Pheonix: A story about high school, geeks and super powers. - utsavkotrial - Jan. 09, 2011
Hello everyone. This is a not a Beyblade related story. I just found a few chapters of this story that I penned down about 7-9 months ago. Do you like it?
My writing doesn't do justice to the character, but I want to see where I can take him. If people like it, I will post 1-2 new chapters every Sunday, or more frequently if I have the time.
PROLOGUE:
Aah, that feeling of the wind blowing on your face when you're running at a hundred miles per hour- Or whatever speed it was that I was running at-
Isn't it amazing?
I kept running, and felt the last shreds of my shoes that were holding on to my feet, slip away.
Now my clothes were tearing off.
Okay, I should REALLY stop now.
But that's a little hard to do when you're moving about on top of the city skyline at a really high speed, and hopping from one roof to another.
I continued jumping, but slowly. I lifted myself off the edges with ease, my toes pushing downward, propelling me to a height, and then slowly descending. In a few minutes, I landed on the roof of another skyscraper. I managed to slow myself down, and I skidded to a stop, stumbling and then rolling. I came to a halt about a metre away from the edge of the glassy roof.
Damn! This is the TechSky office building! What if dad sees me?
I imagine it must look weird, seeing your son lying half-naked on the roof of a thirty-storey glass structure.
My eyes flitted left and right, looking for an escape route. The closest building was much smaller, about twelve-storeys smaller. But it had a terrace. And a staircase connecting it to the street, so I would be able to take a bus home.
I breathed in deeply, looking over the fantastic city. This concrete jungle was my playground.
It looked amazing that night, because of all the lights. All the cars and people look like little bugs from up here, I thought and smiled. I'm special.
I lifted one leg and hung it over the edge.
Why was I hesitating? I knew that my body could take the fall. I realised it when I fell out of the window of my friends apartment at a party. I don't remember how high it was. But I remember getting up, taking the elevator up to his house and going back in like nothing had happened.
No one even noticed. Sigh, teenagers. They're either too busy checking out girls or using their phones or doing something that they're not supposed to.
I swung my leg from one side to another, contemplating. What if someone had seen me? What if someone sees me landing on the building and getting up and walking away nonchalantly?
Well, what if? I really didn't know what would happen. Because teenagers can choose not to think about something when it's too taxing.
I stood there for a second, admiring the view. It was a chilly night, and the absence of my shirt made me want to get home and cuddle up in my warm, cozy bed.
I spread my arms like a bird spreads it's wings, and leaped forward.
I was getting closer and closer to the terrace, and I positioned myself to land. Sometimes, when I'm hanging in midair, I like to think that I can fly.
Thwump.
I ran down the stairs and reached the bus stop in about 0.2 seconds. I was moving so fast that no one could see me. I looked at the people around me. It was late, and people were just coming out of the nearby pub, looking so drunk, that I could've morphed into an elephant and they wouldn't notice.
I fell asleep in the bus on my way home, because it was a long ride.
I got home at 12:30 AM, and snuck in through my bedroom window. I played some Assassin's Creed on my laptop, fed my baby tortoise, and fell asleep while eating from a packet of flavoured chips. Oh yes, this is the life, I thought, before my eyes closed.
Right, now let me start from the beginning because that's usually where people start from.
A month earlier.
Chapter 1:
ORIGINS :
My name is Walter Haddon.
I am fifteen years old.
I am tall but not really tall like the guys who are like, really tall. I have a pet tortoise named Cocoa. I have black hair and right now it's kinda short. I fail math every once in a while. I know I'm supposed to say the colour of my eyes now but frankly, I don't know. Brownish black, maybe? At least I have them, that's what counts, right? I like the same thing that every teenage guy likes. . . You know what I mean. . .uh .
Music.
I like punk music because it makes me want to run. And I like running, as of late.
I can outrun you.
In fact, I can outrun anything.
A fast car, a train, and yes, maybe even a bullet.
I discovered my speed on my 15th birthday.
It was a Wednesday, and I had school. After mom and dad giving me awkward kisses on my cheek in the morning, I met my friends at school who stole my lunch and smacked me on my head about a hundred times as a ritual because it was my birthday. Because that's what friends are for.
Anyway, I had made up my mind to finally ask Debra out on a date. She's this amazing girl I had a crush on for almost four months.
She had a boyfriend, who proceeded to become the villain, if not the supervillian, of this story for a while.
So I walked up to her at lunch and said, "Hey Debra, wanna go out?"
And she said, "Happy Birth-what? Oh really? But I'm with Brandon and- I need time to think.. And .."
And I said, "Okay take all the time you want. Ten whole seconds. Ten. Nine. Eight-"
"But-"
"Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three-"
I saw her give in and smile, waiting for the countdown to finish.
"Two. One. phew, that's enough math for today."
And she said, "Okay."
"Is that a yes?"
"Nope, that was an okay. This is a yes. Yes."
And yes, that was exactly how it happened, no exaggeration.
I'm an ordinary guy, not an athlete (except running, I guess). When all the others go to parties, I would rather stay home and read comic books or play God Of War or something.
And I hate it when they stereotype guys like me in movies and make it look like we can never get girlfriends. Guys like us have girlfriends, and good-looking ones (believe me). That is why the no. of guys like us are increasing everyday. Or maybe it's just because people are getting lazier everyday, but whatever.
I mean, Debra is amazing. However, I know you probably don't believe me because I am probably lying because I am a teenager.
Anyway, let me get to the point. After school, I was walking Debra to the yellow school bus, when someone tapped me on the shoulder.
I turned around.
It was Brandon, with four of his friends. I know it's a cliché, but he was an athlete. Muscular and mean. And so were his friends.
"What the hell are you two doing?", and he pushed me hard.
As much as it pains me to say the next part, I'm going to say it- I punched him and he got really mad and I had no choice, I . . Umm . . RAN.
Oh come on, what would you have done? Even Debra screamed, "Run!" and there were five of them and one of me. So I darted to the left, towards the sidewalk.
And like a chase scene in a movie, they bolted after me.
I knew they would catch up with me in a minute or two, but I ran as fast as I could anyway. And that was when I felt something weird.
Light-headed.
Light-footed.
I felt as if I was swiftly gliding across the
ground. I thought I was sick.I turned my head to see how close they were, and gasped.
They looked like tiny specks, almost invisible and were really far away.
I had reached the end of the long road in just ten seconds or so, and I was standing at the intersection. There was an old man on crutches crossing the road who looked at me in a strange way. He blinked repeatedly, as if he was trying to believe what he just saw.
What just happened? Why do I not feel exhausted?
I was really confused. I didn't want to return to the bus.
I got into a cab, and my cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?! That was insane! You ran so fast it was like you flew across the road!"
"Oh, hi Debra. Yeah. Umm, I am really good at running and stuff. Like, sprinting. I'm a sprinter."
"That was amazing!"
"So are you."
There was silence on the line, but I just knew she was grinning from ear to ear.
"I've got some work to do Deb, I'll call you later, okay?"
"Cool."
I had no work to do. HAH! Like teenagers work.
I had to get home or go to the park or something. World Of Warcraft could wait, this was the real deal.
What if I have superpowers? I have to do some tests to know for sure. Man, this is like that scene from Spiderman., I was so excited that I was shaking in the seat. And the cabbie was giving me suspicious looks. But never mind that.
BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.
That day, my parents weren't at home. My dad is working almost ALL the time and my mom was at a mall,
So I was good for another 72 hours, at least.
Kidding.
I ran around in my backyard. It was way too small.
My driveway was big, but I could reach the other end in no time.
My legs had become powerful. (which I realised a week later when I fell out of my friend's apartment window). I could run over tiny sharp rocks and they wouldn't hurt me.
Then I realised I could jump over HUGE rocks.
And I could jump over my driveway without having to cross it.
It was almost as good as flying.
However, the rest of my body was only a bit stronger, and I still wasn't very good at fighting.
It was like I had transformed overnight into some kind of super fast wonder kid. I was like Superman without the x-Ray vision and invincibility and the red underwear. No wait, I was like Flash.
I needed a superhero name of some sort. And a costume.
Nah. No costume. I'd look stupid, I thought.
And I knew it was highly unlikely that I would even have an arch enemy.
Just because there's a superhero doesn't necessarily mean there has to be a supervillian. And just because there's a superhero doesn't mean he has to fight the bad guys.
Because, maybe, just maybe, with great power comes great enjoyment.
But I still need a name, just in case.
Fastboy?
(How very imaginative.)
Swift?
(Cool, but then again, there's Taylor Swift. I could be made fun of.)
Flash 2.0?
(Yes, I know that's a software.)
Then one afternoon I looked up at the blue sky. It was a clear day. Not very sunny.
I went to the abandoned factory close to my house.
The rusty iron gates had a padlock that was easy to break open.
I was so fast that I could literally run up the moss-covered wall. It felt so good, the bricks almost crumbling under my feet.
I was at the top of the four-storey building.
I'm ready for this, I told myself.
I could see another building that was close.
I took a running start and pushed myself of the ledge.
I wasn't afraid. I knew I would make it.
And at that moment, I could only think of one word.
Pheonix.
It's kinda epic, isn't it?
Feedback will help!
RE: Pheonix: A story about high school, geeks and super powers. - Ga' - Jan. 09, 2011
nice story! Can't wait to read more. You have some talent at writing.
RE: Pheonix: A story about high school, geeks and super powers. - .:J:. - Jan. 09, 2011
love it, was planning on doing something like this, but my guy can warp time and light and stuff!
RE: Pheonix: A story about high school, geeks and super powers. - utsavkotrial - Jan. 10, 2011
Haha I got 3 'no you suck we hate you's.
Anyway, thanks a lot for the feedback. I will continue writing. My guy's power eventually develops [spoiler alert!] and he meets someone like him. Also working on the high school angle.
Will post the next two chapter on Saturday, or earlier, if I can manage.
|