I stand. I breathe. I live.
"Nathan. Nathan, are you in there?"
There's a floor in front of my eyes, so that's what I see. What am I, hovering there? On the edge of that voice. On the edge of my own mind.
"Nathan. What happened, what-"
I want to know. More than anything, I want to know. Am I beast, toy, boy, man? Real? Or fake? There's an easy way to figure it out. The simplest test.
"Hey, where's Ray and Lily? What's going on here? Nathan! …Did you call for back up?"
Up, up , up. Up towards the voice, away from my mind. I look in that direction, muscles turning slowly under my skin as the idea burns in my brain. I turn farther, slower, facing the voice. I flick the switch, start the fire that's been burning in my veins for far too long unanswered. Take it to my skin.
"Nathan…Nathan, don't-".
The fire embraces my arm, merging with flesh. I analyze the results. No pain. No feeling. Just melting. My arm is melting. I watch it, watch the answer eat away at me. I pull my gaze back and away, up to the voice, so it can see, too.
"Oh, crap."
I shake. Know the wetness coming from my eyes for what it is only by its fall onto the back of my hand. What am I?
"Nothing."
I am not a man. A toy, then. But what kind of toy? Am I an action figure? Or a doll?
"Oh, Nathan…Nathan, what are you talking about?"
I stop the fire, because I still need my plastic arm.
Does she know…does she know you're not a real boy? Does she know about the things you've done?
I start walking. And I push passed the voice. Because I will prove I'm an action figure.