POST HOLLOW SYNDROME
Chapter 5- Bully
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Kai knew he had seen something. It didn't matter what Mira or Adam thought. Mira's explanation of Adam's dream? Fair enough. But a glitch was not a dream brought on by stewing over something too much. Vanessa's eye was the furthest thing from Kai's mind that night. What he'd seen had been real.
At least, that's what he'd thought. But soon enough, Mira's words had sent him into a tailspin of doubt. He had done little but run over the unsavory possibilities since he'd stormed out of the restaurant on Saturday. By Sunday he had begun to doubt how right he actually was, and today he had begun to doubt his own sanity.
What if they were right, and he WAS seeing things? What if he was turning into a total nutjob? Was he crazy? He used to be pretty sure he wasn't, but ever since that incident... he wasn't so sure anymore. Yeah, he felt normal. But he'd felt normal in the Hollow, too. No, he probably wasn't still in the game, but something had to be going on.
Right?
Kai was a wreck and he knew it. He didn't want Adam or Mira to see how distressed he was because of them, so he had decided to walk to the school by himself this Monday. It really wasn't so bad. He got to sleep a little longer, and even managed to snag an actual breakfast before having to run out the door. But of course, Ma insisted she drive him to school if he wasn't meeting his friends. Kai capitulated. He didn't have a good argument against the idea anyway.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and squared his shoulders, hoping it made him look more confident than he actually felt. Well, he convinced himself, he had to have been sort of confident. He was walking up to the school by himself today--- something he had, for some reason he couldn't quite grasp, been afraid to do before. That had to count for something.
Kai straightened his shoulders. Ha. Why was he so nervous about the walk to the school doors to begin with? Ha ha! What was there to be scared of...?
...Oh.
Kai deflated when he saw the tall, bulky teen approaching from a few short feet away. That was the reason--- one "Spud" Spader.
"Hey, Moptop."
Kai became paralyzed at the sound of that terrible deep growl. He tried to hide the shaking in his voice as he addressed the terror he'd almost forgotten about. "Oh, hey, Spud! Looking as... much like a potato as ever, I see! I'd love to stay and catch up but I've got class, BYE!" He tried to dart past Spud, but the big guy caught the skinny teen by the arm. Pain shot through Kai's shoulder. "Yow! Hey!"
"I see your new friends are gone," Spud rumbled. He rotated around to Kai's front again, maintaining a tight grip on the boy's arm. "I saw you on TV. Looks like you're some kind of celebrity now."
"Yeah! I am! So, um... back off!" Kai demanded. He silently cursed the little crack in his voice that gave away his nerve.
Spud let out a wheezy laugh that sent an icy shiver down Kai's spine. "Don't strain yourself, Kai. You might hurt yourself."
"Yeah? I'd rather hurt you!" Kai spat. He tried to yank his arm away from the bully.
Spud pulled back twice as hard in the opposite direction, yanking Kai aside and pressing him against the school sign, just out of view of any other students. Kai yelped again as his shoulder twisted even further out of place. Spud's spotted face was suddenly very, very close. His rotten breath, heavy and ragged, poured into Kai's nostrils. The redhead thought he might choke.
"And you're gonna do what. Blast me with fire?" He snorted. "Can't back up that bluster anymore, can ya?"
Kai knew this was a futile struggle. All the fire had gone out of him, it was true--- all except the burning pain in his shoulder. But it was something. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes again. No... no more crying, he scolded himself. Those days were over now. Kai clenched his fists. He may not have had his fire powers now, but having them had made him feel... different. He swore he had become a man. And in this moment...
"You know I'm right," Spud growled.
Kai recalled how it felt to hold fire in his palm. How he knew he could do...
"You've got nothing, Kai."
Anything. Kai struck out at Spud with his free fist. But Spud ducked away--- shoot!--- and Kai found his other arm clutched within the bully's cold grasp.
"Nothing," Spud continued, "means nothing." He shoved Kai down to the ground and took a menacing step forward. Kai braced himself for the inevitable kick to the ribs he would receive when Spud got close enough to strike. But it never came.
Kai uncovered his head and looked up at the towering teenager. He was frozen still. And he was... pixellating? Kai gaped. He had completely glitched out, head to toe. Kai chortled in terror and excitement and sped away--- salvation had come not a moment too soon!
"Hey! How'd you get away so fast?"
Kai throttled up the steps and through the front door at full speed. Had he just seen time alter in his favor? Spud sounded baffled! This... this wasn't just something he had seen now, it was something he'd EXPERIENCED! Without a doubt! This was nuts! This nearly proved his theory that there was something funny going on! They'd have to listen to him now!
As soon as Kai whipped around the corner, he ran into Adam--- literally. Both boys collapsed to the floor in a tangle of skinny limbs and bruised foreheads. Adam sat up first, rubbing his throbbing temple. Kai lay still on the floor and groaned, suddenly unable to think straight. All this pain... and every bit of it before nine in the morning. "Kai? Dude, you should watch where you're going," Adam scolded.
Adam! He had something to say to Adam, didn't he? Yeah, he did! Kai sat up with his eyes wide open. "Adam! I saw a-a-a... dude, it was... holy cow! Something freaky, something... ah-ah-ah!"
"Whoooooah. Slow down, bud," Adam interrupted. "Try to calm down. Steady..." He extended his hand in a cautioning but kind manner.
Kai took deep breaths and tried to calm his rapid heartbeat. He felt dizzy from his run, or from the thoughts spinning around in his head as they attempted to reassemble themselves into any sort of meaningful words. Or... maybe he had a concussion from hitting his head so hard. The result was the same either way.
"Breathe, Kai. Breathe."
Kai took a final deep breath and exhaled. His thoughts had fallen back into place at last. "OK... OK. I'm better now... I think."
"All right." Adam stood and held out his hand to lift Kai from the ground. Kai took it, taking care to use the arm that didn't hurt so badly, and allowed someone else to help him to his feet for once. Maybe he was too shaken up to care. "Now. Tell me what went down."
"Us!" Kai blurted.
"No. Say what you were trying to tell me. What did you see?"
Kai brushed down his shirt. "I saw... OK, I ran into Spud and as he was... talking to me, he glitched out and froze. I know it wasn't my imagination because I got away while he was frozen. He would've caught me if he hadn't glitched out like that! He even freaked out when I got away from him!"
Adam didn't respond. "I'm serious! He locked up!" Kai insisted. "You don't have to believe me. I really don't care if you don't believe me but I have actual, physical proof and I know what I saw, for real this time, and I know I couldn't have gotten away from Spud unless---!"
"I believe you."
Kai blinked. "You do?" His mood improved instantly. "But I thought you were... at the restaurant you said..."
"I know what I said," said Adam. "It made sense then. But I've been thinking, and... if you didn't look so excited about this then I..." he sighed. "I mean, just because you're the only one who's seen something glitch doesn't mean you aren't seeing something. I, of all people, should have known that." He turned and headed for homeroom.
Kai shoved his hands into his pockets and happily joined Adam at his side, his narrow chest puffed out in renewed confidence. "See? I'm not so crazy after all!" His eyes shone with energy.
Adam smiled and gave Kai's shoulder a friendly smack. Kai winced as it cracked back into place. "I know the feeling," Adam remarked.
Kai rubbed his aching shoulder. "So... think I should tell Mira?"
Adam shrugged. "That's up to you, dude."
"Think she'll believe me?"
Adam's eyes narrowed as he thought. "I have no idea."
At least, that's what he'd thought. But soon enough, Mira's words had sent him into a tailspin of doubt. He had done little but run over the unsavory possibilities since he'd stormed out of the restaurant on Saturday. By Sunday he had begun to doubt how right he actually was, and today he had begun to doubt his own sanity.
What if they were right, and he WAS seeing things? What if he was turning into a total nutjob? Was he crazy? He used to be pretty sure he wasn't, but ever since that incident... he wasn't so sure anymore. Yeah, he felt normal. But he'd felt normal in the Hollow, too. No, he probably wasn't still in the game, but something had to be going on.
Right?
Kai was a wreck and he knew it. He didn't want Adam or Mira to see how distressed he was because of them, so he had decided to walk to the school by himself this Monday. It really wasn't so bad. He got to sleep a little longer, and even managed to snag an actual breakfast before having to run out the door. But of course, Ma insisted she drive him to school if he wasn't meeting his friends. Kai capitulated. He didn't have a good argument against the idea anyway.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and squared his shoulders, hoping it made him look more confident than he actually felt. Well, he convinced himself, he had to have been sort of confident. He was walking up to the school by himself today--- something he had, for some reason he couldn't quite grasp, been afraid to do before. That had to count for something.
Kai straightened his shoulders. Ha. Why was he so nervous about the walk to the school doors to begin with? Ha ha! What was there to be scared of...?
...Oh.
Kai deflated when he saw the tall, bulky teen approaching from a few short feet away. That was the reason--- one "Spud" Spader.
"Hey, Moptop."
Kai became paralyzed at the sound of that terrible deep growl. He tried to hide the shaking in his voice as he addressed the terror he'd almost forgotten about. "Oh, hey, Spud! Looking as... much like a potato as ever, I see! I'd love to stay and catch up but I've got class, BYE!" He tried to dart past Spud, but the big guy caught the skinny teen by the arm. Pain shot through Kai's shoulder. "Yow! Hey!"
"I see your new friends are gone," Spud rumbled. He rotated around to Kai's front again, maintaining a tight grip on the boy's arm. "I saw you on TV. Looks like you're some kind of celebrity now."
"Yeah! I am! So, um... back off!" Kai demanded. He silently cursed the little crack in his voice that gave away his nerve.
Spud let out a wheezy laugh that sent an icy shiver down Kai's spine. "Don't strain yourself, Kai. You might hurt yourself."
"Yeah? I'd rather hurt you!" Kai spat. He tried to yank his arm away from the bully.
Spud pulled back twice as hard in the opposite direction, yanking Kai aside and pressing him against the school sign, just out of view of any other students. Kai yelped again as his shoulder twisted even further out of place. Spud's spotted face was suddenly very, very close. His rotten breath, heavy and ragged, poured into Kai's nostrils. The redhead thought he might choke.
"And you're gonna do what. Blast me with fire?" He snorted. "Can't back up that bluster anymore, can ya?"
Kai knew this was a futile struggle. All the fire had gone out of him, it was true--- all except the burning pain in his shoulder. But it was something. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes again. No... no more crying, he scolded himself. Those days were over now. Kai clenched his fists. He may not have had his fire powers now, but having them had made him feel... different. He swore he had become a man. And in this moment...
"You know I'm right," Spud growled.
Kai recalled how it felt to hold fire in his palm. How he knew he could do...
"You've got nothing, Kai."
Anything. Kai struck out at Spud with his free fist. But Spud ducked away--- shoot!--- and Kai found his other arm clutched within the bully's cold grasp.
"Nothing," Spud continued, "means nothing." He shoved Kai down to the ground and took a menacing step forward. Kai braced himself for the inevitable kick to the ribs he would receive when Spud got close enough to strike. But it never came.
Kai uncovered his head and looked up at the towering teenager. He was frozen still. And he was... pixellating? Kai gaped. He had completely glitched out, head to toe. Kai chortled in terror and excitement and sped away--- salvation had come not a moment too soon!
"Hey! How'd you get away so fast?"
Kai throttled up the steps and through the front door at full speed. Had he just seen time alter in his favor? Spud sounded baffled! This... this wasn't just something he had seen now, it was something he'd EXPERIENCED! Without a doubt! This was nuts! This nearly proved his theory that there was something funny going on! They'd have to listen to him now!
As soon as Kai whipped around the corner, he ran into Adam--- literally. Both boys collapsed to the floor in a tangle of skinny limbs and bruised foreheads. Adam sat up first, rubbing his throbbing temple. Kai lay still on the floor and groaned, suddenly unable to think straight. All this pain... and every bit of it before nine in the morning. "Kai? Dude, you should watch where you're going," Adam scolded.
Adam! He had something to say to Adam, didn't he? Yeah, he did! Kai sat up with his eyes wide open. "Adam! I saw a-a-a... dude, it was... holy cow! Something freaky, something... ah-ah-ah!"
"Whoooooah. Slow down, bud," Adam interrupted. "Try to calm down. Steady..." He extended his hand in a cautioning but kind manner.
Kai took deep breaths and tried to calm his rapid heartbeat. He felt dizzy from his run, or from the thoughts spinning around in his head as they attempted to reassemble themselves into any sort of meaningful words. Or... maybe he had a concussion from hitting his head so hard. The result was the same either way.
"Breathe, Kai. Breathe."
Kai took a final deep breath and exhaled. His thoughts had fallen back into place at last. "OK... OK. I'm better now... I think."
"All right." Adam stood and held out his hand to lift Kai from the ground. Kai took it, taking care to use the arm that didn't hurt so badly, and allowed someone else to help him to his feet for once. Maybe he was too shaken up to care. "Now. Tell me what went down."
"Us!" Kai blurted.
"No. Say what you were trying to tell me. What did you see?"
Kai brushed down his shirt. "I saw... OK, I ran into Spud and as he was... talking to me, he glitched out and froze. I know it wasn't my imagination because I got away while he was frozen. He would've caught me if he hadn't glitched out like that! He even freaked out when I got away from him!"
Adam didn't respond. "I'm serious! He locked up!" Kai insisted. "You don't have to believe me. I really don't care if you don't believe me but I have actual, physical proof and I know what I saw, for real this time, and I know I couldn't have gotten away from Spud unless---!"
"I believe you."
Kai blinked. "You do?" His mood improved instantly. "But I thought you were... at the restaurant you said..."
"I know what I said," said Adam. "It made sense then. But I've been thinking, and... if you didn't look so excited about this then I..." he sighed. "I mean, just because you're the only one who's seen something glitch doesn't mean you aren't seeing something. I, of all people, should have known that." He turned and headed for homeroom.
Kai shoved his hands into his pockets and happily joined Adam at his side, his narrow chest puffed out in renewed confidence. "See? I'm not so crazy after all!" His eyes shone with energy.
Adam smiled and gave Kai's shoulder a friendly smack. Kai winced as it cracked back into place. "I know the feeling," Adam remarked.
Kai rubbed his aching shoulder. "So... think I should tell Mira?"
Adam shrugged. "That's up to you, dude."
"Think she'll believe me?"
Adam's eyes narrowed as he thought. "I have no idea."