by BRANDON WOO
4
The Friend
Hector:
I can’t believe how hard it is these days to survive from all this power stuff. They don’t call this place “The Rain City” for no reason. I’ve lost a lot during these three months, having shelter to stay low is more than enough. The rain filled the city. Raining like cats and dogs.
It was crazy.
For these few days, I’ve been running in the woods. After miles of running and running, I managed to find a city. Seattle to be exact. I hitch hiked my way to the city. I found a cargo truck at a nearby pit stop miles away from the town I was in. The journey was not so pleasant. I have to bear with the bumpy ride to where the truck was heading. After an insufferable ride, I finally made it. But I was too tired to wake up. The next early morning, I woke up and took off. I had no idea why the driver didn’t check his cargo but I’m guessing he is also too tired to check it out. Survival 101. Step 1, Keep moving.
Step 2, find shelter. The Neon lights lid up the dark corners as the raindrops soaked the buildings around the city. The ally was dark and well, I don’t like alleys.
There are rats, cockroaches in there.
As much as I hate it I still don’t chose to go in it.
The driver must have spent an entire night driving. I kind of felt sorry for him. The truck was a vegetable truck. It had a load of carrots, apples and many other vegetables and fruits.
Moments like this is where I thought of Alice.
Her face, her smile.
She’s probably enjoying life now.
Going for college, making friends.
While I had to bear with all this.
The trial from The Lab is not usually this slow but I managed to escape them all the time. The city was still new to The Lab in Seattle when I came. Lab Trucks were still scouting the area, the streets and take ground when I arrived.
I need to get out.
I need to leave.
There is no way I am going back to The Lab.
I’ve did a lot of running but this is like running without food and water. The weather was a bad day to even come out. It was raining that time and I was all wet and cold and I was hungry. The city was covered in a huge fog. Its somewhere around the evening.
Rain fell without mercy on me.
I hid among the trees sheltering me from the rain. Struggling to keep myself dry. These new change of clothes won’t be dry for long in a weather like this. I’ve been adventurous but this is a first. Being lost, hungry and tired. I crouched down looking to my left and right for help.
I can’t go anywhere in this weather. As I was sitting there, I noticed this girl wearing a long black rain coat. She was using a big red umbrella. She walked pass me without noticing. I was looking left and right hoping the rain will stop. The wind was howling madly, the rain drops became heavier and heavier. It seems that it won’t stop. Another man passed by. I didn’t notice it but the figure flashed by my sight and before I could wrap what passed by me, the man snatched the lady’s purse and ran. I looked around, no one. Just the snatcher and lady.
I’m going to use my powers...
To hate the people who are hunting me down is one thing but that lady is still innocent. I feel the fire burning under my soaked shoes and my arms became consumed in flames. As soon as I realized that the fire reached my back, I ran like the wind and rammed against the snatcher.
WHAM!
Slammed the snatcher right down. Uh, ow. Bad idea. I checked the snatcher, still alive.
Just passed out. Probably because I hit him hard. The lady ran towards us but kept her distance.
Oh crud! She found out!
Oh I’m done for!
All those efforts to escape wasted because of doing the right thing.
I tried playing cool, keeping my head down while trying to run off.
“got it! Here you go...” I said with my head down.
Okay, just make a run for it!
The lady got lower to my face and just looked at me.
“um... Are you okay?” she asked while staring at me.
“uh... Yeah.” I stood up. “your purse.” I handed the purse to her and she gratefully received it back and that girl was Melissa Wits. That was her name. She was a nice person. She shares the same age as me but has a much better life than I do. Mel had long straight black hair. She has brown eyes and her smile was beautiful. One of the warmest smile I’ve seen so far for these few days. She was wearing a fully pink rain coat covering her clothing from the rain. She used a bright red umbrella and wears a sunflower pin on her head. And wears a pony tail. Her eyes were brown and it has the word “kindness” in it.
I think I might like her.
Some of the people here hate Convicts and wanted to kill them but as for Melissa, I still considered her as some of the humans with no regard for people like us. Convicts and Humans should stay the same no matter if you have powers or not.
Melissa was just this nice kindhearted girl. She was thankful and wanted to return the favor by giving me a place to stay.
My jeans were soaked and a worm green collar shirt became squishy. My black coat changed from black to a bright red one when I found another coat to change. It was also wet.
I was alone and people would just pretend that they didn’t see me. But Melissa took empathy and helped me. For the last two weeks out on the streets, I kept my powers a secret and only use it for emergencies. My sources are very limited but I did find shelter that could last for only a few days.
I managed to get some rain coats and Fire to absorb.
But what Melissa offered will keep me alive and might even keep me away from the streets. I told her half of the truth, I told her how long I’ve survived and fought to live. She found it interesting and offered her place for me to stay. Hence, to where we are now.
Melissa’s place is an apartment. She insisted that I stay there until I get things sorted out. I then insisted to go up by flying up to the back exit. Helps make the issue less conspicuous. Melissa went on her way as usual while I prepared myself and made a big fire leap to the rooftop. I reached a great height and began to fire up my arms. They started burning, catching me as I try to float in the air. I keep heating up my arms and they took me higher. The I kept getting higher towards the building and finally reached the back exit Melissa mentioned. It had small pots of morning glories dangled by a hanging spot. The pole is painted black and it has several shelves drilled to the poles. All metal made.
It’s being kept divided by a roller glass window.
Beyond the divider is a nice house full of bright colored furniture. I noticed there was no sofa. All were bean bags that is in the shape of fruits. A red strawberry, a yellow banana, purple grapes and orange oranges. One however is a huge Totoro bean bag with its name at the center of its tummy written in green.
The wallpapers were white with Studio Ghibli paintings. I’ve never seen any of it but I never liked anything Anime but I just leave it as it is.
One was a girl in a broom stick, another is some in-symmetric robot.
The doors are all wooden and there is a heater in one corner. I could also find a plush of an orange brown cat that is a hybrid of a bus. Cat Bus? I have no idea. I wasn’t accustomed to seeing things like these.
Melissa came in a few minutes later and opened the glass window for me to come in.
“Cat Bus?” I asked as I gave the plush a better look.
Melissa looked shocked. “How did you know?” she asked.
“I actually don’t. But a cat with a bus body is not hard to tell” I replied.
Melissa just smiled. “The Cat Bus is my fave.” She explained that she is a bit of an Anime lover.
She watches anything that has a very good concept and a good story.
Not the kind of girl I expected but I thought it was groovy.
“you should dry yourself up.” her hair was soaking wet.
“It’s okay,” she smiled. “I can use
a towel and hairdryer to dry it off.”
Melissa prepared some cloths for me and let me use her bathroom to clean up. I don’t recall using a fancy bathroom in the Lab but just do whatever that makes me clean. I was given my own toothbrush and towel, figured it was hygiene. After all those years of using a huge bathroom, I kind of forgot how to use a proper small one.
The toilet is simple looking.
The colors are yellow green and the windows are wide open.
It smells of lemon with her huge net bag of green and yellow lemon hanged in between the windows.
There is a glass door dividing the shower from the sink and toilet seat.
LEMON SMELL.
Interesting...
I kept the doors shut and started cleaning up.
My powers were useful. Fire radiate my palms with heat and began to rub my face against the heated palm.
I feel the heat baking my skin. Cleaning everything out.
I feel the facial hair and dirt cleaned up from my skin. I later proceed to the body while the water from the showers rained down. It was warm, just right for me to relax. It took me a while to leave the bathroom. The smell was good and homely.
I guess it’s just that I never been to an actual home. The cloths Mel provided are amazingly kept well. She gave me a brown long sleeve shirt and a pair of black jeans. The cloths were warm and comfy to wear. Mel used to stay with her older brother but He left to work elsewhere. Now it’s just Melissa alone. “dinner’s ready.” Mel knocked.
I went all over the place and scrambled out of the bathroom and ran to the hall.
It actually looks different at night. In the day, its bright and homely but at night, its cozy and warm. Mel cooked brown rice with a plate of mixed cabbages, some grilled chicken and cooked eggs. I tried to keep my manners by eating slowly. Surly she is the healthy kind.
Melissa just smiled “don’t have to be polite. You must have been hungry.”
I switched to eating slightly faster. I was really starving!
Melissa just stared at me. “so, how did you do that fire thing?” I choked as she said those words. “uh, I don’t know how to control them yet.” I replied. “no way. How did you know you could get up from the back door when you still can’t control your powers?” she pointed out.
I was silent. “I can’t help someone who doesn’t trust me.” she spoke again.
putted my food down and swallowed the remaining food in my mouth and began to speak when it was empty.
“I am not your typical street kid who needs help. I have powers. I can control fire. They call us Dragonflies” I began. “who is ‘they’?”
“The people who tested us and categorized us. They are scientist, they study us. They keep us shut while providing openings for us that would be impossible to reach.” I explained. “Life in The Lab is undignified.” Melissa kept quiet and said nothing while I continued eating. Melissa didn’t ask much after that. She just prepared a bed for me at the hall and let me rest for the night.
I had trouble sleeping last night. I tossed and turned uncomfortably. I felt bad for telling Mel the harsh truth about MY own life problems. It’s as if she didn’t have enough problems to worry about.
I felt it was not fair for her, a new friend to bear with all this.
I woke up early and took my pair of dried up shoes.
I went to the back door to get my shoes but when I went over, I realized that its gone. “Where did it go?” I asked.
Mel appeared behind me “Here. New shoes.” the pulled out a pair of black Nike Shoes that were the same size as mine. She then marched towards me and handed them to me.
“thank you Mel.” I said. “look if you want to go, sure but I you ever need help. I’m her-” before she could finish,
A shot of fireball hit Melissa in the chest and killed her!
“MEL!!!” I cried as she landed to my arms.
Melissa’s face turned pale, she was out cold.
I was in shock.
I was mad.
I looked towards where it was shot and noticed a man on the top of another skyscraper, Sean!
I ran after him. I smashed through the window with a great leap.
But I realized that there was no fire coming out from me. I felt strange.
I had no powers!
I was left stunned as I witnessed my own fall.
I am going to die!
After all this, and this is how it ends? A killer loses?
A foolish death? An ally’s death?
I was scared.
Was sweating and I was moving.
Struggling to move.
“Help!” I tried to scream but I was too scared.
The next thing I knew,
DARKNESS....
Whoa, what a dream!
I had nightmares of me being consumed by fire or drowned by water but this is a first. Losing someone I cared and falling to my death. Plus, I just met Mel...That is some deep stuff. My heart pounded loudly as I opened up my eyes to see I am still in Mel’s place. I sat up looking out the window. Trying to wrap my mind around what happened. I went out for a walk secretly to distract myself from the horrific images of death in the face in the dream. There’s something about it that is not right with it. It was a long walk Why am I feeling sympathy? It’s hard to trust people because you’re a Convict. You learned the everyone is against you because your different, But I brushed it aside.
I’ll be gone very soon anyway.
By the time I came back, Mel was already awake.
“morning.” she greeted. “morning.” I greeted back.
Mel prepared breakfast and invited me to join her.
I was trying to control myself while eating again. Given that I took Mel’s dinner, I decided to slow down. It was quiet.
“so about that fire thing,” I started.
“Hector, stop!” Mel said. “I know why you wanted to keep your powers a secret. “my heart pounded harder. “what? “I asked
“I went research on your symptoms and I discovered what you are.” she began. “I discovered you can feel heat; you can shoot fireballs. You can levitate with your heat waves.” She stopped eating and looked at me.
“You’re a Dragonfly. And your being hunted by the people from The Lab.” My heart pounded louder and louder.
“three days ago, an accident happened. A group of escapades broke out of their cells and caused a decoy and escaped.” she continued “you’re the last of the Dragonflies!”
I was silent. I was exposed.
“you got me.” I said. “how did you know?” Mel straighten up and began to speak “Hector, I want you to trust me when I say, you and I are allies. Not strangers.” she declared.
I took a moment to think. What should I say?
I don’t want to hurt her or even walk off.
Then the dream reminded me. My life will cause the life of others. Others who would die for my cause. “I don’t want you to get hurt Mel.” I was trying to stop her from getting into something that she shouldn’t be in. “you’re just a normal human.”
“I’m not afraid.” She replied, staring at me in the eye.
She really meant it!
Thoughts were running in my head as I begin to process what Melissa just said. She’s human and she’s not afraid.
What is this girl doing?
I asked Melissa if I could stay for a few more days.
She said yes.
I wandered around the city, trying to get some air after all that I’ve been through. This is good so far but the Lab is here in Seattle. It’s only a matter of time before they set search parties and other of forces to hunt us all down.
“God damn!” a man called out.
“how does it feel to loose so many Dragonflies in an entire night?”
I turned and realized it was Jake Flint.
His lab cloths changed into a purple hoodie jacket.
He wore a brown long pants and also a pair of new sneakers.
/>
“how the hell can you live with that?” I asked.
“well, I didn’t.” he said with a smile.
He walked beside me and stared out at the fog.
“things are about to change.” he said.
“just you wait. If I were you, I’ll head to the towns.”
He turned off and vanished from the fog.
“what about you?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, disappearing from my sight.
