The world was dark and puffy. But my head hurt...and I was moving. Ow. Were those CLAWS on my shoulders?

I opened my eyes, and the entire world was shaking up and down. I blinked. Someone was shouting...so loudly...

"RAVI!!! RAVI!!!"

"Ms. Pinelis," I muttered, "please stop."

And suddenly, the world was still.

I took a breath in. My vision cleared. As before, I felt fine...other than the bruises on the back of my head and my shoulders.

"Oh my gosh, I was so worried, are you alright?"

"Yes. Yes I'm fine." After you finished shaking me. I rubbed the back my head. Seriously, what nursing credentials did this lady have? Maybe it didn't hurt most people to be shaken awake. I feel like everything hurts more than it needs to. But hey, everyone else sucks it up and deals with it, it's not like I have an excuse to complain.

"I'm going to call your mom, alright? Now, what's the number? I'm afraid you're not in our system quite yet."

"No, don't call my mom," I said quickly, "I'll be fine, I promise."

Ms. Pinelis gave me a look that clearly said she didn't believe me and nothing I could say would change that.

I sighed and told her the number.

She went out of the room to talk to her. I sat awkwardly. I sighed and thumped my head on the wall. Nothing today had gone right. I had to start a new school (which is always hard) but now I was going to be the subject of attention for at least a month. And I made a weird first impression. Ugh.

Just then, I froze.

I had time to think: you're kidding me.

And then the pain hit.

A wave of fire crashed over me, filling my lungs and snatching my breath away from me. The fire turned cold, so cold it was still hot. My head was spinning. It was like all life had been sucked out of me by the wicked fire. I tried to scream, but there was nothing. Every molecule twisted and writhed.

And then everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stood up straight, straighter than I ever had before. I filled more space. I had a purpose. Every inch of my being had a purpose. And I would pursue that purpose to the end of the earth. I began to run, fast and low to the ground. The movement flowed through me into the ground and the air.

Then it flowed upwards and lifted me up with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up a little faster this time, which was fortunate, as my mom appeared to be having a bit of a breakdown.

"Ravi? RAVI OH THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE AWAKE!!!" She ran over to me, smoothing my hair and feeling my forehead. I squirmed uncomfortably.

She turned back to Ms. Pinelis. "You say this is the third time?"

I pushed away her hands and sat up. "I'm fine."

Ms. Pinelis looked like she was about to cry. "I think...I think Ravi should go to a doctor."

"No really, I feel fine," I said, exasperated. I just wanted to get back to normal life! I wanted this to stop! "I really feel completely normal."

"And that is precisely why I am positive you should go," she said quietly.

"Stop arguing, Ravi," my mom said, "I was thinking about taking you to a doctor anyways."

"It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Jindal," Ms. Pinelis said quietly. "You too Ravi."

It scared me how she said it like she would never see us again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My mom and I were walking out to the car. My head was down, my hands in my pockets. My mom walked quicker than usual, then slowed to let me catch up. She pursed her lips. "Ravi..."

"What?" I muttered.

She stopped and placed her hands on my shoulders. "You're acting strange, Ravi."

"Yeah, I wonder why," I said bitterly.

"No...you're acting like you're...well, ashamed."

I kept my head down.

"Ravi, it's ok to faint, it's perfectly natural, almost everyone has done it--"

"On their first day of school?" I shot back. "So everyone will remember them as the boy who fainted on his first day in the middle of the y--"

And then I froze.

I had time to think: you've got to be kidding me.

And then the pain hit.

Stars exploded all over my body, as if I had been kicked by a horse everywhere. My stomach twisted, sending a sharp pain up and down my spine. Every inch of my skin felt like it was imploding and exploding at the same time. I screamed.

And then everything went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was power itself. I could practically shake the earth as I walked. I could do anything I wanted to, and nothing could stop me. But all the strength, all the magnificence, came not from within, but from all around me, the dirt, the sky, the sunlight, the wind. I began to run, filling my lungs with the strength around me. I was elongated, larger, filling the world.

I was the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt uncomfortable before I even opened my eyes. I was lying on something slightly sticky that smelled like a baby. I shifted, my arms making weird screeching noises as they detached from the object. I was wearing something thin and papery.

My eyes opened. The ceiling was one of those disgusting tile-y ones they have at schools. I turned my head (which I regretted an instant later, as the screeching noise was next to my ear) and saw a desk made of that weird plastic marble stuff. A cabinet...a wooden door with a happy health poster...

Oh. I was in a doctor's office.

I sat up from the gross cot. My mother gasped and stood from her plastic chair. "Ravi, you should lie down!"

"For the last time, I feel fine!" I said, kind of rudely. She looked concerned. She started to say something, hesitated, and lowered her head. She spoke softly. "No one told me you were in pain when you fainted. I saw your face, and I thought you were going to die."

I saw tears form in her eyes and instantly felt bad. I was just frustrated! With myself, with my situation...and maybe a little scared?

I pushed that thought aside. That was ridiculous. Scared of what?

Just then, the doctor walked in with a Hispanic man in a business suit. The doctor started bustling around fixing minute details of the office.

"Now ma'am," he said to my mom, "if this is a genetic disease, I can't do anything about it. We're only an Urgent Care."

"Just try and tell me what's wrong, please," she said quietly. "We're new to the area, we haven't found a physician yet."

The Hispanic man, who was still standing by the door, cleared his throat. "Tell me--Ravi, is it?--how many times have you fainted today?"

All eyes turned to me with such intensity I wanted to run out of the room. "Um, three. Uh, no, sorry, four."

He nodded knowingly. "Brace yourself."

An uneasy feeling crept over me. "What do you mean?"

He winked.

And then I froze.

I had time to think: this dude knows stuff.

And then the pain hit. Hard.

Liquid metal washed over every inch of my skin, filling my lungs and turning my body inside out. A fire started in my stomach and raged, turning everything to ashes. I screamed, and the fire roared into my throat. White hot knives burrowed into my skin anywhere they could.

And then everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was power. I did not have power, or create power: I WAS the power itself. Every movement was almost too easy for its own good. I flexed my back, just to feel it. But the source...the source was right at the center of my soul. It was warm, strong, and even more powerful than me. That source could move mountains. That source could bend rivers.

That source could change the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt water on my face. Water? What? I opened my eyes, which felt sticky and heavy. What was wrong with me?

Suddenly, something white and smooth touched my forehead. The water on my face dissipated and my eyelids felt normal again. My eyesight now clear, I saw the Hispanic man leaning over me. "You were running a fever," he whispered. "Don't tell the doctor, but," he leaned in closer, whispering even softer, "it was approximately 125 degrees Fahrenheit."

My ears couldn't comprehend what I was hearing. 125 degrees? That wasn't possible. I would die. I probably heard wrong. Yeah, that was it.

"What is it? What did you tell him?" my mom demanded. Geez, mom. Way to be paranoid. Granted, she probably had a reason to be. But still.

"Just to remain calm," the man said smoothly, sitting back down. He caught my eye and winked with a small smile. I stared back.

"Ravi, could you come with me please," the doctor said, finally done fidgeting with his stuff. I slid off the sticky cot and followed him.

We went to a room where they took some x-rays, which made me uncomfortable, because I've heard way too many horror stories about radiation. I knew that a single x-ray wouldn't kill me or anything...but still.

Then I returned to the hospital room and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Usually when my mom is waiting, she checks her email. She's pretty busy. But now she simply sat, staring at the wall, biting her lip, her brow heavy with worry. The man, in contrast, seemed perfectly at ease, as if this was something he did every day. He never tried to make conversation with my mom. He probably could see it wouldn't work.

Finally, the doctor came in, his head down, expressionless. He closed the door softly behind him. My mother stiffened.

"Mrs. Jindal...I'm sorry to have to tell you this...your son...well...he's going insane."

My heart stopped.

The silence in the air was so thick I could practically touch it.

A chill ran down my spine, and suddenly, the room was covered in ice. I was numb. I could feel anything. I couldn't move.

"But," the doctor continued, "there's a special school you can go to for treatment, though I hear it's pretty far away."

No, I thought, stop talking. Don't tell me this.

The other man stood up. "I'm a teacher at this school. And I'm willing to take Ravi for free. We won't charge you for something you can't control."

Shut up, I thought desperately, shut up, shut up, shut UP!!! But I was still frozen.

"It's called Dr. Smith's School For Boys."

My mom made a small choking noise.

And then fainted dead away.

The teacher man looked surprised. "That's a new one. We usually get screams or tears."

Suddenly, I was filled with disgust for this man. Who acted like it wasn't a big deal. "Leave her alone!" I shouted tersely. "She's been through a lot today...and it's...it's all my fault." As I said it, I realized it was the truth. Guilt crashed through my body, and I was filled with the sudden urge to cry. I fought it down. I couldn't cry. Not in front of this man.

"Hey, look, kid," the man said, suddenly serious. He placed a hand on my shoulder. I didn't look up. "It is NOT your fault. No matter WHAT you may think. You can't blame yourself. Promise me that."

I sat still for a moment. Then slowly, I nodded.

"Thanks," he said sincerely. Then he patted me on the shoulder. "I'll pick you up tomorrow around 3, ok?"

I nodded again, more out of instinct than anything else.

The man began to walk out. When he got to the door, he stopped and looked back. "By the way, my name is Juan Marquez." He winked at me. "Mr. Marquez to you." Then he walked away.

The doctor looked from me to my unconscious mother. "I'll, uh, find someone to drive you home then?" He left the room.

The room was very quiet. I could hear faint beepings from down the hall, and other people talking. Leaving. Coming in. Running. Laughing.

And for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to cry.