ALEX IN MANHATTAN
The busy and loud streets of Manhattan were buzzing in the morning rush hour. A man, 25 years of age, rode along the crowded sidewalks on his bike not looking for anything in particular. He had been riding for so long the alleys were beginning to look hospitable. He was wearing a cap on backwards and was in a pair of naturally worn jeans and a moderately well sized blue t-shirt. His name is Alex Grey. Having lived in Texas his whole life, he sort of felt Claustrophobic beneath the towering buildings. But he always used these long bike rides to think about his life. He remembered when he was little how he had to go to the hospital because the nerves in his eyes were dying. He would go blind but he could keep his vision through a risky procedure. They (meaning his family and him) made the decision to go through with it. Because electricity is what keeps nerves alive the doctors were going to jump start them with electric pulsars. The pulsar had lost control and sent him into cardiac arrest, and then a month long coma. When he woke his body had changed drastically. He developed senses for the fifth dimension. In doing so he could manipulate matter around him letting him move objects with his mind, create force fields, magnetic fields, fly and even with greater effort of his ability, he could teleport.
It was Friday afternoon on a gray cloudy day. Alex's bike resided just outside the coffee shop he was in. The streets were filled with dry umbrellas waiting for a down pour. His eyes viewed the street through the glass wall until he found a figure high up on a building. He was unsure what he was looking at for a second. He then made out that the figure was a girl. She looked young but no younger than him. Her brunet hair whipped across her face only showing her closed eyes. She spread her arms out. It confused him for a second but then he grasped his thoughts back and realized "she's going to jump!". He knew no one realized her but him. He had to do something but only one thing came to mind. He squeezed his eyes tight and with all the effort he could muster he concentrated on the place where the girl stood, then the sounds of the coffee shop around him were replaced with the sound of wind brushing by his ears making the noise of the streets below inaudible. Alex opened his eyes to see about a yard and a half away from him, the back of the girl spread-armed whom he was just looking at from the ground below. The wind was too loud for her to hear him so he slowly inched towards her using baby steps, one at a time, with his arm stretching out to her shoulder. About two feet away he stopped in his tracks lost for a solution on how to approach this situation. He decided to make his presence known. He spoke loudly.
"Uh-hey-I-"
But apparently this was the wrong move because as soon as she heard Alex's voice she let out a surprised scream and fell over the edge, and Alex followed shortly behind. Alex knew they only had about four seconds until they met the hard pavement. So he grabbed the girl's hand and pulled back as hard as he could. For a split second, they stopped completely and then they took off through the air. He pulled her into his chest to hold onto her better. Alex flew to the closest rooftop he saw, then to the next highest one. He put her down immediately, she panting as hard as he was.
"Who are you-what are you-did we just fly?" She said breathlessly from the shock.
"I think the words you're looking for are thank you," Alex said a little angrily, after risking his life.
"For what, stopping me? It was my choice and you took it from me!"
"What, the opportunity to kill yourself?"
"You don't know anything" she retorted.
"I know enough to know that no one should ever throw their life away!"
It was then when a tear rolled down the girl's cheek that Alex realized how beautiful she was. The look of dissatisfaction mixed with anger and sadness told him she couldn't think of anything else to add to the argument. Alex had won the argument. After a moment of silence Alex let out a little laugh. The girl looked up at him as though he had just cussed her out.
"What?" she said sounding a bit outraged.
"Oh, its nothing." Alex said with a smile on his face.
"No, really?" she insisted.
"It's just I've known you for about four minutes and we're already arguing like an old married couple."
She didn't respond.
"My name is Alex," he said reaching out a welcoming hand. There was a moments pause.
"Lily," she said after turning her back on him.
Alex spoke up again. "Well, um, seeing you no longer require my services..." he said while walking to the building's ledge. She turned to look at him, "Wait, what are you-NO!" she yelled as he hopped off the ledge. He hovered just below the ledge out of sight. He floated back up a little bit. "You still need something?" he asked not really curious but just messing with her. She let out a sigh of relief and walked away and sat down. She started muttering to herself, apparently experiencing some hysteria. Alex climbed back up and approached her from behind. He cleared his throat, "Are you by chance a member of Sam's Club?"
"Wait, what?" she exclaimed.
"Just trying to break the silence.."
"Just shut up. I have a question for you," she was now on her feet advancing toward him, apparently angry and speaking rapidly now. "It's been a long hard day for me, right? And I'm tired and don't feel like going home. So maybe I just want to throw myself off a building. But no, you had to go and stop me, why? Why did you stop me? WHY-DID-YOU-STOP-ME?" She stopped, still looking at him with outrage, breathing heavily. There was a pause.
"Why not?" he said with an attitude of simplicity.
"That's not an answer!"
"So what does it matter, I saw you up on that ledge and no one else did. I wasn't going to let you die if I could help it."
"But no one could help it. There was no way any person could have saved me. I locked the roof door."
"Well, you've probably figured out by now I am not like other people." Alex said getting a little louder.
"But even so, what difference does it make. You don't know me, why would you risk your life?"
"Why is it so hard for you to comprehend that someone might actually care for you! That I might care what happens."
At this she stopped. Her face softened and went into a world of other thoughts.
"Listen I didn't mean it like that I just meant..." he said quickly trying to correct himself.
"No, I get it," she said softly, her mood completely changed.
"It's just, it's been a long time since someone said something like that", she said.
Alex was lost for words for a second. "Well, let's get down from here" he said breaking the silence.
Alex had planned to leave a week ago, embarking to the Eastern hemisphere. But the truth of the fact was, he wasn't quite ready to leave America. It was a Tuesday early in the morning and Alex did not expect to find himself in the same corner coffee shop looking at the same scene, expecting to see that same girl on that same ledge. But, as a matter of fact, he did see her and not only did he see her right outside, but he also saw a car flying right towards her and she happened to be right in front of the coffee shop's glass wall.
"Lily!" Alex shouted even though she couldn't hear him. He stretched his arms out towards the car. He had only meant to stop the car in its path but he was in such a hurry that he blew the glass wall out and knocked the car backwards out of the air. Everyone's attention was on him, even Lily's. Alex was not currently aware of his audience, but his attention was occupied with something much further down the road. There was a man. He was standing in the middle of the street. All he had on was a pair of jeans and the torn remains of a shirt that hung on his neck and shoulders. Though they were about 75 yards apart they each knew that the other was looking right at him. Alex stepped over the empty windowsill as to get a better view of the guy. Some onlookers, now great in number, pressed against the building walls when the people inside the various buildings started locking their doors. Others started leaving as to not get stuck in the cross fire.
"Lily, I want you to go home and just get out of this place," Alex spoke to her. Lily was still sitting on the ground with her mouth wide open from shock.
"But-I-" she mumbled still lost for words.
"No buts, I really need you to just do this for me. Go!"He said raising his voice. She nodded and quickly, with the exception of one backwards glance, hurried off.
Alex turned his attention back the man. He was now only about forty yards away from where Alex stood. He was surprised to see a smile on the man's face. It was a nasty and malicious smile, and made him give off a large ominous presence. ‘But how could this man cause such a catastrophe as seen before me?' Alex wondered. ‘It's impossible-unless..........'
The man then slammed his foot on the ground, echoing a hundred times louder than it should have and seconds later pillars of earth began to erupt from the ground by the dozens. Alex then made a large wave of force burst down the street. Its magnitude was so large it cleared an aisle through the story high pillars. Alex lifted rubble of large quantities off the ground, and with a jolt of his arm he sent the mass flying at the man. The man did not flinch at this but instead he let out a sudden roar. The number of decibels this man released was of monstrous proportions. So monstrous in fact that the mass of rubble reversed its direction creating a horizontal plague of hail coming right at Alex. He then made an invisible barrier almost impossible to maintain. Windows shattered, the ground ruptured into furious hornets of shattered asphalt impaling every standing thing. And with a great amount of his effort, Alex made everything air born freeze, and then all at once, drop to the ground. Some rubble was so large it severed some water lines in the already deepened ground. Water now began to shoot from the ground as if geysers naturally formed right there in the street. The man suddenly motioned his arms upward as if to be lifting something heavy over his head. The water spewing from the ground began to suck towards the man, forming a ball over his head. Alex, suddenly realizing what he was going to do, soared into the air avoiding what could have been a title wave. Alex was now fending off fifty yard long whips of water. He was bursting strands left and right getting showered making it near impossible to stay aloft. The man then blasted a whole airborne wave with a couple of boulders trailing behind. And with all the power Alex possessed, he slammed his hands together, making the immense amount of force protruding from them slice through the wave, the trailing boulders, and even gouge through a whole building. The splitting force of the juggernaut that his hands emanated knocked back the man, and he was not getting up from it. Alex approached the man lying on the ground. He stopped ten feet away from him. The man's eyes cracked open.
"Ah, Alex so nice to see you," said the exhausted man, with a Russian accent.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, just a fan," the man said, starting to laugh. His laugh got louder and louder to the point where the man shouldn't have found it funny and then he suddenly stopped. He jolted his fist forward making a boulder fly at Alex. Just barely Alex dodged it. With his back to the man Alex blindly redirected it over his shoulder back at the man. Alex turned to see he aimed correctly but the man had gone. He then heard sirens off in the distance and he didn't want to have to explain his situation so he left that place still wondering where that odd man might be.
The first thing Alex did was go and see Lily, on the same night. She was a wreck. But she was tough and through their talk (although Alex thought really she did most of the talking, saying stuff so fast it sounded like gibberish, and he would just nod pretending to understand what she was saying)she worked past her shell shock. But Alex had to admit it was worth every minute being with her. He later worked up the courage to invite Lily to a coffee shop (that wasn't currently in reconstruction) and she willingly accepted. Every morning, as much as possible, they met at the shop (where Alex now worked) and until noon they talked. They talked about life, likes, dislikes, music, hobbies, and so on. And for Alex all was well.
It was Friday night, the rain was pouring and Alex had two tickets to go see Big Love, her favorite play. He chose this night because it was forecasted to rain and Alex knew Lily liked to go out when it was raining. What Alex did not know that when he went to surprise her that night, she would be gone with a note left on the door. It read:
Dear Alex,
You have probably noticed something of yours is missing by
now. Well not to worry, your little friend is just fine with me.
But it would behoove you to meet me in Central Park at no
later than twelve o'clock. We don't want anyone to get hurt
So don't be late.
From: Markus(A.K.A- A fan)
Alex had nearly thrown up on the spot. He had never felt so helplessly worried. ‘How could he have let this happen? I have to find her, I can't wait another second,' He thought. He closed his eyes tightly, and then felt rain drops on his head. He opened his eyes to find himself at the edge of Central Park. And so he pushed forward. Alex stopped dead in his tracks when he wasn't but ten yards away from the man he wanted to see least in the world right now.
"Alex, you accepted my invitation!" said Markus.
Alex's eyes glanced over to find Lily tied to a tree. He started to run towards her but Markus stuck his arm out at her in a threatening way.
"Woe there, not so fast. I believe we have some unfinished business."
And before Alex could do anything Markus sent a chunk of earth flying right at him. Alex had no time to make a shield so he doubled up his fist, and putting as much force in front of his fist as possible he punched the large boulder. It shattered on the very hair of his knuckle. He repeated this one after the other. Surprised by the effects he suddenly got an He flew into the air only to be followed by a trail of boulders and blasts of water. He began to form energy in his fist. He couldn't move or he would lose his concentration. So his side and face were starting to get sliced. The man was now rising to meet his level, floating on a platform pulled from the ground. Alex then started to fly right at Markus. The large debris and trees were now glancing off him, for the force he was radiating was too strong. Markus was now doing everything in his power to stop Alex but his speed was too great. When Alex's fist met Markus's chest the sound of what sounded like thunder erupted. Markus was sent hurling backwards, and planted into the ground. Alex found his body in its own grave it dug. Markus was no more.
Alex rushed to where Lily was. The rain was now pouring. She was waiting nervously, and she burst out hugging him the second he cut her free. ‘I can honestly say,' thought Alex, ‘this is the happiest moment of my life.'
"Alex?"she asked still arm and arm with him.
"Yeah?" He asked his voice a little shaky now.
"Why are you crying?" she asked.
"Because......we missed our play." He lied
"our play?"
"Yeah. Well I knew it was going to rain tonight, and how you like going out when it rains, so I looked up plays for tonight and I saw this one called Big Love and I remembered how you were talking about it and so I bought these two tickets and-"
He stopped talking because she had this look like she was about to cry.
"Oh, if you don't want to see that then I can.,.."
"Just shut up," She said with her eyes wide.
"Wait. Wha-"
And before he could finish she pressed her lips on his, and Alex had his first kiss of the rest of his life.
