Strangers

Two

I jolted awake, the pain rocket hung through my skull. As I went to grab my head, i felt a sharp pain in my hand. Looking down, there were multiple cords and wires attached to me. Another spike hit, each more painful than the next, making my eyes water.

"Good, you're awake." Clayton walked in, closing the door behind him. "We need to talk."

"About?" I grimaced as the next spike came, my eyes watering once again.

"We have to get you out of here." He said setting on the bed next to me. "They have been talking about running tests to see what's in your head, and electricity and those machines don't mix well. Trust me."

"I don't have your full powers yet." I tried to explain.

"But you're close." He pointed out.

"Where am I supposed to go then?" I asked before another spike hit, this one making me arch my back and grit my teeth, a single tear escaping. As soon as the pain was gone, I quickly wiped it away, brushing my hair out of my face. "I have nowhere."

"You can stay with me. You're in no condition to be like this on your own and I can help you control everything when its done." He told me, putting his hand on mine in a comforting gesture.

I felt myself get pulled into another vision, temporarily taking away the pain from the spikes. I saw the kid from before. There was a burning house in the background. He was staring at his hands in fear. Another flash of light and I was back to the present, gasping and coughing for air.

"Marley, what just happened? Did you have another vision?"

"Y-you burnt down a house?" I stuttered, still catching my breath? "Are you sure you don't have visions? Because there's no other way I could have seen that."

Clayton just stared at me in shock for a moment. "I've never had a vision before. There has to be a reason why you're seeing them. Could it be a side effect of your power?"

"We can figure it out once were alone. We need to get out of here. Have any ideas?"

"We will have to just walk out." He sighed. "We are too high up to leave through the window."

"Won't they be suspicious with me walking out in a hospital gown?" I pointed out before yet another spike hit.

"Here." He tossed me the clothes I was wearing before. "I'll step outside real quick and you can change."

I nodded, untangling myself from the blankets as he left the room. I slipped on my jeans and sneakers, and carefully shimmied out of the hospital gown and half put on my shirt before ripping out the IV and heart monitor and slipping my T-shirt on the rest of the way. I grabbed my jacket before running out of the room.

"What happened?" Clayton asked, pulling me into a janitors closet. There was loud beeping signaling my 'death' and we could hear people rushing around in confusion.

"I couldn't get dressed with the wires so I pulled them out." I said, looking at my bloody hand. Clayton grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around my hand in an effort to stop the bleeding.

"We need to get out of here." He cracked the door open slightly, peeking out. There were doctors looking around unsure where I was. "Wanna make a run for it?"

A worse spike hit, nearly making me fall. I grabbed my head in pain, and I could feel Clayton grab my shoulders to keep me balanced.

"Are you okay?" He asked once it was over. I have him a short nod before we slipped into the hall, heading toward the stairs. We were out of the hospital in no time, Clayton leading the way to his car.

I had almost made it all the way until I got about ten feet away from his truck. I collapsed in pain, unable to get up. I heard thunder and I could see the sky grow dark almost instantly. I felt a surge before a lightning bolt hit the ground feet away from me.

"Marley!" Clayton ran to me, grabbing my hand. "It's almost done isn't it."

I couldn't bring myself to do anything but slightly nod, my head spinning. I felt him pick me up, lying me in the backseat.

"I wish this didn't happen. I didn't know you would be in pain." Clayton sighed, quickly driving away from the hospital. As the effects of the spike went away, so did the storm; gone as fast as it came.

"It's my fault." I sighed.

"It's not your fault you have that power."

"Then it's not your fault I have ours now." I countered. He sighed. "You don't have to help me. You're going to be in danger if you do. I can't control the spikes."

"I burnt down my house when I didn't know how to control it. None of my family have powers so I had to teach myself. I won't make you do that too." His grip tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white.

I ran my fingers through my hair, the car deathly silent. "Thanks."

"Does your family have powers too?"

"I don't know. They put me up for adoption when I was a baby. I've had to deal with my powers alone too."

"I'm sorry."

"I actually didn't have powers until I copied someone else's when I was about seven. I wish I could be able to be without them again."

"I know what you mean." Clayton turned down a nice looking neighborhood. "What all powers have you had? And do you have a specific one of your own?"

"I've had shape shifting, telekinesis, invisibility, mind reading, and super speed. But over these last 17 years I haven't found my own specific power, so I highly doubt I have one."

"Wow, so you've had most of the basics huh."

"Yeah, all the hard ones to control." I sighed, bringing my knees to my chest. We pulled into a driveway of a nice looking house, looking like no one was home.

"Welcome to my house." Clayton parked, getting out of the car. I followed suit, another spike hitting. I knew it was one of the final ones. I collapsed, falling out of his truck. I felt the power surge through me before the darkness started to take over. I felt Clayton pick me up yet again before it was gone.