Microstory 159: Neil Studwick

This is an experimental Bellevue Profile microstory. The introduction can be found in Microstory 101. More to follow.

Much like Laurence Cardinal, Neil Studwick had very little hope of controlling his ability. The difference between them was that Laurence’s ability was always on, but Neil only needed to worry about it at certain times. He was born in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada. When he was around seven or eight, his fathers started noticing that electronics went haywire around him. He couldn’t use the phone, or wear a watch, without draining them of their energy. They did some research in the library and determined that he was something called an electric person. There is little evidence that such people exist, but there are anecdotal accounts of people whose bioelectricity is powerful enough to disrupt electrical devices nearby; turning off street lamps as they walk underneath, or generating white noise on a television that’s set to an acceptable channel. Neil and his parents were able to get a handle on his ability, so that he could sort of hold in his electrical charge, and occasionally dissipate it safely when he was alone, and in the middle of nowhere. But then then these releases of energy grew more powerful. He was either absorbing more energy throughout the day than he realized, or he was channeling energy in some other way. Violent and dangerous electrical arcs shot out of his body, and often started fires. Things were getting out of hand, and his condition was interfering with his college work in Toronto. While he was struggling with a decision to quit school, he was approached by Bellevue. They had him on a shortlist, and explained to him that he was not the only one, and that there was a reason no other so-called “electric person” ever reported being quite as powerful as him. They had in their ranks someone who could sew clothing that would take on the properties of those who wore it, meaning that Neil no longer needed to dissipate his charges at the end of the day. They insisted he finish his education, and so he remained out of Bellevue for the next year or so, until becoming more active. Fellow Canadian, Therasia Jarvi was finishing tertiary school around the same time, and so they became fast friends. Though Neil was energetic and anxious to contribute to the cause, he was tragically killed relatively early on.