They drive me home once their work is done. Apparently they talked to a few other witnesses and decided they don't need to question me on the subject. I think they feel bad for me and don't want to make me cry or something. I might not be very tall or strong-looking, but that doesn't mean I cry easily. I don't say anything though.

They drop me off and the one who gave me the hot chocolate hands me a piece of paper with numbers of psychiatrists. I thank him and unlock the door.

I live alone. It's a large building with several smaller apartments. Mine is on the fourth floor. It's not much. I have a tiny kitchen, a bathroom without a window, a living room and a bedroom. It's mine though.

What about my parents? My father ran off when I was little and my mother loves to travel. Once I was old enough to get my own apartment, she decided to help me pay the rent while she left to see the world. She's an author, which is probably why it was my dream to become the same when I was a kid.

She wrote a few bestsellers. They don't bring in a lot of money but it's enough so she can live.

I unlock the door to my apartment and almost fall once it opens. It has to be around seven or something. I'm too lazy to check the time. It's still not anywhere near getting dark outside. This summer really starts to annoy me. Even more so since the air conditioner in my apartment doesn't work. Just my luck.

I fall down onto the couch and groan. What a day. I hope Lydia's was better. She's probably having dinner with the man of her dreams. At least I hope so. She deserves to have someone by her side.

I reach for the remote but hesitate. Visionary's death is probably all over the news. I don't really want to see that. Instead I get up and slouch over to my bedroom to change into something more comfortable. When I take my jeans off and throw them across the room, something clinks and I look up.

After putting on a pair of comfortable shorts and a new shirt I walk over to the pile on the floor and push the fabric aside. Underneath I find the ring that Visionary gave to me. Right, I probably put it in my pocket.

When I pick it up I frown. The emblem is gone. Wait, was it even there in the first place. I mean, I was in shock. Maybe I imagined it. But it looks kind of stupid. It's a pretty big piece of jewellery, the kind that gets passed on within families. Without any symbol on it, it looks empty and cheap.

I get up and keep rolling it around in my hand as I start to heat up some water for my instant noodles.

Why did he give it to me? Is it important? How so? I just don't get it.

When my dinner is ready, I sit down on the couch again and place the ring on the coffee table in front of me. While I eat, I keep inspecting it, thinking about a reason for Visionary to give it to me.

Suddenly I freeze. Maybe...

Maybe this ring is what gave him his powers. It makes sense, right? When I pulled it off his finger, he changed back to normal. I didn't know that being a superhero involved a real transformation. I always thought Visionary would put on that stupid outfit himself before running off. He did have real powers. The powers to look inside others, I think. Or to simply know things. Someone once tried to explain it to me.

When he told the junkie that he knew he would spent the money on drugs, that was his power. Or when he knew where the next robbery would take place. He knew things he had no way of knowing.

So superpowers are a thing. Fine, I can live with that. But a superhero transformation? I mean, I saw it with my own eyes. It was like a shock went through his body, taking his superhero form away.

Slowly, I put the cup of noodles down and reached for the ring again. It looks so normal. A simple silver ring with place for an emblem on it. Or a diamond, anything.

Could this thing really be the source of Visionary's powers?

I narrow my eyes and, without thinking about it, put it on. To my surprise it fits perfectly. Other than that, nothing happens. I look around the room and then down at the ring on my finger. It doesn't glow or heat up or whatever it would do if this was a film.

I shrug and reach for my noodles again, finishing them in silence. Afterwards I throw the empty plastic cup into the trash and decide to go to bed already. I'm exhausted. Probably because I watched two people die today.

After opening all the windows, I fall down onto the mattress and groan. Maybe I can call Lydia tomorrow and tell her what happened. She might give me a day off.

No, I can't do that. She needs me and I'm not a nutcase. I can handle it. I stretch my arm into the air and observe the ring again. Maybe I should give it to the police so his family can get it back. Yes, I'll do that tomorrow after work.

I drop my arm again and push the covers off the bed so I won't wake up a sweaty mess tomorrow. After turning onto my side, I fall asleep almost instantly.

~ ~ ~

When I wake up the next morning, the first thing I notice is that, yes I remembered to open the window, but I forgot to shut the blinds. And I wake up to sunlight on my face. The whole room has to be the temperature of a sauna. I slide off the bed and stumble into the kitchen to get some water from the fridge.

And of course, I forgot to put it inside when I bought it yesterday before work. I glare at the plastic bottles on the floor and reach for one, quickly opening it and taking a sip. It's warm.

“Oh my God!” I yell in frustration. “Why does it have to be so hot?!”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, the bottle in my hand suddenly creaks and I look down at it.

I blink at it and when I feel my hand almost freeze, I drop it. The contents don't flow out of it. That might be because it's frozen.

My eyes move from the plastic bottle filled with ice to my hand, which slowly starts to feel warm again. Did I do that? No, but how did that happen? Maybe I'm still tired or this is a dream. I crouch down and carefully reach for the bottle. It's cold. That's really ice inside.

I put it on the counter and look over to the tab. Slowly, I reach out and turn it on. Water starts running down into the sink and I watch it for a few seconds before holding my hand under it. Nothing happens.

Maybe I need to do or say something?

“Come on, freeze!” I say and at first the water still refuses to comply. When I'm about to turn it off though, the jet of water stops moving and freezes over, starting with the puddle in the sink and going up and into the tap. I step back quickly and flinch when a noise like bending steel sounds through the room.

Shit, I think I just broke something.

I stand there for what feels like hours before I finally look down at the ring on my finger again. It still looks the same. Maybe this is a dream.

What doesn't make sense is that I suddenly start to feel sleepy. Okay, not just sleepy. I think that's what it feels like to pass out. I just woke up. How?

I stumble back and my back hits the wall. I slide down to the floor and try to get my breathing under control but I feel like no air is reaching my lungs. Black spots starts to fill my sight and I slowly fall to the side. Before my head hits the ground, I pass out.

~ ~ ~

I can't recall how much time passed when I wake up again. I'm still lying on my side on the floor and my head feels like someone tried to smash it in.

Slowly, I start to move, pushing my hands underneath me to get up into a sitting position. When I see my hands, I frown. Once in a sitting position I take a few deep breaths and raise a hand into the air. Since when do I own fingerless gloves? And why would I wear them?

My gaze moves up my arm slowly. I don't own a blue hoodie either. Or do I? I take a closer look and the soft material seems to sparkle when the light hits it.

My eyes keep moving down. Is that even a hoodie? It's pretty tight. And those pants. They are made of dark blue material and are rather big on me. What makes up for it is the slightly brighter band wrapped around my calves. No shoes.

When I'm sure that my legs will carry my weight, I get up carefully and stumble into my bedroom to look at myself in the mirror.

I take in my appearance and at first I'm confused. Who is looking back at me? Wait, that is my mirror right?

The person I see looks nothing like me. My hair, which is naturally blond, is brighter than usual. Almost white. The blue, almost skin-tight shirt, the slightly darker fingerless gloves, pants in the same dark blue and the bands tightly wrapped around the bottom. I notice the thin round scarf around my neck and bury my nose in it briefly. What sticks out most is what's covering half my face. It looks like a mask of some sort. The material is weird though. I slowly reach up to touch it and flinch back immediately.

It's cold. Ice.

That makes sense. I looks like ice crystals are slowly growing to cover half my face, starting around my eyes.

This definitely is a dream. This outfit looks like it belongs to some wannabe superhero.

…

Wait!

The ring!

I gasp and stumble back until the my legs hit the bed and I fall back on it. I quickly pull one of the gloves off my hand and surely, there it is. It doesn't look cheap any more. The empty place, where Visionary's sign, the eye, was yesterday when he gave it to me, isn't empty any more. It shows several crossed lines with tiny runes inside. A spiderweb? No, a snowflake. It looks old and antique.

“This is a dream. This has to be a dream.” I whisper and jump off the bed to stand in front of them mirror once again. I carefully reach up and try to pull of the mask. First, it feels like it's glued to my skin but when a sharp pain shoots through my cheek where I'm trying to pull it off, I stop. This isn't a dream. This is real.

I sit down on my bed again and look down at the ring. Okay, stay calm. What do I know.

Superheroes are a thing. I can accept that.

Superpowers are also a thing. Whatever.

But I'm a normal guy. I'm boring. I don't have any special abilities. I work at a flower shop, for fuck's sake. Yes, yesterday I thought it might be cool if the ring gave me superpowers, but that was more of a joke. I didn't think it would really happen.

I sit there for a few minutes, thinking about what to do. Eventually I get up and look down at myself. This outfit is stupid, yes, but if what I did to the water bottle and the tab wasn't a tab, then that means that I can turn water to ice? Well, that's rather convenient considering the weather, at least for the moment.

I look up at the window. The sun is still bright and illuminating most of my bedroom. I don't feel hot any more though. I feel...

A sudden noise makes me jerk back and almost stumble over my own feet. Geez, what is happening to me?

I look around for the source and identify it as my phone ringing. Shit, what time is it? I need to be at work at nine. I rush over to my bedside table and look at the screen.

Lydia

Okay, don't panic. You're never late. She won't kill you. Just tell her you forgot to set your alarm or something. No, she won't believe that.

I take a deep breath and pick up.

“Hello?”

“Aven, good morning.” My boss greets me. She sounds calm. What?

“Uh, good morning?” I pause and walk into the living room to check the clock above the TV. Shit, it's already half past nine. “Listen, I'm so sorry. I- ”

“Don't worry about it, Aven. I watched the news this morning and I know what happened yesterday.”

I frown. How did she know that was me? Did they mention my name? Probably. Before I can say anything, she starts talking again.

“Look, if you need a day off, that's fine.” She says softly. “And if you need someone to talk about it, I'm here.”

Why does everyone think that I'm some weak douche? I roll my eyes and shake my head to myself. “That's not necessary. I just forgot to set my alarm. Just let me get dressed and I'll try to be at the shop as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure? It's really no problem.”

“I am sure. See you.” I groan and hang up. Just because I witnessed two corpses yesterday, doesn't mean that I'm mental. What is wrong with everyone? Do I really look like a pansy?

I throw the phone down onto the couch and stomp back into the bedroom to look at myself again. Now I just have to get rid of this outfit. I place my hands on each side of the mirror and narrow my eyes at my reflection. Maybe I need to say something? Or maybe I just need to concentrate.

That might be it. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath, thinking about not looking like a jerk. Ugh, it can't be that easy. I need to get to work and I can't show up looking like this.

Suddenly a shock goes through my body. I gasp and open my eyes. The costume is gone, replaced by the clothes I put on yesterday evening. So it does work by simply thinking about it. Interesting.

I look down to my hand, ready to see the ring on my finger but to my surprise, it's gone.

The fuck? Where did it go?

Maybe I dropped it?

A shiver runs through me at the lack of clothing but I decide to ignore it and drop to my knees. Maybe it rolled under the bed? I place my head on the floor and look underneath but there's nothing. After checking everywhere in the bedroom I get up again and scratch the back of my head. Maybe I really am going crazy? Do I still have those psychiatrist numbers the police gave me? I'll try to find them once I get back.

I decide I don't have time for a shower so I brush my teeth and wash my face quickly before getting dressed. Yesterday I wore a simply shirt and jeans. Today is just as hot but I still feel like putting on a pullover and thick fluffy socks.

Ugh, concentrate! It's summer. It's hot outside.

A t-shirt and jeans will do.

I rush into the living room and grab my phone from the couch. After checking that my earphones are in my shoulder bag, I close it and put on a pair of Converse before rushing out. I run down the stairs. By the time I reach the ground floor I almost crash into someone and barely manage to hold onto the railing of the staircase in order to stop myself.

Mr. Hugh is standing in front of me, the landlord. When he notices me, he turns around and eyes me critically. I'm pretty sure he hates me.

His apartment is on the first floor and is, of course, the largest. He invited me over for tea once. In the end he only wanted to yell at me for not paying the rent on time. Still, I can't believe that a single man owns furniture that expensive. His TV take up a whole wall.

“Aven” He greets boredly and crosses his arms. “There's a problem. Burst water pipe on your floor. Know anything?”

I feel myself tense up. Hopefully he won't notice. I chuckle awkwardly and shrug. “Why would I know anything? I just noticed that, uh, my shower didn't work this morning.” I shrug again and put on a convincing smile.

“Fine, I'll try to have it fixed as soon as possible.” Mr. Hugh tells me and steps aside so I can step past him.

I do so gladly and mumble a quick “Bye” before running off into the direction of the Tube.

This day keeps getting weirder.