The tiger noticed him first and shifted from his side to back, adopting the pose of a playful kitten waving his paws in the air. The young man’s legs gave up on him as he lost the support on the tiger’s back and he landed on his knees, face-first in the mattress.
“Why, you…” he grumbled, struggling to his feet and pointing his forefinger at the tiger. “Just you wait, mister,” he said. “I’ll get you for that.” The tiger only snorted, and Jason could swear it winked at him. Winked! Just then, the young man saw him in the doorway and mumbled, “Busted.” Aloud he said, “Um, hello, Master, I didn’t see you there.” At the disgruntled look on the boy’s face, Jason felt some long-forgotten emotion bubbling inside him. It was warm and bubbly like a fizzy drink, and it filled him to the brink. Before he could understand what it was, he burst into laughter. The long-forgotten sound of it surprised him, but he couldn’t think of it as he couldn’t stop laughing. The tiger chuffed right along him, and Jason felt good, really good for first time in what seemed like ages. He peeked through the tears of laughter filling his eyes at the young man who seemed startled at his reaction. Jason laughed and laughed until he couldn’t any longer. Then he finally got back from where he was rolling on the floor. He didn’t even notice when he fell down. He wiped his eyes dry and spoke to his guests.
“Oh, that was great. I feel better already. Could you please come downstairs when you’re ready? I’ll make us some breakfast.” He turned to leave, but a weak and scared voice stopped him.
“Aren’t you mad, Master?” The boy wasn’t looking at him even as he asked the question. Jason turned back towards him and asked.
“What’s your name?”
“Toby.”
“Nice to officially meet you. I’m Jason Thorne. Why would I be mad at you, Toby?
“’Cause I woke you up, Master.” The boy wouldn’t look at him. “I didn’t mean to.” He hurried to add, “I just, we were talking, and then Tyler suddenly turned into tiger, and he was on a bed, and I didn’t want you to be mad at him if he shed all over the bedding, and so I tried to push him off, and I didn’t know I was being so loud.” The words left his mouth so fast that Jason struggled to understand. “I’m really sorry, Master. Don’t throw us out, please.” The last sentence was spoken in a soft broken tone that woke something within Jason, some other emotion he wasn’t sure he recognized.
“I’m not mad, Toby. It’s all right, and I won’t throw you out. And if Tyler sheds on furniture or scratches it, he will have to clean it all up, that’s all.”
“So you’re really not mad, Master?” Toby peeked at him, his head lowered.
“No, I’m not. And I told you, I’m not your master. Call me Jason, okay?
“Okay, Ma…Jason.” There was relief on Toby’s face as Jason exited the room. Going downstairs to the kitchen, he wondered what it was that made him feel all these emotions all of a sudden. It was four years since he had only the more basic feelings in him, and even those emerged extremely rarely. He had no idea what it was exactly that happened to him to make him this way. For some time, as he recovered from the all-consuming numbness after his twenty-fifth birthday, he researched some paranormal or supernatural stuff that could make him the way he was.
First he thought it to be some mental illness, maybe depression or something similar, but after he discovered what he could do, how he could change reality with a simple command…Well, enough to say he checked all over Internet on what could cause it. He wondered if he turned into some supernatural being, but there was nothing that indicated a being with these particular powers. He also checked alien abductions, but this didn’t fit either. So in the end, he resigned himself to never knowing. He decided to live his life the best he could and tried as hard as he could to not use his powers. He didn’t want someone to learn of what he could do. Didn’t want to become some sick experiment. With this thought, he went into the kitchen and started preparing a huge amount of scrambled eggs with bacon. He just bet the tiger could eat tons.
* * * *
“So, tell me about yourselves,” said Jason, laying the table and setting a steaming pan of scrambled eggs in the middle. “I guess if we’re to live together for the unforeseeable future, I should know you two aren’t some crazy axe murderers. Not that I couldn’t deal with an axe murderer mind you, but you know…as a principle.” He finished. “You first, Toby.” He added as he started eating.
“Um,” The boy looked nervous. “What do you want to know?”
“How about how old are you, where are your parents, how did you end up a prisoner of a madman vampire…you know, the usual.” Jason waved his fork in the air.
“Well, I’m twenty-two if I’m not mistaken. My birthday is on the nineteenth of May. I don’t remember my parents. I’ve been in foster care for as long as I remember. Nobody told me how I ended up there really, so I don’t know if they’re even alive. When I was fifteen, my last foster parents sold me to some stranger who then brought me to the master. I was with him since then.” He said it all with his eyes cast down, his fork digging in his eggs, but he didn’t eat. Jason stopped eating as well and asked, clearly uncomfortable with the question, “So…were you like his sex slave or what?” The question surprised Toby, and he lifted his eyes.
“Oh, no.” He answered quickly. “No, he didn’t like men like that. I was his main feeding source. He said my blood was different from any other he ever tasted. That it was like the most exquisite champagne next to a cheap wine of others’ blood. He said he never before tasted something like that. He also treated me well. He wanted me healthy and happy so that I could feed him for many years forward. Sure, sometimes he’d slap my face if he wanted my blood bitterer from pain or he told me to jack off if he wanted it sweeter from pleasure, but he never watched, and the slaps weren’t that bad.” Toby hurried to assure both men. “He had other slaves, women to take care of his other needs.”
“Uh, that’s good,” said Jason. “I mean, good for you that he didn’t use you like that, not good for those women.” He corrected himself and felt another unfamiliar feeling emerging from within himself. Embarrassment, he realised, feeling himself blushing. “Yeah, so what about you, tiger-man? What’s your story?” He changed the subject quickly.
“Well,” answered the man, trying to hide his smirk and not succeeding. “It’s not as sordid as Toby’s. I’m a tiger shifter as you might have realised. I was doing a friend of mine a favour by looking into his brother’s disappearance. One of my leads brought me to the vampire’s hideout, and I wasn’t as careful as I should have been. I was only expecting humans, not other paranormals. I could have defended myself against humans, but when a vampire and some wolves jumped me as well, they were able to subdue me. That was what, a month ago? Six weeks, maybe. They sure enjoyed starving me and taunting. If not for Toby here and his help sneaking me some food, I’m sure I’d be dead by now.” He took a sip of his drink. “And what about you, our saviour? What kind of paranormal creature are you? You’re surely not a vampire. I’ve seen them doing their mind tricks, but they could never do what you can. You’re not a shifter either, nor a mage. You don’t smell like one, you smell human. So what are you, and what is this power of yours? ’Cause I have to tell you, that’s some scary shit you can do, Jason Thorne.”
* * * *
Jason pushed his plate away and took his time chewing the last bite of scrambled eggs, thinking on how to answer.
“I don’t know what I am. Human, probably. At least that’s what I always thought. I was perfectly normal until my twenty-fifth birthday started approaching. Then I somehow changed. There was nothing that could have caused it, but it happened anyway. It was as if a complete numbness was encompassing me. The closer to my birthday, the more and more emotions were leaving me. After my birthday, I was left without them. I felt cold, numb inside, devoid of any feelings. It didn’t bother me, but others noticed something changed within me. I lost all my friends. It was as if they couldn’t stand being near me. I didn’
t care. Some of the milder feelings started coming back to me after half a year, but I was never back to myself. It’s been four years now, and the day I met you two was the first day I felt something more than mild exasperation or mild contentment.
As to what I can do…well, I have no idea where it came from. It just suddenly happened. I work in an animal shelter. One day they brought this horribly abused dog. He was skin and bones, not an ounce of meat on him. Everybody was convinced the dog would die. The veterinarians didn’t even bother fighting for him. They thought it would be more merciful to let him die in peace. I was having one of my better—or worse, depending on how you look at it—days. I felt something like regret seeing this dog. I was the one to take him to his cage, and when I was sitting there preparing his bed and food, I was talking to him. I was telling him that he won’t even realise how fast he’d get better, that he would get healthy and happy again in record time, and then he’d find new family, the best humans any dog could want.
When I was saying all this, I felt something like tugging in my chest. I didn’t know it then, but that was my power emerging. Without knowing what I was doing, I laced my words with this power and then they came true. Next day I went to work only to see the dog up and about, wolfing down bowl after bowl of food. Within a week he was much better, and within a month he was back to being a happy, healthy dog.
And then the family came. They had this poor, sick child who wanted a companion. It was like an instant connection between them. They adopted the dog and keep the shelter updated on how they’re doing. He is a happy family dog now. Everyone thought it was a miracle, but I felt I somehow did it. It wasn’t until next time that I learned to control this power of mine. Now I can use it deliberately, but it is pretty exhausting, and I don’t do it if I don’t have to. So yeah, I think that’s all there is about me. I’m not a vampire, not a shifter, and believe me, I checked all the sources I could find, and there is no other supernatural creature that I fit the description of. I think I’m simply one of a kind.” He finished and grabbed for his drink. Both men were watching him curiously. It looked like they had no words.
Jason took a sip and got up, deciding to tidy up. He didn’t feel anything. In times like this, he was glad he was free of feelings like embarrassment or awkwardness. He was calm when he put all the plates in the dishwasher and washed the pan he used for eggs. Both men kept silent, and he had a suspicion that they were suffering from those feelings. Usually he didn’t bother to help others in this kind of situation, but this time was different. He actually felt need to help these men, to ease the awkwardness and help them to feel at home in his house. So as soon as he finished, instead of dismissing this need, he sat back down and started new topic.
“So I guess if we’re gonna be living together in the nearest future, we should probably discuss how we are going to set this whole thing up. Any ideas, you two?” Tyler was the one to answer.
“Well, first of all I need to call my friend, tell him about what I found out, and that there is no way for me to further follow the lead of his missing brother. I learned that the vampire was indeed the one to take him, but by the time they captured me, he was already sold and I have no idea where to. When I call him I can also ask him to pack a few things for me and send them here. I’m a web designer and can work from anywhere, so it’s not a real problem for me to move here.” Tyler finished and took a sip of his drink. Jason noticed that Toby was fidgeting nervously in his chair.
“What is it Toby? You want to tell us something?”
“Um, yes, ma…I mean Jason.” He glanced at Jason and then at Tyler. “Um, I…” He started then looked down, glanced back at Tyler down again before he finished. “I think…if you told me who your friend’s brother is, maybe I could help you.” He said quietly, “I mean, I can’t be one hundred percent sure, but I knew some of the captives and remember who bought some of them. If he was among them, maybe I can point you in the right direction.”
“Wow,” said Tyler, clearly surprised. “That would be great. I don’t know why I didn’t think of asking you. You were there when most of this shit took place after all.”
“Um, yeah.” Toby swallowed nervously, clearly uncomfortable.
“Shit, sorry,” said Tyler quickly. “I didn’t think how insensitive that was of me. You weren’t there of your own free will and…yeah, I’ll shut up now before I mess it up even more,” he grumbled to himself. That brought a smile to Toby’s face, and Jason felt one creeping over his own face too. He didn’t remember the last time he smiled before today.
“So who is that missing guy then?” he asked when it seemed that neither man was going to continue the conversation. Tyler shook himself as his eyes widened, and he answered.
“Oh, right. So, his name is Timiny Jones, Tim for friends. And he is a fairy.”
* * * *
“Huh, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that fairies exist. After all, I met a vampire and a man who can turn into a tiger,” said Jason, dazed. Toby noticed that he didn’t mention himself. As if he didn’t consider himself unusual.
“It’s fey,” he said quietly. After years and years of trying to keep quiet, so as not to draw any attention to himself, he was unused to free speaking whenever he wanted.
“What is it, Toby?” Jason asked. Toby glanced at him, but there was no malice in his expression. He probably truly didn’t hear him, what with his quiet voice and all.
“They don’t like to be called ‘fairies.’ They consider it rude. Timmy said he’s not any damned Tinker Bell. The proper name is ‘fey.’ Spelled F-E-Y or F-A-E,” he said, still quietly but in a somewhat stronger voice.
“Is that so?” asked Jason. “Why did you call him ‘fairy’ then?” He turned to the tiger.
Tyler smiled and said, “It’s our usual way of teasing. I call him and his brother Jim fairies, and they call me a tomcat or pussy. I didn’t even think when I said it that you could consider it as me being rude.”
“Hmm” was Jason’s only answer. Toby wondered what he thought of the whole situation. He heard Jason saying that he didn’t have all his emotions anymore, and Toby thought it had to be true. He remembered Jason’s unwaveringly cool demeanour when brought before the vampire. His stone-faced expression and lack of fear or anger. It had to be a real lack of emotions to stop a person from feeling anything in a situation like this. But after that, Jason changed. When he was done with the vampire and guards, his face somehow thawed, and he’d shown signs of emotions. He said it was unusual for him. Toby felt sorry. It was a sad life to live. Not feeling. Not enjoying life. Simply existing. Toby was brought back from his thoughts by Jason’s voice.
“Jim? Is it short for something, as with Tim?”
“Yeah,” Tyler answered, smiling. “They’re twins. Extremely rare for fey. Their parents called them Timiny and Jiminy. You know, like Jiminy Cricket? They had a weird sense of humour. Jim and Tim don’t like their full names and never use them.”
“Huh,” said Jason. “I guess it has to be tough on a kid, having name like Jiminy.” There was a smile just waiting to show up on Jason’s face. Tyler didn’t have such hesitance. He gave a small laugh.
“Yeah, other kids used to call him “Jemima” when he was little. That’s when he started using short form—Jim.”
“So.” Jason turned back to Toby. “You met Tim?”
“Yeah.” Toby smiled, thinking of the young fey. “I met him when they brought him. He was really nice.” The smile slipped from his face. “I know the man that bought him. He is…was my master’s regular business partner. He owns both marijuana plantations and brothels. I don’t know where he took Timmy to.” Toby thought of his friend. The fey was feisty and outspoken. He wasn’t afraid to mouth off to guards, even if he got beaten for it. He wasn’t at the warehouse for long, but Toby got to like him. He hoped that Timmy was okay. “I can point you to the place where they used to meet, when that man didn’t want to come to the master’s warehouse. I remember the way the
re and can probably show you on a map.”
“That would be great, Toby. I could then call Jim and tell him where to look. He could find somebody more competent than me to look for Tim. I discovered I’m not made to be a secret agent or a detective. I’m better off sticking to my computer stuff.”
“Yeah.” Toby smiled a small smile. “You are.”
“Hey!” Tyler exclaimed in faked indignation, and Toby giggled. Really, giggled! He did not remember last time when he laughed. It felt good to be able to tease someone, to feel free to joke with somebody. He glanced at Jason and saw a smile on his face. It also felt good to bring some happiness into his life. Life, up till then, was devoid of any emotions. Toby peeked from under his lashes at both men. They were both handsome, each in his own way. Jason was beautiful, with a kind of an ethereal beauty that Toby hadn’t ever seen before. It was different than that almost elfish quality his friend Timmy had. Toby suspected Tim’s beauty came from being fey. Jason’s was different. With more masculine features, his cheekbones high and pronounced, his jaw was a bit too strong to make him look feminine. But his features were almost unnaturally proportional. His eyes were big and beautiful, surrounded with thick, curled lashes. They made Toby wonder what it would be like to feel those lashes fluttering against his skin.
Tyler was different. He was tall, at least six three, muscular, and really intimidating. His hair was very dark brown, but when light shone on it, it almost seemed to shine red and black. He had green eyes and very masculine features. He didn’t look like a web designer. He resembled a construction worker or someone working with his hands. But maybe it was because he was a shifter, or maybe he went to the gym very often. Toby didn’t know and didn’t really care. He liked what he saw. Heck, he liked what he saw in both men. He was attracted to them both and didn’t know how to deal with it. He didn’t want to make a wrong move and get himself kicked out of the only shelter he had. He sighed inwardly and thought that the nearest future was going to be more complicated than what he thought even the previous day.
Changing His Reality Page 4