Little One pt. 1

          I remember it like it was yesterday.

          My family and I were in the kitchen, laughing and singing joyously to the sounds of 90s dance music when the power went out, silencing everyone. The only light available for the following ten minutes was from the flickering flame of the candle on a birthday cake. I had just turned eight and my grandmother sixty-eight. I remember that day vividly, because just as I had made my wish and was about to blow out my candle, the power went out in the entire city. I'd tell you all my wish, but then I fear it won't come true, and I have a strong feeling that the realization of it is near. Anyway, that wasn't the only reason I remembered that night. After the cake was half-eaten and the rest of dinner inhaled by my older cousins and aunts, my grandmother pulled me into the next room. The look on her face was a confusing one. I couldn't tell if she was frightened, worried, or excited. I guess that's the trouble with the elderly. You can't read them behind the many wrinkles and hardened facial features, given to them by a long life of arduous work. Still, I was curious. "What was she about to tell me," I asked myself, as she stared right through me and into a distance that was both near and far.
          "Sit down," she instructed. I sat on the edge of the bed, as she pulled up her worn, wooden rocking chair that mom kept as a hand-me-down and sat before me. "I want you to have this." She reached into the front pocket of her white apron, embroidered with a red flower that would eventually hold great meaning to me. She handed me a strange key that looked something like the cap of a Bic pen - oddly small - about half the size of the cap - and easily confused for nothing at all. "Do not lose this," she said sternly. My grandma was anything and everything but stern. I panicked just a little bit.
          "Wh-what is it for?" I stuttered.
          "Ask me that question again in thirty years," she said, her eyes still penetrating. How creepy was that? I was only eight, but even at that age I knew grandma didn't have another thirty years in her. Before I could ask her what she meant, she changed the subject. "Do you know what I do for work, little one?" I shrugged, not knowing the specific answer to that question. "I work for the Unified Earth Space Program, and guess what?" She leaned in closer, whispering. "We are working on a super top secret program." My eyes instantly lit up with surprise and deep curiosity.
          "What is it?" I remember asking loudly.
          She motioned for me to lower my voice and said, "Look inside your pillowcase when I leave here tonight and mom puts you to bed. Do not look before that. Deal?"
          I almost could not contain my excitement. I nodded in agreement and grandma rose from the chair. "Remember this day, little one," she said, patting me on the head, as she walked out of the room and into the kitchen where she made her rounds, saying goodbye to the rest of the family.
          I sat on the bed - excited, puzzled, curious, and... uneasy. Something nudged at me but I couldn't tell what it was. I shrugged it off and hopped along excitedly to my grandmother's footsteps into the kitchen and hugged everyone goodbye as they left one after another. Father stayed up with his paper to catch up on the news, glasses slightly tilted on the bridge of his nose, and mother carried me into my room and tucked me into bed, kissing my forehead before turning off the light. I got up quietly and placed my head on the door to listen out for mom. It sounded like she was fast asleep on the couch next to dad. I locked my door and turned on my flashlight, eventually discovering a letter written in my grandmother's handwriting, addressed to me:

          "My Dear Little One,
         
          Happy Birthday. I hope you had as much fun tonight as I did with you - my favorite person. You should know... I have seen the world and loved many people and things along the way, but my greatest joy has been sharing my special day with you. You are my supernova, my brightest light, and you have done more for me in these eight years than you could possibly imagine, though I know you will come to find out what I mean by that one day. I am sure the only thing you care about right now is hearing about the super top secret program I just mentioned to you. Don't worry. I won't keep you waiting long. Before I share what I know though, I want to remind you to hold onto the gift I just gave you. It is very important. Keep it in a special place. Also, take care of your mom. Things will be hard for her. You will catch my meaning soon I am sure. Anyway, as for the surprise... I cannot tell you here, but I want you to trust my colleague who will tell you everything you need to know. His name is Jeremy. He will contact you on your 18th birthday on the phone I left you, just behind the letter. I am sorry kiddo. It's a long time from now, I know. I know you were really looking forward to it. Please don't be upset at me. I promise you it will be worth the wait. I love you.

          Your partner in crime, space and time, 

                    Grandma."

I searched for the phone I obviously missed when I first looked, and felt it deep in the pillowcase. Disappointed with the contents of the letter, I threw the phone into my toy bin, cried on grandma's letter, and shoved it into my bedside drawer. I walked into the living room, angrily, preparing myself to tell mom how grandma had played a really mean trick on me. I was stopped at the sight of my mother, head in her lap, the landline phone hanging off the table, a wave of tears streaming from her cupped hands down onto the floor in front of her. I already knew. The uneasiness in my stomach. The first half of the letter I just read. Grandma was gone.
       
       
       

Forgotten

I always knew some great significant event would take place in my lifetime. Some greater purpose was meant for me -- a purpose greater than that of any singular person on the entire earth. But I never would have guessed it was this. This twisted fate -- this, destiny was not what I expected. But yet, I welcomed it. Every moment of each day love was fleeting me -- love for my family, my friends, my wife... my life. And here I stand, looking up into the heavens on this light-absent night and I beg for it. No. I prepare for it. This is what was planned for me the moment I exited that woman's life-bearing womb. I stretch my arms wide and breathe in the air of sorrow and hatred -- the power to hurt, the power to destroy. On this night of which I dreamed would be my ascencion into heaven as one of God's angels, I open my eyes and see red. I am not his angel. I am his enemy - his tormented son and forgotten child.

Broken

Never have I experienced this feeling. There she is. She glides through the tall grass like a gazelle. The wind blows past her as if the gentleness of her skin soothes the very air itself. She smiles. Oh how beautiful her smile. Perfect white teeth that are straight as can be. Her skin is of a light brown shade that only princesses and goddesses of legend possess. And her hair... black and sheik as night. That look in her eyes. I can tell she wants me just as badly as I want her. I have to have her. She runs in a teasing manner and I chase with such desire and longing. Oh how I love the chase. 'Stop running' I say to her. But she smiles and continues on. I grow tired and she comes to a stop. 'I've missed you.' Her voice pierces my heart like a frozen dagger. 'And I've missed you. God how I've missed you.' Here she comes. She leans in toward me and I slowly and naturally let my eyelids close themselves. The moment right before the kiss is one frozen in time. Its a second that lasts a millenia in its own time and place. Its a moment filled with sparks of electricity and a rush of pleasure from the follicles in my hair to the heels and toes of my feet. Everything comes to a complete halt.
And then... an explosion! The kiss that makes everything else in the world disappear. Every moment our lips touch is a taste of heaven, for only angels must be able to experience this. It seems like this moment will never end. The world has finally given back. Im alone with the woman I love - now, and 'til the end of time.
And suddenly, something does not feel right. I begin to grow cold. I quiver and then I focus on her eyes. She can do nothing more than stare. 'Im sorry baby...' I can't feel my legs. I can't speak. All I could do is think. 'No. Please. Don't.' Her eyes turn completely black and she is ripped away from me. I scream but no sound emits from my mouth. The tears streaming down my eyes freeze and my eyes are iced shut. I can hear her. Her cries slowly fading into the cold dark emptiness and I am left all alone. I cannot think anymore.

I open my eyes and look around me. Its a familiar place. Yes. This is my room. This is my home. I am awake now. I turn to my bedside desk and rest my eyes upon the framed photo beside me. I stare into her eyes. Those beautiful big brown eyes. Im filled with both anger and sadness. I've missed her. God, how I've missed her.

For My Own Good Pt. 1

"Too intelligent for your own good." That was the first and last piece of advice I ever listened to. Professor Sage was right. What good is it now though, at this very moment? Sure, I'm actually taking someone’s advice, but I should have listened back then when it would have prevented my current predicament. Now i'm stuck here in this... this room and I am being questioned by these men in lab coats stained by the blood spats of a smartass. I should have kept my mouth shut. I really should have this time. I can't see their faces, but their voices are so monotonous they torture my nerves and test my patience.

"Where did you get this information? We won't ask you again!" I squinted repeatedly to clear my vision but it failed to make a difference. They injected me with some strong shit – some sort of truth serum. To their astonishment though, it isn't working on me at all. As a matter of fact, nothing really works on me. I hate chemicals and I hate medicine. Strange thing is I don't need medicine. Whenever I get sick, it lasts for minutes before the virus completely disintegrates in my body. Doctors can't explain it. Best they came up with was that I have superpowered white blood cells. Superpowers. Heh. Everyone knows there’s no such thing. If I did have a "power", then it would be my intelligence. I’m the smartest guy I know. Oh yea, and I’ve also got superhuman modesty, but I don’t like to brag. Now, if we want to talk weaknesses, everyone knows mine. I'm lazy and I use my intelligence for one thing – absolutely nothing.

"Fine. Fine. I'll tell you." They all stood up and gathered around me, eager to hear my answer. The room got silent. Not even a breath could be heard. "I guessed." Before I could finish laughing, one of the men grabbed me by the collar and punched me with such force that I can confidently bet he broke my cheekbone. "I'm not kidding!" It was frustrating to tell them the truth and get beat for it anyway so I decided that I had to make something up. But what I had in mind would get me into even deeper trouble. It was my last resort. The head doctor, or whatever he was, pulled out a gun and shot me in the shoulder. I was hoping for some dramatic pause before he pulled the trigger like they do in the movies, but I guess this isn’t a movie. This is fucked. The pain was unbearable. I cried and screamed for what seemed like eternity. Finally, he put the gun in my mouth and spoke.

"As you can tell, we aren't joking. Where did you acquire this information?! What else do you know?" He cocked his gun and I knew that whatever was inside my head would decorate the walls with an artistic arrangement of blood and brain matter. This was it. My last resort was now my only one. Of course, I could’ve chosen death. Yeah, right!

"Okay." I paused before I let out a long sigh of surrender, blood spewing out from just above the upper right side of my chest. “Okay.” I was going to lie and make things much worse.

That Place

I've been to a place. I've been to a place where the birds aren't afraid. Where the thought of what my cruel fate has become conquers me at last. As I sat on that stone bench, the commonbird landed in front of me, still as a tree, and stared me in the eyes. It was as if it felt my very pain and were there to comfort me and steal the hurt from me. Not even a wave of my hand phased him. 'Twas as if he and I were bonded by our very souls at the moment and all I could do was show him my dissolution and devastation. It was minutes before he finally flew off. But not before he showed me something in my own heart. The will of a warrior. And so I will fight on for what I believe in and for whom I love most. And I thank that commonbird for what his eyes showed me, for even in commonness there is greatness.