A loud screech stopped their conversation. They both looked up. Just over a block away an old rust-lined car swerved its way into the intersection. It seemed like the driver couldn’t keep control.
“I’ll bet his brakes went out,” said Nathan.
Following the path of the vehicle, the boys saw a girl with brown hair approaching the intersection. She had white earphones on and was completely oblivious to the car.
Benjamin yelled for the girl to move. She didn’t hear him. The boys ran to her.
The car barreled in and was now maybe a hundred feet from the unsuspecting walker. As the girl went to step off the sidewalk, she glanced up slowly. Her eyes widened and she froze.
“Move!” screamed Nathan and Benjamin at the same time. They were too far away.
The car’s path now determined, the girl finally crouched down. As if that would do anything.
Benjamin reached out his hand despite still being half a block away. That’s when something amazing happened. Instead of continuing the remaining few feet and slamming into the girl, the car lifted slightly and flew to the left. It came to a crashing halt as its side slammed into a building fifty feet away from where its path had changed.
Nathan stopped, but Benjamin kept running. He knelt down by the girl, who was now lying on the ground sobbing.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She just looked around unable to answer.
Nathan walked up not saying a word, his face a mix of shock and confusion.
“Can you go check on the driver?” Benjamin asked his friend.
Nathan nodded wordlessly. Then, as if he’d just woken from a dream, he shook his head and sprinted across the street. People were coming out of the shops lining the avenue. Some had cell phones to their ears as they peered out in concern.
Three police cruisers showed up two minutes later, along with an ambulance. The driver of the car and the girl on the ground were quickly loaded into the waiting ambulance. As the only real witnesses to the event, aside from the injured driver, Nathan and Benjamin were taken to the local police station for questioning.
+++
The police officer driving Benjamin and Nathan had instructed them to call their parents. Mr. Dragon was out of town on business. That left Benjamin with only the option of calling his mom while she was in court.
Mrs. Pratt and Mrs. Dragon showed up at the police station shortly after their boys arrived. Benjamin and Nathan had already been questioned on the way over.
“Are you okay?” Mrs. Dragon asked her son as she examined him from head to toe.
“I’m fine mom. We were just there when it happened.”
“What did happen?”
Benjamin told his mother the story.
“It was a blessing the car swerved at the last second. That little girl could have been killed!”
Benjamin nodded sheepishly, but it was Nathan who interjected.
“The car didn’t swerve.”
Everyone looked at Nathan.
“What do you mean, sweetie?” Mrs. Pratt asked, concerned.
Benjamin shot Nathan a pleading look and shook his head ever so slightly.
“I…I’m not sure,” stuttered Nathan.
“Well I’m just glad everyone is okay. What do you say I take you all for an early dinner? My treat,” said Mrs. Dragon.
They all quickly agreed. Benjamin nudged Nathan on the way out the door, but Nathan ignored him. Benjamin’s face drooped as they walked out to their mother’s cars.
Chapter 8: Alone Again
A week passed and Benjamin kept getting the silent treatment from Nathan. His calls and emails went unanswered. Nathan wouldn’t even talk to him at school. It was as if he didn’t exist, again.
Benjamin was so confused. His ten-year-old mind tried to unravel the mystery. He’d thought they were becoming good friends, maybe even best friends. That was something Benjamin had never had. He longed for it.
The one bit of good news was that Emily Newsom, the girl who’d almost been run over by the car, started talking to Benjamin at school. They didn’t eat lunch together or anything, but it was nice to have someone to say hi to or just wave at between classes.
Benjamin almost jumped when his cell phone rang. He hadn’t gotten a call in almost a week. He’d been so engrossed in his homework that it took him a second to process the name on the screen: Nathan Pratt.
Benjamin quickly answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey,” said Nathan.
“Hey.”
“We need to talk.”
“Okay. When?”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Homework.”
“Can you meet me over at the park on Littleton?”
“Uh, sure.”
“I’ll see you there in fifteen minutes.”
The line went dead. Benjamin stared down at it. What did Nathan want? A sense of dread crept into Benjamin’s twisted gut.
+++
Nathan was sitting on a park bench throwing pebbles at a sapling when Benjamin arrived. A slight breeze carried the smell of roses blooming in a nearby flower garden.
“What’s up?” asked Benjamin, carefully.
Nathan took a minute to answer. Benjamin waited patiently.
“I’ve been running that car crash around in my head every day. I can’t understand what happened. The car should’ve hit that girl.”
“Emily.”
“What?” Nathan looked up, slightly annoyed at the interruption.
“Her name is Emily.”
“Whatever. Anyways, what I’ve been trying to figure out is how it flew the other way into that wall.”
Benjamin was staring at his feet. It was something he liked to do when he felt uncomfortable. Both boys were silent as the last comment hung in the air.
“Maybe it’s like my mom said. Maybe it just swerved at the last second.”
Nathan shook his head. “No. I’ve been around cars my whole life, and I’ve never heard of something like that happening. I even asked my dad and he said the same thing. He said the only thing that could do something like that was a tornado or hurricane. We don’t get those around here.”
Again the silence. Nathan grabbed another pebble and threw it at a squirrel that happened to be running by. The animal screeched and scurried away in search of a human-free zone.
“So why have you been ignoring me?” Benjamin asked cautiously.
“I don’t know. First it was the thing at school where you pushed me. I know that was my fault, but the car crash made me think about it again. How did you push me…or hit me that hard? Then there was the car thing. I don’t know what to think.”
Nathan picked up a fistful of pebbles and chucked them all at the same time. His face contorted in anger.
“I don’t know what you want me to say,” said Benjamin.
“Tell me what’s going on!” Nathan yelled.
Benjamin backed away a step. That made Nathan laugh.
“Don’t worry. I learned my lesson. I won’t be fighting you again.”
Benjamin tried to smile, but he couldn’t. Instead, a weird grimace came to his face.
“Does that mean you won’t tell me?” asked Nathan.
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“You’re lying.” Nathan stood up and started to leave.
“I’m not lying,” Benjamin pleaded. “I don’t know what’s going on either.”
Nathan stared at his friend with a cold look in his eyes.
“You’re the first friend I’ve had in a long time,” Benjamin said quietly. “I don’t want to mess that up.”
The comment caught Nathan off guard. He paused, as if rethinking his decision to walk home. Suddenly his eyes lit up.
“Wait a minute. You mean those weird things have never happened around you before?”
Benjamin shook his head.
“What if…”
“What?” Benjamin asked hopefully.
“Wha
t if you have…super powers?”
Chapter 9: Practice Makes Perfect
Benjamin stood in shock. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it, especially after the pencil thing. But he didn’t feel any different. Shouldn’t he at least feel something?
“That’s impossible,” said Benjamin.
“Has anything else weird happened?”
“I don’t think so,” mumbled Benjamin. The look on his face gave him away.
“I thought so!” smiled Nathan, triumphantly.
Benjamin wanted to melt into the ground.
“So what was it? Did you fly in the air or stop time?” asked Nathan, his face a mask of unbridled curiosity.
“I…it was nothing, I think.”
“Tell me, dude.”
Benjamin finally looked up at the larger boy and told him the story about dropping the pencil in class.
“That’s awesome!”
Benjamin smiled sheepishly, but then a look of dread replaced the grin.
“You can’t tell anyone,” pleaded Benjamin.
“Why not? This is gonna be so sweet!”
Benjamin’s fear-filled eyes stopped Nathan’s exultation.
“What is it?”
Tears welled in Benjamin’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?” asked Nathan cautiously.
“I don’t want to be a freak. They always make fun of me. I don’t want to make it worse.”
“Come on, it won’t be that bad. You’ll be so popular. Besides, if anyone tries to mess with you, I’ll take care of them.”
He punched his palm with his fist. The smack almost made Benjamin jump.
“You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone, Nathan.”
Nathan stared at Benjamin with a stupid smirk.
“Fine,” he said finally. “But I get to be your sidekick.”
After swearing to keep the secret, the two boys spit into their hands and shook on it. Benjamin’s secret was safe.
“So what should we try to do first?” Nathan asked excitedly.
Benjamin shrugged.
“I don’t know how to do it.”
“It’s probably just like those movies. Concentrate on something really hard and make it move.”
Nathan picked up a small brown rock and held it in his open hand.
“This should be easy. Try it!”
Benjamin looked around the park to see if anyone was watching. They were the only ones there.
Benjamin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to concentrate.
“Here goes…”
+++
Benjamin tried to move the small rock for almost an hour. Sometimes he would just stand and stare at it, willing it to move. Other times he tried putting his hand about six inches above it. One time Nathan said he thought he felt something, but it turned out to be a breeze blowing through the deserted park.
“It’s okay. Why don’t we try again tomorrow?” suggested Nathan. “Here, catch.”
The tiny rock lobbed its way toward Benjamin, who wasn’t expecting the throw. He moved to shield his face. Instead of hitting him, the stone stopped in midair, pivoted and rocketed back at Nathan.
“Ouch!” yelled Nathan when the pebble pegged his chest.
Benjamin hadn’t seen it.
“What happened?” he asked, frightened.
Nathan was rubbing his chest, but smiling.
“You did it.”
“Did what?”
“The rock stopped in the air and flew back at me.”
“I did that?” asked Benjamin, in shock.
“Yeah.”
The huge grin on Nathan’s face made Benjamin smile back. He looked down at his hand. It didn’t look any different. There weren’t any trails of smoke or scorch spots. Wasn’t that how it worked in the movies?
“What were you thinking when you did it?” asked Nathan.
“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want it to hit my face.”
Nathan snapped his fingers.
“Have you ever heard about how people get like super strength and stuff when there’s an emergency?”
“You mean like when a dad lifts a whole car off his kids or something?”
“Yeah! Maybe you’re doing the same thing.”
“I don’t know, Nathan. It doesn’t make me feel any different. I think I remember reading it’s all adrenaline when that happens.”
“So?”
“So when it’s over the person feels really tired. I don’t feel tired or anything.”
“Hmmm. Maybe your powers are just stronger. Maybe you won’t get drained.”
They could’ve kept talking about theories but Nathan’s cell phone rang in his pocket. He pulled it out.
“It’s my mom. Shoot. I better go. Try again tomorrow after school?”
Benjamin nodded.
“Cool. See ya, Dragon!”
Benjamin watched him go. He’d told the truth. He didn’t feel any different. Maybe a little scared. What if his weird powers hurt someone? What if they happened when he didn’t want them to? What if someone found out? What if his parents found out?
As he turned and walked home, Benjamin Dragon vowed to not let his parents or anyone other than Nathan know. He didn’t want to be a freak.
But a small part of his mind started to think about the possibilities. What would his powers let him do?
Chapter 10: The Note
Over the next few days Benjamin and Nathan spent every afternoon together. Sometimes they would go to the park and other days they would go to one of their houses.
They called it their ‘practice.’ The whole throw-something-at-Benjamin thing didn’t work much. Benjamin suspected that it was because he wasn’t surprised anymore. He knew Nathan was throwing a ball, a Cheeto or a stick at him.
Their practices got shorter and shorter as Benjamin’s gift seemed to disappear.
“Maybe your brain’s just tired,” said Nathan one day.
“Maybe.”
Benjamin didn’t like disappointing his friend, but part of him was almost relieved. Sure it was cool to have a special gift, but he couldn’t shake the fear that he might hurt someone without even knowing it.
On their last day of practice, Benjamin finally mustered the courage to bring up the subject with Nathan.
“What do you think would happen if someone got hurt?” asked Benjamin.
“What do you mean?” asked Nathan, whose mouth was full of puffy Cheetos. It was one of the perks of coming to Benjamin’s house. His parents let him eat anything since he was so skinny.
“What if I accidently hurt someone with my power? I’ve already given you bruises three times.”
Nathan thought about the question as he continued to shove the cheesy snacks in his mouth.
“We’ll keep practicing until you can control it. Don’t be such a worry wart.”
Benjamin wasn’t sure he could control it. He hadn’t yet.
+++
The next day at school was just like any other. Benjamin opened his dinged blue locker to get his brown bag before lunch. His mom still liked to pack it for him. Benjamin didn’t mind. She always bought him expensive organic food from the only specialty store in town. Mrs. Dragon thought it would make him healthier.
Benjamin’s friends gave him a hard time about the bagged lunch until they saw what was inside. They always wanted to trade. So instead of his packed lunch, Benjamin would always have an ample supply of school cafeteria pizza, French fries and ice cream. He liked it better anyway, and it made him look a little cooler in the eyes of his new friends. Sometimes they fought over who got what. It was pretty funny. That way he kept his mom and his friends happy. He was happy too.
As he reached to the back of his locker for his food, Benjamin noticed a weathered note taped to the inside of the locker door. It was folded neatly, and his name was printed on the outside in beautiful calligraphy.
Benjamin glanced around. Was someone playing a trick on him? He nervous
ly tore the note from the tape. The paper felt old and heavy. Its edges were a dull brown.
He opened the folded note and almost dropped it in fright. Inside, in the same neat handwriting, it said:
I know. Meet me in your backyard after school.
Benjamin shook as he read the note three times, four times, five times. He probably would’ve cried if he hadn’t been so scared. Shoving the note in his pocket, he closed the locker and headed to the cafeteria.
+++
His face was pale gray when he sat down. The other boys had their lunches, but had waited to see what Benjamin had in his brown bag.
“Where’s your lunch?” asked Little Mikey. Despite his small size, he somehow always ate more than anyone else.
“I call dibs on your dessert!” said Funny Paul, making a face that looked like a rabid dog.
Only Nathan seemed to notice the look on Benjamin’s face.
“What’s wrong?” asked Nathan.
“I…I’m not hungry.”
“Feeling okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I think I ate something funny this morning.” Benjamin grabbed his stomach to show them. “My mom made me some goat cheese omelet’s.”
The other boys made faces.
“Gross!” said Funny Paul.
“Nasty!” said Little Mikey.
Everyone except Nathan dug into their food now that they wouldn’t be able to trade with Benjamin. Nathan scooted closer and whispered, “Are you sure you’re okay?” He knew Benjamin’s looks. They’d gotten to know each other well. Nathan sensed that something wasn’t right.
“I’m all right. I think I’m gonna go see the nurse.”
“Want me to come?”
Benjamin shook his head. “No. I don’t want you to see me if I puke.” He forced a tiny smile on his face and got up from the table.
Nathan watched him go, his face furrowed with concern.
+++
Benjamin Dragon - Awakening (The Chronicles of Benjamin Dragon) Page 3
