3 days till the end
chapter 3
[ a gift of hope ]
as the school ends for the day. axel heads out home. although it took him a little bit of time to remember where his house was but the site of his calm town and the kids gardens nearby made him remember everything. because in the end this place had soo much memories to him. it was his whole world at some point. his line of thoughts gets cut by a sudden group of 3 kids approaching him. it's the three students from his class who used to bully him. just after seeing them he tries to doge them and go away but the big kid stands in front of him. he remembers him very well. his name is jacob. he hated him soo mich for taking his allowance money everyday.
jacob: hey birdbrain where do you think you're going. didn't you forget something?
normal axel used to lower his head and picks out the money from his pocket and handed it to him. but this time he can't help but feel the unfairness of what he had to deal with every single day. despite his weak body and shaky voice he is not going to let himself go through this pain again. he promised that he's going to change his life.
axel: i don't have money with me today.
jacob: huh don't play with me you idiot i know you have money.
axel: told i don't... leave me alone
jacob approaches axel and puts his hand on axel shoulder.
jacob: I'll ask you one last time so don't make this hard on me... give me what you've got.
as axel is nearly giving up and thinking about letting jacob have the money. jacob suddenly says
jacob: good thing you remembered your place you loser
axel has heard the word loser many times in his life that it became normal to him... but not anymore. in a moment of rage axel locks his fist and punches jacob with all power he got. it's not enough to knock him out but it sure came as a surprise and made him fall back on one one leg.
jacob: you little shit... you're dead meat
the two other kids with jacob rush axel and start fighting him not giving him any time to claim the slight ounce of victory. as jacob tries to regain his power another kid that seems the same age as everyone throws his backpack and rushes and kicks jacob again in the face. a kick that knocked him down finally. everyone stops in shock looking at the mysterious kid.
axel: who are you...
???: hey it's rude to not recognize your classmate.
after hearing this voice and seeing him clearly axel finally starts to remember
axel: you are...connor!
connor: oh you remember my name.. that's a relief.
all what axel can remember about connor is him being a gloomy unsocial kid who didn't use to talk much and goes home very early. axel was surprised to see him acting so cheerfully like this but there was no time to think about it. connor rushes to help axel and punches the other two dudes away.
connor: come at me if you dare... I'll beat the shit out of you all.
jacob stands up finally. his head is dizzy from connor kick and he can barely see what's in front of him.
jacob: you will both regret this... consider yourselves dead next time.
connor: go away before i kick you again you Gorilla..
connor clutches his fist again scaring jacob and his two friends and making them run away.
connor: phew that was intense.. good thing they ran away because my leg hurts me from kicking that Gorilla skull... he's tough
axel: thank you.. why did you help me?
connor: is it wrong to help your classmate?
axel: no you're right but it's just doesn't feel like something you would do... sorry for saying it like this
connor: don't worry i get where you coming from.. yeah usually i wouldn't do a thing like this but it was just unfair seeing someone fight against three people. it doesn't sit right with me so i had to do something this time. here get up. connor offers his hand to help axel to get up.
axel: thank you
connor: no need.. so are you going home?
axel: yeah i normally come home right after the school ends
connor: hmm too bad i thought maybe we could have some fun... head to the arcade store or something.
connor: i wanted to play this new video game soo badly
axel: you mean galaxy war?. i have it at home
connor: wow really!!.. my parents don't allow me to buy video games. you're lucky
axel: [ in a low voice]: he just bought it for me so i don't annoy him while he drinks
connor: what did you say?
axel: oh nothing
connor: hey since you have the game this request might sound rude but can i play it with you at your house please
axel: i never had friends come over to my house i don't know
connor: please please i swear i won't cause troubles
axel takes a little bit of time to consider the suggestion. thinking about what his mom going to say when she gets home.
axel: ok i don't think it's a bad idea
connor: cool yay. this is gonna be fun. let's head home right now
as axel and connor are walking to his house. axel finally gets a little bit of time to clear off his train ot thoughts and thinks about what he should do in this new chance change his fate.
( axel in his mind ).
how can i change everything and what should i do first. many bad things and mistakes made me reach my desperate state in the future so should i just avoid all of them?. but how can i know which one destroyed all my life. maybe it was all of them.
Connor recognizes that axel is lost in his mind
connor: are you ok... is something wrong?
axel: oh no nothing
( axel in his mind ).
there is no time to be thinking about all of this now. i just have to change myself step by step in order to reach a new path. a path where i doesn't end up miserable. a path where i could say with confidence that humanity deserves to live. maybe making friends is a good first step.
as they both reach the house finally. the open the door to see the house in a complete chaos state. from beer bottles and cigarettes on the ground to dirty plates and dishes on the sink. it sure is not the perfect place to raise a child. connor is in a little bit of shock but he tries to act cool so he doesn't make axel feels weird about it.
axel: let's head to my room upstairs.
they enter the room and it's actually more tidy and cleaner than the living. maybe because no one is allowed to enter it other than axel. it's his only safe place in this house. the turn on the game and sit on the ground
axel: pick your fighter.. I'll choose the red one.. blood warrior
connor: I'll choose the star savior. he's my favorite.
as they both are immersed in thier game time. connor couldn't help but ask about the state of the house.
connor: your house is empty.. when your parents are going to be back?
axel: around 7pm... after she finishes work
connor: and what about your father
axel [ in a disappointed tone ]: mid night.... maybe
connor starts to guess what's happening in axel family from the way he talks about them... he switches the subject to not let the atmosphere gets more depressed than it is right now. they both play for a couple hours enjoying the little time they have for this day
axel: hey do you want something to drink
connor: yeah tea if you don't mind
axel: are you serious?.. who drinks tea in this heated weather
connor: but i love it
axel: ok fine
axel prepares some tea for connor and he gets a can of cola for himself
it's getting late so this is the last round. the looser has to kneel down on his knees and say that he's a failure. they both try thier best but in the end connor gets the win by a slight difference.
connor: haha it's my victory now kneel down and say that you're a failure
axel kneels down
axel: happy now?
connor: say the words i can't hear you
axel: gosh... ok I'm a failure
connor: say it louder
axel: I'M A FAILURE... and he jumps on connor trying to sneak on him from behind to start a game of real fighting
connor: ohh you think you can really beat me.. then go ahead and try
as they are both playing thier little game of real fighting.. connor pushes axel by accident on the table making the tea cup fall on axel left hand
the tea was soo hot it burned axel hand in a second.. making it soo red and bleeding
axel: uhhhhhh it hurts.. get some ice please
connor is running in shock trying to find ice cubes in the kitchen
as axel is in pain he realizes something weird... the flesh of his hand that got burned is reforming itself without any external influence..
connor: i got the ice
as connor rushes to help axel he notices what is going on and he can't help but thinking about all of this as just being a weird dream.. but it's not a dream at all. axel skin starts to repair itself.. moving like it's regeneration or simply going back in time where it was fully recoverd without any scars or burns or pain. they both can't believe what they saw
connor: wow dude that's awesome.. did i see that right. you just healed yourself
axel: i can't believe this.. maybe the injury was small and we were exaggerating
connor: dude i saw your skin getting burned right in front of my eye. don't play dumb on me now
axel: I'm not lying. this is the first time this happene
connor: wow dude... you might be a superhuman... try to fly or see if you can regenerate from bigger wounds. this is unbelievable my friend is a superhuman
axel: cut it you idiot we don't know yet if this is true or not.
connor: just think about what you can do with this power. you can change the world
those simple words strike axel mind like a lighting bolt. giving him hope of changing his fate using this so called regeneration power that he is still not sure about having it or not.
axel: how can we test it
connor: try cutting yourself or something.. see it goes back to normal
axel: that sounds painful
connor: jeez you're such a coward
as they are talking a sudden sound of a key turning and the door of the house gets opened. axel looks at the clock to see that it's past 7:30 so ho knew that this was his mom coming back from work. the mother walks in and inter axel room.
connor: hello Ma,am my name is connor. I'm axel friend. nice to meet you.
the mother looks at him with an uninterested look before speaking
mom: oh hi didn't know that axel had friends. that's good.
connor: I'll head home now. it was nice to have me here. thank you for your hospitality.
mom: you're welcome. feel free to come again
as connor walks away and heads home. the house is filled once again with silence and an empty cold vibes to it. axel mother don't usually talk much. just the normal day stuff. she always looks messy and stressed from work when she gets home but despite that she always tries to be kind. axel knows that no matter what bad things she might do sometimes. she's still his dear mother that always loves him and that's something that he will believe in no matter how many times he will live his life again.
mom: I'll prepare dinner for us. go take a shower while i do it
axel nods his head silently and goes to take a shower. it's always this routine when his mom is around. a silent home with a quite dinner. usually few words and questions are spoken. how was your day?. did something interesting happened?. are you doing well in school?. that's most what axel hears everyday.
they both sit on the dinner table.
mom: did anything happened in school today?
axel: not much. it was a normal day
as axel tries to hide his stressed face to not let his mother see the burses on his body that are caused by the fight this morning. he realizes that all the beating and burses marks are gone. leaving his body looks like it was never hurt in the first place and making him think about the regeneration theory once again.
mom: is this boy in your class.
axel: yes.
mom: i never saw you hanging with him. is he new to the school
axel: no he isn't but we lately been more close. he's a good guy
mom: oh that's nice to hear. are you doing well in school?
axel: yes it's going well
mom: good. you'll grow to be a reliable person. don't be like your dad. you're the only person i trust in this world
axel keeps eating his food unable to reply to his mother serious toned request. he nodes his head in silence. finishes his food and go upstairs to his room while his mother clean the dishes and do the house chores waiting for the dad to come home.
it's nearly 11 o'clock and as axel tries to sleep in his bed he hears the door opening and it's his father coming late once again. the smell of alcohol reeks from him just like everyday. it didn't take more than 10 minutes for them to start arguing once again.
mother: where had you been.. it's almost mid night
father: give me a break.. i told you my co workers are throwing a party.
mother: it's always these excuses.. and you always come smelling like scent.. just tell me what's happening here. i can't stand this anymore.
father: there's Nothing happening.. you're always like this. doubting everything and trying to make me look like it's my fault. i just can't stand you. leave me alone i want to drink in peace.
axel can hear clearly the sound of his mother sopping and crying in the kitchen as his dad immersed once again in drinking carelessly. he got used to this kind of scenario to the point where it became normal to him. it's his everyday life now. but he hopes that he can change it this time. it's past mid night and everyone is sleeping. axel gets up quietly from bed and heads to the kitchen. he grabs a knife then takes a couple bandages and first aid stuff from the bathroom. heads back to his room and looks the door. his Heart beating faster and faster as his stress grows more from what he's about to do
axel: it's just a quick experiment. don't be a coward come on.
he takes one last breath and takes up a pair of clothes and puts it in his mouth. biting on it so no one can hear him if he screams. he gets the knife and starts to cut his hand slowly. making the cut a very surface level injury. he watches as his skin grows back the moment he cuts it. making the bleeding stops seconds after it began. he prepares himself for the final test that will confirm his ability. he puts his pinky finger on his desk. takes a deep breath. closes his minds that is filled with fear and anxiety.
axel: nothing bad will. nothing bad will happen. Nothing bad will happen. just do it and don't think about it....1.... 2..... 3.....
he swings the knife with one fast move and cuts his finger. a loud scream comes from his mouth but it gets silenced due to the shirt that he put in his mouth yet that doesn't stops the tears of pain to flow from his eyes.as he is lost in sheer pain and suffering he watches his finger as it's start to grown once more from the bones to the flesh to the last part of his skin. it got back to the same as it was in a matter of seconds. now all his theories are confirmed. it didn't take him much time to remember the gift that veto told him about.
axel: could this be the gift. that could really change everything wow. i should tell connor tomorrow but wait can i trust him??.. no don't think much about it it will all be fine.
he goes back to sleep filled with better hope for his future this time. as the next day lay its shades on this world. axel heads to school as always and enters class to see connor greeting him first in the morning.
connor: yo ho. so did you do the experiments i told you about?
axel: yeah i have something interesting to show you. meet me at the school backyard after the class ends.
connor: okyy
as the teacher walks in everyone starts adjusting their seats and standing up.
teacher: hello students. before we begin our lesson for the day i would like to introduce you to your new classmate. please be kind to her all of you and make sure to be good friends to her. you can come in now
as the girl walks in. axel starts to recognize her more and more. it's the face of the person that changed his life one time and might change it for another time once again. but whether it's for good or bad no one will know for sure. but what he is sure about is that he can't forget this smile. a smile of someone who he hated the most.