WonderBoy - Chapter Three

At home that night I sat at my window, and stared up at the stars. I remembered granddad, and my father. They died when I was seven. I was devastated. I’m still not over it now, but I can cope a lot better. I believed that there was something out there, that this world was not made purely by chance. Maybe not a God, but something. There was definitely something out there. I heard my doorbell ring, and looked down at my front lawn. At least twenty photographers stood there looking up at my window. I had the curtains closed, but I could look through the slit between them. I heard a rattle at my bedroom door, I checked that the bolt was still secure, and I threw myself onto my bed. I looked up at the ceiling, blocking out the incessant violent ringing of my doorbell. After about twenty minutes I began to fall asleep.
         I jerked awake and looked around me. No noise. I went to the window. No photographers. I undid the bolt on my door and crept down the stairs. Mum and her boyfriend were arguing.
“But we need the money!” I heard Michael say.
”Mike, we are not selling a story! We just can’t. Imagine what it would do to the poor boy.”
So that was it, Michael thought I was a freak also. Anger welled up inside of me. I burst through the kitchen door with too much force. Sam, my dog was unluckily standing there; the poor thing. I rushed over to him and held him in my arms, tears trickling down my cheek onto his soft, warm fur.
         Mum was speaking to me, but I wasn’t listening to her. Then Michael started shouting at me.
”James! Do not ignore your mother. She has something very important to talk to you about.” That was when I decided to leave home.
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         After hours of sitting in silence in the sitting room, Mum and Michael talking to me, I finally managed to escape to my room. I could still hear them shouting downstairs, but I didn’t care. I got my holiday suitcase from under the bed, and began to pack my stuff. I didn’t take it all, it wouldn’t all fit. I took plenty of warm clothes, underwear, essentials such as a toothbrush, soap and shampoo, that kind of thing. I picked up my mobile phone, as much good as it would do me. It was already fully charged. I switched it off. I decided that with it on they could track me, but I might still need it, so I decided to keep it turned off unless I really needed it.
         An hour had passed since I had finished packing. Now it was time to think about my escape. My thoughts were interrupted by the slow footsteps ascending the stairs. I watched my door handle turn, and mum entered. The suitcase was under the bed, so she didn’t guess.
“You’ve been through a lot today.” She said, with conviction.
”Yes I know.” I said stubbornly, I didn’t see what she was getting at, coming up here protruding on my thoughts. Mum was speaking, but her mouth wasn’t moving. I was confused, and then it suddenly dawned on me. I can read minds. Or can I? I’ve never been able to do it before. Maybe it was because it was something to do with me, something important. She was thinking about the parents of the nineteen children I had failed. She was wondering how to cheer me up after the terrible events. She was thinking how unfair it was that Andrew May should be alive, when it was he who caused the deaths of the other children. Andrew May, the child who ruined my life.
         I decided that I should visit him, one to see how he was, and two, to find out what had happened in the science block. I knew he probably wouldn’t tell me the truth, but I needed someway to get out of the house.
”Mum, I’m going out.” I called downstairs.
”I don’t think that’s a very good idea James.”
”Why? What’s the matter?”
”Take a look outside your window.” So I did. I moved over to the curtains and pulled them apart. Several flashes entered my eyes. I ducked beneath the window, gathering my thoughts. So the photographers were back, I would have to find a way around them. I went to my mother’s room and peered through the window, they were in the back garden too. Surely the police should be doing something about this. But no, the police might as well not have been around. They did nothing for this town, they did nothing to protect our community. I was stuck here, at least until tomorrow.
         At nine o’clock I risked a peek outside of my window. The photographers were there. I suppose I can’t blame them, it’s not every day they get a chance at a story like this. But they didn’t half make my escape difficult. I remembered the window in the attic. That was the perfect escape route, the only problem was that the photographers would probably see, and hear me whilst scrambling on the roof. I decided that it was worth it. I opened up my wardrobe and pulled out the box from the bottom. I soon found what I was looking for. I found my old mask that I used in the school play, whilst pretending to be a burglar. I put on my black skinny jeans, and pulled out my plain black hooded top. Out of the bottom I found my old black ‘Reebok’ trainers. I tried them for size, they still fitted me, just. It took me ten minutes to prepare myself for the struggle ahead. I found my old torch, and climbed the ladder into the attic. It was freezing cold and all around me I could see bits of insulation, glowing a murky yellow in the torch light. The moon was not very bright tonight, and there were barely any stars visible in the overcast cloud. Perfect for me.
         I opened up the window, the frame was rusted. I pulled it none the less and a loud rasping sound escaped. The muttering of the photographers stopped, and it was silent. The murmuring returned and I heard one of them say,
”What the hell was that?” I clambered up onto the roof and looked down at them. None had seen me, all was going to plan. The thing is, I had only planned this far. Now what should I do? I could risk trying to fly again, but that could make me lose my balance and go crashing down onto the twenty-odd photographers all huddled together on that cold winter night.
         I decided to try and fly, what other option did I have? I slowly made my way onto the chimney pot, and leapt up into the air, I expected to go thrashing through the air, landing finally on the journalists. Instead I carried on upwards, at a steady pace, until I stopped, floating in the air. Now it was time to practice this flying lark. I moved my arms as if swimming; it worked, but not effectively. I tried a ‘Superman’ but that didn’t work either. Desperately I flailed around, nothing would work. Then it hit me, I tried walking, I could walk, I tried running, I could run, of course swimming worked so why wouldn’t another form of movement. It felt tremendously strange, but I also felt like a man on top of the world; free, with no boundaries. It was amazing, it was fantastic, it was, exciting.
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         I flew high up into the sky up and above the gathered photographers. They did spot me, but it was far too late to get a picture, and quite frankly, I didn’t care. I was feeling great, far better than I had been. That was, of course, until I had to think about the matter in hand. I had to go and see Andrew, face him up and ask him what had happened. If not just for me, and to try and cure my guilt, but also for the parents of the kids I didn’t save. I flew around until I felt like it was safe to descend. After getting the hang of running through air, I found that the superman does work, and I much preferred this to any other, because if anyone saw me, they wouldn’t see a kid running through the air, they would see a boy, gliding, and looking cool. Not that it mattered to me what I looked like, but I would rather look good in a photo and look like a complete nerd. As I was about to find out my image could mean everything.
         I found an empty field, and landed in the middle. I then worked out the best way down to the hospital. The journey was about a ten minute walk. However as you know I can run very, very fast, so a ten minute walk for me is more like a three minute sprint, which after plenty of training after school where no-one can see me, it doesn’t tire me out, so I could sprint for a maximum of five minutes without being drained.
         After reaching my destination I had to work out what to do. I decided I should take off my mask, before I forget, that way I wouldn’t spook anyone. I walked into reception and saw a young girl sitting at her desk. I walked over to her and it was only then that I noticed her beauty. I looked into her eyes and remained speechless. Her eyes darted from the computer and looked straight into mine. We just looked at each other, for what seemed like an eternity. Then she flicked her straight blonde hair in that way that girls do, and said nervously,
         “Yes? Can I help you?” I finally woke up, and couldn’t think of what to say.
         “Erm… ah, I’m looking for someone, Andrew May.” I looked at her longingly, wishing she would take me away and tell me of her life, all of her stories, and then confess her love to me. As I expected though, this did not happen.
         “Yes, he is a little busy at the moment. If you would like to sit down over there…” and she leant over and pointed to a set of seats in the corner. I couldn’t stop looking at her; she was beautiful. She noticed me looking and blushed a shade of red that could compare to that of a rose, she quickly sat down and ushered me over to the seating area.
         Sitting down I kept casually glancing over at the receptionist, she too kept looking at me, admittedly more nervous than I was, but I couldn’t quite make out if she was looking over at me in a sense of awe, or something else, like insecurity. The phone rang, she didn’t say a word, then looked over at me. She put the phone down, and stood up. My heart was pounding. With each step she took it felt like my heart skipped a beat, she came over and opened her mouth as if to speak. She was talking but no sound was coming out. She stopped speaking and looked at me,
”Sorry, pardon?” I said with embarrassment. She looked amused,
”I said, Andrew said he would like to speak with you, his is the first door on the left.”
”Urm… okay thanks.” I stood up, and went to go to Andrew’s room. The receptionist put her hand on my shoulder and I turned around to face her. She held out her clenched fist and I opened my hand, she placed a piece of paper into my palm, and hurriedly went to sit behind her desk. I looked at the piece of paper. A phone number was scribbled on it, her phone number. Success.
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I hung at the door. When she sat down, she glanced at me, I mouthed a thank you, and she smiled. I opened the door, and went to Andrew’s room.
When I entered, his mother and father were sitting around his bed. His face was badly bruised and very badly burnt. I entered nervously, and it felt like if I wanted to break this ice, I was going to need a lot more than a pick. Luckily, Andrew’s father found the tool.
         “Hello James, thank you for coming.”
         “It’s fine, honestly. How are you doing now Andrew?” He looked at me with awe.
“I’m not feeling too good James, to be honest. I would be feeling a lot worse though, if it wasn’t for you.” He sounded grateful. James’ mum looked at me and opened her mouth as if to speak to me, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She closed her mouth and looked to the floor. The silence was unbearable. Suddenly she lifted her head and said,
“Thank you James, for saving my sons life. I cannot imagine how I would be feeling right now if you hadn’t, and for that, I am forever grateful.” Rage was building up inside me. How could she sit there and say that? It was her son that had caused all of this mess. I had to stay calm though.
”It’s nothing.” I replied, but I doubt it sounded true. “It’s just a shame about the other nineteen.” Andrew had tears in his eyes. “Andrew, if you don’t mind me asking, what on Earth happened in there?”
“Well, it is just a bit of a blur really.”
”Sure, I understand, it’s just, you’re the only one who can tell us. Twenty people
died in there Andrew.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry James.”
It was too much.
         “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry just doesn’t cut it Andrew! What the hell did you do in there? And DON’T give me that crap about a blur! You know full well what happened in there. The way you’re reacting… I’m beginning to think you meant to do it!”
Andrews Dad stood up.
         “That’s enough James! I’d like you to leave please!”
         “No, Dad. It’s ok. Could you go outside please?”
His mother and father obeyed, but not without warning to me.
         “You touch him, and I’ll break your neck!”
As they left the door slammed shut behind them.
         “ They really should get that fixed…” Andrew began.
         “Shut up!”
It was then I realised something was wrong. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t speak. All that I could do was look in terror at the boy stood in front of me. I was being pressed against the wall, but not by hands. Nothing was there. Andrew was looking at me and laughing. It wasn’t a joke. It just wasn’t funny. I suddenly felt a whoosh of air flow directly to my lungs.
         “What the hell was that?” I demanded.
Andrew was still laughing.
         “What’s so funny? Is that what you did to them?”
         “James, James, James. What my master told me is correct then?”
         “What?”
         “Don’t tell me you haven’t realised. I have superpowers too. Well, not exactly. You see, I can do magic. Much, much more than the rubbish you can do. And now, I’m going to kill you. Imagine the power I would have, taking it all from you.”
         “You can’t kill me. I know exactly what you are going to do.”
         “True, but you can’t stop me.”
As if I needed any inclination. I read his mind and knew that he was performing some kind of spell in his head. I willed myself out of the window, sprinted through it and up into the sky. I sat there for a while, wondering what to do next. Three silhouettes had just appeared in the middle of the hospital car park. One of them swore very loudly.
         “Where did he go?”
Andrew was now coming out of the front entrance.
         “Look, up there! Get after him!” Andrew screamed.
They were taking orders from him? Since when? I turned and sprinted, they had no chance, after a solid minutes sprinting I turned back and could see no sign of them. I had no idea where I was. I went down to the ground and looked around at my unfamiliar surroundings. I was scared, and nobody here knew me.
         I was in a kind of, courtyard. I looked up at a house in front of me. It looked old, too old to still be standing. Nonetheless I went to knock on the door, I would just ask where the hell I was and then be away from here. I lifted my hand about to knock when I heard a shuffle behind me. I turned about on my heel, and stood there looking for a while. When I returned to the door an old man stood there. He looked calm and sincere. It took me by surprise when I couldn’t read his mind, something was wrong, yet he looked like a nice man. He looked sorry when he said,
         “Bag him.”