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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAsH4re7VVkG
80Please respect copyright.PENANAmwJLurrF5R
"Ugh," I muttered to myself, tossing and turning in bed, feeling drained yet unable to shut off my mind.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAd3IRKV6blX
80Please respect copyright.PENANAqRxn3VzfHb
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.80Please respect copyright.PENANANdjPlIsKIq
80Please respect copyright.PENANAT0v7HCq08H
"Guess the scars weren't that deep," I mumbled, inspecting my hand for any trace of the injury.
80Please respect copyright.PENANASzCyiSN5g2
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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAvm2N9sG7SY
None of it made any sense.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAWdoZ0fuvLh
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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAJT6ZC3UbUN
"Wow..."
***
80Please respect copyright.PENANAvKDqVv90yF
I struggled to stand as the morning sun streamed into my room.
80Please respect copyright.PENANARBZKxSOM6m
"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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAefKQ9O7rSw
"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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAXhBf2GLpDd
"Good morning," my mom greeted as I made my way downstairs.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAWtypjxN2Ef
80Please respect copyright.PENANAybOyvsu9qQ
"Morning," I mumbled, rubbing my tired eyes as I sat at the table.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAYTgpb4qu2m
Mom, holding a steaming cup of coffee, joined me, concern evident in her eyes. "You look exhausted. Are you sleeping okay?"
80Please respect copyright.PENANAFCdxy2JnNi
"Um, yeah," I replied, forcing a small smile that my mom clearly saw through.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAdxueCuHtsQ
"I'll be fine," I assured her, unable to ignore her piercing gaze.
80Please respect copyright.PENANA7ACPpXwI5R
"Make sure you're taking care of yourself," she advised, taking another sip of her coffee.
80Please respect copyright.PENANA9RFpVZ5Pxv
"Is Dad around?" I inquired.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAVupY3Ef8Mh
"No, he left early," Mom confirmed. "He's been working hard at that Lunar Innovations company."
80Please respect copyright.PENANA6ksefz0AdL
"Yeah," I murmured quietly.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAOW2c5DbAqF
Lunar Innovations, one of those companies promising a brighter future, seemed to be all my dad cared about lately.
80Please respect copyright.PENANA8RLu9MUulG
"Great," I muttered, crossing my arms.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAilyS8bWysI
"I know that look," Mom said, her attention fully on me, sensing my frustration.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAbJMegLLUAQ
"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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAue97IlLwY0
Mom set down her coffee mug, her expression turning serious and sad. "You know your father is a busy man," she replied.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAhyeYTEIcDd
"Same old excuse," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAzpj1Ck1cHX
"Hey now!" Mom snapped, her voice firm. "You show some respect," she added, her tone softening.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAtrJvynMAS3
I swallowed my anger, not wanting to escalate things with the one parent I wasn't angry at.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAsB5VKTkFTW
"Your father isn't perfect, but he's trying," Mom defended.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAb0R7CXMNhu
80Please respect copyright.PENANAp1FosLb9Nj
"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."
80Please respect copyright.PENANATwKtqwBmFr
"He's trying," Mom insisted, her words slicing through the tension, "to give his one and only son a better life than he had."
80Please respect copyright.PENANAGW9Xqdz5gq
"Don't look down on such things," Mom advised.
80Please respect copyright.PENANA03850XuV3s
"What things?" I questioned.
80Please respect copyright.PENANANoDPjsqk1e
"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."
80Please respect copyright.PENANAKMOfhvBevK
I stood up from the table and headed towards the door. "I'm off to school," I announced, avoiding eye contact with Mom.
80Please respect copyright.PENANATZNP18hulA
She was right. I didn't understand any of it, and I didn't want to. Not one bit.
80Please respect copyright.PENANANGOgHoyP0E
"Here, catch," Mom called out suddenly.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAmls9dZ4kXK
I turned my head just in time to catch a small banana she tossed my way.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAPV33JM3eUF
"Make sure to keep up your strength," she said, offering me a smile.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAFbWYDhR23O
"Thanks," I replied, returning the smile, feeling some of my anger dissipate.
80Please respect copyright.PENANADHr6lVIbjN
Without thinking, I grabbed the door handle with my free hand and pulled.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAKrO8fgGOcv
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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAqXh8IIpt2Y
There it was, a door hanging off its hinges, supported only by my grip on the handle.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAM9rcgEiXce
"What the..." I muttered, staring at the door, its weight feeling strangely light in my hand.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAgIYxRsVH2g
Releasing my hold on the doorknob, I watched as the door crashed to the floor, leaning against my right leg.
80Please respect copyright.PENANA63zmw2zwHJ
Despite the damage, the door was still somewhat intact, aside from the broken hinges, splintered wood, and a bent doorknob.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAdl1O6TPBwG
I looked up at my mother, mustering an awkward smile. "I'll fix that," I promised.
80Please respect copyright.PENANACr5Oxa72tE
Yeah, right, like I had any clue how to fix a door.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAuevpC6W8aK
"Um, I'm gonna be late for school, so see ya later!" I shouted, darting away from the awkward scene.
80Please respect copyright.PENANArzeNAKxeFY
The whole situation was just too bizarre, and I couldn't handle the uncomfortable silence.
80Please respect copyright.PENANA2hdooqc88N
I sprinted onto the sidewalk, but things quickly went from weird to downright freakish.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAdIRBFqEWoU
"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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAdbgcn9dZt8
80Please respect copyright.PENANAd6fsm39w0v
80Please respect copyright.PENANAc1TJSxHML5
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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAdDeBGDFnTh
"What's happening to me?" I asked, confusion and fear creeping in.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAcNq0jgDXdt
I drew the attention of a few passersby, but I couldn't care less. I just wanted the cacophony to stop.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAjFz8ZzNxed
Suddenly, and thankfully, the overwhelming noise ceased, leaving behind a serene quietness.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAuIFVbOOqio
"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.
80Please respect copyright.PENANAPfuTmJ10V4
"Damn, this day is going to be a mess," I muttered to myself, feeling overwhelmed by the strange occurrences.
***
80Please respect copyright.PENANAcdcorfLV3v
Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
ns216.73.216.82da2