Microstory 107: Jayson Casy

This is an experimental Bellevue Profile microstory. The introduction can be found in Microstory 101. More to follow.

Most anomalies discovered their abilities very early on in life. Some are noted by their families as being different right out of the gate. Others don’t begin to manifest until around puberty. The most common range is between ages six and eight; the theory being that a child is, at that point, both old enough to understand past, present and consequences, but also young enough to be free from society’s preconceived notions. Jayson Casy was notably old when his problems first began. While he was walking down the hill of university--as was tradition for the graduation ceremony--the flowers that lined the path began to die. Fortunately, he was not alone for the march, so no one was aware that he was the culprit. Soon afterwards, it happened once more at a botanical garden, and Jayson was forced to admit to himself that he was the common denominator. It was clear to him that he was somehow the physical incarnation of death, and it was because of this that he decided to sequester himself from other people. He spent what little money he had on camping and hunting supplies, and left the city for the deep of a forest. He ate only freeze-dried food while he practiced his ability on plant life, learning to keep himself from using it. Without this control, any animal he tried to kill for food would nearly instantly decay and turn to dust. Still, he did not return to civilization, and his family never saw him again. After decades of being alone, a man was hiking nearby when he fell off a short cliff and broke his leg on some rocks. Jayson had formed a strict rule that he would ignore every human that came too close, but the man’s cries of pain overwhelmed him, and Jayson came to the his aid. He placed his leg in a splint and treated his cuts. He then dragged the man to his encampment and nursed him back to health. The man spoke of the world beyond, and gave him a crash course in current events, telling tales of Bellevue, and people with superhuman abilities. Feeling confident with his control, Jayson gave into his feelings and he and the man slept together. When he woke up the next morning, he found himself alone with nothing but a pile of dust. He had lost control during sleep, and killed his lover. He approached Bellevue on his own accord and asked to be placed in quarantine, or killed. With careful study, they were able to determine the nature of his ability. As it turned out, it wasn’t just that he was killing life. His true power was much more exciting.