It was never really a grand home in John's eyes. Compared to the rest, he would place it in the middle in over all quality. But it was his home, and that was enough to make it the best. John's first thoughts as they began to pull into the driveway. The house was not grand to any degree, but neither was it horrible. Simple two-level house, black roof, colored a light peach with a white door. What made it stand out the most was its yard. Linda working in the landscape business, made it, so their yard outshined the others. Also, the reason why the community had to cancel or exclude her from the best yard competition.

  "Home sweet home, boys." Linda spoke as she got out and taking the bag of spare clothes. "Don't take too long, dear. I'll get something started to eat." After a kiss to John, Linda began walking inside and leaving the two alone.

Both were later getting out before coming to a stop at the steps to the house before sitting. The silence between the two as John got comfortable. "So how much does mom know?"

  "Just about everything. Knows that it was a firework, but not an illegal one."

  "Guess thats good then. Maybe ill be safe from being grounded for life. Not really looking forward to the lecture I may end up getting."

  Silence followed after Jacob kept walking back and forth in front of the steps. They both have gotten hurt before, but never to the point of almost dying. Jacob himself did not know he was holding in all those emotions all this time. It shocked him, seeing John burning like that. He never got to see the full damage to the arm but knew it was terrible. Even with the doctor saying he would be fine, it still scared him how it took days for John to wake up.

  Getting that sense of being watched, Jacob turned around. Eyes locking with John confused look on his face at Jacobs's quietness. Jacob's gaze moved to John's arm, unharmed by the fire. At the sight of the arm, questions began to flood his mind. He may not have seen the full damage, but was exposed to severe burns before. One thing he did know, an injury like that does not heal that quick or that well.

  "Do you feel different?" The question finally coming out of Jacob, silence now finally broken between the two.

  "Different? Like how? Feel normal." Reply, taking a bit to come as John began to move his arms around. He was inspecting himself along with the supposed burn on his shoulder.

  "I don't know how to explain it. I can't understand how you healed up so fast. It's just not normal." Few more moments of silence before speaking up again. "One moment, I'm trying to put out the fire on your shoulder. Next thing I know, the fire goes out on its own."

  "I don't know what to say. I don't remember much of what happened. One second I'm on fire, then I'm waking up at the hospital." John responded with some confusion. He has never seen Jacob lose control as he has now. He remembers moments as a kid, but those were more tantrums a child would have. "You alright? I know what happened would be quite a shock."

  "Huh? Oh...yeah, guess I didn't know how much I was holding in." Mind clearing after releasing all the bottled stress, Jacob sits beside John on the steps to the front door. "You really feel noting?"

  "Nope. Am I suppose too?"

  "Guess not. So much has happened since then."

  "What did happened? What was that red...Wall!? Don't know what to call it."

  "No one has figured it out yet. It came and went just as quick. As far as I know, it affected everyone. People just went unconscious like you. Some woke up quickly, and others not quick enough."

  "What do you mean?" John replied as questions started filling his head. Now completely curious and confused as to what exactly happened. Until now, as far as he understood, it all just happened to him. "Did other people get set on fire or something?"

  "No. People all over the world just started to fall unconscious. So I think you can imagine what happens when people are driving, even when the person is flying a plane. One person on the news, while you were out, drowned because of it."

  "So, no one has figured out what that wall thing was then? At least what it did or something."

  "Nope. It just came and went. It didn't fry electronics and stuff like that. So far, it just gave our nice little world a nice red filter for a while." Getting up, Jacob begins making his way down to the sidewalk. Waving goodbye to John as he walks away. "See you at school. I gotta go before mom starts to wonder where I am at."

  "What, already?" John replied as he also stood up. He was wondering why Jacob would leave so early in the day.

  "Yeah, sorry. Don't want mom getting mad, you know. Bye." Jacob is now crossing the street. Not once looking back and just a wave goodbye. John stood alone in silence for a few moments more. He is trying to put together all that he was told over the events. Everything up until now has mainly been a blur. His memory of the event split like a puzzle, one with missing parts.

  The most intact part of the events is until the firework sent its last few shots. Afterward, it becomes a blur. John was walking up to check why the final shot did not go off. Then rolling around on the ground as his shoulder and arm felt hot. The last memory that of a mannequin eating cheesecake, finally waking up in a hospital bed with his mother crying over him. John mostly felt the cheesecake eating mannequin as a bizarre dream. One that he felt like he was being pulled too, like a child tugging at your shirt.

  With a quick sigh, John turned around and set his questions aside. His stomach was rumbling, and when it did, little else mattered than food. "Cheesecake... really want one know!" His sweet tooth was kicking in as the mannequin dream played back in his head.

  "John, were did Jacob go?" Linda spoke up as she turned to see John without Jacob. Apron with an elegant flower design and a thick-cut piece of bacon cooking in the pan.

  "Said he had to go. Did not want Judy getting mad." Replied John as he sat down on the table. A plate of eggs, hashbrowns, and two slices of bacon placed in front of him. "Does he seem strange? It's like he's not himself."

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  "Must be the stress. Not really often, you see someone almost die in front of you." Linda replied as she sat down beside him, a cup of coffee on her hands and a glass of juice. "Jacob has a lot happening at once lately. Seeing you finally wake up must of let him release some of that tension. Give him time, its all he needs."

  "I know. It feels different somehow."

  "Let the dear decompress. He needs time to think and sort it all out. We have other things to talk about." Linda taking a sip of her coffee before turning to face John and right into his eyes. A drop of sweat slowly forming on John's forehead as he tried to make eye contact.

  "Yeah, so when do I go back to classes?" John's slightly shaky voice as he tries to set the subject. Knowing the signs that Linda gives right before talking about something he did wrong. The signs that John knows he never managed to go through without getting in trouble. Punishments that are typical for parents to give, such as grounding. Others that are more borderline torture, to the mind of a child. "So... do I go back right away? Do I stay at home? Cause of the... of the injury...you know."

  "..." Silence on Linda as she continues to look John in the eyes. Linda's motherly instincts are telling her that her son knows what she wants.

  "So... um. Guess ill go take a shower then. Feel dirty and... stuff." John was making to leave, plate nearly empty. Linda's hand is grasping John's as he tries to stand. Her hand was not holding on to his tightly, but gently, an act John has gotten used to and found more frighting than he should.

  "So, where did you get it?" Her silence was broken for a moment.

  "aah, get what?" Slight relief at her broken silence. Not meant to last as the silence continued with no follow-up reply. Wanting to leave, John moves and kisses Linda on the cheek. "Love you, mom." Linda, now letting her son's hand go as he started to walk away and up the stairs, with a near jogging pace. John vanishing out of sight; she went back to drinking her coffee. A short few moments went on by as she thought to herself.

  With a sigh, she got up as she picked up the plate as she spoke to herself. "Glad he's ok. Should I make him wear all pink with a hello kitty shirt to school again? *sigh* I'll let him rest for now."

  John now upstairs and peeking to see if his mother is making her way up. A few seconds go by until confusion comes over him. A usual lecture, he would typically not be able to walk away. The ease of him being able to walk away had him asking a few questions. Throwing his many questions aside, John made his way to his room, not about to throw away his chance of getting away with getting grounded or worse.

  Once inside his room, John makes his way to his bed and lets himself fall into it. With a sigh and letting loose, he looks around as he wonders if he managed to get away with getting in trouble. Not much in the room as John looks around. By most, it is a dull room with a few posters, a pinup on the ceiling. Left of the door used for his tv with a few gaming consoles on the tv stand. Beside his bed, a simple small desk with a laptop and a few school books placed on top.

  A couple of minutes went by as John just looked around, letting his mind go blank. His thoughtless rest interrupted as a breeze made its way through the slightly open window. With a shiver of the chill in the room, John's mind came back to attention. A quick thought, or wish, passed through his mind, as he wished it was a little warmer. Seconds later, the room unnaturally warmed up at that wish. The strange and odd occurrence was not registering as he was just thankful at the sudden warmth.

  The remainder of the day went on as usual. Linda was not bringing up the question as to how John got the firework, to his relief. It was not until the weekend that John saw a change in his town. The busy road in and out of town was looking to have a slight emptiness. The road would be active and backed up as people rushed to get home after work. The shops around town were showing a near lack of activity. Some shops would be closed due to lack of staff, while others had long lines for the registers due to it. John's little hometown came as close to a ghost town as it could.

  "So, a lot has changed?" John turned to ask Jacob as they walked through the park. It was not until late afternoon that John finally started to ask his questions. A day spent trying to do some shopping, only to find some stores closed. A local theater was closed due too only having two staff members, not enough to keep it running.

  "Us and everyone else." Jacob replied as he came to a stop at a small food stall in the park. "Happened everywhere, even in other countries. Some fries and a sprite, please."

  "So, what exactly happened then?" Another question as John grabbed a drink for himself.

  "No one knows yet. Haven't even figured out where it started."

  "So, people just started passing out like me then?" John asked as they sat at the park bench. "Was that the only thing that happened."

  "So far. They said they found a place where it all happened. Noting much after that. Later on, people began to claim to gain power. Some posted videos online, but they all say it's fake, but I don't think it is."

A few moments went by as both sat and ate, or drank their drinks. Their last conversations were raising questions in John's head. "Hey, is that why you asked me if I felt different? Back at the house."

  "Wanted to know if you were one of the people who changed." Jacob turns and looks at John's arm before continuing. "How else could you explain that. I have seen burns before, and they don't heal that fast. You were out for a long time, but not that long."

  "Well, I don't know what to say. I feel the same as I have before. I was not exactly awake to see how bad it was." Time went by as they continued talking — a few videos shared of people who claimed to have gained powers. Couple arguments of how real the videos are, they headed home, as they called it a day. There home slightly quieter and emptier then they are used too.