The sound of birds chirping could be heard from the window next to the bed where the boy lay sleeping. The beam of sunlight fell on his eyes, forcing him to squeeze them tightly. He opened his eyes slowly, avoiding the light beam and fixing his gaze on a white ceiling. He turned his head towards the source of the light and saw a clear blue sky with a few small birds chirping outside the window. He turned his head to the opposite side and saw curtains surrounding the bed he was on.
Curtains? he lifted himself into a seated position. However, he felt a throbbing soreness throughout his whole body, as if he had been running a marathon for a full day. Am I in a hospital?
The boy struggled to recall the events leading up to his hospital stay, or where he thought he was, but his mind was blank. He tried to remember other things, but was met with a sharp headache that forced a groan from his lips. The sound of his groan attracted the attention of a female voice. "You awake, honey?" she asked, her footsteps growing closer until her silhouette appeared through the curtains. She slid the curtains aside and stepped into view. "How you feeling?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
The boy fixed his gaze on the lady. She was an elderly black woman with gray hair and brown eyes, dressed in nurse's attire. He tried to recall anything related to her, but his mind was blank. I don't know this lady.
"You feeling alright, child?" she repeated the question, placing her hand on his forehead as if checking for a fever. The cold touch of her hand made him flinch backward.
"I- I don't know," the boy responded with a confused look on his face as he looked around again. He then turned his gaze back to her.
"Where am I?" he asked.
The nurse checked the boy's heart rate with her smartwatch, then nodded. "Well, you seem to be in good shape, child," she said with a smile. "I'll call Dr. Cain, he will tell you everything. Ain't nothing to worry about now." She patted the boy's head before leaving the ward. The boy wondered who Dr. Cain was, but his memories were blank. He looked around the ward and saw that his bed was one of six, but all the others were empty. It didn't take long for the boy to not be alone in the ward.
A handsome young man in his mid-twenties walked in. He had ashen black hair and deep blue eyes, and was wearing an open lab coat over a light blue dress shirt and dark blue dress pants. The man was tall with broad shoulders and a fit body.
"Hello, Ian. I am Dr. Cain Reed. How are you feeling right now?" the young doctor asked.
Ian? Is that my name? Why does it feel so strange to me?
The young doctor approached Ian, who was staring at him with confusion. He then grabbed a chair and sat next to Ian's bed.
"Do you happen to recall anything from the previous days, Ian?" The doctor spoke with a deep rumbling baritone voice that seemed to emanate from the depths of his chest and had some raspiness to it that resonated with a sense of detachment. His words lacked any soul or emotion, yet there was a friendly smile on his face.
"No," Ian responded almost immediately. "Is my name Ian?"
The doctor looked at Ian's files and read it to him. "Yes, your name is Ian Amber, born on the 17th of November 2077." Cain gazed at the young boy and asked, "Do you know the present date, Ian?" his voice had a playful tone to it.
Ian paused for a few seconds, then responded, "No..." A frown started to shape on Ian's face as he avoided the doctor's eyes. Why can't I remember anything?
Cain gave a wide smile and said, “It’s Thursday, November 17. And it’s your birthday today! You are 13 years old now.”
Ian looked up at the doctor in confusion. "13?" he asked. "Why can’t I remember anything? Even my name seems strange to me."
Cain put a comforting hand on Ian's shoulder. “That is only normal, Ian. It’s a side effect of your awakening. It happens to special kids like you.”
"Awakening? From what?" Ian asked, even more confused.
Cain explained, "Simply put, children like you are born with unique DNA that can develop into special abilities. When these abilities surface, we call it an 'awakening.' However, memory loss is a side effect that occurs 100% of the time."
"What kind of abilities?" Ian asked, curious.
"The abilities kids like you develop are usually physical enhancements, such as increased stamina, strength, agility, and reflexes. Some even possess the power to heal any injury or illness," Cain explained, "But there are also the rare ones, like yourself, Ian, who possess unique abilities."
"Me?" Ian asked, still in disbelief.
Dr. Cain nodded, still smiling, "Yes, Ian. You possess a unique ability, although we have yet to determine what it is. However, with further testing and practice, I'm confident that we'll find out,"
Ian looked at the doctor, feeling more confused. "I don't understand."
"As I understand, this is a lot to process, Ian," Dr. Cain stated as he stood up, "but I want you to rest and give yourself time to absorb all of this information. Tomorrow, one of our staff members will provide you with the facility's attire, and you'll be introduced to the other children who possess special abilities.”
The young doctor patted Ian's shoulder reassuringly. "And before I leave, one of our staff members will be collecting blood samples from you for analysis, so there's no need to be concerned.”
With that, Dr. Cain walked out of the ward, leaving Ian alone in to ponder all that he had just been told.
Ian took a moment to absorb his surroundings, trying to piece together where he was and how he got there. As he scanned the room, he couldn't help but notice the sterile atmosphere that felt all too familiar. The equipment and beds were all standard hospital issue.
Feeling uneasy, Ian stood up and glanced down to find himself dressed in a blue hospital gown. He gingerly walked towards the window, wincing slightly as he felt the cold floor on his bare feet. The view outside revealed a snowy landscape, with a few trees scattered around and a dense forest visible in the distance. Ian estimated he was on the second floor, but when he looked up, the angle of the window made it difficult to determine for sure.
As he gazed out at the wintry scene, he couldn't help but feel a sense of isolation and confusion. Where was he? How did he end up here? The questions continued to swirl around in his mind, leaving him feeling disoriented and anxious.
Ian's attention was then drawn to his reflection in the window, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of shock, Is that me? He barely recognized the pale face that stared back at him. He turned around and spotted a mirror mounted on a nearby medical cabinet. Making his way over, he examined himself more closely.
His hair was soft with curls at the end that were snow-white in color, and his skin had an almost translucent quality to it. His eyes, on the other hand, were something else entirely. The irises seemed to glow with a warm, yellow-orange hue, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was part of his ability. He shook his head, still unsure of what to make of it.
His gaze next fell on the collar device that was fastened around his neck, which he hadn't noticed before. Green lights illuminated on it surface, making it look like something out of a science fiction movie. Frowning in confusion, he tried to remove it, but it felt like it was made of an unknown material. He squeezed and twisted it, hoping to find a way to take it off, but it wouldn't budge. The collar seemed like it was specifically designed to fit his neck, and the thought made his stomach churn with unease.
A sudden sound from the door of the ward made Ian jump, causing him to quickly turn his head in its direction. The same lady from earlier appeared in the doorway, accompanied by a man wearing a lab coat. As she spotted Ian's hand on the collar device, her tone became stern with a hint of concern, "Better not be touchin' that thing, child." She instructed him to return to his bed, to which he complied, feeling an uneasy sense of curiosity and fear.
The man took a seat on the chair next to Ian's bed and proceeded to extract a large amount of blood from him, causing Ian to wince in pain as the needle pierced his skin. Despite feeling violated by the invasive procedure, Ian kept his eyes fixed on the man's face, searching for any signs of emotion or motive, but found nothing. Once the man finished, he silently collected the vials of blood and left without a word, leaving Ian with a sore and throbbing arm.
That hurts. Ian grimaced in pain, his hand clasping onto his arm as he winced at the discomfort. The lady's voice drew his attention, and he turned his head towards her.
“Now, now, child, you best not be movin' 'round too much now.” She advised, her tone carrying a hint of concern. “Dinner's comin' soon, so you just sit tight. You feelin' hungry?"
Her question brought Ian's attention to his stomach, and he realized that he was indeed famished.
"Yes, I am," he replied eagerly, the lady's chuckle brought a small smile to Ian's face, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth towards her.
"Well now, that's the kind of answer I'd expect from a growing young man like you” she said, patting his shoulder gently.
As she made her way towards the door of the ward, the old lady glanced at her watch and then turned back to Ian. “It looks like it's done past 5 pm now. You go on and eat your dinner, then you best rest up and try to get some sleep before 9 pm. Ain't much to do 'round here right now, but tomorrow gonna be a whole lotta work, so you best save up your strength," she advised in a kind and thoughtful tone.
It took 15 minutes for the food to arrive, and it was delivered by a man in a gray jumpsuit with a patch on his chest that read "Maintenance". His attire was simple and functional, with a practical belt holding various tools and a matching cap perched on his head.
As Ian examined the man with the food, his thoughts were torn between the man's appearance and the aroma of the food. He felt a pang of hunger in his stomach and glanced at the man, who was laying out the food from the tray he was carrying and placing it on the moving wooden table at the end of Ian's bed. Ian tried to hide his embarrassment from the man and hoped that he didn't hear his stomach grumbling.
However, the man's gaze lingered on Ian in a way that made him feel uneasy. He was tall and thin with long, greasy black hair that matched his piercing eyes. As he finished arranging things on the table, the man flashed a friendly smile at Ian before leaving the ward. But despite the man's attempt at friendliness, Ian couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off about him.
What was that? The guy was creepy. He rubbed his arms, trying to shake off the eerie feeling. He then pulled the wooden table toward him and uncovered the food to see what he had been given. There was a juicy steak covered in garlic butter, next to it were plates of crispy fries and sweet corn. Ian's mouth watered at the sight of the delicious food. He then uncovered the other plate and found a refreshing fruit salad in a bowl, as well as a small box of cookies and cream ice cream. The meal was rounded off by a bottle of water and a box of orange juice. The food tasted as good as it looked and Ian felt a sense of joy as he ate.
After finishing his meal, Ian lay down on the bed and began to feel bored. He looked around the room for something to do, but there was nothing to entertain him. His gaze eventually fell on the plain steel wall-mounted clock, which read 6:40 pm. As he fidgeted with his hand, he traced the collar device around his neck and began to wonder what it was for. This thing is annoying. What is it anyway? The lady said I shouldn't touch it.
Ian thought back to what Dr. Cain had told him. I wonder what kind of ability I have. It would be cool to be a healer, or maybe have superhuman speed. But didn’t he say I'm different from the others? I don't know if being different is a good thing. But I hope it is. Though, Dr. Cain seemed to make a big deal about it...but I guess it's a big deal to have an ability. I wonder what my parents would say about the whole thing?
He suddenly realized that he couldn't remember his parents or what they looked like. Oh, Dr. Cain did mention that memory loss is a side effect of the awakening. Despite this knowledge, Ian still tried to remember anything from his past, but all he encountered was a void of emptiness. The more he tried to recall, the colder, lonelier, and more frightened he felt. To alleviate the feeling, he crawled under the white blanket in search of warmth.
He became so lost in his thoughts that he drifted off to sleep without realizing it. When he finally opened his eyes, the ward was dark, with only the bright moonlight casting a glow through the window. Ian got out of bed to look outside the window. It's night. What time is it? He wondered, turning to look at the plain clock. Past midnight. I need to use the bathroom, but there's no bathroom in this ward. He scanned the area again. His eyes fixed on the ward's door. Maybe it's outside.
As Ian approached the door, a slight movement on the handle caught his attention, causing him to freeze in place. The door was locked, yet the person attempting to open it appeared oblivious to this fact. With each unsuccessful attempt, Ian's pulse quickened, and a sense of foreboding settled upon him. He quickly retreated to his bed and crawled under the blanket, feeling a cold sweat run down his back. Despite not knowing what was happening, the eerie feeling was unmistakable. I'm scared. With a heavy heart, he squeezed his eyes shut, hoping for the night to end quickly.
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