The Myth and The Guardian

The next few days, Austin avoided talking to any and every one who tried to contact him. Dr. Wilson had come by the dorm a few times, but Austin did not answer the door. Somebody had come by and left a cell phone with several numbers already programmed into the phone. Austin assumed it was Dr. Farmer because he enjoyed spending money, and the cell phone was extremely high-tech and expensive. He wanted to call Dr. Wilson, but he knew what would happen. Dr. Wilson would try his best to be considerate, but he would also use logic to show Austin he needed to talk to someone. The strangest part of the entire situation was that Austin felt better after the night he had the emotional breakdown in front of Dr. Wilson. He had rarely thought about his biological parents since that night, and his mind felt more focused than ever.

The reason for his isolation was his embarrassment more than anything else. He assumed that everyone else assumed he was still upset, but he really just felt like he needed some time to regroup and get prepared for the school year. It was strange for him to know that people were worried about him for no reason. He wanted to tell them that he was doing better, but the feeling of importance that came from their worries was comforting to him. He was surprised by how such a small emotion like worry could relieve the abundance of abandonment that he felt. Although he still wanted family, he felt that the bonds he was forming with these people would suffice for now.

After another day of avoiding people, Austin decided to pay The Wilson’s a surprise visit to let them see he was coping with everything maturely. The feeling of shame that he previously felt was slowly starting to be replaced with regret from letting them worry for this long. He called Dr. Farmer for a ride to the Wilson’s, but Dr. Farmer did not answer the call. Austin knew that he must be busy to not answer his call. He was just as worried about Austin as everyone else, but he chose to be less obvious about it. Perhaps he thought that the few times he casually checked on Austin would make the boy feel he was being treated like a young man who was entitled to his space, but Austin could sense the worry in the man’s voice.

After Dr. Farmer could not be reached, Austin decided to call Dr. Frank Anderson. He had almost forgotten how much he enjoyed meeting the Andersons. He saw the name and number in the cell phone and decided to call him for a ride.

“Hello?” said the surprisingly familiar voice.

“Hello, Dr. Anderson. This is Austin. I was wondering if you could do me a favor.” Austin replied in what he hoped was a friendly voice.

“Austin. Hey, kiddo. How can I be of assistance to you this morning?” Dr. Anderson replied in an overly excited voice.

“Well, I was hoping to surprise the Wilson’s with a visit today, but I do not seem to have any transportation.” Austin said with a slight giggle.

“Oh, say no more champ. I will be there shortly.” Dr. Anderson said grabbing his keys off of the table.

“Oh, well thank you sir.” Austin said politely.

“No problem, Austin. See you soon.” Dr. Anderson said happily before hanging up the phone.

Austin was shocked at how naturally the conversation with Dr. Anderson went. He equated the experience to what he imagined would be like talking to a favorite uncle. The way Dr. Anderson called him little nicknames such as “kiddo” and “champ” made Austin feel like a normal kid for a moment, and the boy genius enjoyed that brief feeling or normalcy.

Austin was impressed with how quickly Dr. Anderson had shown up. He and his family lived directly across the street from the Wilsons, and it normally took Dr. Wilson about twenty or thirty minutes to arrive from home. Dr. Anderson had made the trip in about twelve minutes. Austin greeted the man and thanked him again for coming to give him a ride to the Wilsons’ house. Dr. Anderson assured the boy that it was no trouble at all, and he was happy to be of assistance. Austin expected there to be an awkward silence between Dr. Anderson and himself, but Dr. Anderson was surprisingly straight forward.

“You know you have everyone worried about you. Joel did not tell me all of the details, but are you alright, kid?” Dr. Anderson asked with the ease of asking to borrow a pen.

Austin could not believe that the man who hardly knew him would be so direct towards him.

“Well, yes I know, but I am fine now. I guess I realized the reality of my current situation all at once, and the emotional strain proved to be a bit overwhelming.” Austin answered calmly.

The rest of the ride was easy flowing and tension free, and Dr. Anderson told Austin about the different fields of study in which he was involved. He was surprisingly witty for a man of science. Austin felt like Dr. Anderson was not the same person he had met the night at the Wilsons’. The fierce debater that Austin had come in contact with on their previous encounter was nowhere to be found. Instead, Dr. Anderson proved to be a humorous man with a natural easy going nature. He talked with the intensity of a high school senior, and he always seemed to find something to discuss to help keep away the awkward silence that often occurs among strangers. Austin was astonished by the depth of Dr. Anderson. The man who Austin assumed was just a brain devoted to work was actually an interesting and complex individual.

Once they had reached their destination, they noticed that the Wilsons were not at home.

“They must have decided to go out for breakfast this morning.” Dr. Anderson said casually.

Austin was suddenly struck by brief anxiety. He did not want to wait outside until they returned, but he could not just walk into their home. He decided that he would have to call Dr. Wilson and tell them about the surprise visit he had planned. He pulled out his cell phone and started looking through the names.

“How about you just come in and visit with us until Joel and the family return?” Dr. Anderson asked politely.

“Sure, sounds like fun.” Austin quickly agreed.

He entered the house that was almost identical to the Wilsons’ home except for the furniture. As the boy walked through the doors and began examining the house, he felt something that made his heart race with both excitement and fear at once. The scar on his shoulder started to tingle in a warm soothing sensation.

Austin panicked and immediately asked to use the bathroom. He was directed to the closest one which was the third door on the right down the hallway. He entered, locked the door, and quickly pulled his shirt off. The scar was glowing a light blue color which resembled the sky. Austin felt a strong sense of being overwhelmed and dizzy, and his heart was beating faster than normal. He could only equate the experience with waking from a terrifying nightmare and jumping out of bed too quickly. He did not understand what was going on with the scar. It had been resting on his shoulder since he had arrived at Cambridge without bothering him at all. Austin could not allow this event to force him to lose his composure in front of these people. He put his shirt back on and washed his face to help him focus. He put on a fake smile to hide his worry, and he exited the bathroom as if nothing was wrong.

The entire time he was with Frank and Susan, Austin had to struggle to remember the scar. He was so involved with their conversation topics that he wanted to just live in the moment. He was around nice people, and he was enjoying himself while being himself. They could keep up with all of his thoughts and theories, and he could follow theirs. They made it easy for him to feel comfortable within his own skin.

Their son Chris, on the other hand, did not seem to enjoy the pleasure of Austin’s company. He only stayed in the room for a brief part of the visit before making up an excuse to leave. Austin noticed again that Chris did not look at him with jealousy, but with complete fear. Austin knew that he was just a kid and did not come close to being any type of threat to Chris. Perhaps it was the way that Frank and Susan seemed to take an immediate liking to Austin. Austin could see how that would annoy or upset the child of any parent, but that still did not explain the fear that Chris exuded when around him.

Once Chris had been gone for awhile, Austin decided it was time to try to understand the awkward tension that Chris had for him. He asked Frank and Susan, but they claimed to not notice any tension or awkwardness between the two of them. Austin almost believed them, but he noticed how intensely they each studied his reaction to their claim. They did not look as if they wanted him to believe them, but they looked as if they desperately needed him to believe their claim. Austin figured the best way to put their suspicions at ease was to agree with them and change the subject to give the illusion that he was not going to think about the situation again. The strategy worked perfectly, and Austin made sure it would by changing to subject to embarrassing information on Dr. Wilson that he should know. According to the Andersons, Dr. Wilson and Dr. Farmer wrote a rap song about the theory of relativity and performed it for a group of fourth grade students. Austin laughed uncontrollably as he tried to imagine the two of them dressed up in baggy clothes, hats, and jewelry.

The moment came to an end when they heard a car pull up in the Wilsons’ driveway. Two hours had passed, and Austin was amazed at how quickly the time went. He felt as if he had only been visiting with the Andersons for a maximum of forty minutes. He said his goodbyes to the Andersons, but they decided that they would make an excuse to come visit him later at the Wilsons’ home. Austin thought that was a great idea because he was really enjoying sitting around talking to them. He thanked them again for their kindness and walked out the front door. He thought about how funny Frank was while he walked across the street to see Dr. Wilson. Susan was equally amazing but in a motherly way. She reminded him of Mrs. Davis is what he was thinking as he arrived at the front door of the house. Dr. Wilson opened the door before Austin could knock.

“I saw you walking across the street from the window.” Dr. Wilson said before hugging him.

“I apologize for any fear or worry I caused you. I was just....” Austin said and let his sentence fade out.

“No apology needed. My only concern is that you are alright. Are you alright Austin?” Dr. Wilson asked sincerely.

Austin nodded yes and felt a brief sense of embarrassment. He entered the house and was greeted by the rest of the Wilson family. None of the others mentioned anything about Austin’s emotional breakdown, but Austin could tell they knew. They were all trying to make sure he felt comfortable around them, and he did. He talked to them and told them about what he had been doing the past few days. Everyone pretended to be interested in his recent activity, but the interest was due to hospitality. All he had done was read books and took some time to think about his life. He could tell that this was boring to them, but they still enjoyed his company.

Austin and the Wilsons had a nice few hours of talking and playing games. They ate lunch, and Austin had another session with Dr. Wilson. This time they did not talk about anything seriously personal. In fact, most of the session was filled with stories from Dr. Wilson’s college days. He told Austin all types of funny stories, and the two of them got to know each other better. The last ten minutes of the session, Austin opened up to Dr. Wilson about certain insecurities that he felt from the pressure of being a genius. Dr. Wilson was surprisingly empathetic on this matter. Austin could have sworn that Dr. Wilson had gone through a similar experience but was not sharing it. The more they talked, the more the empathy seemed more like sympathy. Austin did not even feel like questioning the man about it. Instead, he was just happy that he could talk to somebody who seemed to understand what he was going through at this point of his young life.

Everything was going smoothly until the scar began to tingle again without warning. Austin was a few seconds away from panic when he felt the sensation on his shoulder trying to get his attention. Suddenly, there was light knock on the door of the study and in walked Frank Anderson. Austin jumped up out the chair he sat in and started moving quickly towards Frank. His brain was going crazy because he did not know why he was walking towards the man. He flew across the room and hugged the man like a toddler embraces his father. Everyone in the room was shocked by this sincere display of affection but none more than Austin himself. He did not know what made him get up and hug Frank. For a moment, it was as if he did not have control over his own body or actions.

“Hey champ, it’s nice to see you again too.” Frank said with a light chuckle.

Austin could not say anything at all, but he did seem to have control of his body again. He let the man go and slowly walked back over to the chair.

“Well, the family and I thought we would come over for a brief visit if that’s alright Joel?” Frank said as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.

“Oh. Sure.” replied Dr. Wilson still a bit confused about what had just happened.

“Anything else on your mind Austin?” Dr. Wilson asked slowly.

Austin was half way into his obsession before he realized the question he was just asked.

“Oh, No. I think that’s enough for one day.” Austin said trying to figure out what had just happened to him.

The room was awkwardly silent for a moment before Frank announced that his wife had brought a cake. They all gathered in the dining room, ate cake, and talked.

Austin’s brain was completely lost within itself, and he could barely focus on the people around him. Luckily, he was not being asked too many questions. The boy was trying to give the illusion that he was completely fine, but he was actually going crazy on the inside. The only logical reason for losing control of his body would have to be a brain problem, but most people with those problems are not aware of what they are doing. He was completely aware of what he was doing, but he could not stop himself.

The scar had felt weird right before he lost control of himself, and Austin knew in his core that the two were connected. He had to figure this out before anything else like that happened again. The nightmares and sleepwalking were one thing, but this newest symptom was dangerous. He could have just as easily walked over and bitten Frank on the neck. Austin could not live with himself if he hurt any one of the people who were being this kind to him.

“Austin?” Susan Anderson called touching his shoulder to get his attention.

“Oh, sorry.” Austin said snapping back into the present.

“I asked you if you wanted another piece of cake.” Susan said with a smile.

“Oh, please.” Austin said trying not to draw too much attention to himself.

He had decided to finish the night and wait until he was alone to think some more about what happened. Susan placed the second piece of cake on his paper plate.

“Thanks mom.” Austin said and took a bite of cake using his fork.

“You are welcome sweetie.” Susan said cutting herself another piece of cake.

Austin was enjoying the second piece of cake now that he could focus on how delicious it tasted. He took another couple of bites and noticed the awkward silence at the table. He looked up to see everyone in the room, except for Susan, staring at him.

“Why is everyone staring at me? Do I have cake on my face?” Austin said with a fake smile.

Frank leaned over and whispered in Susan’s ear, and she immediately looked surprised and responded:

“Wow, I did not even notice.”

Austin, on the other hand, was still a bit confused about what seemed to shock everyone. Finally, Frank broke the awkward silence.

“Austin, you just called Susan “Mom”.” Frank said with a friendly look on his face.

“No. Did I really?” Austin asked nervously.

“You said “Thanks mom” when she gave you the piece of cake.” Dr. Wilson answered.

Austin could not believe that he had called her “mom”. It must have been because he was so preoccupied by his own thoughts.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, but Austin’s thoughts were getting the best of him. He was completely lost as far as figuring out what the scar, the nightmares, the emotions, and the unexplained moment of being possessed meant. He thought about fantasy novels, horror stories, and even religion. He did not know what to believe anymore, but he knew that he could not give up trying because his obsessive nature would not allow him to quit. If there was a logical reason for what was happening to him, he would figure it out. If the reason was something too unbelievable to even consider, he would still force himself to understand it all. The thought of saving the hope for the life he wanted for himself was enough motivation to help him learn to understand anything he needed to understand.

An hour after the Andersons had left, Austin decided he would stay another night with the Wilsons. Naturally, they were happy to have him stay at their home, and they prepared the same room from his first night. Austin thanked them and wished everyone a goodnight. He faked being exhausted to make sure there were no questions when he decided to go to bed early. He showered quickly and put on his pajamas bottoms that were left at the house on his first night there. The top of the pajamas would have to wait while he stared at his scar and thought about the situations it was causing. He was probably the only living person who could sympathize with Harry Potter. Scars and unexplained phenomena were not as exciting as the novels made it out to be. Austin thought about how he would give anything to know that he lived in a world of magic which would make some of his situations make a little more sense.

After an hour of staring at the scar, no new thoughts or ideas came to the boy genius. He decided to lie down and think while he rested, but he knew there would be no sleep if he could not figure out a portion of what was happening to him. He soon became extremely frustrated as new thoughts led to more confusion. His brain was on fire as he continuously struggled to rationalize even one part of his own life, but his efforts once again proved to be worthless. There was nothing logical about what was going on, and he had no choice but to accept it. Rational thought could not explain everything, and he had no idea how to think about anything in an eccentric way. He could not help thinking about how much he would like to have the mind of Frank or Susan Anderson for a while. They would have exhausted the logical explanations a long time ago and started making progress on the situation with their unique way of seeing the world.

“That’s it!” Austin thought to himself. “The Andersons.”

He would talk about this with Susan and Frank Anderson and get them to help him. He was sure they would know some hard to believe reason for everything that was happening to him which would make more sense than what he had come up with using his way of thinking. If Frank and Susan could not come up with any explanations at all then there was nothing else Austin could do for a while. It was so obvious to him now.

“The Andersons could be the missing pieces to helping me solve this puzzle of a life I was given.” Austin thought to himself while becoming sleepy.

He felt like he was only half awake. Suddenly he thought about his last thought again. “The Andersons could be the missing pieces to helping me solve this puzzle....” His thoughts quickly put together what they had been missing all day long. The scar started bothering him again when he went to the Andersons’ home, and it tingled again the moment before Frank entered the study leading to Austin hugging him. Perhaps, the dreams and the scar were doing the same job. Perhaps they were both trying to tell him what he needed to do and guide him to his next move. He should trust the scar, dreams, nightmares, and everything else that happened to him. He could almost see the words that stuck out to him from the thought that started this understanding.

"Andersons could be missing pieces.” He thought to himself while everything came together inside of his mind.

Austin jumped out the bed and quickly found his shoes. He knew what he had to do, and it could not wait until the morning. It was so unbelievably extreme, but it was also becoming more and more obvious. Austin could have kicked himself for not figuring out all the signs earlier. The scar, the feeling of normalcy he felt around them, the accidentally calling Susan “mom”, the way she did not even notice or give it a second thought, and the uncontrolled hugging of Frank all made sense to him now. He rushed downstairs and out the front door as quickly as he could move. He raced across the street to the Andersons’ home and started ringing the doorbell. He did not know the time, but he went to bed early so it could not be too late. He rang the bell again and started pounding on the door while breathing as quickly as his heart was pounding. Frank finally answered the door wearing a robe.

“Austin. Is everything okay?” Frank asked as Susan quickly joined him at the door.

Austin took a deep breath and looked at the both of them standing there.

“I need you two to do something for me. I know this may sound strange, but I have never been more certain about what I was supposed to do in my life than I am right now. “Austin said trying to control himself.

“Austin you are scaring us.” Susan said still a bit drowsy.

“What is all of this about Austin?” Frank asked immediately after Susan was finished talking.

Austin looked them directly in their faces and just said it.

“I would like for you two to adopt me.” He said with nothing but hope in his voice.

“Adopted.” Frank said after signing the adoption papers.

“I cannot believe that we have another son.” Susan said with pure elation booming from her voice.

Three weeks after Austin had sincerely asked them to be a part of their family; they had finally made it official. Austin was no longer just a name with a high I.Q. The young genius was now an Anderson. Austin sat in his new room by himself for a while and tried to process all of the information. He was now a part of a family, and he felt like he was becoming a whole person. He had a mother, father, and an older brother who treated him like an alien. Chris was still weird and awkward around him, but Austin could tell that deep down he too was excited about Austin becoming a part of their eccentric family. Even though Austin was honored to be a part of the Anderson clan, he was more focused on getting answers about his recent supernatural experiences.

The scar on his shoulder was surprisingly helpful at pointing him in the direction of happiness. The Andersons welcomed him into their home and family exactly like he expected of them. They were not showing him any special treatment, not treating him too much like a child or an adult, and they made the transition with ease. They expected him to follow a slightly stricter list of rules than Chris because of his age, and they made it seem like he had been their child for years. He could entertain himself how he pleased as long as he finished all important work beforehand which would not be a problem for him. The rule that Austin found shockingly archaic but his favorite was the “dinner rule.” Dinner was at seven o’clock sharp in the Anderson house, and there were not many exceptions to the rule. No job work, school work, or alone time was more important than family. The rest of the time could be spent however the person chose, but dinner time was their way of keeping track of one another which was important because of how busy everyone would become during the school year.

The mixture of eccentric characteristics and traditional family values could not have been better for the boy genius. Every rule and every moment made him feel like he was finally home. He did not forget his connection with Mrs. Davis. He called her a few times, and they talked, reminisced, and updated each other. Since he had left the orphanage, fifteen children had been adopted. She talked constantly about a little girl who had just arrived there, and Austin could sense the familiar bond in her voice. She talked about the little girl like he used to hear her speak of him. He told her about school starting and everything being unbelievably interesting for him. They talked regularly for weeks after his adoption, but soon the calls started to decrease in amount of times and eventually stopped for a while. They were happy the other was doing well, but Austin knew that she had to give all of herself to the other kids. He hated not talking to her as much, but other children needed her just as badly as he did at one time. Austin missed the kind old lady, but he knew she would drop what she needed to do anytime he called which he equated with stealing from the other children.

He was learning more and more about people as he watched them on a daily basis. His adoption had taught him the importance of mother and father figures in a child’s life. He could feel the change inside of himself everyday as his point of views changed. He soon realized that every situation was not an equation or came with some formula. Sometimes it was prudent to give the mind a break and let emotions do the leading. He was feeling more normal because of his new point of view towards family. He could not explain the transformation, but he felt as if his emotional understanding was finally catching up with his intelligence.

Austin could sense a faint hint of jealousy from Dr. Wilson while in a session with him. The man would break eye contact when he talked about the adoption. Austin would have normally assumed that something was wrong with Dr. Wilson, but he knew that the entire Wilson family had to be wondering the same question about the adoption: “Why not them?”

Austin could give them a great deal of overly acceptable reasons for his choice other than the truth, but he chose to not mention it. He did however spend a great deal of his time over at the Wilson home. Finally everyone seemed to understand the situation without him having to explain it. The Andersons were more like the boy imagined his family would be, and the Wilsons were the favorite uncle, aunt, and cousins he adored.

He would not feel at home living with the Wilsons because their kindness and sympathy would change how they were towards him. He would end up feeling like the pitied cousin who was graciously taken in by his parents’ kind siblings, but he felt more at home with Andersons. He had chosen them, and they had accepted him because they noticed the “perfect fit”. Austin was literally the second child they wanted but could not have on their own, and they were the family he needed to complete himself. He could not tell anyone about the supernatural experience that had led him to the Andersons, but the compatibility between Austin and Andersons was everything orphans and adoptive parents hoped.

After the first few weeks, school was proving to be perfect for Austin as well. He was enjoying the experience once his so called “popularity” had become old news. The first week everyone wanted to see him, talk to him, and be in class with him. He was the talk of the campus by students and faculty alike which made it difficult to focus on learning. He put on the smiles and shook people’s hands, but the local fame was frustrating. For awhile, his every word and action seemed to be the most fascinating event that the people had ever witnessed. Nobody challenged his point of views or his answers even when he was purposely incorrect. Luckily, intelligence did not take away from the fad phases of modern people. He was the top news for a month, but he soon became “Austin”.

After he was not the center of attention anymore, he could afford to show his true intellect without worry. By the second month of school, he was just a weird, freakily smart, and often excluded kid. He did not mind the older kids excluding him from their out of class activities, but he did wish he had friends. School was where he got to develop his most precious resource, home was his home, but he did not have a neutral peer place to which he could escape being a genius, youngest child, and younger brother.

He learned to keep to himself after a while. Everyone was still nice to him anywhere he went, but nobody knew anything about him other than his brilliance. His family, including the Wilsons, had become his best friends when he needed them. He should have known that he would not be able to relate to the older kids on too much of a personal level, and he soon accepted the situation. He was too young to do what most of the other kids were doing, and too smart to do what the rest of them did. All in all, he considered everything to be tolerable. He had a family, and he was well on his way to discovering what he wanted to do with his mind and his life.