As the long and tiring day came to an end, I eagerly looked forward to slipping into bed for some much-needed sleep. But, to my frustration, sleep eluded me entirely.
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"Ugh," I muttered to myself, tossing and turning in bed, feeling drained yet unable to shut off my mind.
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Finally, I gave up and sat at the edge of my bed, trying to make sense of the day's events. Apart from the bizarre dream I had about running naked in foggy woods (which I quickly dismissed), I noticed something strange – a wound on my hand had completely healed.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtAO3Zxgai
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"Guess the scars weren't that deep," I mumbled, inspecting my hand for any trace of the injury.
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No matter how hard I looked, there was no sign of the wound. Plus, I couldn't ignore the fact that I seemed more muscular than usual, which left me staring in disbelief at my reflection in the mirror.
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None of it made any sense.
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Standing up, I approached the window and was greeted by a serene silver light illuminating the night sky. The moon hung large and bright, casting a spellbinding glow.
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"Wow..."
***
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I struggled to stand as the morning sun streamed into my room.
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"Ah, darn it," I muttered, noticing the bags under my eyes. "Didn't get any sleep at all." Tears threatened to spill as I let out a big yawn.
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"This is gonna be a rough day," I sighed, slowly getting dressed. Who cared if I was a bit late for school? That teacher could wait.
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"Good morning," my mom greeted as I made my way downstairs.
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"Morning," I mumbled, rubbing my tired eyes as I sat at the table.
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Mom, holding a steaming cup of coffee, joined me, concern evident in her eyes. "You look exhausted. Are you sleeping okay?"
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"Um, yeah," I replied, forcing a small smile that my mom clearly saw through.
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"I'll be fine," I assured her, unable to ignore her piercing gaze.
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"Make sure you're taking care of yourself," she advised, taking another sip of her coffee.
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"Is Dad around?" I inquired.
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"No, he left early," Mom confirmed. "He's been working hard at that Lunar Innovations company."
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"Yeah," I murmured quietly.
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Lunar Innovations, one of those companies promising a brighter future, seemed to be all my dad cared about lately.
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"Great," I muttered, crossing my arms.
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"I know that look," Mom said, her attention fully on me, sensing my frustration.
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"I can't help but wonder, did Dad even bother to visit me when I was in the hospital?" I asked, genuinely curious about whether my father had taken the time to see his own son when he was sick.
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Mom set down her coffee mug, her expression turning serious and sad. "You know your father is a busy man," she replied.
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"Same old excuse," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
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"Hey now!" Mom snapped, her voice firm. "You show some respect," she added, her tone softening.
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I swallowed my anger, not wanting to escalate things with the one parent I wasn't angry at.
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"Your father isn't perfect, but he's trying," Mom defended.
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"Trying what?" I snapped, already tired of her defending that deadbeat. "To be a lousy father? Because if so, he doesn't have to try that hard."
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"He's trying," Mom insisted, her words slicing through the tension, "to give his one and only son a better life than he had."
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"Don't look down on such things," Mom advised.
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"What things?" I questioned.
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"On a man, on a person doing what he believes is right, following his heart, and the sacrifices made along the way," Mom explained. "You may not understand now, but one day you will."
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I stood up from the table and headed towards the door. "I'm off to school," I announced, avoiding eye contact with Mom.
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She was right. I didn't understand any of it, and I didn't want to. Not one bit.
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"Here, catch," Mom called out suddenly.
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I turned my head just in time to catch a small banana she tossed my way.
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"Make sure to keep up your strength," she said, offering me a smile.
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"Thanks," I replied, returning the smile, feeling some of my anger dissipate.
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Without thinking, I grabbed the door handle with my free hand and pulled.
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The sound of splintering wood and bending steel filled the house. I glanced at my mother, her expression one of surprise as she gazed at something behind me. Slowly, I turned to see what had caused her shock.
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There it was, a door hanging off its hinges, supported only by my grip on the handle.
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"What the..." I muttered, staring at the door, its weight feeling strangely light in my hand.
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Releasing my hold on the doorknob, I watched as the door crashed to the floor, leaning against my right leg.
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Despite the damage, the door was still somewhat intact, aside from the broken hinges, splintered wood, and a bent doorknob.
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I looked up at my mother, mustering an awkward smile. "I'll fix that," I promised.
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Yeah, right, like I had any clue how to fix a door.
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"Um, I'm gonna be late for school, so see ya later!" I shouted, darting away from the awkward scene.
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The whole situation was just too bizarre, and I couldn't handle the uncomfortable silence.
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I sprinted onto the sidewalk, but things quickly went from weird to downright freakish.
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"Everything's so loud," I groaned, wincing as I covered my ears. It felt like I could hear every single sound – car horns, chatter, barking dogs, even doors creaking open and slamming shut.
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But what made it even weirder was that there weren't many people around, and those who were didn't seem to be making much noise.
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"What's happening to me?" I asked, confusion and fear creeping in.
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I drew the attention of a few passersby, but I couldn't care less. I just wanted the cacophony to stop.
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Suddenly, and thankfully, the overwhelming noise ceased, leaving behind a serene quietness.
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"Thank goodness," I sighed in relief, lowering my hands from my ears. "What the heck is going on?" I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead with both hands.
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"Damn, this day is going to be a mess," I muttered to myself, feeling overwhelmed by the strange occurrences.
***
Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
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