Stripped

Anthony's apartment was small but clean, the walls were painted white and not decorated, and his furniture was simple; a tan colored couch and chair with a glass coffee table set up to face a small flat-screen TV across the room.  It was not what I had expected at all.  When we made it to his room I sprawled out across his full-size bed as he rummaged through his closet for something to wear.

After a few moments he'd picked something that he liked and began peeling his clothes, I had lent him, off.  I watched him, intently, as he buttoned his shorts then pulled a well-fitting tank over his head.  Anthony then, playfully, threw his body across the bed next to mine and faced me.  He had the most appreciable smile I had seen on a guy in a long time.  

"Are you going to tell me what last night was?"  Anthony prodded me for answers.  How could he not want to know, anyone in his position would want to at least understand. 

"Well, when two people really like each other--"  I started playfully.

"Come on.  You know what I meant."  He said as he shoved me off of my arm, which I was using to prop my head up.

"I don't think I do."  I saw the look in his eyes change from curiosity to irritation.  

"So that's the route you want to take?  You expect me to believe that?  You expect me to just ignore all of the strange things that are happening around you?"  Anthony forced himself off of the bed so quickly it nearly made me sick.  His expression was a mix of anger, confusion and disgust.  

"You know, I shouldn't even be surprised."  He turned to face away from me.  

"Anthony, come on."  I pleaded.  My chest started to tighten, and panic began to wash over me.  In the beginning all I wanted was to keep him away---to shut him out.  I never wanted to feel anything for him.  Most of all, I never wanted to hurt him.  

"No.  I have been trying to see through this charade of yours since I've met you.  Trying to see that you are truly an amazing person---even if you have a scarred past.  But you just keep proving me wrong."   His voice shook through his words, and he was clearly trying to stay calm.  As he turned to face me, it was his expression that hurt most of all.  His eyes were glassy and his face was red with anger.  

"People around you only end up hurt---emotionally, physically, mentally.  And, if you can't help me understand what it is that's really going on then, I don't think I want to keep risking my heart to those kinds of odds."  

"Anthony, please.  You're the LAST person I want to hurt!"  I reached out to take his hand and reassure him, but he flinched away.  

"Then give me an explanation.  Give me a reason to believe you!"  I looked at him trying to think of what to say.  

When did I become this person?  When did I allow myself to be so cold?  I never realized that Anthony had these feelings in spite of everything that was going on.  All of this time I had been trying keep him at a distance, to keep him from being hurt by the monster I was becoming.  Yet, all of this time he was falling in love with me---in spite of it?  

"I'm sorry.  I never used to be this person.  I never meant to fall for you.  I didn't think I would have to let you in.  I just kept pushing you away---thinking I was protecting you."  I started to explain.  

"You don't have to hide from me.  I've had plenty of opportunity to run away and I am still here.  Plenty of my friends have told me that I'm crazy for believing in you.  I'm sure most of them think I am mad for trying to hold onto you."  Anthony plopped his body back down on the bed, wiped his eyes, and cleared his throat.  

"It's all just so hard to explain---I don't know where to start."    I said with a blank expression on my face.  

"Just try, I'll be open-minded."  I gulped as he said that, and I thought of the irony in his statement.  

"Well about a year and a half ago, I had this really bad break-up with an ex.  My friend Michelle, she wanted to go to the mall, it was an attempt to make me feel better.  Only, I wasn't---I mean I shouldn't have been driving, I just wasn't focused.  We were involved in a really bad accident with a semi-truck, it put us both in a coma.  I pulled through, after two months, Michelle hasn't been so lucky."  I sat up, rethinking, and saying all of this out loud put a huge pit in my throat.  

"So she's still in a coma?"  Anthony asked.  

"Yeah, except, she disappeared from the hospital."  I told him, I felt my expression change.  It was disturbing to think that Michelle was still missing, it had made no sense.  

"What?!"  Anthony was just as confused about my statement as I was about the reality of the situation.  

"Yeah, and see, something happened to me in that accident.  It changed me.  I couldn't help but to feel guilty about what happened--If only I had been paying more attention."  I was staring off at a wall, trying to keep from getting too emotional in my explanation.  Anthony placed his hand on the side of my face and, gently, turned it to face him.  

"You're alive, I don't know about you, but that makes me very happy!"  

"You don't understand---I don't deserve you.  The accident, it made my sense of touch stronger, and it made me a monster.  When I realized that my sense of touch wasn't just stronger, but that it could manipulate people, their thoughts, their memories, it's like it woke up a part of me that I don't even recognize anymore."  Tears were filling the corners of my eyes, it was true I didn't deserve a guy like him.  I could feel the crystal pendant around my neck growing colder as I became more infused with my emotions.  

"I've done things, things I don't even feel bad about.  When I'm doing them, it's like it's not even me.  I can't stop myself.  It all started as a way to feel normal. It was a way to make the pain, that my sense of touch caused, go away.  I don't know how else to explain it."  Anthony looked at me in slight disbelief.  I imagined that some of it might have sounded crazy to him, but given the events of the night before I thought he would've reacted differently.  

"Show me?"  Anthony said, sounding a bit hesitant.  I stared at him for a moment, I felt my heartbeat turn irregular.  Every one of my extremities were on fire, crying out for me to touch him, to taste his life energy.  

"I can't, I don't want to hurt you too."  My voice was shaky, I actually cared about this guy.  I could feel myself falling for him, after I had told myself so long ago, that I wouldn't allow myself to feel this way for someone again.  

"I trust you, Ryan."  Anthony reached out, intertwined his fingers in mine, and tightly squeezed my hand.  

I felt an ice cold blast, burst from the crystal throughout my entire body, followed by a jolt of energy not entering my body but escaping into Anthony's.  I watched as every memory, every horrible thing I had done since I had discovered my power, flash across my mind and escape into Anthony.  

I watched as I hurt Alana, multiple times, as I made Travis tremble with fear while I inflicted tremendous pain on his mind then tore away his life.  I watched as I erased Alana's memory of her only true love which caused her to slip away from sanity.   I watched as I hurt Alana and Elisa and sent John to his untimely demise.  I watched as I fell in love with Anthony, and fought it all along.  I watched myself make love to Anthony.  Even the memories of Sofie slipped through, with her offer to help and her gift.  Each memory was intensified, and each one sent another icy jolt from the crystal through my body.  I showed him everything that stemmed from my anger following the accident, and the sense of abandonment I had felt.  The last thought I mustered, and forced into Anthony was simply- just please love me.  

"I---I had no idea."  Anthony said, as he gently released my hand.  

"I mean I could feel everything, everything they felt and everything you felt.  I could feel your confusion, your anger.  You were out of control."  He told me, pausing for a moment in-between each thought.  

I felt tears roll one after another down my face.  Anthony looked at me, and in that moment I could only wonder what he was thinking of me.  My whole body was cold and numb, from whatever the crystal had done to me.  Voices began to echo in my head "Monster!"  they cried out. 

"The crystal, it gives you back control?"  Anthony asked curiously.  "Can I see it?"  He went on.  I reached inside my shirt and pulled it out.  Strangely, though, it wasn't the same color as it was before.  Now the crystal was a darkened gray, almost black color.  

"It changed color, it wasn't like that before."  Anthony stated, pointing out what was already obvious.  

Anthony put his hand under my chin in a sort of "chin-up" notion. 

"Hey, we're going to fix this, and you're gonna be okay again.  I'm still gonna keep loving you."  Anthony said, and he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.  Everything inside burned with the fire and passion that was Anthony, but the kiss felt empty, like kissing air.  I put my hand on the back of his head and pressed my lips tighter to his, to kiss him more passionately.  

I couldn't feel anything.  Everything touching me, only gave me an icy cold empty feeling.  As if my sense of touch had been completely reversed.  Something was terribly wrong, and that's when it hit me.  Sofie, did have something to gain from all of this.  I pulled away from Anthony, and he looked shocked.  

"That was the most passionate kiss I've--"  I cut him off. 

"We have to get back to my place, I need to call Elisa.  Somethings wrong."  I told him, the tone of my voice was urgent.  

"What? What's wrong Ryan?"  He asked me.  

"I--I can't feel a thing.  Just cold, hard nothing."  I explained.  

"Like paralysis?"  He asked me, sounding alarmed.  

"No, like just brittle cold---everything I touch is just hard and cold, I don't know how to explain it.  Sofie, she's done something to me.  I knew it!  I just knew not to trust her.  It's some kind of black-magic."  I said as I searched for my keys.

"So she hexed you or something?"  Anthony asked.  

"I don't know, but I have got to try to fix whatever she did."  

I pulled out my phone and composed a text to Elisa: 

"Hey something is really wrong with me.  I know you're mad, and I know you want nothing to do with me.  But I can explain it all, and your mother is the only one who can fix me!!"  I sent the message and rushed, with Anthony, to my car.  

Reviews

[Heartful5160]

In this piece of work, it's like I can see everything in my head. Great descriptions and great work! Keep writing. The more writing you do, the more better you'll get at it!

[Jacob Rodriguez]

I hope that you have had the time to read the other chapters of this book as well! :)
I thank you for your feedback!!!!!!

[Heartful5160]

Your welcome and I guess I didn't catch that it was a book, so I guess I need to pay more attention more. I can't wait to read more.

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Yes the name of the book is Sins of the Forgotten... it's really interesting :) or so I've been told. I hope that you get the chance to read all of the chapters that are available. There are going to be several other books in the series. :)

[Heartful5160]

Well I can't wait to read them. I'm excited to read it!

[Jacob Rodriguez]

Well have at it!!!! I hope that you enjoy it :D

[Heartful5160]

I sure will, thank you!