Unwelcome Guests

Aaron was still marveling at the results of his experiment when the sudden sound of the door creaking open shattered the quiet. He whipped around, eyes wide, and saw a rough-looking man standing in the doorway.

"Huh, you didn't tell me you had a kid in here," the man's voice boomed, rough and gruff. His gaze swept over Aaron with a mix of surprise and irritation.

The man was big, towering over Aaron with a stocky build that was hard to ignore. His unkempt beard covered most of his face, making his expression difficult to read, but his eyes held a hardened look. He wore a dirty white vest that clung to his bulky frame and a pair of worn-out jeans that had seen better days. His entire appearance screamed trouble.

Before Aaron could react, two more men followed him in, their heavy footsteps echoing through the abandoned building. They were similarly built, both of them big and imposing, with broad shoulders and rough, weathered skin. Their beards were just as wild and untamed, adding to their intimidating presence.

One of them had a scar running down his cheek, which only enhanced the menacing aura he projected. He, too, wore a vest that exposed his muscular arms and a pair of faded jeans that hung low on his hips. The other man had a cigarette dangling from his lips, the smoke curling lazily around his face as he entered the room. His eyes were cold, calculating, as he took in the sight before him.

"What's going on here?" the scarred man demanded, his tone sharp as he surveyed the broken chair and scattered debris. He looked at Aaron with a mix of suspicion and annoyance, clearly not pleased to find him there.

Aaron's heart raced as the tension in the air thickened. He glanced at the three men, trying to gauge their intentions. His mind raced for a way to defuse the situation, but his thoughts were a blur of worry and uncertainty.

The first man, who had spoken, stepped further into the room, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of Aaron standing amidst the wreckage. "This isn't a place for kids," he said, his voice carrying an edge. "What are you doing here?"

Aaron took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. "I, um, was just exploring," he said, forcing a casual tone despite the rising tension. "I didn't mean to intrude."

The men exchanged glances, their suspicion evident. The third man, who had been silently observing with the cigarette still in his mouth, finally spoke. "Looks like you've been having quite a bit of fun," he said, nodding towards the broken chair. "We don't take kindly to intrusions."

The atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second. Aaron could feel the weight of their scrutiny, the threat of potential conflict looming over him. He knew he had to act carefully to avoid escalating the situation.

As the men continued to scrutinize him, Aaron's mind raced. He needed to find a way to stay safe and get out of this situation unscathed. His eyes flicked around the room, searching for an escape route or anything that could help him in case things took a turn for the worse.

The tension was palpable, and Aaron could sense the men's unease, but also their readiness to act if provoked. He braced himself, ready to react to whatever might come next.

But then a thought came to him, 'Why should I?.....'

As Aaron stood there, the reality of the situation began to settle in. His initial fear started to dissolve, replaced by a cold, creeping realization. 'Why should I be scared?' he thought, the idea taking root in his mind. 'I finally have the power I've always dreamed of—power that can set me free, that can let me do whatever I want.'

His eyes flicked between the three men, and a strange calmness washed over him. 'If anyone tries to disrupt that… they should be removed,' he mused, the thought coming naturally, almost disturbingly so. His lips curled into a smile—a small, innocent-looking grin that, under the circumstances, took on a sinister edge. It was the kind of smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, making it all the more unsettling.

Aaron let out a soft chuckle, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent room. "So," he began, his voice light and almost playful, "three guys walk into an abandoned building… and find a kid practicing magic tricks. Sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn't it?"

The men stared at him, their expressions darkening. The joke didn't land—it only made them more suspicious, more irritated.

Aaron didn't stop there. "Hey, did you hear the one about the chair that just couldn't keep it together?" He gestured to the broken chair, his grin widening as he continued, "Guess it just couldn't handle the pressure!"

The men exchanged glances, their patience clearly wearing thin. The man with the scar scowled, his fists clenching at his sides. Aaron could sense the tension building, the air thick with the potential for violence. But instead of backing down, he found himself enjoying the way he was getting under their skin.

Just as Aaron was about to throw out another lame joke, the man with the cigarette spat it out and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a gun, the metal gleaming dully in the dim light of the room. "Enough with the jokes, kid," he growled, aiming the weapon at Aaron. "We're not here to play games."

Aaron's smile didn't falter, but something dark and calculating flickered in his eyes. 'So, this is how it's going to be,' he thought, his mind racing as he prepared to make his next move.

Aaron's smile didn't waver as the man pointed the gun at him. Instead, his thoughts began to churn, growing darker and more resolute. 'This is it,' he realized. 'This is my chance to prove that I'm in control—that no one can stop me. I have this power now, and I'll use it to carve my own path. No more limits, no more fear.'

The men were shouting, their voices growing louder, more threatening, but to Aaron, they were little more than background noise. His mind was already racing ahead, calculating his next move. 'If I make a sudden move, they'll shoot… but if I bide my time, let them think they've got the upper hand, I can catch them off guard.'

His conviction solidified, his resolve hardening like steel. He knew what he had to do. 'I have to make them think they're in control until the last possible second. Then… I'll turn the tables.'

The shouting grew more frantic, the man with the gun shaking it at Aaron as if to emphasize his point. "You think this is a game, kid? You're dead if you don't start taking this seriously!"

Aaron tilted his head slightly, his smile growing just a bit wider. "Oh, I'm taking this very seriously," he said, his voice calm, almost soothing. "In fact, I've never been more serious in my life."

The taunt seemed to be the last straw. The man's face twisted in fury, and he took a step forward, his finger tightening on the trigger. But before he could fire, Aaron moved. He stretched out his hand, his eyes locking onto the man's with a cold, unyielding focus.

"Sleep," Aaron muttered, his voice low but filled with the cursed energy he had been honing.

The effect was immediate. The man's eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the ground, the gun slipping from his grasp as he fell into a deep, unnatural slumber.

The other two men stared in shock, their voices catching in their throats as they processed what had just happened. Aaron lowered his hand, his smile now gone, replaced by a look of pure determination.

He was no longer the scared kid they thought they could intimidate. He was in control now, and nothing was going to stop him.

The room fell into a stunned silence as the first man collapsed to the ground. The other two men stood frozen, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. For a moment, it was as if time had stopped—Aaron could almost see the thoughts racing through their minds as they struggled to process what had just happened.

"Shit, what the hell is this?!" one of them blurted out, his voice trembling with disbelief. His hands shook as he reached for his gun, the reality of the situation crashing down on him.

The other man, his face drained of color, could only mutter, "No way… this kid… what the fuck is he?!"

As their panic grew, one of them managed to gasp out, "He must be one of those freaks! There's no other explanation!"

"Damn it… we're dealing with one of those cursed bastards, aren't we?!" the other man snarled through gritted teeth, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "How the hell did we end up in this mess?"

Instinct took over, and they both pulled their guns, aiming them directly at Aaron. Panic coursed through them, their hearts pounding in their chests as they realized they were up against something far beyond their understanding.

But Aaron was ready, too.

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, but his smile remained, a mixture of confidence and something darker. He focused, feeling the cursed energy surge within him, channeling it with a sense of purpose that felt almost exhilarating.

As they squeezed the triggers, Aaron's voice cut through the air, calm but filled with power. "Paralyze."

"Fuck!" the man on the left gasped, his body locking up as if an invisible force had clamped down on him. His eyes bulged with terror as he fell to the ground, completely unable to move. 

 The other man cried out, his voice cracking as his body too was seized by the curse. He crumpled to the floor, fully conscious but utterly powerless, his mind racing with fear and confusion. 

Aaron watched them with a detached curiosity, their words barely registering as a threat in his mind. He tilted his head slightly, his expression almost bored as he listened to their desperate attempts to rationalize what had happened. A small, nonchalant shrug was his only response, as if the revelation of being seen as a "freak" meant nothing to him.

"Freak? Cursed bastard?" he repeated, his tone calm, almost amused. "Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Does it really matter now?"

The men's eyes darted towards Aaron, their panic intensifying as they realized how utterly powerless they were against him. The fear in their gazes only deepened when Aaron's lips curled into a faint, almost dismissive smile.

"You shouldn't worry too much about it," Aaron said, his voice cold and indifferent. "After all, there's nothing you can do about it now, is there?"

The weight of his words settled heavily in the room, and the men's hearts sank as they understood the grim reality of their situation. They had no control, no way out. Aaron was in charge, and their fate was sealed.