Mark grinned at Aidan before he continued. “Now, to anyone but the two of us Aidan Starns never existed, everything that belonged to him will belong to me instead.”
Aidan´s mouth dropped open in shock. A ripple went through everything as the world forgot him, not that he could see that. In his shock he didn´t even comment on that.
“You see, Aidan, one deep fantasy I have is to have someone completely depending on me. So, the next will cement that for you. From now on, Aidan, nobody can see, hear or interact with you but me. You, in turn, can´t see or hear anyone but me, and only can interact with objects I either allow you to do so or I give directly to you. You will be like a ghost to the world, but you can´t go through things like one.” Mark said and chuckled evilly at Aidan´s face.
It was like a ice-cold wave washed over Aidan as Mark´s command got into effect. Aidan didn´t believe something like this was possible, but as he was still frozen, he couldn´t test it or run away. “Mark, what the hell? I thought we are friends.” he said, sounding hurt that Mark could be so cruel.
“Oh, I´m your friend, Aidan. In fact, now I´m your only one, as nobody remembers you, nor can in any way notice you. I think this is great.” Mark explained, joyful.
“But... if what you said is true, and I cannot interact with anything, what will happen if you can´t help me? Will I die just because you are unable to?” Aidan was near crying right now.
“Hmm... you are right, something could happen to me. Okay, you don´t need to eat, drink or fulfill any other needs of your body anymore, but will still feel a need to do it anyway. You can´t die for as long as I life, and only when I die you are be able to interact with anyone other than me. But you can´t neither harm yourself nor me.” Mark said after some thinking. Then he allowed Aidan to move again.
Aidan felt another wave went through him as his needs were disabled. He toppled forward as he could move again, and after regaining his footing, he went towards the computer, hoping to edit something to escape this. Mark let him, and Aidan´s fingers hit the keyboard nearly. It was as if an invisible barrier stopped him millimeters above it, he couldn´t type anything. He tried grabbing the water bottle next to the laptop, but again his hand couldn´t touch it. But he still grabbed around it, and tried lifting, only for his hand to just slip up without the bottle. “Noo...” he said, first rather quiet, but soon repeated it louder and louder, screaming.
Aidan turned around and bolted towards his door, wanting to flee from Mark. As he couldn´t open the door, Mark showed a bit of mercy, or maybe it was just to laugh at the futile attempts. “You can touch and open that door, I don´t want to imprison you here, after all.”
As if the barrier vanished, Aidan could grab the doorknob and open the door, running outside. He first tried banging on Geoff´s door, but as the barrier stopped his hand, no sound was made. Panicking, he run further down the corridor, down the stairs and out the open front-door, still completely naked.
Mark had watched him run, and moved to the window to overlook what would happen. There were many people outside. Then Aidan came out and run straight through a couple of them. “So, while he can´t run through things he sees, people, who he can´t see he can move through. Interesting.”
Aidan looked at the empty street in front of him. Why was there nobody? He begun to run again, as far away from Mark as he could. And never he encountered a single soul outside, not even an animal or a bug.
Mark packed a few things he wanted, and something else Aidan would want maybe later. He used the chronivac so that this flat would remain his, without any payment, as he could use it as some kind of secret retreat. Then he went home. Aidan knows where he lived, he would find him some time later.
Aidan resisted two days, hiding in an empty park on the other side of the city. Sleeping on a bench, or better, levitating above it and trying to sleep. He couldn´t touch the bench, and sleep was impossible for him to reach. After a couple of hours, he got thirsty. He tried to drink something at the pond in the park, even if it was dirty, but he couldn´t touch the water either. When he tried, he simply walked over the water, which would have been cool if not for the circumstances he was in.
After the first day, more needs surfaced, and he fought to ignore them all. He was safe to not die of dehydration or starving, so he could do that. But after the second day, the mental burns these needs left on him were too strong to ignore. Reluctantly Aidan slowly made his way towards Mark´s home, still trying to resist.
Mark grinned when he saw Aidan arrive at his door, unable to come in. To torture him a bit more, Mark waited full three more hours before opening the door, to look for his mail. By then Aidan was pleading for Mark to open the door, kneeling in front of it.
“Oh, hey there, Aidan. I didn´t know you were there. Finally realized you need me?” Mark teased him with a grin, moving to the side to let Aidan stumble inside.
Aidan answered with a hoarse voice: “Please Mark, I can´t life like this.”
Mark gave him a glass of water first, allowing him to drink it, then made him a bread with cheese, something Aidan didn´t like to eat. But his hunger was stronger as he gulped it down. All the while being silent. Only after Aidan had eaten Mark replied: “No Aidan, you will learn to life like this. You are mine now. Enjoy being looked after, you won´t need to do anything by yourself anymore. You will see, it´s great.”
Mark gave him some of his clothes he brought to wear, before he went back to the book he was reading before. Aidan, after putting on his clothes, plead again, until Mark silenced him, annoyed. “Accept it, you are mine, Aidan.” The rest of the afternoon Mark ignored Aidan, only when he went to bed, he allowed Aidan to sleep as well. Minutes later, Aidan was deep asleep, and Mark smiled at him.
Aidan couldn´t do anything, not even use the toilet or sleep without his permission. He already loved this, and with time, Aidan would accept it, he was sure.