Chapter 5 – A Rude Awakening
807 Words
A pair of arms grabs Skylah, vigorously shaking him in a pleading manner.
Julianna :
"Wake up! Please!"
As Skylah opens his eyes, he is greeted by Julianna's tearful facial expression which seems out of place.
Skylah :
"Why are you crying? Why are you hugging me?"
Julianna immediately lets go of Skylah and fakes several coughs to cover up her embarrassment.
Julianna :
"I'm sorry. You must be really confused about my reaction. I think what I'm about to tell you may confuse you even more, so, please bear with me."
Skylah :
"Ok…. Go ahead."
Julianna :
"Here's the thing… we travelled back in time… we…. *sigh*. Father John, could you please help? I don't even know where to begin…"
John :
"I think we need to sit down and tell you from the beginning."
Skylah :
"From the beginning? Have lots of things happened? I don't remember anything.
Wait a minute…. We're alive. Does this mean that the experiment was a success? If I wasn't there from the beginning, does it mean that some time has passed? Why did I miss out on everything then?"
Julianna :
"You are right….. Your souls were split and we saw you die; 'the other you' I mean."
John :
"Indeed. When we travelled back in time, all of us had ourselves 'duplicated'. It was certainly a weird experience but we all lived together under one roof like a big family as we grew close to each other over time. All of us, except you. You were the only one who refused to wake up until just a moment ago.
Everything was going fine until a day ago. We got attacked by an unknown person in a hoodie. The 'other you' got killed in the attack. As to why you did not wake up with the rest of us when we first travelled back in time, we're not sure."
Skylah :
"So that reaction just now from Julianna... I see….."
Julianna :
"Sorry… It's just that everything happened so fast and 'the other you' was like a family member to us."
Skylah :
"I know it's sad that someone close to you just passed away. However, please do not see me as a replacement for him, as that would do nothing but undermine his existence and your memories with him."
John :
"Sentiments aside, the situation is way more complicated than that. Perhaps we should leave this laboratory and head to somewhere we can talk – somewhere you can perhaps feel more relaxed."
Skylah :
"You two claim that we all live under one big roof like a big family, but I don't know you at all. To be honest, I don't want to get involved in any 'complicated' situations you're in."
John pulls out an army knife from his pocket.
Skylah :
"Woah! Hold on!"
John :
"Calm down. This knife isn't meant to be used on you."
John immediately changes his hammer grip into a reverse knife grip, and stabs his forearm, and extends the cut wound all the way up to his palm as blood gushes out.
Skylah :
"Wait! What are you doing!?"
John :
"I'm giving you a demonstration of this "complicated" situation.
Plus, I'm doing this according to the pop culture you like."
Skylah :
"Are you going to rip the flesh off your arm to reveal a mechanical bone?"
John :
"No, I wanted to show you I have healing abilities. See, the wound is already healing."
As John drops his arm to reveal the wound, the flesh that is torn apart from the cut closes up and seals itself back to perfection.
Skylah :
"Never mind the inaccurate pop culture references. How on earth did you…?"
John :
"When we had our souls split, each of us acquired unique abilities."
Skylah :
"To what extent can you heal yourself?"
John :
"I could regenerate even if my limbs were severed."
Skylah :
"Hah! So you're like that guy who lives in a pineapple under the sea."
Julianna :
"Can you take this a little more seriously?"
John :
"No, Skylah. I'm not a starfish. My severed limbs cannot grow into a clone. It's the same exact reason why human clones cannot possibly exist. However, as long as my heart beats, I can heal myself."
Skylah :
"I'm surprised you actually understood the reference."
John :
"I had a son.... It was his favourite cartoon…..
Anyway, you should be able to do the same, albeit to a lesser extent. "The other you" was a jack of all trades."
Julianna :
"And master at none."
Skylah :
"Unwarranted, but OK...….."
John :
"Well, you're still a transcendent nonetheless. You'll soon learn the meaning of it. I have so much to explain to you. Come with me."
Skylah :
"Fine. Lead the way."
- Writer
