home ? b. allen ? (discontinued)

C H A P T E R  F O U R

s t a t u s
unedited
w r i t t e n
03.24.16

WHEN I WOKE UP, Joe and Barry were gone, but Iris had called in sick so she could spend the day with me. I felt bad, but mostly I was annoyed. I was one more day behind schedule, meaning I would have to spend one more day in Central City.

There was also that small part of me that was scared. Scared to get attached to Iris. Scared to get attached to her family. If there was one thing I had learned in my life of running, it was to not get attached to someone you plan on leaving.

"Have you ever been to SOLA?" Iris asked me. We had been at the mall for three hours, so you would think we would have covered every store twice -- but no. There had to be more.

It's not that I don't like shopping -- I do. It's just that I was tight on money and needed to find a way to get more. I had exactly three dollars and forty-seven cents in my possession, so shopping at the mall was not an option. I simply followed Iris around like a little duckling, tried on what she thought would look good on me, and refused to let her pay but eventually gave in.

As much as I hate charity, free clothes are free clothes.

"I've heard of it." I answered, readjusting the shopping bags I was holding. "I think I've gone, like, once."

"We should go! They have the cutest shoes, and they're on sale..."

I didn't exactly mean to tune her out, but between her useless rambling about sales prices and some guy standing by the payphone, it just happened. He was attractive, wildly attractive, so of course I had been noticing him. The problem was that was the third time I noticed him at a payphone. Not only that, but he was wearing glasses the first time. And his jacket had been black. And a jean jacket is not a black jacket.

"Iris, I think we should go ahead and go to that store -- um, what was it? SOLA?" I said, picking up my pace. I didn't know whether or not he was a threat, but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Uh, wow, what's with the sudden change of --"

Chaos filled the mall in a flash. Gunshots echoed through the food court, which was only a few meters behind us. Explosions could be heard from the opposite side of the mall.

My hand wrapped around Iris's wrist as I urged her forward. She was frozen in her place for a moment, but the confusion quickly disappeared from her face and she ran with me.

It was only mere seconds before the acrid fumes hit me, and I was choking on the tainted air like everyone else in the mall.

Iris and I were almost to an exit when a gunman stepped out in front of it with an AR-15. These people didn't want survivors, did they? The man was already intimidating enough with his well over 6 foot build, but throw an assault rifle in the mix? Yeah, I was done with life then and there.

The man sent a shower of bullets our way, but we weren't the only ones that were rushing towards the exit. Maybe if it was just Iris and I, I wouldn't have done anything--but there was little girl screaming.

I couldn't let her die.

I raised up both hands, and everything slowed down to a halt. The sounds faded out, and it was just time and I for moments on end. Energy rushed through me as it was drained out of space itself. I readied myself for what was happening next--I had only done it once before.

I pushed my hand forward and the energy went with it. Time was reactivated around me as the wall of crackling white surged forward, knocking the gunman to the floor. He convulsed as the electricity coursed through his soon-to-be dead body.

Everyone around me was oblivious to the fact that time itself had slowed down. All they saw was the blast of energy that killed the man, but I guess that was a normal thing in a city overrun by metahumans. None of them even tried to identify the source--they just kept running. Iris was the only one who didn't run. She saw, and she knew it was me.

The floor was shaking, and I don't remember much of what happened after that. No, not the floor, me. I was shaking. The chaotic noise streaming into my ears felt muffled, like I was underwater. I felt like I was drowning. Maybe I was, just not drowning in water. Drowning in air. The air wouldn't go do my throat. I was gasping and gasping but I couldn't take in enough air. I was mumbling some nonsense, but I couldn't hear myself. I could just feel it in my chest and on my lips. I was numb, and yet, I could sense everything. I wanted to run, jump out of my body. Escape. But I was frozen in my place.

Iris was yelling at me. Screaming. Calling out, but she was distant. I glanced down at my hands, my palms more specifically. They were still glowing white.

When I glanced back up I got dizzy. Iris's face swayed in front of me. She was holding onto my wrists, attempting to steady me.

This will pass. This will pass. This will pass.

My body hit the floor before my mind did. I didn't feel the impact. My mind was an abstract painting, swirling with black and the ceiling.

THIS WILL PASS. THIS WILL PASS. THIS WILL PASS.

One last breath, then black.

☼☼☼

in case you have no clue
what just happened,
she had a panic attack.

but where's Barry?

☼☼☼