Static Cling

Chapter 1

 

I don't usually do an author's note, but I want you guys to know that this is a watty awards story, and I'd appreciate votes. I hope you enjoy it, and if you don't, leave a comment or two; I'd be happy to try and figure out what bugs you and maybe change it :D

 

Chapter One

 

            The cash burned a hole in my pocket, but I didn’t dare to move from my crouch in the alley. I was hiding behind a bush next to a salon, and I had a clear view of the general store from behind the branches of the bush. The police were in there again, but I knew that it wouldn’t be long before they gave up and closed the store up again.

            I knew it was risky, what I was doing, but I didn’t see any reason to change it yet. I’d been stealing from this store for a few weeks now, and I always manage to get away without even the slightest chance of getting caught. I grinned unconsciously as I remembered how I’d erased both the tape and the guards memories before I left tonight, undoubtedly leaving the police with more questions than answers.

            It probably wasn’t right to abuse my powers the way I did, but when you’re on the run like I am, there aren’t many more options for getting things like food and money. Actually, there were, but when you’re eighteen and intent on keeping your innocence intact, you have to resort to desperate measures.

            I sighed as I watched the police leave the store as a group, an older officer quietly reassuring the store owner, who looked a little more than desperate to find out what was going on. The officers began to break down, several of them getting in their cars as one stopped to lock up the store securely. Another officer stood near the older one, his eyes scanning the area methodically.

            I froze, not even daring to breathe as his eyes seemed to stop directly on me. I didn’t even realize that the street lights were fading in and out, their bulbs straining as energy crackled in the air. Everyone’s eyes were drawn to the lights as I struggled to breathe normally and control myself. The lights slowly regained their normalcy and I remained frozen where I was until the remaining officers and the store owner vacated the area.

            After I heard their cars drive away, I waited a few more minutes before standing up slowly, forcing my stiff muscles to hold me up. I took a look around the area, watching the way the leaves blew along the concrete in the light breeze and making sure that I was alone before making my way out of the alley.

            The moon was high in the sky now, and its light reflected brightly off of the windows of stores and homes as I passed them. I had planned this mission down to the T, save for one fact; I hadn’t planned that it was going to be nearing freezing as the night went on, and the rain that was falling wasn’t making it any better. I was wearing a pair of dark washed skinny jeans and a black thermal top, and they didn’t provide much of a buffer against the desert night’s chill.

            I considered tapping into the energy that was flowing through the lines above my head and using it to warm myself up, but I was worried that someone would see me, and it wouldn’t be easy to explain. Well, you see, I was just tapping into your electricity to warm myself up because it’s freezing out here. I’ll be on my way now, stay in school and don’t do drugs! The only thing I’d get from that explanation is a one way ticket into an asylum, although the storm that was playing out above my head might give me a little more leeway than I would have on a clear day.

            “Not that they wouldn’t be out of line,” I muttered to myself as I looked down a dark street before walking across. “If you can control energy, you probably deserve to be wearing a straightjacket and living in a padded room.”