Mushroom Troubles

Part 7

When he announces that I must have had a superpower I just laughed. A genuine cackle. What I had wasn't a power, if it was a power, it wasn't super. The mushrooms had no common sense mainly because they are mushrooms. Dole chuckled anxiously while I slowly died out. I believe some of this laughter was also because I was maybe going crazy and this was a way form me to let it out? I mean I live with a constant clicking and a mushroom that makes me feel cold or hot anytime. Which was a problem I couldn't solve solely to the fact that I can't kill Shirley without murdering myself.

"So no?" Dole's interest was waning and for a moment I was about to tell him. But then I realized that telling him that I can control these mushrooms. Would be a bad idea. There are plenty of stories and maybe a few movies where revealing your powers gets you stuck as a pawn for political power or in a lab. I don't think I want needles pricking me or helping an organization for their world conquests. Not that I think I could do much.

"Yeah. Nothing. Its just these physical changes." I shrugged.

"If its physical you can still get extra strength or something. Follow me!" Dole quickly sprinted off down the road. I shook my head and quickly ran after him. Though I wasn't as fast. By the time I made it over Dole was already trying to pry open the doors of an abandoned warehouse. As I was trying to catch my breath I looked up at the building. It was unassuming. Found next to a construction sight where the workers never seem to be building. I walked over to the doors that Dole was trying to open and leaned against the wall next to him.

"Why do you insist on going to a warehouse. Isn't this going to get us in trouble?" I ask just as Dole pulled up a pipe nearby and broke down the door. I flinched as it fell and just stared at him for a moment. He dropped the pipe and rubbed his palms together before turning to me.

"I'm doing this because you my friend." Dole leans a bit close to me. I hold my breath as he lightens up a bit and pulls back.

"You need to find your potential!" This new Dole is starting to scare me. I tried to look for a hint of yellow in his eyes but not there. But when he turned for a moment it was there. I'm not going to smack him just yet. I'll wait.

I follow behind Dole as he struts a little to excitedly around the empty area. There was nothing besides crates of construction supplies tucked away in a corner. The sun was falling and an orange glow was seeping through the windows. If it weren't so cold and dole not so creepy it would be beautiful. I shivered and stood in the light. Dole standing still in a different light. He then stared me down uncomfortably.

"So what do we do now? Do I punch through concrete pillars or?" I extended my arms sideways and gave an awkward laugh that echoed. Then silence. My gaze slowly shifted to Dole. He had stepped out of the light and his eyes a brilliant yellow. Two circles piercing through the dark. The clicking in my head persisted loudly.

"Fight me." Dole said. But it wasn't his voice. It had an echo of it but it was quiet. But loud. I stammered when I spoke.

"What you do m-mean?" I should have just smacked him. Maybe he is joking? Haha April fools? But no. His body was in a fighting stance. Still, unmoving, and scary. I gulped and awkwardly got into a stance too. Then he charged after me. I tried to dodge by he grazed my head a little. His athletic body had him turned around already and he was winding another punch. My eyes widened as his large fist came down on my face. I hit the ground. Hard. I coughed and felt my head. It hit my forehead and it hurt worse than the time I fell off of my bike. Why hadn't I smacked him earlier. All I need is to get a good punch in between his eyes. That should fix it. But Dole was already over me. I turned over onto my back and grabbed at his legs. Pulling him over and knocking him over. He fell to the ground and just laid there. Unmoving. Now filling with adrenaline I sit on top of him and punch him multiple times. Until I was sitting there panting. 

"Dole? You there buddy?" I ask. When he didn't respond. I sucked my breath in. I was about to cry before he coughed. He then groaned and felt his head. Wincing and pulling his fingers away.

"Please get off of me. Oh, you hit my nose." I quickly moved off of him. I was now kneeling beside him while in my head I was debating on whether this was self-defense or selfless beating. Then again Dole is back. I'm going to have to watch for that. Until Dole started chuckling.

"Well we found your physical superpower. Hard punches." I looked at Dole with a confused face.

"Wait you actually were testing me?" Dole opened his mouth then closed it pondering what to say.

"Honestly. I was going to get you to lift some stuff to see if you were strong and a bunch of other things. But something inside me told me this was better. Then I was sort of..." Dole trailed off before falling asleep.

I seriously need to figure this out. I regret opening Shirley's case. Now it was causing weird things to happen. I gripped at my head and started to pull at my head. Tears streamed down my head. I was mainly trying to fight it away. I need to stay focused right? If I don't. Who else will figure this out?