Chapter 16 Part 6: Ability Control

I woke up early the next morning with a pounding headache. The morning announcement hadn’t even aired yet.

I stumbled out of bed, my head spinning, and promptly fell flat on my face.

“Ooo…” I groaned. My head throbbed. My memories were hazy. What had I done last night? I remembered drinking… a lot.

I rolled over and saw snacks scattered everywhere. Crushed cookies, crumbs, wrappers. I sat up and looked around.

A memory flickered: me, drunk, sitting on the table, ripping open every snack bag, sharing with Shine, making a mess. The table was covered in crumbs.

I looked at the bed. Shine was also covered in crumbs and wrappers. This was going to be a nightmare to clean.

I stumbled to the refrigerator and drank some cold water. My stomach churned. I longed for hangover soup, ramen, anything hot and savory. I clutched my stomach and sat down, dropping the water bottle.

“Ooh…” Where was Amy? I missed her cleaning up after our snacking sessions.

I showered, letting the warm water wash over me. This small showerhead was designed for kids. I stood there, letting the water run, my mind blank.

I rinsed my mouth and stepped out, my skin flushed from the heat. I dried myself and my hair with a fluffy towel. My long hair clung to me, damp and heavy. The water dripped onto the floor, soaking the scattered snacks. I carefully stepped over them and climbed onto the bed, brushing off the crumbs. Shine was curled up under the covers.

I poked her cheek. It was soft and squishy. I couldn’t resist poking it again.

“Jeff?”

She opened her eyes and grabbed my finger. “It’s morning.”

“Oh…” She looked as hungover as I felt. She sat up, rubbing her forehead, dislodging more crumbs.

“Go take a shower,” I said.

“Okay…” She slipped out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom.

I shook the blankets, sending crumbs flying. Larger pieces fell to the floor. The teddy bear was covered in them. No more cuddling with that thing.

I went to the small dresser and pulled out a set of plain white undergarments. Small enough to fit me. The same design as the ones from the lab. I felt a strange sense of familiarity, a flicker of unease. I put them on and pulled on a comfortable tracksuit. Just like my weekend clothes, only smaller. I smiled.

I looked in the mirror. My hair was still wet. Long hair took forever to air dry. I wished I had a fan, but it was winter.

I climbed back into bed, spreading out my hair on the pillow to dry. A trick I’d learned during my week at the lab.

I must have fallen asleep. I woke up to the morning announcement. Breakfast time. But my stomach still felt queasy.

Shine came out of the bathroom. “Shine, are you hungry?”

“Are you?”

“No.”

“Then I’m not either.” She lay down beside me, mimicking my pose, spreading her hair out on the pillow.

“Why are you lying like that?” she asked.

“Drying my hair. It dries faster this way,” I explained.

“I see.”

We lay there until our hair was dry. Or rather, until we fell asleep again.

I woke up, rubbing my eyes. My mouth was sticky. Had I been drooling? Shine was gone. Her side of the bed was damp. I touched my hair. Dry and silky.

“Shine?” I found her at the table, watching TV. A news report. A stern-faced anchor droned on about something.

“Watching the news again?” I thought it was boring. But I couldn’t look away. It was boring. It should be boring. Why couldn’t I stop watching? Why did I want to know what happened next?

I touched my lips, craving coffee. A familiar scene flashed through my mind.

“You’re awake?” Shine smiled at me, a bright, genuine smile. I’d never seen her smile like that before. She was beautiful. Like a doll. I touched my face. This face, identical to hers, was mine now, too.

“Jeff?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I think so.” The nap had helped. My stomach felt less queasy. I felt sluggish, but I knew I’d have a headache if I stayed in bed any longer. I yawned and stretched.

“Ugh…” I sat beside Shine at the table. The snack wrappers were still there. I picked up a handful and nibbled on them. They were stale.

The cola was still good, though. I poured myself a glass. It was lukewarm and flat. “Shine, do you want some?”

She shook her head, her eyes glued to the news. I sipped my cola and watched with her. Crime reports, political news, the usual stuff. I looked away, bored. What did I usually do on my days off?

I tapped my fingers on the table, thinking. Phone. TV. Computer games.

I suddenly sat up straight. A week had passed. I’d told my friends I was going on a trip. What were they thinking? One of them had threatened to file a missing person report.

I started to stand, then paused. A week… something else was important. What was it? I couldn’t remember. The hangover?

I glared at the empty beer cans on the table. It was their fault. I angrily swatted one off the table, sending it crashing into the other cans and snack wrappers. They tumbled to the floor.

“Jeff?” Shine turned to look at me, her expression puzzled.

I rolled my eyes. This was bad. Amy was going to be furious. But that wasn’t important right now. I needed a phone. Or a computer. I had to let my friends know I was alive.

“Shine, I need a phone.”

“A phone?”

“Or a computer.”

“What can you do with those?”

I explained, knowing she’d probably never used either. “You can talk to other people, and play games.”

“Other people?”

“Yes.” I stood up. There had to be a computer somewhere in this building. Even the lab had a computer room.

“Do you need other people?” Her question was strange. I didn’t answer, heading for the door.

“Yes!” I slipped on Amy’s slippers. Shine followed me, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m coming with you.” Wasn’t she watching the news? I glanced at the TV. It was off.

“Not watching anymore?”

“No.” I nodded.

We left the room, long after lunchtime. The hallway air felt fresh. I looked around. So many places I hadn’t explored yet. I wanted to see them all.