52 stories

Week 47: One last time

Prompt: "Come with us," two burly men in gray suits say, grabbing you by the arm and handcuffing you. "You know what you did." But you have no idea.

A/n I still wanted to write about this character that can stop time, so here it is!

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It's been a few months since I last saw Peter. I tried my best to not use my power too much, the only thought of him still being able to move with everyone frozen around him makes me feel so bad for him. It reminds me of the first few times it happened to me. How confused and distressed I was. I don't want him to feel that way either... But I can't say that I didn't use it ever since. I mean, I am still always late and sometimes I just can't be late or miss the appointment. I always shout out 'sorry' when I freeze time in case he is around and that he can hear me... I don't know if it helps or not. Like I said I didn't see him again. Why would I after all? It's not like we are friends. We are only two random people... That can still move in completly frozen time... It's not like we can relate to each other or anything. I let out a big sigh and try to focus back on the work I have to do. Stacking shelves is not the hardest job to do, but I still have to look for the expiration dates and make sure all the products are neatly placed.

I help some of the people in the grocery that are looking for really specific items that sometimes are right in front of them. I always find it funny the face them make when I tell them it's right there! I'm stacking some of the bottom shelves when someone clear their throat beside me ''I'm sorry, can you tell me where the-'' But he stops mid-sentence when we make eye contact. It's Peter. I slowly stand back up and shyly wave at him ''Hi, long time no see.''

But he doesn't say anything and just walk away with his small basket of grocery. I look down at my shoes and let out a big sigh. I feel so bad, but at the same time it's not my fault if I have this power. Oh well maybe one day we will get along... I sit back on the floor and try to keep doing my job without feeling like the worst piece of garbage of the world... How can a complete stranger make me feel so horrible? Maybe because he is the only person that knows about my power and he can't even look at me without having this horrified look on his face... Maybe next time I will be able to talk to him...

A few more weeks goes by and i didn't get to see Peter again and I didn't use my power at all either. I'm kind of proud of that because that means I didn't run late at all! That's new and it feels great. I'm currently helping a customer to pack their groceries in their bags when I spot my manager talking with two big and strong men with grey suits. She gestures me to come closer as I finish putting the last items in the costumer's bag and I carefully come closer. Those two men makes me feel uneasy for some reason. She says to the men ''So this is Alex, can we do something to help you?''

They both completly ignore her and one of them say "Come with us'' he then grabs me by the arm and handcuff me. ''You know what you did.''

''What is the meaning of this!?'' My manager shouts out ''You can't just arrest someone out of nowhere!''

I am way too stunned to do or say anything. For once I feel like I am the one frozen while everything else around me is still moving. I think I hear my manager screaming that she will find a way to get me out of this as I step outside with the two strange men on each side of me. I finally build up the courage to look up at one of them and ask ''What did I-'' But the words get stuck in my throat as I see Peter near a black car, talking with another men in gray suit. He looks at me and the looks he gives me chills me to the bones. The disgust and satisfaction  so clear on his face it hurts like hell! I try to freeze the time to talk to him. I need to understand what is going on. If he did this to me. Why he did this to me? I focus the best I can, but nothing happens, but I can feel the handcuff going hot on my wrists. One of the men besides me laugh and shoves me toward the black car ''Don't bother doing yourl ittle tricks, son, it won't work as long as you have those cuffs on!''

I give one last pleading look to Peter but he only looks away, completly ignoring me as I get thrown in the car. The door closing on me like the door of a cell. What are they going to do to me? I look outside the window and I can see my manager and almost all my coworkers outside either on their phones or filming everything. I hope they will be able to help me...

We drive for a really long time until we finally stop in front of a gate in the middle of nowhere. I can see that in front of us there is a really stereotypical secret military base and I can't help but freak out. They pull me out of the car and force me to follow them inside where we walk for what seems like an hour until they finally push me in a small room. Again, a really stereotypical interrogation room. I sit on the small wooden chair and hide my face in my hands and I just wait for someone to come in. A women in a gray suit finally push the door open and lock it behind her. She sits in front of me while putting a small binder in front of her. She crosses her fingers on the table and stares at me with those piercing eyes ''So are you ready to talk to us now?''

''About what!? You just straight up kidnap me and then you expect me to talk to you!? ABOUT WHAT?''

She laughs lightly and lean in a bit closer to me ''Why do you think you are here?''

I stare back at her for a while, not really knowing what to say. My anger finally goes away and there is only resignation and despair left in me ''Because... I have... powers?''

She gives me this proud smile like I'm her small child showing her the good grade I got at school ''See, it wasn't that hard now, was it?''

''But why!? I never did anything wrong! I could have done so many bad things like rob a bank or something but I didn't! I never did anything wrong!''

''They are all so naive when they first come in here.'' She says more to herself and she just stand back up and walk out of the room. Leaving me all alone again.

What did she mean by 'They are all so naive'? I am not alone with powers? This thought fill me with joy for only a moment, but the happiness quickly fade away when the door opens again to three even more burly men. They really easily pick me up from the chair and push me out of the door ''Can I atleast know where you are taking me?''

''Testing.'' And they don't speak another word no matter what I say or do.

I regret asking them, my thoughts are spiralling real bad about what those 'tests' could be. I find it weird that my last thought I have before going in the next room they shove me in is to Peter. I know I didn't know him or anything, but I really thought we could have been friends... But I am pretty sure he is the one that told those people what I can do... And what I think hurts the most is that I might never know why he did that to me...