I Am Aqueous

I Am Aqueous - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was daytime now and the small forest I was in was busting with magic. Birds were singing, squirrels were chattering, ants working, deer hopping, frogs croaking, rodents scurrying and the trees whispering. If I weren’t so confused and concentrating on handling the sunlight, then I would have enjoyed the peace. The trees were lined up in rows, because the forest was man planted. The trees were thin and tall and the only leaves were at the top. The trees were pines and there was a layer of red needles on the ground. Light beamed through the tree crowns and the beams were very amazing with my infrared vision. The whole forest almost looked like a glittering spider-web.
After a while of walking I stopped to sit against a larger tree. I sat down and positioned myself to be more comfortable. I wasn’t tired at all. I figured out eventually that some of my necessities in my past life were not necessary now. I needn’t sleep, eat or breathe, I produced no wastes and I needn’t bring in or out any materials to live. I only sat, so I could ponder a little.
My feet were filled with pine needles so I tried to shake them out. That didn’t work so I tried to relax the solid hold I had on my feet. My feet became more liquid and the needles fell out due to gravity. I made my feet more solid again. After that was accomplished the thought came to me of where I would go. Wandering the forestry was one choice, and perhaps the safest, but I had some desire to explore, not just the world, but my new body. I did not know what the world would bring to me, for I had rarely seen outsiders in my life and I have this new body. Would I be loved or hated? Would they fear me or would they be curious. Will they try and kill me or help me? All these little questions popped into my mind and the more I thought, the more I was convinced that “humans” (I should start calling them that now) wouldn’t accept me. But I knew deep down inside that I didn’t want to be reserved and shy any longer, I wanted to be outgoing.
But why did my heath come at such a price? Why was I, perhaps, chosen to have this body, this burden or being, perhaps, superior to man. Why was it that my only chance at an ideal human life came to me in the form of some liquid being life? Why did I turn out like this? Why am I liquid, not solid? Why don’t I have wings or scales or a horn? Why do I still feel like me, when I’m no longer me? Am I still me? Am I some one else with my mind in its place? Did I die? Did I just awaken in heaven or hell or even just a fantasy world like the shows on TV? Do I have a destiny? I am to make the choices or have I been predetermined?
The whole concept of turning into this life form because of some disease was impossible. The idea was so farfetched that there had to be a better reason beside the obvious lie. It was laughable. To an outsider learning of what happened, the immediate response would be disbelief, but that’s not the case. I am seeing, and feeling and hearing and I am believing. There was a reason; I just needed to find it.
The haunting question, why, clouded my thoughts and brought up so many questions that I smacked my hand against the tree to wake myself up.
I was convinced now that my questions would only be answered if I got up and looked for them. I would have to journey to learn everything I need to know; because trying to find the answers myself would only lead to insanity. But I guess venturing further would be insane too. So my final choices were to stay in this forest, be reserved and wait for insanity to take over my ignorant mind. Or I could venture, perhaps into the city and seek knowledge and insanity myself and fulfil my dreams of adventure. Either way I face insanity, death, and regret, but venturing provided me with knowledge and ambition to venture more. Either one I was faced of being lost, mentally or physically. Even though either one meant misery or death, one would have a story the other, a rumour. The truth, ignorance or lies.
Again, why puzzled me again. But it didn’t matter; I had made my choice. I would continue walking, in search for whatever could be found, learn whatever could be taught and be whatever couldn’t be. Why? I had to. I had to explore. I needed so much and I wanted so much. I just needed to go and get it, not matter the odds. My body defied laws, so I can experience more. I had to go.
I sat up finally and I didn’t look back. I continued down the hallways of pine trees and the columns of light towards where the city was located.
It was night by the time I saw some large heat source. I saw a huge tower of heat; hot at the bottom, but cooler at the top. This column of heat reached past the clouds and was kilometres in diameter. From what I could see, this heat came from a massive heat source like a city. So it was obvious that I saw the city. I was still in the forest, but the forest was thinning out and I began to see suburbs with my “true vision” (what I called the sight I saw through my face that wasn’t infrared, but normal).
I soon entered the streets of a typical suburban neighbourhood. Since it was night I able to walk through the suburbs without being spotted. Unfortunately, there was the occasional party going on, so I had to either dash across or sneak past using whatever cover I could. Whenever I saw other people walking down the sidewalk, I either dove for cover or I fell down and let myself splash into a puddle. I usually had to turn into a puddle, so I got some practice reforming my body.
After a lot of walking I realised that I would take forever to reach the city at my pace. I thought a little while I walked. I thought of my abilities and my physical structure and thought of a few ways, but I wouldn’t know how to do them. Fortunately I remembered that I didn’t tire at all. So it came to me that I could sprint at my fastest speed for as long as I wanted to, as long as I didn’t fall down and splash.
So I gave it a try. I had a hard time keeping my balance so I could only run, to my estimate, a third of my top speed, which seemed as fast as I had ever run in my old body. But the great thing about it was that I didn’t get tired. I could keep on running and running, and not feel crams or pains or exhaustion at all! I had run past two blocks of houses and saw that I had run more in that sprint than I had in my entire life combined. I saw my entire physical ability records be shattered and new records set with each and every step. I had created records with my new liquid body, but what I was doing now I could relate to. It seemed to feel like proof that I was no longer Ozzy Belway, but a new being; a Supreme Being.
After a few more blocks I got the hang of the very complex footing I had to master and I was able to run, to what I believed to be my two-thirds point. I figured I could reach top speed if I had motivation like running from a car and after I truly mastered my new abilities. Though I kept on running faster and faster and I was loving every second of it. Not feeling fatigue while running to an uncharted maximum, inspired me to explore my new body’s functions even more, to explore more limitless boundaries. But before I could enjoy my freedom, my liquid body couldn’t handle the air pressure and I exploded.
I pieced myself together slowly this time because I was thinking now that I did have boundaries. I am limited to the properties of whatever liquid I was made of, which seemed to be a thicker, more cyan water. I folded my arms as I rose from my puddle form. Once I finished forming my feet I hung my head more than it already was and walked slowly towards the city, which was very close. I needed time to think again while I finished my walk to the city. As soon as my hopes were high, I turned into a depressed puddle.
I finally reached the city and the sun was rising now and a few cars bustled in the streets. I didn’t know the name of the city, but I knew it was a major city and it immediately had huge skyscrapers, which looked like giant flaming pillars in infrared. Cars kept filling the streets at an alarming rate, so I rushed to the first alleyway I saw. I thought no one had seen me and I looked back with my true vision and saw no one. I continued down the alleyways until I felt that no one could see me.
I sat down against the wall and looked up at the buildings. Their peaks seemed to touch each other, they seemed to grasp and enclose whatever was inside it. It reminded me of the four walls in my bedroom and how I always had to look up at the ceiling. The illusion reminded me of home and I was comfortable. If I weren’t in this body then I would have most certainly fallen asleep. The past few days had been rather eventful days and I would’ve loved to sleep.
Instead, I just stared into the sky, watching the sun rise overhead with my infrared vision. I thought of my family and what they must be doing and how worried they must be of me, even though I left them a note. My Mother would probably be doing what I’m doing; just sitting and wondering, or she’d be calling the police every hour. My Father would be shocked and feeling mixed emotions. Catharine would probably be feeling guilt or perhaps joy. But Sam would know exactly what’s going on and he may be jealous or proud. And I knew that if I were there, I’d be sick in bed or dead.
I looked back down for the first time in hours. I peered at myself again. Then I looked back up. I peered at myself again. Then I stood up. If I could breathe, I would have sighed. I became bored, for the first time. I was surprised, because I had been in bed for most of my life with nothing to do; I was surprised that I was bored. I actually felt more then bored, I soon felt confused. Then I barely knew who I was. I went completely blank. I was in a trance.
Then I saw everything around me completely change. In an instant I was in a completely different part of the city. There was no flash, no blacking out, no elapsed time; I just appeared somewhere else like a video camera cut or a computer lag. I appeared suddenly in the middle of a super highway. I was light headed and I was extremely dizzy. I saw so many colours and heard so many loud noises I wanted to cry. But soon I came to my senses when there was complete silence.
I looked around and saw hundreds of cars stopped and the drivers and passengers were staring at me in complete silence. I was scared and all planning of living out of sight of other “humans” for a while was completely ruined. I didn’t know what to do I want to run away, but what would they think of me? I didn’t want to look like a coward or look suspicious and get the press after me. So I sucked it up and I stood there… shaking slightly, but I stood my ground, slowly waving my tail back and forth. I started to lift my arms and I heard the crowd gasp. I paused and peered around at the temperature changes of the people. Some cooled down in fear; others heated up in nervousness. I didn’t want to be the bad guy, so I tried not to do anything, “threatening.”
I heard some rustling behind me and saw some movement through my backside. I heard a woman shout, “No Allan! No, come back! Allan!”
I didn’t want to move, so I lifted my antennae and used them as eyes positioned above my head. It was a little child, about Sam’s age. He was walking towards me and every adult was too afraid to go and get him.
The mother shouted again, “Allan! Don’t do this! You’re going to get yourself killed!”
The little boy stuck his finger in his mouth and shouted back to his mother, “I just wanna see.”
Tears burst from her eyes, “Allan…”
The child was about 20 feet from me and I saw his mother start to run towards him, in hopes to rescue him. I decided to greet the child, since he wasn’t afraid. I turned around. When I did, the Mother absolutely froze up, as if I had shot her with some stun gun. Allan, however, paced forward with only slight caution. He was now in my tail’s distance from me.
He asked me, “What’s your name?”
I shrugged.
He asked me, “You can’t talk. Can’t you?”
I shook my head.
“Are you an alien who wants to destroy the world?”
I shook my head again.
“What are you then? A superhero?”
I shrugged.
“Can I touch you?”
I saw Allan’s mother approach again through one of my fingers. I looked back up slowly and she froze again. I peered back down at Allan who was stepping a little closer. I heard the entire crowd’s uneasiness. I saw more heat now, they were in suspense and were decided if I was I friend or a foe.
Allan poked me and his finger went inside me like dipping into a bathtub. This was the first time another living thing had made contact with me. I felt the heat from his small little finger pulse through my entire body. The heat warmed me up and it felt rather weird, because I didn’t know if it were a pleasure like a rub or an attack like punch. Allan got more curious and stuck his whole arm inside me and his fingers almost came out my back. He pulled his arm and his arm was dry.
He puzzled why his arm wasn’t wet like water would make it, but he ignored it and asked me another question. “Is it cool being like that?”
I wanted to laugh, because that is exactly what Sam and I would have asked. I simply put my right hand on his head and I made sure my fingers didn’t cover his eyes or mouth.
Then I heard a buzzing sound in the distance. I lifted and antenna and pointed it in the direction of the sound. I saw a large, cold, flying object coming towards me. I hadn’t heard of them too much, but I guessed that it was a helicopter. Allan’s mother began walking towards Allan and I again and this time I waved to her. She gave me a forced, frightened smile. She slowly took Allan’s hand, always keeping an eye on me. I however was paying more attention to the approaching helicopter. Allan said good-bye when he was taken away in a hurry from my four tentacles.
The helicopter was overhead now and I looked at it without making any sudden moves. A woman in uniform opened the side door and pulled out a loudspeaker. She turned it on and explained, “This is the police. You are under arrest for stopping the flow of traffic and disturbing the peace.” She looked back into the cockpit and then spoke again to me, “Take off the costume and put your hands on your head.”
The crowd was too stunned to explain to the officer that I wasn’t in a costume, so they said nothing.
The officer raised her voice, “Take off the mask and put your hands on your head.”
I was only able to do half of what see asked, so I put my hands on my head. She explained even more sternly,
“Remove the mask.”
I looked back and forth to the crowd, some still frozen in awe.
“Take off the mask!”
I did what I could and pulled at my head to show it doesn’t come off. Then I shrugged.
She clued in and accepted the fact that my “mask” was probably glued on. She explained, “Why is glued onto your head?”
I didn’t answer.
“Can you speak?”
I shook my head.
“But you can understand English?”
I nodded, still with my hands on my head.
I heard sirens in the distance and I knew now that the police were to try and arrest me. I didn’t want to be arrested so I put down my arms and started walking away from the helicopter. From the other side of the elevated highway, there were two media helicopters on their way. I didn’t want the media to see me. If they did, then my new life would most definitely become a continuous pursuit. So I turned again towards the helicopter.
Then I head cars stopping and guns loading. Soon there were police in the place where the crowds were. The crowds were pushed back by the police and they were using the cars as cover and they all pointed their guns at me.
The police chief to my right shouted in a loud speaker, “Put your hands on your head and drop to the ground.”
I saw the news helicopters getting closer and the police cameras being set up, so I had to get out of this situation now. I paced towards the police helicopter’s edge of the freeway. I didn’t obey any order.
I heard more guns cock and more cameras being set up. “This is your last chance. We have legal grounds to shoot. Put your hands on your head and drop to the floor!”
I climbed on top of the guard wall to the elevated freeway and I saw smaller city streets down below. I noticed I was seconds away from global exposure, because of the cameras were powering up and the news helicopters were focusing the cameras. I waved my tail mockingly, put my hands on my head and fell to the ground, all the way to the ground. I heard gasps and screams, but I mainly heard and felt was my body rupturing due to the wind speed. Then before I could think anymore than that, I hit the ground and splattered into droplets the width of the four-lane street.
The people below saw only a splash; only thinking some water from a bucket fell. The people above looked over the edge and saw nothing from their height. After a few minutes, things cleared up and traffic flowed normally with people driving their cars to work. Before any policeman came to investigate where I was, I collected my droplets lots of difficulty, but I didn’t form my body, I stayed in puddle form.
For the first time I tried to move around while still in puddle form and it wasn’t that hard to master, for it was a simpler way of movement in general. It was as simple, because I moved my individual molecules without having to worry about shape. I “flowed” across the street slowly and up, over the curb and across the sidewalk, to get into an alleyway, where after making sure no one could see me, I reformed. I sat down against the wall of a new building, not as tall as my first one, but the walls did remind me of my room. I fell into a daydream of thoughts, which was the closest thing I had to a deep sleep.