Warped Doors
By the time Larry came back to fix the door, Rob had could absorb and extrude a variety of objects. The larger the object, the more difficult the process and the more painful it was to extrude it. The process wore him out, and his hand felt like it was covered pin pricks.
Larry knocked and pushed the door open. “Hey, Rob. I’m going to reseat the door. It shouldn’t take all that long. Hey, what’s with all the fruit?”
“Trying to see if I could absorb it.”
“Any luck?”
“Well, it goes in okay but nothing comes out.”
“New way to eat?”
“Ha. Good to know it doesn’t work, in case my life depends on having an apple at a moments notice.”
Larry shook his head and dropped his tool box by the door. “How the luck otherwise?”
“Not bad. There’s a trick to it, but once you have that.” He shrugged. “Not going to say it’s easy, but less difficult.” He paused, “Not surprised I’m trying to learn to control it?”
Larry turned to face his friend from where he was getting his tools ready. “Rob, I would be surprised if you didn’t. In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never really sit idly by if there’s something you can do about it.”
Rob shrugged, a bit uncomfortable. “I wouldn’t feel right not doing anything.”
“Exactly. That’s what makes you who you are.” He turned back to the door.
Rob sat back and looked at the array of objects in front of him. Including the new pile of wooden toothpicks what used to be part of a desk. Looking at his now normal looking arm, he blew out a sigh. Something to be said for normalcy, even if it was an illusion.
“Woah!” Rob turned at the shout and saw Deb holding a hand to her chest, and Larry leaning the door against the inside wall.
“Ah, sorry Deb. Didn’t know you were out there.”
“No. No, that’s okay. You just don’t expect the door in front of you to leave its hinges.” She brushed passed him and tossed a small overnight bag into Rob’s bedroom. “Clothes.” Larry raised his eyebrows speculatively as she dropped onto the couch next to Rob. “You tried it on fruit?”
“Yeah. I think it just breaks down into my system though. It never comes back out.”
“Good to know. Otherwise?”
He shrugged, and told her how his hand felt, then showed her the new pile of toothpicks. This earned him a hug and bright smile. He offered to show her his progress but she shook her head.
“You said it was getting a bit painful to do? Then no. Show me tomorrow after you’ve had some rest, okay?”
“Alright. I’m not sure I could have done it anyway.” He flexed his hand and winced. “Food?”
She shrugged. “Works for me. Let’s order in, though. Pizza?”
“Cool. Larry?”
“Yeah, you know what I like. I’ve gotta take this door downstairs. It’s warped all to hell. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a spare in the basement. Be back soon.”
They watched him wrestle the old door out into the hallway. Rob started laughing quietly.
“What?”
“Isn’t it odd? A normal thing like a having a door replaced in the midst of all the craziness.”
She watched him for a moment, eyebrows raised. The she laughed too. “Isn’t it so right that the old door was warped?”
They both laughed until their eyes started to water.
Larry knocked and pushed the door open. “Hey, Rob. I’m going to reseat the door. It shouldn’t take all that long. Hey, what’s with all the fruit?”
“Trying to see if I could absorb it.”
“Any luck?”
“Well, it goes in okay but nothing comes out.”
“New way to eat?”
“Ha. Good to know it doesn’t work, in case my life depends on having an apple at a moments notice.”
Larry shook his head and dropped his tool box by the door. “How the luck otherwise?”
“Not bad. There’s a trick to it, but once you have that.” He shrugged. “Not going to say it’s easy, but less difficult.” He paused, “Not surprised I’m trying to learn to control it?”
Larry turned to face his friend from where he was getting his tools ready. “Rob, I would be surprised if you didn’t. In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never really sit idly by if there’s something you can do about it.”
Rob shrugged, a bit uncomfortable. “I wouldn’t feel right not doing anything.”
“Exactly. That’s what makes you who you are.” He turned back to the door.
Rob sat back and looked at the array of objects in front of him. Including the new pile of wooden toothpicks what used to be part of a desk. Looking at his now normal looking arm, he blew out a sigh. Something to be said for normalcy, even if it was an illusion.
“Woah!” Rob turned at the shout and saw Deb holding a hand to her chest, and Larry leaning the door against the inside wall.
“Ah, sorry Deb. Didn’t know you were out there.”
“No. No, that’s okay. You just don’t expect the door in front of you to leave its hinges.” She brushed passed him and tossed a small overnight bag into Rob’s bedroom. “Clothes.” Larry raised his eyebrows speculatively as she dropped onto the couch next to Rob. “You tried it on fruit?”
“Yeah. I think it just breaks down into my system though. It never comes back out.”
“Good to know. Otherwise?”
He shrugged, and told her how his hand felt, then showed her the new pile of toothpicks. This earned him a hug and bright smile. He offered to show her his progress but she shook her head.
“You said it was getting a bit painful to do? Then no. Show me tomorrow after you’ve had some rest, okay?”
“Alright. I’m not sure I could have done it anyway.” He flexed his hand and winced. “Food?”
She shrugged. “Works for me. Let’s order in, though. Pizza?”
“Cool. Larry?”
“Yeah, you know what I like. I’ve gotta take this door downstairs. It’s warped all to hell. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a spare in the basement. Be back soon.”
They watched him wrestle the old door out into the hallway. Rob started laughing quietly.
“What?”
“Isn’t it odd? A normal thing like a having a door replaced in the midst of all the craziness.”
She watched him for a moment, eyebrows raised. The she laughed too. “Isn’t it so right that the old door was warped?”
They both laughed until their eyes started to water.
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