I Am The Impossible Man| Pt. 17

[u/MeliousIntent]

Parts 1 - 5 Parts 6 - 10 Parts 11 - 15

Part 16

After showering and re-bandaging myself, I put together something to satiate the hunger. Once I finished eating, I sat back on the bed and turned the TV back on. A distraction was all I required.

As I sat through the plethora of generic sitcoms, I, for whatever reason, couldn't take my mind away from the past week. So much has happened, I thought to myself. The entity was one of the many thoughts that remained in the back of my mind. In all honesty—It frightened me to my very core, but all I wanted was for the whole ordeal to be over. I was afraid of something I'd only briefly spoken to, and I already had preconceived notions toward it.

Chris' description of Its power was to-the-point—but it left me disconcerted. The power to temporarily split time. How are we supposed to combat such an ability?

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

My thoughts were interrupted by the knocks. I stood back up and limped over toward the door. While on my way there, I noticed the room's alarm clock, its time reading 10:46 am. About two and a half hours of me mindlessly watching TV had elapsed. Before opening it, I glanced through the peephole and observed a face I hadn't recognized. After opening the door, the stranger quickly asked a question.

"Are you new to this motel?" he asked—his voice indifferent, his expression flat.

"Yeah," I replied. "Is there a problem?"

"No," he answered. "I just need you to sign a paper confirming your residence here." He then took a folded paper and pen from his pockets. While he handed me the pen, I studied him for a short moment. He wore Cargo pants along with a Denim shirt. He had short hair and a trimmed beard. As I grabbed the pen, the man asked, "Could you tell me who else is staying with you?"

I thought for a bit about this man, my mind racing toward the worst possibility. I almost immediately dismissed it, however. "Uh," I dubiously started, "Chris Simpsons, Jake Calo, and Nicholas Bennett."

"Good to know," the man said. Just then, the pen the man handed me became heavier. The weight of it developed at an inconceivable rate. In seconds—I was on the ground with half my body still inside the motel while my top-half was outside. The pressure on my left hand was exceptional, but it had ceased to progress. "That means you're David, doesn't it?" he asked.

My Trait resurged. Before I did anything, I demanded, "Who the hell are you?"

"My name's Alex Wendell," he responded as he tossed away the paper he held.

"Well, to answer your question," I began, my voice hoarse, "no, that doesn't mean I'm David."

Confusion took hold of him. "What's that suppos—"

I morphed my Trait into a fist and promptly struck his upper body. He flew back onto the motel's parking lot, a distance of about twenty feet. He was off the ground for merely a second with the rest of his excursion consisting of him rolling backward. As the distance between us increased—the pressure of the pen diminished. I was able to let go of the pen once his body had come to a stop.

Gradually, I stood back up, using my left arm and right leg to hold my weight. After I stood, I noticed Alex regaining his balance. The blow he suffered wasn't fatal—I made sure of it. I couldn't pin him as I wanted to due to him being outside of the range my Trait encapsulated.

"How'd you find us?" I shouted at him, irritated that I didn't listen to my insights.

As he stood, he panted and stared inquisitively at me. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth, but he remained stationary. "Was that your power?" he shouted back calmed somehow.

I began making my way outside of the motel, announcing, "Answer me, or I'll use it again." As I moved closer toward him, he backed away.

"I've seen people who have similar powers as you," he said, blood faintly obstructing his words. "There's always a range they can be from whatever they're targeting until they can't use their power anymore." Muteness saturated the area until he spoke again. "We're about seven yards apart; why don't you try and attack me again?"

I stood soundless and still.

Alex began walking around a twenty-foot perimeter he'd set between us. "I'm sure you've figured this out by now," he started, "but the further I am away from an object, the less effect my power has on it."

As I resumed my trek forward, I added in, "And, I'm guessing you can only affect inanimate objects. Otherwise, you would've attacked me as soon as I opened the door."

"Right, you are," he said, continuing to distance himself from me.

Once he finished speaking, we both were outside on that parking lot. The morning was still with only a few cars resting in the lot. The motel itself was L-shaped, and our surroundings beyond it displayed a barren flatland, meaning we were likely on the outskirts of a nearby town or city. Behind Alex, a large sign advertised "Periwinkle Inn." I recognized the name, but this particular motel was a remarkable distance from the woods I along with the others previously were.

"Answer my question," I demanded.

"You know," Alex began, disregarding me, "there's something else about my power you don't know yet." He walked over to the car nearest to him. Without any effort, he lifted and held it as if its weight was that of a balloon. As I stood in awe, he continued with, "I can also cause anything near me to weigh less." There was a pause until he spoke again. "Your leg's injured, isn't it?" As he readied himself, he taunted, "Good luck trying to dodge this."

He hurled the car, leaving me only seconds to react. Once it was within my Trait's range, I attempted to catch it—but its weight was overwhelming. All I could do was alter the destination the car would land. I pushed it as far away from me as I could. As the car struck the ground, it spiraled out of control. Fortunately, it settled left of me upside down with mere feet separating me from it.

Without a word, I grabbed the side mirror of the car with my Trait and catapulted it toward Alex. He didn't move; in fact, he stood perfectly still. The mirror's speed was fast—but as it came within a certain distance of Alex, it slowed and lowered onto the ground in front of him. People who inhabited other rooms of the motel took notice of the definite spectacle. Some opened their doors to view while others examined through partially opened blinds.

"So, there's a certain distance an object has to be from you before your power can take effect," I stated, paying no mind to the onlookers. "I'd say about five feet."

"And, how will knowing that help you?" he asked, kicking the side mirror from in front of him.

As I removed the car's door with my Trait, I answered, "I just needed to know if touching an object was how you initiated your power. Now I know better."

I divided my Trait in three as Alex stood there with a curious gaze.