I always thought superheroes were terribly overrated.
Hunky guys in skintight costumes with flowing capes and charming smiles. Spandex clad crusaders who swoop in and save the day from some maniacal villain's doomsday device. Vigiliantes with exceptional moral codes; standing for truth, justice, and the American way and blah, blah, blah. All that comic book stuff never really interested me. Maybe because they were supposed to be fictional.
But then my life turned into a comic book.
It all starts as I walk out of the skyscraper and into downtown Vertigo City after running an errand for my father. I have headphones on and my messenger bag slung across my shoulder. My boots click against the pavement with every step.
For one, incredulously long, second as I step through the door of the lobby and out into the streets, time seems to stand still.
There is a scream.
And another.
And another.
And one more... Only, that last one came from me.
Storming through the streets of downtown Vertigo is a hoard of giant, gurgling blobs. They look like big, tar monsters. The sun glints off their slimy skin and the there's the faint smell of sulfur in the air.
I'm frozen in place as I watch the chaos unfold around me. The blobs tear through downtown and I can't help but feel like I've accidentally been transported to a 1950s horror movie. I watch as one blob steamrolls over an entire van, gobbling it up and leaving nothing behind. People are running and screaming in every direction as if World War III just broke out and yet I can't even move my legs.
Then one makes a beeline towards me.
Part of my brain is still sputtering sparks in disbelief over the whole situation but I don't have time to sit and wonder how any of this is possible. I can't just sit and have a nervous break down over the fact giant, goo monsters have taken over downtown. All I can do is run for my life.
So I turn and sprint away as fast as I can.
My earphones have fallen out and start thunking against my neck with every step, my hair whips against my cheeks, and for some odd reason instead of worrying about my impending doom I'm more upset over the fact all this is happening on the day I wore my cutest shoes.
Cutest shoes maybe, but definitely not running shoes.
Yet some how, miraculously, after I run what feels like thirty blocks (but in all actuality is more like two) when I turn around nothing is following me. I can still see the goop monsters down the street but its seems like I'm in the clear. My heart is pounding so fast I can hear it in my ears, my whole body has been sent into panic mode. Get out of here! my brain yells.
I'm about to turn and keep running until I reach the safety of my apartment and can write this entire episode off as a hallucination. It's hot out and I'm tired and I didn't eat too big a lunch and all this is just a wild daydream. That's it.
Only, I hear another scream.
It sounds like a little kid and daydream or not I turn around to see a young girl trapped underneath a pile of debris. Her legs are pinned down and one of those blobs is making its way towards her.
My heart and brain explode into an instant game of tug-o-war. My heart says to run and go help the girl. No one else is, they're all just running by without a second glance. But my brain says that its not my responsibility, if I leave now I'm in the clear but if I go back I'll just end up dead.
I start running.
"Just hold on!" I yell as I push past panicked civilians and run towards the girl. I barrel past the crowds until I tumble right next to her. She looks at me with panicked eyes, tears streaming down her face, as I try to lift up the big metal bar thats fallen over her legs.
Only its really, really heavy and the no matter how much I try it doesn't even budge. The monster only gets closer.
Run! Its no use! Save yourself! My brain yells at me, but my heart feels like being a hero. Even if that means me probably getting myself killed.
Well, if I can't free the girl that means I have to distract the beast.
"Hey ugly!" I call out. The blobs don't seem intelligent but I manage to get its attention, "Why don't you back it on up big guy? Or else your going to have to go through me." Because yes, I'm sure a skinny, seventeen year old girl in a mini skirt is very intimidating.
I grab a big rock in one hand and form a fist with the other and try to stand my ground even though my knees are shaking. This is probably the stupidest thing I've ever done. Even stupider then that time I tried to pull off bangs. (and that's saying something) The blob does not seem to take my threat very seriously.
I throw the rock but it absorbs into the blob as if it were made of acid. In a last ditch effort I swing my messenger bag at the monster and it thunks and the blob halts for a moment... but then it eats my bag too and keeps coming.
"Gah! You got to be kidding me," I groan, the blob almost upon us, "All my school stuff was in there!" Do you think my teachers will buy the ol' giant slime monster ate my homework excuse?
Run! Run! My brain yells but the girl is sobbing for me not to leave and against all better instinct I decide I'm staying put. I plan to go in hand to hand combat against a giant blob monsters. Not my smartest idea.
The monster gets closer and closer and the rotten egg smell reeks in the air and the girl is screaming and I'm screaming and I try to throw a punch its like hitting jell-o and then-
BLAM!
A car flies down from the sky and smacks down right on top of the monster. The beast splatters against the pavement into a million pieces but it lies still. It's dead... I think.
The girl and I are both quiet, mouths hung open as we try to comprehend how a fully loaded car managed to conveniently appear out of mid air and smash the blob that was about to eat us whole.
And then the answer appears hovering right in front of our faces. Literally.
"Sorry for crashing the party, I'm sure you don't mind," the boy says, smiling before wrinkling his eyebrows, "No, no that was lame. This is a no parking zone. Ugh, even worse. Sorry, I'm still sort of new at this whole witty quip thing."
I'm still silent. He just standing- er I mean floating there, completely oblivious that I could care less about his one liners and am more interested as to why his FEET AREN'T TOUCHING THE GROUND!!!
"You. Flying. Kill. Monster." I mutter in caveman speak. Apparently, my brain has final caught up with how ridiculous this all is and has now turned to mush.
"Yah, usually people might say thanks when someone saves their lives."
I roll my eyes, "Fine, thanks... my hero. Now can you help her get up."
The flying boy lifts up the metal bar as if it were made of styrofoam and the girl starts sniffling but thanks him before running off to find what I'm guessing are her very negligent parents.
"So did you have a plan back there or were you just sort of freestyling it?" the boy asks, crossing his arms and still hovering. He's not really a boy, he has to be around my age. "'Cause either way it didn't look like it was going very well. Word of advice: leave the saving the day to the superheroes."
"Superheroes aren't real. Besides, I didn't exactly have many options. Not all of us can bench press mini vans," I snap, "Who even are you? What are you?"
In the back of my mind a little voice is yelling to get out of here. That whatever/whoever the boy is he's dangerous and I need to get far away. But I'm curious and darn after everything I've seen I want my answers.
"My names Finn," he says, grinning. Bright blue eyes stare back to me and despite myself I can't keep his gaze. There's something about the way he looks at me. It's like he knows me from somewhere.
"That's not what I meant," I say, "I'm more interested as to how you're currently defying the laws of gravity."
The boy laughs as if this is all just a big game, as if this isn't hands down the weirdest and scariest day of my life. "Alright I'll tell you then. I'm-."
He's interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. I look past him to see more of those blobs still roaming around. Oh yeah, almost forgot about them.
"I should probably-," he nods, "uh, take care of those."
"Yah. That's probably best"
And then for some reason I just blurt it out: "My name is Mack, well Mackenzie but no one calls me that."
I'm not sure why I say it but it just seems important.
Finn grins as he keeps staring at me like I just promised him a million dollars. "Nice to meet you Mack, see you around."
And then he's gone like a gust of wind, so fast that part of me doubts he was ever here in the first place.
My heart wants more. I want my answers and I want to know more about the boy. Finn. But my brain says to go home where things actually make sense.
And for the first time today, I finally listen to the latter
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