Sample from HEROED — The First Time
Below is a sample from a chapter of HEROED, my current project I’m working on. It is something I’ve truly been enjoying, so I hope you enjoy it!.
After making that all too-important decision, I focused hard, and felt my body pull as white light flashed. Before my eyes refocused, I felt the chilly October air blow across my face, stinging my skin. I let out a white puff as I exhaled and looked out ahead of me. I was high atop a building, looking down at the city.
I couldn’t keep being a common crook, stealing for the thrill and taking what I want simply because I could. My mom’s words stung me deeply. The memory of my dad and the idea that he would be so disappointed in my actions wracked me with guilt.
I stood on the edge of the building, looking down at the streets below, the headlights of cars speckling the pavement, and horns and sirens reverberating off the stone and steel of the city. From this height, I truly was invisible. No one could see me or even know I was there. I just wanted to clear my head. Take a walk.
A flash of white later and I was street level, walking down the lamp-lit streets, my hands shoved into the pockets of my hoodie, lost in thought. I had never been in the city at night before and found it calming at terrifying at the same time. I knew nothing of the people I passed, but also aware that I could get away in an instant if I needed.
A slurry of sirens blared past me as three police cruisers bolted by, weaving around the pulled-over cars. I turned around and watched as they rounded the corner, wondering what was going on. Glancing around, I noticed other people were looking curiously at the passing sirens, wonder filling their minds. I took that moment to take a look myself, twisting in a flash.
I rounded the corner to see the cruisers parked up ahead. I could hear muffled chatter coming from them and the crackling or a radio. I continued down the road, acting casual as I walked when I stern hand was placed on my shoulder.
“Sorry, kid, you can’t go this way. It isn’t safe.”
“What?” I said blankly, looking up at a young police officer. He shook his head.
“Sorry, you can’t go this way,” he said. “Please turn around.”
“Why, what’s going on?” I asked, trying to phish for information.
“Just go back the other way,” the officer replied. I nodded and turned around, looking over my shoulder to the alleyway ahead of the police. I rounded the corner, pulled my hood over my head, and teleported to the alley.
“GET BACK! I WILL KILL HER!” a voice close by screamed. I ducked behind a dumpster, and peered around it, looking at where the voice came from. A man in a dark red jacket, with long, greasy brown hair that hung under a black beanie was holding a woman hostage, with his hand over her mouth. In the other hand was a gun that was pointed at the woman’s head. The woman was in tears as she gasped behind his cupped hand, her black hair in tangles.
Fear gripped me tightly as I hid back behind the dumpster. What on earth was I doing? I could hear muffled voices around the corner as the man yelled back, “THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!” I heard the gun rattle in his hands as I peeked around the dumpster again. As stupid as it sounded, I had to do something. If I left now, could I live with myself?
Carefully and quietly, I snuck around the dumpster towards the man and his hostage. I stepped over a trash bag and slowly inched closer. The woman’s eyes caught mine, and she let out a whimper of help as I took another step closer, and a lounge crunch rang from under my shoe.
The man’s head whipped around and I looked into his dark, sallow eyes of him and he gasped, pointing his gun at me as a thunderous BANG issued in the alley. But in that mere second, I twisted in a white blast, appearing behind him. I grabbed him by the shoulder and hoisted him up, my super strength posing no issue, and slammed him back to the ground. The woman slipped from his grasp and ran out towards the cops, her hands raised over her head as I heard their voices rushing in.
I grabbed the mugger, and transported myself and to the top of the building next to us, overlooking the cop cars. He shook his head and looked behind him, screaming in terror. His head turned back to me; his eyes wide in horror.
“W-w-what the hell are you?” he asked. And without an answer, I let him drop. I could hear him scream as he fell I slowly counted in my head the seconds he had before hitting the ground. After three, I twisted again and caught him in midair before teleporting back to the alley as he continued to scream. Again, I teleported him away, ten feet above the police cruisers, and released him before retreating immediately back to the rooftop.
I heard his body hit the car in a crunch of metal and glass as he groaned in agony. The cops below rushed him, pulling him down and attaching handcuffs to his wrists. I sat on the edge and looked down, watching the tiny people below me move.
“It was some sort of kid in a hoodie!” I heard the man yelling. “He freaking threw me off a building and then caught me.”
“Ok, sure it was,” one of the officers said. “You’re lucky you ain’t dead. Now you have the right to remain silent…”
I chuckled to myself and watched the cruisers drive off. With another twist and a flash of white, I was back in my warm basement room. Chuckie hissed at my sudden appearance before laying back down again.
“Oh, be quiet,” I said to him, scratching him between the ears and he grumpily laid back down. “This is one of the coolest nights ever.” I unzipped my hoodie and hung it on the laundry room door knob. I sat down on the edge of my bed, reveling in what I had just done.
I had saved a woman and stopped a criminal at the same time. I felt over the moon, and couldn’t wait to do it again. Should I go out now, and maybe save someone else? It wouldn’t take any time really. I could stay out all night and help people, like Batman.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided not to overindulge and went to bed. I didn’t sleep too well, however, as I tossed around with excitement. I felt unstoppable and knew I could do something good to help people. It was something that I had dreamed of my whole life, and I wasn’t going to miss this chance.
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