "Yes, sir."

Remy gave him a small smile but turned back around to Maya, who was now being treated for her burns. She gave Remy a reassuring smile but at this point, nothing seemed normal to him anymore.

okay um so I finished my chapter but now that I'm looking back on the other ones, it's kind of like... really long. I hope that's okay. I just got carried away. And will probably continue to do so. I haven't even read over it to edit it yet. Complete rough draft so yeah. here it is. Tell me if anything needs to be changed.

---

Sun shining brightly through the wide mirror was what woke Hollace up and he let out a groan, keeping his eyes shut as he dug the heels of his palms into their sockets. A new day—he wasn’t sure he was ready to face it. He was never sure anymore.

Grappling for his cell phone on the nightstand next to his bed, he checked the time, squinting at the bright back light he was faced with. 8:10. His alarm wasn’t due to go off for another twenty minutes, but he figured that now was as good as any time to get up.

Hollace sat up and stretched his arms and back before reaching down to massage what was left of his right leg. He grimaced down at it, glaring at the flesh as if it offended him. It sort of did.

After pulling a shirt over his pale torso, he stood and balanced on one foot, reaching down to retrieve the jeans he had worn the previous day. He tugged them on and proceeded to roll the leg up then grabbed the prosthetic that was resting against the end of his bed. Jaw clenched, he situated it as best he could before stretching the false limb. Not a day went by that Hollace didn’t think about his accident. It was impossible not to when he had perform this little ritual every morning.

He winced all the way out to the den of his tiny apartment, the leg pinching his skin uncomfortably. At least he was finally getting fitted for a new one in just a couple of hours. He was damn tired of his thigh being raw every day.

Hollace stalked into the kitchen, feeling in a worse mood than usual. He figured it was one of those days that a beer in the morning would be completely justified, and before he could even blink, he was at his refrigerator and gripping a blue aluminum can. Frown on his face, he used counter to pop the top off. He just had to make it through one morning class and then he could go to the hospital to meet with Dr. Leighter.

Once a small breakfast of buttered toast and the rest of his bitter drink were sitting in his belly, the dark-haired boy grabbed the backpack that he dropped by his front door every day and headed out. His navy Wrangler sat in its regular spot in the parking lot, but Hollace moved right past it, opting to walk instead. He kept his head down, earbuds in, the whole time, letting his unkempt hair fall over his eyes.

Columbia was a nice school. Hell, that was an understatement. It was a prestigious university that most kids could only dream of getting in, yet Hollace couldn’t feel thankful to be there. He’d had the proper connections and grades to get accepted into their social sciences program, but even when he had received the acceptance letter during his senior year of high school, he wasn’t excited.

Truth was, not a lot could stir up any sort of emotion inside of the twenty-year-old anymore. Anger was usually the only prominent feeling with the occasional bout of crippling sadness (no pun intended), but for the most part, Hollace Knighting limped through life feeling more and more like a robot each day.

Hollace took the elevator up to the third floor of the science building, still steadfastly ignoring anyone who looked at him. He was a few minutes early for his Psychology lab but went inside anyway, pulling up a stool and scrolling through his phone.

His mother would be calling soon to remind him of his appointment. As if he wasn’t already aware—as if he didn’t count down the seconds before seeing the people who took his leg, who constantly reminded him that he wasn’t a full human being anymore.

A knot formed in his stomach, more out of resentment than nerves, and he spent the entire hour and a half glaring down at his overpriced workbook while all of his classmates took notes over abnormal brain structure. He left early, silently excusing himself from the lab room. He still needed to walk back to his apartment complex and get his car, something that seemed counterproductive considering he could have just driven to campus and left straight from there. He had a rule, though: no getting into cars unless absolutely necessary. It had been ingrained in him for six years, now, and probably would be forever.

In the long hallway that led back to the lifts and staircases, raising an eyebrow at a vaguely familiar redheaded girl sprinted past him, her face pinched with anxiety.

Probably late for a test, he mused, stepping into the elevator. Het let the image of the girl drift from his mind, replaced by Dr. Leighter. Hollace grit his teeth, already knowing that the doctor was going to be annoyingly cheerful, just like always. Every visit, the graying man would crack jokes and poke fun at the boy until he’d finally give up and instead start trying to get him to go back to a therapist.

Hollace made his way back to the complex and unlocked his jeep, throwing his backpack in the passenger seat before climbing in. He turned the keys in the ignition, hearing the engine rumble to life and let out a long breath.

You are not going to die, he told himself. The chances of getting into another wreck are slim. Just pay attention to the road. It was the mantra he had to repeat every time he got into a motor vehicle.

Just as he was about to pull out, Hollace heard the shrill ring of his phone, a heavy song blasting from the speaker. As he had predicted, his mother’s name was lit up on the screen.

“Hey, Mom,” he greeted, putting his car back into park. There was no way that he was going to talk on the phone while driving. Maybe his extreme caution had turned him into a paranoid old man, but he had seen the consequences of distracted driving and was still living in the aftermath.

“Good morning, honey. How’re you feeling today?”

“’m fine,” he mumbled. Mary Knighting knew as well as he did that this was a lie.

Still, she humored him. “Good, sweetie, that’s good. Now, you know that you have an appointment today with—“

“I know. I’m about to head that way now.”

“Good, and remember, your father and I don’t care about the bills. When you’re getting fitted today, you make sure to pick out whichever leg feels best, okay? I don’t care if it’s made of gold. If it fits you well, you tell Dr. Leighter.

“Okay, thanks, Mom. I’ve gotta go, though. I don’t wanna be late.”

“Alright, drive safe.” His insides twisted. “And Hollace?”

“Hm?”

“I love you, sweetheart.”

He sighed and rest his forehead against the steering wheel. “I know. I love you, too. I’ll talk to you later.” After hitting the ‘end call’ button, Hollace stuck his phone in one of the cup holders, still able to see his mother’s sympathetic smile in his mind’s eye.

He punched the stereo button, not even flinching when Mötley Crüe screamed through the sound system. Singing along quietly, the twenty-year-old pulled out of his parking space and drove out to the main road. His icy eyes flit back and forth between the lanes in front of him and his speedometer, silent prayers running through his head.

Hollace had learned to drive with the prosthetic. He was used to the feeling by now. Still using his right foot for the pedals, it had been difficult at first, not being able to feel the pressure of the gas against his shoe. He had learned to drive smoothly, though it had taken much practice, and for good measure, he’d had a hand brake installed on the steering wheel in fears of not being able to move fast enough to hit it with his foot.

The drive was short, but it still felt too long, and Hollace was relieved to step out onto the solid ground. Wallet in pocket and phone in hand, he walked into the familiar building, nodding to the desk clerk who recognized him immediate. He wasn’t surprised in the least when she frowned and he knew exactly why when he approached her.

“Dr. Leighton is running late on his appointments today, Hollace. He sends his apologies, but it’s going to take him a little while before he can see you.”

He stared at her blankly for a few seconds, a string of obscenities circulating his brain, but he bit his tongue before he could manage to spit out a nasty complaint. Instead, Hollace nodded silently and turned back to wait in the lobby.

Waiting was one of his least favorite things to do, especially in a hospital. They gave him the creeps which was unfortunate since he frequented them.
Hollace massaged his leg for a while, browsing the internet on his phone and slowly the minutes passed, turning to hours. He actually began to wish that he had brought his backpack with him so that he could work on his psyche notes.

His impatience grew to monumental heights, however, the scathing voice in the back of his head whining about how ridiculous it was to have to wait for a man who had clearly scheduled a precise appointment. Any other day, it would probably have just been the desperation to get his too-small prosthetic off of him that made him so cranky, but he had been sitting and pacing for far too long to be considered appropriate (or efficient, for that matter) and ended up getting up and walking back over to the desk.

“I know it’s been a long time—“

This time, he didn’t censor himself. “I’ve been waiting for three hours, Miranda.” There was a presence behind him that he didn’t acknowledge.

The blonde sighed, her irritated expression turning to something less. “I’m sorry, Hollace. You know Dr. Leighter has a lot on his hands.”

She looked sorry for him for a second, and he could feel his hand twitch at his side. If she had been male, he probably would have punched her. Maybe that was sexist. He didn’t care.

Setting his jaw and ready to snap at anyone, especially whoever was basically breathing down his neck, he pivoted quickly only to groan inwardly. A boy he recognized from school stood there, his normally easy-going face tinged with masked worry. Beau Boudreaux, Louisiana native and douche-y thespian offered Hollace a small smile that was only met with what could only be described as a sneer.

“Beau?” Miranda called, and Hollace begrudgingly stepped aside so that his classmate could talk with the woman.

He grinned at her as well, and it did nothing to help Hollace’s impatience with the general population.

“Ah, yes, I’m here for Mom.”

The lanky boy crossed his arms and leaned against the desk, not purposely eavesdropping but still hearing the short exchange. Obviously, the kid’s mom was holed up in this god-forsaken place.

Boudreaux coughed then finally asked for the room number. Miranda rattled it off, reading from the monitor in front of her then turned to look at Hollace. “Dr. Leighter will see you now, dear.”

He nodded and immediately turned to walk the route he knew so well to the physical therapy wing, stopping only when he heard the Cajun boy behind him call out, “Don’t be such a grouch, Barnes. Someone could be falling in love with your smile!”

Hollace stared at him for a second, appreciating the comic book reference but still taken aback by it. He stilled his features into a mask of apathy, though and walked, mumbling under his breath as he went, “Fucking nosey-ass douche bag. Get the fuck out,” and completely missing the amused little smirk on the other boy’s lips.

Dr. Leighter smiled brightly upon seeing Hollace, a gesture that went completely ignored.

“Sorry for the wait, Hollace.”

“Not like I had anything else to do for three god damned hours,” he spat, not bothering to hide anything.

“I know, I know. Got called into an emergency surgery, something I know you can relate to.” Hollace narrowed his eyes as he rolled his pant leg up and removed the prosthetic.

“Yeah, you don’t have to justify anything, doc. Just get me a leg so I can get out of here.”

The man nodded, not letting him ruin his mood, and immediately launched into some bullshit story that was supposed to serve as comfortable small talk. Hollace didn’t say much in response, just tried on a couple of sleeves for the amputation site and moving onto the different types replacement limbs. Legs for athletes, legs for show, waterproof legs, C-legs.

In the end, he settled on an updated model of his old one, testing it out by walking around and enjoying the familiarity as well as the fact that it was no longer chafing him.

Dr. Leighter pat his back with a strong hand and gave him a cream for any skin irritation, something he had clearly needed a while back. He made one more bad joke that could rival Hollace’s father, then left for his next patient.

Hollace made his way to the billing office to hand over his insurance card. The wait for his appointment had been god awful, but he had to admit that it was worth it now that he could move comfortably again. He got the payment sorted out and intended to get back out to his car and drive to the apartment. He had plans to binge watch Netflix and sulk but stopped dead in his tracks when the bright fluorescent lights above him began to flicker.

Brows furrowed, he looked down the corridor to find staff bustling around faster than usual and murmuring to one another.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air and Hollace’s instincts kicked on. He’d heard a cry like that before, ripped from his very own throat, and without even thinking about it, the boy took off at a run in the direction that the sound had come from.

The only problem was that during the time span of a single blink, he found himself on the complete other end of the massive building where everything was pitch black save for a few emergency lights and the neon, beeping patient monitors.

---

OKAY. c:

Here's my chapter. If something doesn't sit well with anyone tell me, I'm more than willing to change it. If something is conflicting with the other chapters, let me know. I tried my best to follow the events that have already happened. Open to any criticism.

It all went wrong. Esther Kurtz had a plan, to be honest a tentative plan, but a plan none the less. Now she was questioning whether she should've taken her time and thought it through. The chill along her skin was a harsh reminder of her hasty departure, one that her mother and father were probably just discovering.

Esther wrapped long arms around herself, trying to warm up her shivering frame. The morning was cold and the sun was just cresting over the distant hills. Esther had been trudging all night, where she was going she had no idea. She lost her pack and the directions to the town where her friends spent Rumspringa. In her rush to avoid being seen she panicked and had to ditch her pack after she got it caught on a fence she was trying to jump.

The shame of her escape still tinged her cheeks. She let her head droop forward and continued on, mindless of her surroundings. Slowly as the sun reached for its zenith, the thick forest became sparse. The roaring ambience of the forest diminished to no more than a whisper. The silence was eerie. That’s what drew her from herself. Just in time too, before her was a road.

It was an ordinary road to an ordinary person, but Esther had only even seen a paved road a handful of time in her life. Denying Rumspringa and having to work on the homestead, she really never had a reason to venture out.

Still a little shocked that she had made it that far without getting lost in the wilderness, she looked left. "One could lead back towards home." She looked to the right. "One could lead to who knows where." It took all of three seconds to make up her mind and turn right. The thought of returning home wasn’t horrible it was who was waiting for her. Matthew R.

She followed along the road. Hours passed as the day heated up and the sun dragged across the sky. Esther adjusted her black Kapp, trying to get some air to her head. She was thankful for her plain clothes. They covered most of her limbs and neck, leaving little to the suns harsh rays. The down side was how much they made her sweat. She tugged at her collar hoping to get the air circulating, but it was useless. The sweat made her clothes like a second skin. The air that managed to make it through just made her feel more flushed and sticky. To make matters worse her mouth was dry and rough like sandpaper and her stomach was cursing at her with loud gurgling noises.

The sun was approaching the horizon; it was then that Esther regretted not going the other way. All day she had not seen a soul or any indication of other routes. The road just kept going straight. By the time it was dark she was beyond exhausted, and her damp clothes sent chills through her body. The dark didn't scare her much, but she was afraid if she didn't get any food or water she may not make it much longer.

Knowing she would get much further without rest, she decided it was time to find some kind of cover. The moon was full and the stars were bright, helping to illuminate the terrain. Soon a tree came into view. "Just a quick break." She winced as it pained her to talk. She hadn’t realized she was quite most the day. She collapsed onto the ground, curling up against the tree. Less than a second later she was out like a rock.

She woke suddenly, startled out of her sleep by her own breathing. One glance at the sky and she knew that hours had passed. She debated on getting more sleep, but quickly nixed it. If that day was going to be as warm as the day before, she needed to start moving while it was still cool.

The day wore on. Cold air to comfortable air to I am going to die hot. Her stomach grumbled and heaved, making her nausea and faint feeling. On occasion she would pause to dry heave. It would take the nausea away but leave her feeling worse. Don’t forget that her water intake was nonexistent. By late morning trees were looking like people and boulders like tents. Before long a large shadow was moving quickly down the road.

Esther stopped and stared wide eyed as the shadow lumbered closer to her. The noises reminded her of a wild animal with rabies. She took a step back as it came to a halt in front of her. It morphed and expanded into these sickening blobs. Then it stopped. A person detached from the thing; a person with no face. As it came forward the face turned to none other than Matthew R. Esther let out a shrill scream. He gripped her by her shoulders shaking her. His mouth was moving but nothing was coming out. Before much more could happen, Esther passed out.



“Nurse Kent, I’m sorry I don’t have time for this. I just got out of surgery and have another patient I need to meet with. He’s already had to wait three hours,” a middle-aged slim man said trying to leave the room he was paged to.

"Sorry Dr. Leighter, all the available doctors have been called to the ER. A one story building caught fire. We have burn victims and those unfortunate enough suffering from smoke inhalation." She pushed the folder back to him. “I just need you to do a quick check and sign. Her vitals are stable; I can take it from here.” Dr. Leighter looked irritated but he took the folder anyways.

He stood at the end of Esther’s bed, looking over the report about her arrival. "She was found by the side of the road dehydrated and delirious..." the doctor’s eyebrows went up as he continued reading, "found by a forest ranger." The doctor let out a low whistle. "You are one lucky lady.” The doctor tapped his clipboard lightly on Esther’s bed rail. “Good thing today was a weekday. One more day and the damage to your system would’ve been irreversible." He handed the folder to Miss Kent and quickly checked Esther’s vitals. Dr. Leighter asked some routine questions while checking Esther for injuries.

“Everything looks good. You’re right she’s stable. She’s in your hands now.” He quickly signed off on Esther’s file and left.

The Miss Kent quickly gets to work. Unaware that Esther is regaining consciousness. "Looks like you need a new IV bag." Miss Kent mutters leaving quietly.

Esther’s eyes slowly open. It takes a few seconds before the memory of her escape skirts through her mind. Her frame tenses from the realization that she is no longer in outside but in a foreign room. The room is white to the point of sterile, unnatural sickly looking light hums like the Cicada’s song from above. Steady beeping echoes all around her. Her breathing picks up, as a sudden alarm goes off.

Anybody else in this situation would probably awaken startled and quickly settle down. It was the opposite for Esther. She'd only heard stories of what lay beyond her home. To be suddenly thrust into it without warning was the icing onto of the cake. Rational thought was out the window; she sits up and randomly starts pulling at the tubes and wires attached to her. She yelps as she pulls out her IV. When blood started to pool she instinctively, covers it and applies pressure.

"Miss! Stop! You're going to hurt yourself." Nurse Kent came running into the room. Esther in her panic jumps to her feet knocking over her side table and IV stand. Unsuccessfully Esther tries to get away from the yelling women, to end up cornered.

The moment Miss Kent put her hands on Esther's shoulders, was the moment she wished she would've left the girl to her own devices. The lights flickered, a current of electrical energy flowed through Esther hitting Nurse Kent square on. Miss Kent convulsed squeezing Esther’s shoulders to the point of bruising. The white of her eyes could be seen as they rolled up.

Esther screamed in fright and pushed the nurse off of her. Nurse Kent suddenly stopped convulsing and fell to the ground a heap. A twitch here and there was the only movement Nurse Kent made. Fear was the only thing Esther knew as she ran from the room; fear of hurting someone trying to help her, and fear of how she did it.

Luckily the halls were empty as she fled down them blindly. Behind her she left a trail of shorted computer, broken light bulbs, and smoking hunks of machinery. As she rounded a corner, she slammed into an open door with enough force that she bounced back and tumbled to the ground. With a final flare, Esther watched as root-like lines of eerie blue jumped from her and traveled down the hallway, effectively cutting the power to the building.

As if the door knocked some sense into her, Esther calmly stayed seated. She categorized everything from the yelling to her surroundings. The yell was chaos, but there was nothing she could do. Everything was so unknown to her. A sign caught her eye and she gasped. Hospital. There were more words but that was the only she really took in.

"Oh no." Esther knew what a hospital was. Her communities own hospital was a large building with cots and curtains dividing certain areas, but she never imagined this. The hospital was so alien and cold. “What did I do?"

She looked around; the hospital was darkened but the afternoon light still filtered in. The more natural lighting helped calm Esther’s jittered nerves and her breathing, but she was still leery. A shrill scream pierced the silence and bounced down the hall. Most people would run the in the other direction of a bone chilling scream or even in this type of situation. Panic tends to do that. Esther, however, ran towards it. A scream like that usually meant someone was hurt or in trouble. If it was one thing she learned from being Amish it was to help.

Annie didn't remember falling asleep, but she was startled awake by the sound of shouting in the halls. She sat up and blinked, trying to make sense of what was happening. The lights overhead were flickering on and off erratically, and she tensed for another onslaught of grim faced spirits. But this time none came. She had no idea what was happening but she supposed in the midst of chaos was as good a time as any to escape. She dug her clothes out of the duffel bag her father had brought, slipping into her jeans and oversized Columbia sweater. She made a half-hearted attempt to tame her long wavy hair as she opened the door and peeked out.

Chaos was definitely the right word for it. The lights kept going off and then coming back on so that the hospital now resembled some sort of twisted rave. The doctors and nurses zooming through the halls seemed frantic. Annie headed for the nearest set of stairs, opting to avoid elevators if there were electrical problems. But her steps faltered as she found herself approaching the ER. This is where she had sensed that family earlier.

That piercing cold overcame her again, like a spear through her chest. A black shroud surrounded several people spread out on the operating tables. Annie stumbled away, her back hitting the wall. She could see it in her mind, though she didn't know how. She could see the smoke, the flames; could feel people's panic and terror. She could almost feel it as they fell, as they were trampled and engulfed in flames.

People ran back and forth down the hall, nearly running her over but she didn't even notice. Moments ticked on, and one by one, patients died right before Annie's eyes. Despite the blackness swirling around them she could see a faint glow emanating from their skin. When their hearts stopped the light went out like a dead lightbulb. The black aura around them faded and Annie stared in dumbfounded shock as what she could only assume were their souls rose from their bodies. She stood frozen in the hall, some part of her brain screaming that this couldn't be real while the rest of her was awed. The souls radiated a sort of crystalline glow that put her in mind of stardust. There was a shimmer in the air, like a mirage rippling over hot asphalt. The souls drifted into it and vanished.

The world slowly came back to her and Annie realized she'd been holding her breath. "I've gone completely nuts," she whispered. She turned her head and saw them. A dozen ghosts, watching her. Abruptly they all started moving, arms reaching to grab her. Annie screamed, high pitched and terrified, and scrambled away from the wall. She nearly collided with a frazzled looking surgeon as she bolted down the hall. The ghosts didn't slow their approach, passing right through anyone in their path. They were all talking at once, their voices an indecipherable murmur. One voice cut through more clearly.

"Hey! Wait!" A boy appeared in front of her. He had tousled brown hair and gauges in his earlobes. "Wait a minute," he said but Annie ran right through him, wincing. She was in a part of the hospital that she wasn't very familiar with but she was desperate to ditch the dead people. As she rounded a corner like her heels were on fire she slammed into someone's chest. She lost her balance and landed hard on on the tile with a startled yelp. Her ass and head both ached in protest.

"Bloody fucking hell!" Annie exclaimed.

The boy whom she had run into offered his hand to help her up. She thought he seemed familiar but she was too busy glancing over her shoulder to remember where she'd seen him. Her ghostly stalkers had vanished again.

"Are you okay?" The familiar boy was watching her with concern. Annie realized she was still trembling.

The other boy gave a derisive snort. "She's so not," he said cryptically and Annie narrowed her eyes at him. He had a thick Cajun accent and Annie realized he was familiar too. Beau Boudreux, the reigning drama club king of Columbia University.

"Annie?" The boy who had helped her up was staring at her. "You're Annie Kizer, right? We had organic chemistry together."

"Um. Yeah. You're Remington," she said, finally remembering. "I secretly referred to you as Mr. Steele for the entire semester."

He let out a startled bark of laughter and Beau looked amused.

"I go by Remy, actually."

"Well we can't all be Pierce Brosnan can we?" Annie peered around the corner, scanning the hallway again. She jumped back as a brunette boy appeared before her. He had appeared so suddenly that Annie thought he was another ghost. But no, he wasn't see-through and he was wrinkling his nose at Beau.

"You again?" he muttered. "Did you guys hear that scream earlier? Do you know if someone's hurt? Or what the fuck is going on with this place?"

Annie schooled her features into nonchalance at the mention of the scream but Beau was watching her with his eyebrow raised. "I think it was you screaming," he said. Three pairs of eyes landed on her still shaking form and she gave them a challenging glare. She wasn't in the habit of screaming and running amok through the halls in need of rescuing like some horror movie bimbo, and she didn't care for anyone thinking otherwise.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said tersely. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned. A tall slender girl came barreling down the corridor at full speed and in the dimness she clearly didn't see the rest of them gathered there in their shadowy alcove until the last minute. She crashed into the boy who had asked about the screaming. There was a crackling sound like when you rub your socks on the floor and then poke someone. He jumped nearly a foot into the air.

"What the fuck?" He backed away from the girl with a grimace. She started to stammer out an apology, but in that moment time seemed to slow down and several things happened all at once. The girl's entire body lit up like a Christmas display, sparks of electricity running all along her skin. Remy's body seemed to spontaneously combust, erupting in flames. Beau cringed and fell to his knees, covering his ears and screaming to make it stop. The other boy went partially invisible, his body seeming to ripple. As much a mind fuck as this all was, Annie scarcely had time to take it in because the entire damn hall was packed with ghosts. They surged around her. The temperature dropped at least ten degrees. They were all grabbing her; one woman reached out and started gently trying to braid Annie's hair. Another figure surged through the assembled ghosts. Instead of being transparent it seemed to be made of oil and shadow. It gripped Annie by her upper arms and lifted her clear off the floor, pinning her against the wall.

She gasped, staring into glowing white eyes that were full of malice. Its grip was iron and bruising. The other ghosts fell on the thing, tearing and pulling at it like they wanted to save her. She didn't even have time to wonder about that because as abruptly as it all began, everything stopped. The fire and electrical light show went out, making the hall seem darker than before. The weird ripples stopped and the lanky boy was solid and visible again. Beau had stopped shouting but was still on his knees, breathing hard. The ghosts vanished and Annie hit the floor, her ankle twisting slightly and almost sending her tumbling over his kneeling form. There was a beat where they just looked at each other, their faces pale and stunned. Then Annie and the other girl both back pedaled, preparing to run.

"No!" Beau raised his head and climbed unsteadily to his feet. There were thin lines of blood trickling from his ears and nose. He swiped at it almost absent-mindlessly. "Wait, you can't leave yet."

"The fuck I can't," Annie muttered.

"The lights and everything seem to be working again," Remy said, looking shaken. "I need to go check on Maya."

"You guys, wait," Beau pleaded. "Something really weird is happening here."

"No shit. What was your first clue?" the third boy said scathingly. Hollace, Annie thought. She had been required to take a human development class and she remembered him always sitting near the door, generally with the same scowl he wore now.

"I-I think I can help you," Beau went on, ignoring him. "Well, actually, my uncle can. Listen to me, please. Don't you all want to find out what's happening to you?"

Annie was still eager to get the hell out of there but her feet didn't move. The five of them all traded looks. She had to concede that her life officially belonged in the X-Files now, and apparently so did all of theirs. She was skeptical that this guy and his weird uncle would be able to shed any light on whatever the hell was going on, but it's not like she had a lot of other leads. Maybe this was all a massively messed up dream that she'd wake up from soon. A girl could hope, after all. She sighed. "All right, what do you suggest, thespian?"

"There's a diner," he said, his face still pinched with pain. "In Riverside Park. It's called One String. My uncle has a shop behind it. If you could all meet there, in like an hour or so-"

"And what makes you think your uncle can help us with...well whatever the fuck this is?" Hollace scoffed.

"He deals in the unusual and supernatural," Beau said. "It's kind of his thing."

Annie yanked down one of her sweater sleeves, inspecting her arm where the weird thing had grabbed her. She shivered. A hand-shaped bruise stood out against her light skin.

"I'll be there," she muttered.

"Excuse me." The tall brunette girl finally spoke, her voice soft. "I-I don't know where anything is, or how to get there...I don't even have anywhere to stay." She looked both distressed and embarrassed by this admission. Annie eyed the girl's plain blue dress and lace up boots. A grudging sympathy emerged, helping to slightly dull the wild panic in her chest. She sighed again.

"You can stay with me, country girl," Annie said. "My apartment has an extra bedroom and you don't seem like a psycho killer."

"So, you'll all come, then?" Beau glanced around at each of them, though he winced a little as he did so. They all mumbled reluctant consent. Then they went their separate ways, Annie leading her unexpected new roommate toward the nearest exit. Her arms ached from where the ghost had grabbed her, the brown haired make ghost was lounging against the door she was approaching, and when her phone rang Mom appeared on the screen. Annie was going to get an irate ear full for leaving.

Her last shred of hope that this was nothing but a bizarre dream blew away like a dead leaf in the New York autumn breeze.

"This tastes like shit."

Beau saw stars when he received the whack on the back of his head, the screams turning to whispers and the whispers disappearing almost completely. Then again, it could have been because of the concoction of herbs he'd just swallowed in one gulp.

"Have a little respect for the dead, boy," his uncle scolded, turning his back to him as he finished putting away the ingredients. "They gave you this. Is it working?"

"To a point," Beau winced.

"Then stop complaining," he placed the last jar on the shelf and wiped his hands on a clean piece of cloth lying on the counter. When he turned he found Beau with his chin resting on his crossed arms over the table, eyes casted to the wood and brow furrowed. "What troubles you?"

"What doesn't?" the young Cajun boy sighed. "It's late, I'm hungry, mom's recovering from one of her epilepsy attacks, I'm hearing people's thoughts in my head as if I'd turned into Edward Cullen and I've missed the drama club meeting I was hosting today."

Suddenly, Taylor Swift began to play from the inside of his pocket and Naveen gave him an amused little smirk.

"Alice, how many times have I told you not to look into my phone?" Beau groaned into the device, standing in a parody of privacy from his uncle.

"Aw, boo, you know I don't like the ringtones you give me!" he could almost see the pout she'd give him, which immediately melted his heart.

"Okay, okay," he rubbed his face. "Sorry, chère."

"So what happened to you today?" her well-known tone of worry made him wince, since he hated lying to her. "Was it your mom? Is she okay?"

"She had a mild attack today, but she's okay," well, he didn't exactly lie... "Milo called you, didn't he?"

"Said you were dead for all he knew," Alice confirmed. "You never miss practice. Not once. If that attack was so mild, then why didn't you go?"

He wished he could tell her, he really did. But if people knew that he actually believed in voodoo and what it could do, he'd never have a normal life again, and Alice couldn't hold a secret to save her life.

"Is this because of the blackout?" she continued.

"Yes," partially it was, wasn't it? "Dr. Kizzer has been assigned to mom, so I had to sign a lot of shit. I'm so sorry, Alice, really, I should've called."

"It better not happen again," she scoffed.

It was then that the whisper of another mind entered the area, one that had on the front gate stamped 'CLOSED FOR THE DAY'. It could only mean that the first of the young group of misfits he'd called over was finally here, maybe two of them, he wasn't sure.

"Listen, I've got to go, talk to you later?" he offered in quick pace.

"What? I've just called you! What's so important that y - "

"I love you, okay?" he knew it rendered her speechless every time, and as such, the other side of the line went silent. 

"Love you, too, boo," she gave. "Bye."

"Bye!"
 
"That was Alice, wasn't it?" Naveen asked with one of his strange smiles, the ones Beau still hadn't really been able to place after all these years. 

"Yeah," Beau couldn't help but smile at just the thought of her. "You've met her a couple of times."

"Yes," his uncle nodded, then lifted his eyes from his herbs when the front door bell rang softly. "Ah, seems we have a visitor."

It was Annie, the girl with the colorful hair and the bad spirits surrounding her. Behind her was the other girl, naive and a runaway from what he'd been able to read.

In truth, back at the hospital, her thoughts had been the loudest - scared out of her mind, in a foreign world, with strange poeple that did strange things. He sympatized, even if it was a bit, knowing what it was to be taken out of element into a brand new world. He hadn't caught her name, though.

"Hey," Annie nodded at him, all tense and body ready with purpose. Beau liked her already, so he sent her a smile that whispered in his mind that he'd thrown her off slightly. "Are we the first ones here?"

"Yes," Beau nodded, then raised his hand to shake hers. "Since introductions have been slightly unpleasant, let me make it up. I'm Beau Boudreux, and this is my uncle Naveen."

"Nice to meet you," the voodoo witch offered a kind smile. "And who might you be, little lady?"

"Esther," on the back, the Amish girl shyly nodded at him in acknowledgement. "Nice to meet you."

"You, too," uncle Naveen left his herbs to stand beside Beau, away from the counter to seem friendlier. It was crazy how Beau could hear all once their shoulder touched, so with a grimace he stepped away. "And what's your name?"

"Her name's Annie," Beau answered before the redhead could even pronounce the first word. "I didn't really catch her last name, but she means well, although she doesn't really believe in all of this, so it'll be harder to convince her this is probably voodoo."

"How did you know that?" her hand snapped back to her body, as if zapped like back at the hospital.

"You may be able to call on the Marshmallow Monster that terrorizes New York City," he smirked, crossing his arms. "But I'm going full-on mentalit on everyone right now."

Esther radiated confusion, but he ignored it for the moment.

"A telepath?" the bell rang, and inside came Hollace, limping slightly. "Great, we've got Edward Cullen here."

"Fuck off, Bucky Allen," Beau laughed, then laughed harder. "I heard that."

"Great," the dark haired, young man stood on Esther's right, frowning at everyone and everything. "Now I don't even have to waste saliva when insulting you."

"You wound me," the Cajun rolled his eyes. "We gotta wait for Remy to explain everything, otherwise we'll have to repeat shit and I don't think it's what we want right now."

Beau sat on one of the old, wooden chairs around the intricate table. This particular table can from Louisiana, from back home in New Orleans, his old house. When he touched it, he could almost feel him own memories of when he was a kid. Maybe his new abilities were doing that.

"Help yourselves to anything," he gestured to the spicy food placed on top, still very much warm and inviting. "If you can handle it, of course."

"Is it really spicy?" Annie sat next to him, apparently forgetting that Cajun gastronomy thrived on spices. She began to serve herself, already seeming at home as soon as food was involved, and Beau had to grin. 

"Incredibly so," he look at Esther and Hollace, the former sheepish whilst the latter seemed just annoyed. Then again, Hollace always seemed to be scowling whenever he looked at him, so he could be appy for all Beau knew. 

Esther took a step towards a lone chair, then a flash of Annie's smile and the ghost feel of fur against his hand (or hers? Beau wasn't sure) made her sit beside Annie, even beaming a little at the girl. They seemed to have become quick friends, then.

"So I'm Hollace," the prothetic was uncomfortable, Beau noticed when the young man sat right next to him, frowning at his goddamn sandwich as if it had done something unspeakable to his mother. 

"I know," Beau loved to say it, to be honest. Seemed like telepathy wasn't so bad of you ignored the constant whispers and focused on just one. "Also, you should really reconsider drinking so early, man, I'm pretty sure a beer can't be good for you at eight in the morning."

A slur and blur of words passed through Hollace's mind. And, while for everyone else it was deadly silent, for Beau it was almost deafening. Finally, Hollace settled in taking a bite of his sandwich, chewing, swallowing, and looking at him instensely with a cynical grin.

"Fuck you," inside, he was burning up with anger.

"... fucking Boudreux... not my mother... why would he fucking care... telling everyone out loud... none of his fucking bussiness... shit fuck shit shit he's a fucking telepath why... wish I could kick his fucking ass into a bloody pulp..."

"Did I miss something?" 

If Beau hadn't been so busy inside Hollace's mind, he would have definitely noticed Remy's presence. In the halo of the last hours of day, Remy seemed to have a halo of fire around him, not unlike the human torch act he'd pulled on the hospital. He hadn't opened the door all the way, which was why the bell didn't ring, but as soon as the eyes of everyone settled on him, he pushed his way into the store, eyeing Naveen, who hadn't spoken a word in favour of nursing his favourite drink.

"Hey, Remy," Esther was the one to break the awkward silence, aparently, and she surprised even herself. Beau stood to offer his seat to Remy, but the boy shook his head, stepping away once more.

Beau sensed his discomfort with human contact and understood - that Maya girl, a relative, it seemed, had been hurt by his powers.

Maybe it was time to talk.

"Okay," Beau pushed his hand over the hem of his shirt, scratching his tan and bare shoulder. "I think we can all finally talk about what's happening...?"

"You said your uncle knew," Hollace accused, glaring at him.

"I know a lot of things, boy," Naveen stood tall and strong, leaving his mug on the counter behind him. "But nobody knows everything, now, do we?"

"Is this going to be one of those cryptic tarot readings about our vague future and a past that is blatantly obvious?" Annie stood. "Because if so, I'm getting out of here."

Beau grasped her arm, eyes big and wide and mocha and pleading with her to please listen. She froze for a moment, looking uncomfortable and feeling uncomfortable until she shook his hand off and crossed her arms under her chest, narrowing her eyes and nodding.

"Okay, so we woke up today," Beau began, looking at each and every one of them. "And we had these... abilities. Gifts. Mutations."

"Don't," Hollace groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. "Just fucking don't. I am not in the mood to think my life belongs in a Marvel comic book now, Boudreux."

"Fine," he scoffed. "So we woke up and we had these abilities. True?"

"Yes," Annie nodded. "Just today."

Everyone but Esther nodded, and Beau waited patiently for her answer. The blonde rubbed her forearms like a security blanket, and Beau read the hesitation and even the defensive stance she had taken. 

"I've never really... been around electric things much," she shrugged. 

"What?" Remy frowned. "Why?"

"Amish," Beau answered quietly, softly, knowing Esther wasn't really okay with spelling everything out. "She's Amish, just... ran away. You had nothing and were alone and ended up in the hospital, right?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Pretty much. Woke up, didn't know where I was."

"You," Hollace's eyes widened. "You created the blackout!"

Esther didn't say anything, didn't need to. Annie soon stepped in and interrupted the staring contest.

"Well, I'm seeing dead people," she huffed, and Beau would've believed her annoyed act hadn't he read the horrifying feel of the dead surrounding her in the hospital. "A dead frog talked to me this morning while I was disecting it. You think you got it bad? I'm practically the kid from the Sixth Sense!"

"I'm a cripple," Hollace told her, very lowly, very seriously. "Amd I'm the fucking Flash. So whoever or whatever did this is very fucking ironic and a goddamn asshole."

"I burned my cousin," Remy added, softly, vulnerable. Everyone turned to him. "I was mad at her, Maya's her name. She's younger than me, I'm supposed to take care of her. And she's got her hands with burns all over because I lost control."

"You didn't know you had these powers," Naveen told him, gathering everyone's attention to him. "None of you did. Just like none of you noticed the storm last night."

"I did," Beau frowned.

"Shut up, Beau, you don't count," his uncle slapped a hand over his mouth. "So far, from what I've gathered, this seems to be either a curse or a gift."

"Don't get all philosophial on us, Rafiki," Hollace snapped, making Beau quickly step into his space.

"Watch your mouth," the Cajun spat in thick French accent. "I called you here to help you, and if you're disrrespecting my family, you're disrrspecting me. So shut up and listen him instead of being an impatient little fuck."

He expected curses and swears and maybe even a few xenophobic slurs being thrown at him, but inside the man's mind was only praise for standing up to his family and thankfulness for being rude to a cripple like him.

Beau was thrown back by the last thought, the one that rang the loudest, and pushed away all sadness that seemed to filter through his every pore. He didn't like it when people felt sorry for him, he was sure Hollace would hate it, too.

"I meant," Naveen continued as if nothing had interrupted him, placing a reassuring hand over Beau's shoulder. Again, millions of thoughts swam in his head and dizziness began to spread slightly, the edges of his vision blurring. "That it could be literally a gift or a curse. Someone could have cursed you or gifted you. The mark that this magic has left on you is unknown to me and, thus, the caster is also unknown. Either that, or they hide very well. I will need to spend quite a few hours with you lot using these abilities to determine the caster."

"No," Remy's answer was immediate. "I'm not using this thing, no way."

"Me neither," Annie whispered, as if breath,ess like Beau was feeling at the moment.

An argument began to spread through the shop, but all Beau could see were images, clear as day. They belinged to Naveen, Beau knew. He could see himself when he was a kid, all floppy dark hair and hand painted ukelele. He could see his sister - a few days before her murder, because her hair was cut and her smile wasn't as bright as he remembered it to be on her best days. 

Then her body, on the floor, blood pooling under head head and clothes torn and hand clutching that necklace dad had given her the day he left and -

Beau fell to his lnees, doubled over, vomited on the floorboards, and began to hear the screams of agony and pain of a hundred years collected by each and every individual in the room.

"So what happened to you today?" her well-known tone of worry made him wince, since he hated lying to her. "Was it your mom? Is she okay?" -- no comma between wince and since.

"Yes," partially it was, wasn't it? "Dr. Kizzer has been assigned to mom -- isn't it 'Kizer'?

He sympatized, even if it was a bit, knowing what it was to be taken out of element into a brand new world. He hadn't caught her name, though.-- *sympathized

"Nice to meet you," the voodoo witch offered a kind smile. "And who might you be, little lady?" -- would he be a voodoo witch or a warlock? Maybe even a witch doctor? I think that's another name for it.

"Esther," on the back -- **in the back

Beau could hear all once their shoulder touched, -- **shoulders

"Great, we've got Edward Cullen here." -- maybe a different reference since cullen was already mentioned at the beginning. Maybe Brainwave from DC?

This particular table can from Louisiana -- ** came

whilst the latter seemed just annoyed. Then again, Hollace always seemed to be scowling whenever he looked at him, so he could be appy for all Beau knew. -- * just seemed annoyed (it flows a little better) and **happy

the prothetic was uncomfortable -- ** prosthetic

telepathy wasn't so bad of you ignored the constant whispers -- ** if

In the halo of the last hours of day, Remy seemed to have a halo -- maybe like, in the dusk of the last hours...? just so you don't say halo back to back like that? just a minor thing, you don't have to change it.

not unlike the human torch act he'd pulled on the hospital -- at or in the hospital instead.

Esther was the one to break the awkward silence, aparently -- ** apparently

"Amd I'm the fucking Flash. So whoever or whatever did this is very fucking ironic and a goddamn asshole." -- **and

So shut up and listen him instead of being an impatient little fuck." --** listen to him

mind was only praise for standing up to his family and thankfulness for being rude to a cripple like him. -- **standing up for his family. (also maybe change/add "and a bit of respect for having the guts to put a sorry amputee like himself in his place")

Annie whispered, as if breath,ess like Beau was feeling at the moment. -- **breathless

They belinged to Naveen, -- **belonged

Beau fell to his lnees, - **knees

There are kind of a lot but I completely understand being so into writing that you completely miss typos. I've done it tons of times. xD
Anyway, there you go! Loved it!

Also, I know I should have put the quotes in italics but I was too lazy.

@ niklitera
I have to say you did a stellar job with Annie's attitude/personality in this.

@ starfire.
SO I just wanted to post it in the forum so that I don't forget because it'll get lost in the chat, but how do you wanna go about Rannie?

@ decay
I think they should at least admit their feelings in the middle. Not necessarily start throwing out the "L" word until toward the end, but maybe kind of tentatively dating without actually calling it that at first..? I figured they could first sort of bond over both being science majors and smarty pants, and then they both struggle with their powers and Remy can confess that he's not sure he wants to do science and everything. And Annie can suggest the firefighter idea and Remy tries to cheer her up when she gets depressed about her powers.

I'm not sure when exactly she'll make contact with his parents, but I was thinking it'd be before they admit to liking each other and maybe that's one of the things that makes him really realize that he has feelings for her because she did that for him. And Annie realizes she likes him too but she's unsure how to react to that. If Remy's shy and doesn't want to admit feelings without being sure how the other person feels I'm cool with Annie being he one to finally be like "fuck it" and initiate the whole thing. if you prefer it that way.

@ starfire.
Okay, that's what I was thinking too. I think it'd be cuter that way as well, especially since the amount of cute we can write in there when they start dating. Maybe the her-making-contact-with-his-parents thing can happen like soon, once they're all close enough to confide in each other at least? Should that be the start of it all?