This is part 3. Thank you to all who've sent me positive responses. Allen, Jason, Chris, Matt, and the many others who've helped me since the beginning. I'm sorry to say that this will be the final chapter of Devon and I. I'm really grateful to all of you who've enjoyed this story. You've helped me more than you know. And I want to apologize to those who really loved this story. Sorry to end it so soon. I'll try to make it up to you. Again, I thank you all.
I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. Tomorrow, it'd all be over. I couldn't go with him back to Canada, and he couldn't leave to go with me. I sighed again as I thought hard on what to do. Meanwhile, I had every moveable piece of furniture in the suite in the air and keeping time to a beat that I had in my heart. It was slow and moving, and it seemed perfect for the tough choices that I'd have to make.
I gave up for a minute and called the telephone over to me. I couldn't help but be surprised at how easily it all came to me when I focused. It felt as though anything were possible for me. I lifted the receiver and dialed home, all without raising even an eyebrow.
"Hello?" My mom answered it after the second ring.
"Hi, Mom!" I exclaimed, trying to sound cheerful.
"Ryan, we were expecting you a couple of hours ago! We were worried. What happened? We tried to call the hotel and you weren't there anymore! Are you all right?" she began to ramble.
"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. Don't worry. Didn't mean to scare you. It's kind of a long story, but you see, I was going to "Jekyll and Hyde" and I saw a guy about to get run over by a taxi. So I ran for him and dove to knock him out of the way."
"Ryan! That's so dangerous!" She interrupted me.
"I know, Mom. But I just had to do it." I responded. "So anyway, he was fine, but I got clipped by the cab and hit my head really bad. I was in the hospital for a couple of days, and so I missed everything. The guy I saved must be really rich or something, because he came to the hospital and thanked me for saving him. I told him that I'm like that, he smiled and we talked for a little while. I said he's rich because he picked me up in a limo and set me up at the Marriot Marquis for the two days that I missed. That's why I've been here so long. I was so busy. Don't worry, though. I'm leaving tomorrow night."
"Oh. Do you know who he is? The man you saved, I mean?"
"No," I lied. "I have no clue. He came and thanked me, set me up here, then left. I just wanted to call and say everything's OK."
"Well, your aunt has a special present for your graduation that she wanted me to give you now."
"What is it?" I asked excitedly. My favorite aunt always gave me sweet presents-expensive binoculars or other electronic stuff-all the time.
"She's arranged for you to go to the Isle of MTV for two weeks. After that, the whole family's coming over for a graduation party."
I was so excited that I couldn't contain it. I actually realized this when all the furniture in the room started to lift off the floor. "Wow, Mom! Thank her so much for me!"
"I will. Now, you just come home safe and soon, OK?"
"OK. I love you."
"I love you too, Ry."
"B-bye."
"Bye."
I hung up the phone and looked at the floating furniture. I shook my head with a slight smile and gently lowered them all to the floor. As it was still early, I decided that I'd go look around the city and do some shopping. I knew that I probably couldn't afford too much, but it's always fun to window shop.
I went downstairs and went outside. It was a blustery day, but the sky was bright blue and the sun was shining. I smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and decided to take a stroll over to NYU. I had a bunch of friends there, so if they didn't have any classes, I figured we could hang out together. I walked down the street and started to realize that I was getting strange looks from lots of people walking by.
-What the hell is going on?-I thought. -Is my hair screwed up?-
I stopped at the nearest full window to look in and see my reflection to see why everyone was staring at me. It actually happened to be a TV store and most of them were set to the same channel. I stared at the window and I realized that my hair was fine. I had all my clothes on. MTV was playing "I Want it That Way" by the Backstreet Boys and E was having a special report on the Star Wars gala. As I was just about to leave, the report returned to the footage taken last night, and there I was, walking with Devon! "What the hell?" I asked out loud.
"This young man, who we honestly do not know, was seen going into the Theater with Devon Sawa. Apparently the two are friends, but both neglected to discuss anything else with us."
I sighed. OK, this wasn't too bad. I'd avoided that terrible cliche, of finding out that something is wrong by seeing it on the news in a TV store! Yes! As I turned to leave, I heard a little bit more...
"But rumors persist of him playing some sort of strange prank on the cast members of the movie. The police are interested in speaking to him, and so is the research hospital from which he was released a earlier yesterday."
"Goddammit!" So THAT was why people were looking at me so strangely! I'm stupid! I should never have come out into the public!
I turned and started to walk back to the hotel, keeping my head down as I went. I didn't want anyone to recognize me, that's for sure.
I made it back to the hotel entrance and stood there for a minute. -Wait a minute-I thought-what the hell am I doing hiding? I didn't do anything wrong.-
At this time, Devon was in Chinatown. -I hate lying to him, but I didn't want him to know about this. Now, what type of martial art did he like?- he thought as he looked through the dozens of stores. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A quick flash stopped him from continuing to the next store. He looked more closely. The window had a large green-and-gold oriental dragon on the window and right behind the dragon, a katana was sitting on a stand, half- drawn. He walked into the store and saw a ninjatou that matched the katana. Both were good, but definitely not the greatest swords ever created. Still, they were very pretty and very sharp. Devon thought about it for a minute and bought them both. -He'll like these- he thought. Together, they were around $200 and he had them put into a long box together. Then he walked out, satisfied and decided that for our last night, we'd need something special...
I got up to the room with my head ringing and went to look at one of the other books that I read. One of them had two very important messages to a prospective sorcerer. "Remember that acts of violence and evil are addictive and easy. There is no escape once you are trapped by it. But not all destruction is evil-only willful and needless destruction will corrupt. So do not rely on anger's assistance." And the other said, "Everything is possible within reason, but do not attempt the completely impossible. Some barriers are not meant to be crossed. Healing will drain more than destroying, but will make you stronger if you do not attempt to do too much too quickly." Then it proceeded to give me instructions on how to create physical changes in things and to bring around healing. So now, I could light candles much more easily and whenever I wanted to rather than on accident.
-This is great!-I thought, as I felt my power building. -Screw being worried. I need to figure out what I'm going to give to Devon as a good-bye gift.-
With that thought, tears filled my eyes again and I wished we didn't have to leave. I started one more song:
"Where has the starlight gone? Dark...is the day...how can I find my way home? Home... is an empty dream...lost to the night... Father I feel... so alone... you promised you'd be there... whenever I needed you! Whenever I call your name...you're not anywhere... I'm trying to hold on! Just waiting to hear your voice...one word, just a word will do... to end this nightmare."
I stopped. Why did all my songs have to be so damn sad?! Shit! I quickly decided to stop singing, as it only made me more upset, and went back outside. I was feeling much more confident, and I wanted to go get something for Devon. Some clothes, some memento: anything. I went across the street to Virgin Megastore first, so that I could see if there was anything interesting there. It happened to be during a big sale, and the photos of hot young models wearing only boxers distracted me, so I quickly left. I walked around all of the area and far beyond. It was still early afternoon, and I got a little hungry, so I stopped at a cafe. A cop, who happened to be eating there, saw me enter and quickly stood up. "Hey you!" he called out. Then he cried out in surprise when his table and food caught fire in front of him and formed a wall of flame between him and me. I turned to the cashier. "Can I get that sandwich to go?" Very pale, the young Asian woman nodded quickly and handed me my sandwich. I paid her and left the cafe,. Once I was outside, I winked at her and the fire went out. The cop was unharmed, but his food was gone and so were his eyebrows. Then I sauntered along, munching on my sandwich and thinking about what I should do for the day and what I was going to get Devon.
Before I knew it, I found myself at 14th and 7th street, where there happened to be a school for capoeira. Now, I love capoeira, so I naturally went in to investigate. I asked the instructor if I could get one free lesson, as I was leaving that night. The maestre, a middle-aged and well-built black man hesitated for a minute. I quickly inserted the suggestion that it would be a good idea into his head and he brightened and said, "Of course."
I think he was surprised at how quickly I picked it up, but I wanted to learn this stuff quickly. I'd perfect it on my own, so I literally just picked it from his head. It wasn't really too hard, and I was soon performing kicks that would have shocked my gymnastics instructors. He looked amazed a couple of hours later when I was preparing to leave, but I just smiled at him and told him I got it so easily because he's such an awesome teacher. He smiled, embarrassed, and I left with my legs and arms sore from the workout.
I had to go back to the hotel to get ready for tonight. I figured that Devon and I would end up going out to dinner, so I wanted to be ready. I still didn't know what I could get for him, but I knew that I'd find out soon enough. Then it hit me! Of course!!! I nearly ran back to the hotel. I'd need to check my books. I was actually so excited, I didn't look where I was going and bumped into a couple of kids who were slightly younger than I and who all wore royal blue.
"Hey, man! What the hell you think you're doin'?" The one I bumped into asked me.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I wasn't paying attention. You OK?" I asked, feeling really stupid.
"Bitch! What the fuck do you mean you weren't payin' attention? I oughtta knock your ass down!"
I realized that a fight was brewing and said, "Hey, man, look. I said I was sorry. What more do you want me to do??"
"Sayin' you're sorry ain't good enough! Get down on your fuckin' knees and say it."
I didn't want to start a fight, but I DO have some pride. "Uh, no." I answered suavely. "I don't think so. If that's what you want me to do, I withdraw my apology." Then I smirked at him. "Goodbye." I turned to continue walking the way I came when I heard about 4 "click"s.
I slowly turned around. All four kids had guns pointed at me. "Punk, you don't EVER turn around when I'm talking to you." He raised his gun so that it was aimed at my head instead of my chest. "You got me?"
I blinked a few times. "Yeah. I got you. Now it's my turn. You don't EVER point a gun a me, got it?" I was beginning to get a little bit mad.
"What?" he asked incredulously. "Are you fuckin' insane? I got a gun to your head!"
I smiled coldly. "Not anymore." As I said that, his arm bent against his will and the gun now pointed directly at his left eye. The other three guns began to glow white-hot and the kids screamed and dropped the guns from their smoking hands. "Aaawww." I mocked them and then said, "Blow on it to make it feel better. Like this." Then I blew a quick puff and all three of them flew backwards and slammed into some walls. Then I thickened the air around them so that they couldn't move a muscle. "Sit. Stay." I smiled sarcastically. "Now, as for you," I said, looking at their leader.
"Shit man," he pleaded, his face becoming very pale. "Don't hurt me! Please!" he begged.
What was I to do? I moved his arm so that the gun was pointing towards me again and then I used my new capoeira to perform a double spinning heel kick-one to the gun to send it out into the street, and one to the kid's chin to drop him to the ground. He groaned and fell like a shot put. I looked down at him and in a very angry voice said, "Don't you ever point a gun at me again, got it?" He nodded and curled up into a ball on the ground. "Good," I nodded and began going back to the hotel again.
I definitely didn't want any more trouble, but sure enough, before too long, a young man about 20 or so approached me. "Hey, aren't you that guy I saw on TV?" he asked.
"Uh, no," I responded, not looking directly at him. "I'm nobody."
"I think you are!" he exclaimed. "I'm gonna call the cops!"
"NO! Please! Don't do that!" I begged.
He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911. I was getting really tired of this. My mind screamed, and my eyes began to glow. "Stop! NOW!" I roared. The phone shattered along with the rest of his hand and he screamed in pain. Almost immediately, he flew backwards over all 6 lanes and slammed through the show window on the other side of the street. With my entire body glowing faintly red and shaking with pure rage, I started to walk across the busy street. Cars honked at me and stopped forcefully as though they had hit a brick wall. Others jumped high into the air and came back down, hard. Some of them just found themselves in an entirely different place-like on top of a building or halfway through a stone bridge. Everyone on the street was staring at me in utter horror, and with a thought, I put them all to sleep and erased the last couple of minutes from their memory... all except the guy I'd hurled across the street.
I walked up to him and lifted his broken body off the ground. The glow left me as I looked at all the blood and heard his cries of pain. "Jesus, what have I done?" I concentrated all of my energy on placing the bones back together, and with snapping sounds, they did. Then I focused on the cuts and had the skin speed up its growth a thousandfold so that almost immediately, there were scars that soon vanished and became healthy skin. My head hurt, very badly, so I left him lying there, crossed the street again and told everyone to wake up. Then I put the cars back to where they belonged and walked very slowly, painfully back towards the hotel.
-That was so EASY-I thought. -What am I doing to myself?-
I walked around in a daze, completely amazed that I had become such a monster. Sure, I'd had a temper when I was a little kid, but I'd long ago controlled it. Why was it coming back now? I finally managed to get back to the hotel and grabbed every book that I had bought in regards to abilities. I HAD to find out what the deal was with my anger. But my body also hurt more than I had ever felt. I guess it was a combination of the weakness I still had from sleeping for two straight days coupled with the capoeira. Or maybe it was just that my powers began to affect my body as I used them more. I knew that there was a Jacuzzi on the seventh floor, so I figured I'd go soak and ease my muscles while I read. I grabbed a pen off of the counter and looked around for paper. Dammit, nothing! I concentrated for just a moment, then I pulled a sheet of paper out of thin air, stared at it in surprise for a few minutes, shrugged, and then proceeded to write Devon a quick note.
"Devon, I'm downstairs in the Jacuzzi. It's been such a long day. If you come down, please be in a good mood and willing to talk, otherwise, I'll be up around..." I looked at the clock. It was already 4:00 pm. "7 or 7:30."
I changed into my swimsuit, grabbed a towel and grabbed my books. I toted them all after me, floating them on midair.
-You shouldn't use your powers so much until you figure them out-I wisely told myself.
-But I may be able to figure them out by using them more.-I countered.
-True, but is that necessarily good? They're changing you.-
-Maybe, but who would've thought that I can create something out of mid- air? I think there's just some reason my anger takes hold. If I can find it, I'm gonna be fine.-
-We'll see.-Was my only counter to that argument.
I thought about it, and decided to carry everything in my arms while I rode the elevator down to the seventh floor. I signed the sign-in sheet and put the idea in the orderly's head that it was broken, so no one else could use it. Then I encouraged him to "ignore" the fact that I was there, and it was all set. As the hot tub was in a different room, I darkened the windows and locked the door in order to be certain that no one would protest to vehemently. Then I got comfortable and began to read my first book intently.
45 minutes later, I was done with the book and was beginning to prune. But I didn't care. My eyes widened. I'd skimmed through some of the most potent parts of the book! How could I be so stupid? I immediately opened the second book. I reread the warnings and gradually, understanding began to enter my unwilling brain. And with that understanding came an interesting idea. I was so engrossed in the reading, I didn't even notice Devon come and rap on the glass door. I looked up in shock and he was standing there with his hands on his hips and a strange look on his face.
I waved my hand negligently and went back to the book. The door clicked, and in he walked, wearing a very small bathing suit and swinging his ass more than normal as he walked in.
"I see you darkened the windows and convinced the watchman that no one was in here." He mentioned as he slowly lowered himself into the hot water.
"Mmm hmm."
"So, you wanted to 'talk?'" he asked, lifting an eyebrow impishly.
I looked up at his cute face-the blue eyes, the blond hair, the slightly big nose. I smiled sadly. "'Fraid it's only talk, Dev." I told him.
He sat back, frowning slightly. "OK, Ry, what's wrong?"
I dog-eared the page of the third book that I was on and set it down. Then I sighed and looked down at the water. "Dev, I'm-losing control over my abilities."
"What do you mean?" He asked incredulously. "I just saw you open the door without touching it!"
I shook my head sadly. "It's not that, Dev," I told him. "I can still do things. In fact, I can do more than ever. But, it's taking control over me. It's beyond my control. It's as though I'm cursed." I remembered the poor man's body that I had flung around like a rag doll and broke down.
Devon slid across the tub and put his arms around me. Our chests were pressed against each other's, and the sensation was overpowering. But I had far too much grief to give it up so easily. So, I still continued to cry. He looked at me concerned. "Please tell me what's wrong, Ry. Please," he begged.
So I recounted the day's adventure to him, haltingly. I had to stop every now and again to swallow the sobs and hold back the tears. His face became more and more shocked at how monstrous I had become. He sat back, shocked. "You-you really did this?"
"I'm afraid so. At least I made everyone forget about it, so no one will remember what happened..." I began.
"Except for you," he noted.
"Except for us," I agreed.
He relaxed a little bit. "So what have you been doing down here?"
I held up the books. "I've been trying to find out what is wrong with me."
"Did you find anything out?"
"Yeah." I hesitated. "Well, uh, when I was little, I had a really bad temper. I used to get into fights all the time, and I was always in trouble. After I started taking martial arts, I learned to control my temper and shut my anger away."
"OK. I understand that part."
"But, this..." I faltered.
"Power?" he supplied.
"All right. This power taps into my reserves of anger that I didn't even know existed. It's as though everything I've ever been mad or hurt about feeds this and it grows exponentially stronger every time I use it."
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"Remember the paper that I wrote the note on?"
"Uh huh."
"I created that out of thin air."
His mouth dropped. "Say what?"
I nodded. "It was easy. When I lifted those cars, I didn't have any problems. And lighting the cop's table on fire was as easy as lifting a pencil. I'm getting really scared."
"Whoa. That's heavy."
"No shit, Dev."
"So did they help at all?"
"Yes and no. They explained why I'm doing what I'm doing, but the didn't really offer me any advice or tips to help me out with it. I assume that the person who does this is eventually consumed by his power and dies."
He paled. "I don't want that to happen to you!" he exclaimed passionately.
I smiled, caught aback by the fierceness of his reaction. "I don't either. So I'm using the power for light things-like lifting paper or opening the door, but I'm trying not to use it too much for anything else."
"I see." I smiled at him. "Thanks. I really needed to get this off my chest." He smiled back. "Speaking of chests..." He leaned in and kissed my chest above the water line and I pulled him into a tight hug. Our tongues met and we held each other tight for our last night together. I broke the kiss after a couple of minutes. "Maybe we should take this upstairs," I offered. "Hmm...You may have a point there." We smiled at each other and wrapped our towels around ourselves in order to hide our hardons.
We took the elevator up to our floor and stared at each other intently during the ride and the short walk to our room. We got to the room and I gasped. There were candles all around the room and the bed was turned down. I looked at Devon with tears in my eyes. Then I leaned into him and kissed him deeply. The flames on the candles rose higher and higher as we kissed until there was a dome of living fire surrounding us. But in that kiss, I realized exactly what my feelings for Devon were. And in realizing that, I knew I had to break the kiss. I was in love with Devon, definitely, but I didn't love him. There just wasn't that connection. "Devon, I...can't," I told him sadly. "What's wrong, Ry? Is it me?" "No! It's me. I just realized something..." I began to cry, afraid of the pain that I was going to cause him and how much pain that would leave me in his place. By now, I could empathize with Devon more than I had ever done with anyone. "What? What is it?" "I..." I broke off. "Devon, I don't want to hurt you." Tears filled his beautiful blue eyes. "You don't love me, do you?" I shook my head slightly. "Dev, I'm so in love with you that I hurt, but I don't love you." He nodded, understanding, and his whole body wracked with pain and sadness. I leaned in and gave him a kiss: one that I put my heart into. I truly did not mean to hurt him, but I had promised long ago that I would save myself for my true soul mate. He kissed my passionately and the tears leaked from his eyes as he did so. I felt his pain, his sadness. I could feel everything that he was going through, and it broke my heart. I decided to put an end to this. I focused my will, smothered the candles so that the room was in total darkness, put my hand on his forehead and murmured "Sleep." He immediately closed his eyes and fell into a gentle, dreamless sleep. I knew he would wake up in a couple of hours and nothing would wake him up before unless I told him to wake up, so I fell on my bed sobbing. "Why did you do this to me, God! Why?" There was no answer, and soon after, I had cried myself to sleep.
The next morning, Devon woke the instant I did. In his sleep, he had calmed down and was much more at ease than the previous night. He noticed the tear stains on my cheeks and simply said, "I'm sorry." I smiled and we sat down. "I guess I had better start getting ready to leave. Promise me you'll keep in touch with me," I added as I handed him my phone number and address. "I promise," he assured me, his eyes beginning to sparkle with unshed tears. Mine were shed, however. "I need to go take a shower and get ready," I said reluctantly. He simply nodded. I showered quickly and dressed in the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and hair and was putting all of my toiletries in my bag when Devon came up behind me and whispered, "I've got something to give you." I turned around to see him holding a long box-about 4 feet long-that seemed to be pretty heavy. "What is it?" I asked. "You'll see," he answered smugly as he flung the box onto the bed with a grunt. I eagerly ripped open the tape and looked inside to see an imitation "Highlander" katana and a matching ninjatou. "Whoa, Dev," I whispered, awed. "These are beautiful. I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough. They're great!" I rushed up and gave him a hug. He seemed surprised as I flung myself at him, but the shocked look quickly became a smile as I kissed him passionately in gratitude. After a short while, I broke the kiss and reached into my bag. "I have something for you, too." I pulled out a small black-and- white cloth bracelet. He looked at it. "A friendship bracelet?" He sounded slightly disappointed, but was still happy I thought of him enough to give him something. I smiled with an unseen joke. "Not quite. Hold out your most active hand." He held out his left hand and I tied the bracelet to his wrist. Then I reached down and put my forehead on the bracelet, willing some of my power into it-in a very careful and focused manner. He looked at me with a question in his eyes. In response, I told him, "If you focus on anyone you care about, you'll be able to see exactly what they are doing from either their point of view, or a third person's." He stared at the simple bracelet. I smiled at him. "I hope that's good enough, Dev. I really couldn't afford to buy anything." He gave me a tight hug and kiss. "It's awesome, Ry." I looked at the clock and saw that my flight would be in two hours. I needed to leave. "Dev," I said hesitantly. He wiped away some tears. "I know, I know. Let's go." "Huh?" "You didn't think that I wouldn't at least see you safely to the airport, did you? Besides, I need to catch a plane too, you know." "I guess I didn't really think about it. I know I didn't want to." "I didn't want to either, but everything's set up. The limo's waiting."
We loaded our luggage into the trunk of the car and drove to the airport. I didn't speak much, working on controlling my emotions. I was so sad that I had to leave, and that sadness led to anger. I didn't know what to do, it all began building up and threatening to overpower me. Devon was also very quiet, and it was a long trip back to the airport. When we got there, we checked our bags, but I had to take my swords to the gate in order to get them specially placed. But as we approached my gate, I saw a large group of people blockading my path. There were police blues and medical whites and there were enough of them to surround me. "We only want you, Ryan," one of the police said. "You are to be held for destruction of property and reckless endangerment. Stay where you are." "Go Devon!" I shouted. "Get out of here!" "But," he protested. "Go!" I screamed, turning to look at him with eyes glowing an evil green and my mouth spurting bright silver flame. "Now!" I put such force behind that word that he was repelled backwards a dozen yards or so. I turned to face my attempted captors. "This ends now!" I yelled, my anger taking over. My eyes were flaming with anger and a powerful wind began to blow from around me. All of the men and women surrounding me were blown back a couple of feet and had to fight to hold their ground. My hands began to clench and crackling bolts of energy flew from fingertip to fingertip. I stood there, outlined in the power of my own fury, wreathed in silver fire. "Leave me alone!" I yelled. Everyone flinched and covered their ears as my voice boomed louder than thunder. The airport went silent, and with a flick of annoyance, I put to sleep all who were not involved. I couldn't get those who were because of their emotional intensity-fear, worry, anger or whatnot. I also erased the memories of the past few minutes, again. I sighed. This was getting REALLY old. I stopped the wind and moved towards my gate, but continued to keep my body glowing as a warning to those surrounding me. But one middle-aged cop dared to step forward and approach me, drawing his gun. I spun on him quickly and hurled the energy from my hands into his body. There was a sizzling sound and his body was flung across the entire airport waiting area-fully 40 or 50 feet-just by the impact of the bolt. Everyone else shied back, and most of them drew weapons. My swords cut their way through their box and began to spin around me very quickly-so quickly that the eye couldn't follow them, forming a shield of blades held in motion by my will. As gunshots rang out, they usually clanged off the swords or else brightly burned up as they entered my aura of fire. "That is ENOUGH" I thundered. "I will have NO MORE!" At that point, Devon ran up behind me and yelled, "Ryan, NO!" Without thinking of who it was, only sensing the approach from behind, my swords stopped their whirling and flew straight for his chest. With a sickening splat and crunch, they pierced him and went all the way through, widening the holes in his chest as they went on. "DEVON!" I screamed as I turned to see who I had just killed. "NO!!!!" Nothing could contain my fury as a full-fledged hurricane appeared inside the airport, ripping off the roof and hurling bolts of lightning everywhere. The wind howled and the rain was icy and stinging. Everyone took shelter inside the shops and under the chairs. I walked slowly over to Devon, the rain not touching me, incinerating the very ground I walked on. I leaned down over his body and saw the light begin to fade from his eyes. I enclosed Devon and I in a globe of darkness and found the minds of everyone else more easily manageable this time. So they also slept and forgot. Then I kissed Devon on the lips, which he weakly returned. My tears were burning drops of liquid flame and charred him when they landed on his face. "I'm so sorry, Devon." "I...know," he coughed. "I...forgive...you..." I knew what I had to do, and I knew the consequences of it. "Then I beg you, forgive me for the curse I'm about to give you..." I leaned in and kissed him again. But this time, I let the silver fire flow out of me through our mouths. He writhed in pain, but his wounds no longer bled. Instead they flamed silver. They began to close and I felt myself getting weaker and weaker. His chest was back to normal after another minute, except for the fact that all of his clothing had been burned away by the intense heat. I felt so much of my strength seeping from me as I fought to keep away the black wall of death. His eyes widened as his mind opened and flooded with new power. He kissed me back, uncertain of what was going on. I pulled the kiss back when I felt I had almost no power left in me. Now it was Devon who was glowing silver, and it seemed as though he had absolutely no idea of how he was doing it or what was going on. "Ryan?" he asked, confused. "Dev, please forgive me..." I sobbed. "What?" "Now it's your curse to have this power. I can't handle it any more. I know I chose the right person." "But I don't know anything about it except what you told me!" he protested vehemently. "Just wait," I told him weakly. "You will." And with my last vestige of power, I closed my eyes and sent all the knowledge I had accumulated about my powers-how to do things, how to think, how to control them, how to shape them to your will-to him. All I kept were the permanent changes to my voice, strength and agility and the knowledge of how to do things with my power. When I opened my eyes again, Devon was no longer glowing and seemed at peace. "Ryan," he said gently. "I DO thank you for this. Now I realize how much this must have really destroyed you. This was YOU, and you gave it to me. And the knowledge of how to stop it from controlling me, as it did you. How can I thank you?" I thought for just a moment. Then I quietly, sadly asked, "Make me forget." He smiled sadly. "I'll miss you." "Please." I couldn't stand the memory of what I did to him any more. He leaned in and gave me a powerful hug. Then he kissed my forehead and everything went dark.
I opened my eyes sitting in the waiting area to board my plane to go home. I looked around for a minute. -I must have fallen asleep for a while-I thought. I looked down and sitting next to me was an autograph of Devon Sawa.
I stared at it in shock for a while, then smiled. -No one took them-I thought with relief. -Thank God.-- I remembered talking to Mr. Sawa after the Star Wars gala and we chatted for a while. It turned out he was the young man I'd saved from the taxi and he was more than happy to give me his autograph. I looked in my wallet and saw the pictures of my ex-girlfriends who my parents never met (of course) and who I'd loved to distraction. There was the ticket stub from the Gala and my hotel key. I also had his agent's business card in there. I remembered our talk about who's hot and who's not and we both decided that Sarah Michelle Gellar was a hottie.
I shifted to get more comfortable and heard a "clang" when my foot hit something. I looked down there and opened the long brown box that was sitting under my chair. My two swords that I had bought in Chinatown were there, same as always. I loved those swords. That's why I bought them. I smiled. I'd even haggled them down to a reasonable price.
Then I frowned. Was that blood on the blades?...
That's it. I hope you all enjoyed the story. Pls e-mail me questions, comments, concerns. As usual, I love receiving mail.