4. Special Person

David opened his eyes slowly. He was in a dimly lit place. His body was comfortably wrapped in a thick blanket.

David saw the shadow of Iris' face turn into a wolf that attacked him, then a black shadow that floated and landed on his palm.

"No!" David shouted as he knocked the black shadow out of his hand.

Someone on the sofa at the edge of the room who was peering out the window turned to David with a surprised expression. "Are you alright?" It was Jess.

David got up from his sleep. Tried to sit up. His chest felt very sore, and he remembered he was injured.

The shadows he saw earlier were two black butterflies now lying stiffly on the floor because of David's violent impact.

"I thought those butterflies were black shadow monsters," David explained as Jess sat on the floor crying over the dead butterflies.

"Are you okay?" David asked.

"They were my friends." Jess grabbed her butterfly wings and placed them on her palms. She had tears in her eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

Jess ran out without saying anything.

David let out a disappointed sigh. He saw that the wound on his chest had been covered. This room was part of the apartment where Jess and Albert took him.

The door opened from outside. Franky and Albert appeared with serious expressions.

"How are you feeling?" asked Albert.

"Fine."

"Sorry for thinking that you were dangerous. It turns out that you are one of us. You're special," Albert explained.

"If I had known a long time ago, I would have taken you to the battlefield with the monsters that day," Franky continued.

"What do you mean special?" David gave him a curious look.

"Someone who has inhuman abilities. That's what keeps us alive."

"Inhuman abilities?"

"You have a connection with electricity."

"Do you?"

Albert sat on the sofa. Staring at the shining morning sun. "I'm just like the sun."

David linked his eyebrows. "Warm?"

"Light. Sometimes my hands give off light like yours, but there's never any electricity from them."

David looked down at his pale palms.

"All the people who are still alive in the world have inhuman abilities. Monsters leave people like us alive.

That's our prediction," Albert explained.

"Does that mean we're not the only humans alive?" David asked curiously.

"There could be special humans like us out there. We have planned to find them to build a new world."

"How many of you?" David had only seen four people so far.

"Seven, some of us haven't found our abilities yet," Albert explained.

"Me," Franky interrupted. "I don't know what makes me special."

"Where are we going to find the others?" asked David.

"Out of town, out of country... I don't know."

David crawled to the edge of the bed. "What's your plan?"

"Every day, we go out to look for the remaining people and return at night. Yesterday, I saw two old men who could lift heavy objects with their specialty but were trying to hurt us. That's why we're wary whenever we meet new people. Not all humans left on this earth are good people."

"You probably don't know," Franky interrupted, "Since yesterday, Albet and Jess have been watching you drive around town in a fancy car like a dumb."

David scratched the back of his neck. What else would he do in such unlimited freedom but have fun?

Albert got up from his seat. "You get some rest. Jess will be here for you."

"Where are you guys going?"

"Looking for life," Franky said.

"I don't think Jess is doing well."

"Of course," said Albert. "Her friend died from an electric shock in your hand."

"What?" David stared in surprise.

"That butterfly was her friend from a year ago. She had the ability to befriend animals, especially insects," Albert explained before leaving David's room.

"Friends with animals?" David felt like today's revelation messed him up.

Albert walked out the door. "She discovered her ability when she was eight years old."

David was left alone in this room. He got up from the bed. Peered out of the building. Albert and Franky carried their guns down the street. Killing a wolf with their rifles as it sneaked up from behind an overturned car.

David held his chest, which was in great pain. He walked out of his room. Looking around for Jess.

Jess was sitting in front of an old tool. She fiddled with it like a professional mechanic. Her breath came in resigned gasps every time she turned a knob on the radio and only heard the sound of a broken radio.

"Hay!" David greeted, making Jess turn her head briefly then turn her attention to the radio again.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for life."

"By radio?"

"There's no signal, no electricity, but there are still electromagnetic. If there were still people alive out there, they would have done the same thing," Jess explained with a flat expression. Her eyes were still red.

"I'm sorry," David said. Sitting next to Jess.

"I'm sorry for making you feel guilty," Jess said in a shaky tone.

"Kaala and Kaali like to land in a place they consider sacred. That's why they never landed on me," Jess explained.

David stared in disbelief. "I'm scared?"

"Yeah, as they said."

David was incredulous. "How do you know what they say?"

"Butterflies can't vocalize, but they have a language through their movements in the air. That's how they communicate with each other."

David was speechless at this explanation.

"I know, this is weird, and I hate this. I can't understand humans as well as I know animals. It makes me feel like I'm actually an animal.

"When I was eight, my class had a picnic by the lake. A bunch of bees attacked my friends, and I somehow managed to stop the bees and tell them to get out of there."

"How did you do that?"

Jess shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. With the flapping of wings and the buzzing I could hear, my friends intentionally destroyed their house."

"That's an amazing skill," David praised.

"I hate it."

David smiled to comfort Jess. "I also hate myself the more I grow up."

"Because of that weird ability you have?" Jess asked curiously.

"Because I never knew who am I. Eugene said my parents live on the mainland. I was just about to find out, but this apocalypse struck first," David explained.

"I feel like my life is incomplete without knowing who I am. Who I am, my parents are, and where I'm supposed to live."

Jess holds David's hand to encourage him. "You'll find out who you are soon."

"I'm trying to figure out how to reach the mainland."

Jess linked eyebrows. "Do you think that your parents are still alive?"

"They must have the same abilities as me. They must be alive."

"Are you sure they're okay after this disaster?"

David shrugged his shoulders. "Your father is still alive. Your father's ability was passed down to you. That's why you're alive too. One of my parents passed this ability down. They must be alive."

Jess spoke hesitantly, "Uh, Franky's son died. He wasn't special like Franky."

Kourtney appeared from the back of the room. "I heard you mention the mainland."

David and Jess turned to her. The plump woman was Kourtney, a tourist on vacation in Theoland.

"That's where my home is, in Dallas."

"You must miss your home a lot, Kourt?" asked Jess sympathetically.

"I left my son there with my mom. He was about your age. I don't know if he's still alive or not."

"Hello!" came a voice over the radio. "Hello, is anyone there?"

David and Jess turned their eyes towards the radio. The voice was indeed coming from there.

"I'm Vicky, from the mainland," said the baritone voice.

Jess grabbed the microphone, answering the call. "Yeah, we're here."

"One more," said the baritone voice. "Vicky is here to find the survivors."

"Yeah, we are," Jess replied nervously.

"Where are you?"

"Theoland!" Jess and David exclaimed together.

"Go to the airport tomorrow. We'll pick you up on the mainland in the morning."

Jess and David stared at each other in disbelief. Happy smiles broke out on their faces.

"Okay, we're going to the airport."

"Take everyone who's still alive there."

"Wait!" shrieked David as he snatched the microphone from Jess' hand when Vicky wanted to switch the channel.

"How many survivors are there?" asked David with a sense of tension.

"A lot. We gather the survivors in all corners of the mainland within two days. We will build a new mainland because we've found the monster's weakness."

"What is its weakness?"

"There's not enough time to explain. Go to the airport, and we'll pick you up there. Vicky, out."

The line disconnected. Jess turned off the radio. She couldn't wait to tell the others the happy news. Soon, they would join the crowd and rebuild the world with their magical abilities.