AMNESIAC

   The clock had struck 2 AM when John came back to the house. He was already in trouble for staying past 11 PM at his friend's house, Timmy, but when he came back, his father could smell the alcohol on his breath. When John realized that his abusive and grumpy father would not take his actions with a grain of salt, he was put into a state of panic. Fists clenched, eyes wide open and tears running down his face, he was crying without making a noise.

His father yelled, "Where have you been? It's 2 AM for god's sake" After hearing how angry his father was, John closed his eyes and tried to accept the beating that he was going to receive. After a moment of the father yelling, John stood there with his head down, drunk and afraid. The yelling suddenly stopped. Confused, John looks up to why his father stopped, then he heard, "John? What are you doing outside? It's 2 AM. Get in. You're going to catch a cold in this weather" he looked at his father in confusion, and waited for him to do something. His father said, "Well you heard me, haven't you? Quit being a fool and go inside" John then stopped crying, looked around him, and tried to make sense of what happened. As soon as his father's attitude shifted, John's head began to throb. He looked at his father, he saw his face, and he was clueless. It was as if he wasn't yelling minutes ago. Albert waited by the door as John took his first step in and looked directly into his father's eyes. Even so, he was sure that his father wasn't acting. It was a relief for John for the rest of the night. Yet, it puzzled him. "Why did he suddenly stop yelling?" John thought.

The morning after, John went to the kitchen, downstairs right by the backyard. He looked for his mother and found her there. Boiling some celery sticks with bits of mushrooms. It didn't smell the greatest. John then stared at the boiling pot, then at his mother. "Is this for lunch?"

"well yes? what else could it be for?" said his mother.

John let out a huge disappointed sigh and remembered that he came down here for a reason. So he asked his mother, "Mom, do you think Dad might be sick?"

"Sick? No! He doesn't seem sick to me!" said the mother.

"I know, I don't mean physically sick, more like, you know, old age sickness."

"Are you seriously asking if your 52-year-old father is sick because he's old? He is 52 for Christ's sake! Why would you even think that?"

"I don't know. I just read somewhere that people forgetting certain things can be a symptom of an illness, you know, like amnesia and sicknesses like that. It said that it's common amongst old people. So I'm just worried." Said while stuttering. He wasn't expecting his mother to ask why he was asking such an absurd question.

John went back to his room. He was still unsure about what had happened the day before, yet he wasn't complaining. He knew something was off, but he couldn't wrap his finger around it. He sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling and contemplating. Could it be that his father felt the need to yell, even though he didn't care that much about him coming late? But John knew his father. There is no way that he would let him off the hook.

Then lunchtime came, and Mary called John to the table. His father pulled a chair and sat down. As Mary was arranging the dinner table, she said, "Why is John acting weird? Did something happen?" while putting on a plate full of boiling, awful-smelling, bland celery, and mushroom.

"I don't know. How weird?"

"Very weird. He asked me if you were sick."

"Well, that is weird," said Albert as he shouted John's name once again. "John! You better come down right now!"

John went downstairs and sat down. He had no appetite for his mother's cooking. But he had no choice. In this household, He can't simply choose not to eat. Even if the food is not to his liking. He was an only child. And even though his parents' ways of disciplining him weren't the best, and it didn't fit him well, then again, It's expected for his age. But Albert and Mary were not the best parents.

After they said their prayers and took the first bite, Albert looked at John and said, "So, John, why did you come home late? What were you doing outside? You haven't been smoking or doing drugs with that abomination of a child, Timmy, have you?" Staring angrily at John while pressing his fork against the table, leaving a set of 4 aligned dents.

"Smoking? Of course not, Dad! I might have drank a little, but that was it! And it wasn't because of Timmy. I promise you, Dad he is a good friend."

"Drinking!? this kid has lost his stupid mind," said Albert while looking at his wife. "Your son has been drinking! Mary, do you hear me for god's sake?"

Mary looked at Albert in fright, afraid of him lashing out and it had gotten worse when Albert started banging on the table and yelling. John began to sweat, and his head was down the whole time his dad was yelling. He couldn't keep up with the sudden rage and what his father was saying. All that he could think about was, "Why did I tell him the truth? I should have lied like I always do. I thought he would be okay with me telling him the truth! Just like yesterday."

Mary cried, looked at John, and told him why would he do such a thing, and that he disappointed both of his parents. John was on the point of melting.

Albert, out of rage, threw a celery stick at John and screamed, "Look at me, you bastard! Do you have nothing to say for yourself?" John looked at him straight in the eyes. His fists clenched once again. He was panicking. And afraid that his dad might do something as horrible as what he always did in situations like this. Sometimes John will be placed on the balcony on a freezing night, with nothing on but pajamas. But John had had enough of his father's abuse, so he looked at him, clenched his fists, and stared into his eyes as if he were peering beyond them, almost as if he were gazing at his past, present, and future. And said, "Why do you make such a big deal of it? So what if I went drinking? I only had a couple of sips! Why don't you just forget it?"

The room went quiet. And John sat down while still keeping eye contact with his father. Waiting for a response while regretting the way he spoke to his father. He wasn't sure whether he did the right thing or made it even worse. Then it happened again, the look of absolute confusion on Albert's face. All the rage and evil spirits he was in, all of them, instantly vanished. As if nothing happened at all. Mary noticed and was in shock at John's behavior. She looked at John.

"How dare you speak to your father like this?" while alternating her gaze and looking back and forth between Albert and John. Shaking and waiting for Albert to say something. Because the silence from Albert's side had only worsened her condition and made her shake even more.

John ignored his mother. And realized that history had repeated itself. John was sure that something was up. At first, he thought his father was getting ill. But now he noticed how it was indeed abnormal. Staring at his fists, he thought to himself. "It must be something I have done!" He noticed that his stance was the same one he was in yesterday when his father's anger vanished.

He looked back at his mother and stood up once again, staring at her straight in the eyes. "Why don't you just forget it?" said John, while clenching his fists once again, purposefully trying to put himself in a state of panic, hoping that what he'll try to perform will work.

Seconds after, John's expectations were met. His mother calmed down, relaxed in her chair, and the tears had stopped. John's effects on those around him seemed like magic. He couldn't believe the power that he holds. His mind remained clouded with confusion. "Am I special? Do I have a superpower? If so, how did I get hold of it? Or Am I simply dreaming?"

After what John had done. The table remained silent. The parents were eating their lunch in silence. Both looked down at their plate without saying a word. They knew something was wrong, but they couldn't remember what. And John had quickly finished eating, eyes looking down, avoiding eye contact with his parents, shaking, and bewildered. He went back to his room and laid down on his bed. Troubled and full of guilt, He felt his abilities would bring out the worst in him. Similar to its impact on his parents. How can it be fair to have full control of someone's memories? It has its benefits. But it costs his value. "Am I going to be able to control it? What if I use it too many times? Does it have any side effects? John knew that now he was able to make his father forget his mistakes. And that thought alone lead John to fall in love with his ability. Yet he felt it was wrong, if he made mistakes, why should the world forget about them? or especially, his own father? Surly wiping every unwanted memory off of humans is a mistake in itself. Is this a gift or a curse? John thought.

John laid there, staring at his ceiling once again. Soon thereafter, he drifted off to sleep.