When he woke, everything was gray. He blinked. What was wrong with his eyesight? He turned his head and the colors changed slightly. Now there were bright whites and darker and lighter shades of gray.

Then it cleared. He was in a room with two windows, a door, and a very boring gray ceiling. There was a counter with multiple sharp tools organized perfectly next to a tiny sink. Beside the uncomfortable bed he was lying in, were a few monitors that were connected to tubes that stuck to his body. There was a heart monitor and, thankfully, it was beeping at a steady rate. Then he heard soft breathing. He looked to the foot of his bed and saw two chairs. And in one of those chairs was a girl. 

She had shoulder-length black hair and her eyes were closed. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt that sported the name and picture of a popular boy band and gray sweatpants. She looked peaceful in sleep.

He watched her for a while. Then her eyes fluttered open. Their eyes locked. Hers were a brilliant bright blue with specks of gray while he knew his were a dark, almost black brown. Ying-yang. Opposites. Light and darkness.

Then she smiled.

“You’re awake!” She jumped up from her chair and dragged it across the floor to be closer to him. She stopped next to the heart monitor. She sat down. She looked eagerly at him. He stared back. 

“So, I’ve got some questions I want to ask you,” the girl said. He started. Did she already know his secret? Then she asked, “What’s your name?” 

His heart stopped pounding. Normal questions. Not interrogation questions. But he still hesitated. What if she used his answers to find out more about him? Then he looked into her eyes. There was only curiosity. No suspiciousness. No wrong intent.

“Jedidiah,” he murmured at last. She made a thinking face, putting a finger on her chin.

“I like it. But it’s not really up to the times, doncha think? Sounds old. Like, biblical old. I’m going to call you Jed instead.” She stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Jed. I’m Ellandra. But everyone calls me Ella.” Jed didn’t shake Ella’s hand. 

He kept gazing into her eyes. They were mesmerizing. Bright blue in the middle mixing into darker blue close to the outside. The colors swirled together and seemed to make up a story. He felt like they had been friends his whole life and he'd only just learned her name. That’s when he realized she was talking to him.

“Are you okay?”

He blinked. 

“Y-yeah,” he stammered. He looked around the room again. Why did it feel like he had been here before?

“Hey,” Jed glanced up at the noise. 

“On the roof,” she hesitated. “On the roof,” she started again. She was about to continue when a knock sounded on the door. Both their heads turned toward the sound as a man walked in. 

He was dressed in scrubs underneath a white lab coat. There was a stethoscope around his neck. It was a doctor.

Now he knew why this place looked so familiar. He was in a hospital. 

“No.” 

The doctor smiled at him pleasantly, not having heard him. As the doctor walked toward him, Jed edged father away from the man. 

“You’re finally awake,” the doctor said. He stopped at the sink to wash his hands. Then he picked up a needle. “I’m just going to run a few minor tests on you, okay?” Jed shook his head.

“No. I-I’m not supposed to be here. I’m okay. I’m fine. I’ll just go home now and stop wasting your time.” Jed was grasping at straws. He had to get away from this place. If they found out who he was, well that would be bad for him.

“Jed, you fell off a roof. Even though I stopped your fall slightly, you still hit your head really hard. Don’t worry, Dr. Dimsly will make sure you’re okay,” Ellandra said. Jed looked at her, feeling betrayed. She was taking the doctor’s side?

But something she said stuck in his mind. Even though I stopped your fall slightly. 

She had saved him. 

It was her fault he was still living and breathing.

But, even more so, only heroes were allowed to use their powers in public. That would have to mean that she was a hero.

But then the doctor was on him, trying to give him a shot. He started struggling. 

“No, stop!” Jed screamed. He couldn’t be here. The doctor lifted a hand to Jed’s head. Jed tried to jerk away but Dr. Dimsly’s grip was strong. 

A blackness was starting to filter through his head. He felt drowsy. His eyelids were getting heavy. Then they finally closed and the blackness settled in once more.