There was a bright flash of lighting as the heavy rains poured down onto the moonlit forest.
Our dad had taken us out for some late night hunting, but things went south faster than he ever could’ve imagined.
“I-I can’t use a shotgun!! I don’t want to accidentally shoot you!!” Mom yelled, as she looked at the black bear that was looming over Dad with horror.
“Damnit, don’t worry about me!!” Dad choked, as he was crushed under the weight of the bear standing over him. “Just kill this damn thing!!”
After dad said that, mom aimed the shotgun at the bear, her hands shaking as she stood still for a few seconds, her eyes radiating fear, before she shut her eyes and ran back to the truck to get a pistol.
By the time she came back, she was too late.
Dad was gone, his body so mangled that it was barely recognizable.
I just sat beside him, my eyes wide. My brain was still comprehending what had just happened.
My sister Avianna had tried to help my dad fight the bear with a spear while mom was gone, but she wasn’t enough to stop it from killing him, despite her best efforts, and she was only able to drive it away after it had finished him off.
My mom ran to our dad and fell to her knees, her eyes filled with tears as she collapsed on top of him.
I looked to my sister as she looked to our fallen father, then to mom, as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, her eyes brimming with fury.
Normally, I’d try to help her and calm her down, but I was going through my own emotional storm right now, as what had just happened was now finally catching up with me, as tears steadily began streaming down my face, before I hugged my mother tightly, shutting my eyes.
After a few moments, I opened my blurry, tear filled eyes and looked at my sister again.
She was holding dad, too, but it looked like she went out of her way to be farther from mom as she did so, as she looked at her with an intense glare.
My sister’s face of intense rage is still burned into my memory even to this day.
But just then, I was snapped out of my thoughts of the past, and brought back to what was happening now, as Frank, our school’s worst bully, was trying to take my seat on the subway train we were taking to school, knocking me out of my thoughts.
“Hey, James!” He said mockingly. “Thanks for keeping my seat warm, I’ll be taking it now if you don’t mind.”
“Euhhhh, this jackass,” I thought to myself.
I hid my defiant annoyance as I stood up and got out of my seat. The moment my seat was open, he slid into it, nearly bumping into me, and immediately put his arms behind his head, making himself comfortable.
I held onto one of the vertical bars next to me while I was standing, as I avoided eye contact with Frank.
“It wouldn’t have been worth the trouble, anyways.”
When we finally reached our stop, I stepped out of the subway train, as Frank intentionally bumped into me, based on his smug expression when he looked back at me, before I walked out of the subway tunnel and into our school, where I saw my sister in one of the main hallway’s, getting her things from her locker.
“Sup, Avianna,” I said, lightly punching her shoulder. “Ready for the history test we have in first hour?”
Avianne sighed when I said that, which made me feel a bit bad about seemingly having reminded her.
“Nope, I’m not good with history,” she said, as she looked at me and smiled ever so slightly. “I totally forgot about that test.”
“It’ll be fine, it’s not hard to keep a good grade in Mr. Jawson’s class,” I said assuringly.
We then talked about the newest issue of Superman: The Golden Cape. It’s a comic series we both love reading for the shining, strong superhero who’s always there when people need him, even in their darkest moments.
By the time we got into our first hour class, I’d already told her in the hall that I went and bought the latest issue in the comic book store yesterday and already read it, and that I wouldn’t spoil anything for her.
Before we went to our separate seating, though, she playfully grabbed the collar of my shirt and made me promise to let her read it later, and I nodded, which made her smile as she let go of me and dusted my shirt off, before she went to sit in her seat, and I went to sit in mine.
It was nice being around Avianna, as she was the only person in school I really trusted enough to frequently talk to, being my sister and all.
I want to improve on opening up to other’s, but it’s hard. I just wish I could GET BETTER, like the popular people in school do, and like the happy people in life are, with their multiple friends and outward personalities… but it’s really difficult to change.
I enjoy my time alone, and while I do need SOME socializing, it’s easier said than done, at least for me. But seeing how happy other people are makes me want to be more like them, despite how different our personalities are.
I was about to open my new comic book to reread some of it, as Avianna couldn’t see from the complete other side of the classroom where she was seated, before a history test paper was dropped on my desk, making me sigh internally as I put my comic back in my backpack and pulled my pencil out of my pocket.
Throughout the test, I couldn’t focus for a few reasons. One of them was my lack of studying the night before, and the other reason was because the thoughts of Superman’s daring adventures were still replaying in my head, despite how much I tried to silence them.
I have trouble focusing on schoolwork at times like this. There isn’t really a school subject I would say that I “like”, but my brain still tries to keep me entertained in other ways all the same.
As the back of my mind was thinking about Superman’s intense battle with Batman, something that I could barely stop, I filled out the questions that seemed correct, and guessed on the questions that were unnecessarily specific information that would be useless to know in real life.
What happened at the Battle of Yorktown?
C. George Washington surrendered to General Cornwallis
Maybe I should’ve taken the time to actually study last night, but in my defense, the Superman comic I read last night was REALLY good!!
After I finished with the history test, the hour ended shortly after, and me and Avianna went our separate ways.
For the next few hours that passed, I mostly just mopingly fought through my unengaging school assignments and used my free time to continue rereading my comic, taking extra care to read it in the seats in the corners of my classes, so no other potential fans of the series would see it and get spoiled, and probably also so I wouldn’t be in the center of class or anything.
One thing about me is that since I usually barely talk with anyone in my classes day to day, my brain tries to make me “connect” to others in a different way, and it makes it quite easy for me to kind of “sense” other random people’s emotions just by being around them, even if I don’t want to, and it usually ends with me doing small, subtle things to make others feel better, like holding open a door and moving out of someone’s way, stuff like that. It’s sort of how I’m mentally built, I guess.
I’m sure that nearly everyone else has that kind of common courtesy, but it just feels a bit different for me, and it’s hard to explain why.
Whether I partially got these senses from my mother, or because it’s mostly just how my brain has adapted to my years of comfort in my own company, I’ll never know, but it’s sort of a blessing and a curse. But I’m glad to be more like her in that way.
When mom was still with us, before we moved in with our grandparents, Avianna used to see mom’s kindness as weakness, which she still does today as far as I know, but I think mom’s compassion was powerful.
Although mom would sometimes spend her time catering more to me rather than Avianna when we were younger, which is probably the reason Avianna was so close to our dad rather than her before we lost him, I still thought of her as a sweet, generous woman, who was kind to everyone she met, family, friend, or mere acquaintance.
As I walked through the hallway after my fourth class has just ended, I stopped in place when I saw Avianna being picked on my Frank and four of his buddies.
In addition to being taught how to hunt by our dad, Avianna was also taught some basic self defense, but this many people at once were just too many for even her to handle alone.
Frank and his thugs were laughing as they pushed Avianna around and were touching her in a… less than comfortable way, before she looked at me.
“James!! I could use a hand here, little bro!!! These punks really want an ass whooping, and we can give it to them!!” She yelled to me.
I took a few steps closer to her, but froze as Frank looked back at me with an intense glare.
“Stay out of this, James, unless you want your nose broken,” he said dryly.
I stood there, motionless for a few seconds, before I looked around quickly.
“I-I… I’ll get a teacher!!” I blurted, as I ran down the hall to Mrs. Joosey’s room, which wasn’t far.
Frank laughed as Avianna looked at me with intensity.
“Wha-No! James! Come back here!! Please…,” she yelled, her voice trailing off at the last word.
My eyes were watery, as I cursed myself internally, before I darted into Mrs. Joosey’s room and told her what was happening.
By the time we were back in the hall, Frank and his thugs were already gone, and Avianna was laying on the floor, with a few facial bruises and a black eye.
Mrs. Joosey then got Avianna back on her feet to take her to the nurses office.
When they passed me on the way there, Avianna looked at me with intense anger and fury, which brought back flashes of the night we lost dad, which according to Avianna, was because mom was too weak to stand her ground in the heat of the moment.
Her expression was like a knife in the chest, as the thought of the memory only added to my downcast emotions, as I stood there, tears rolling down my face, even after they were out of view.
I was about ten minutes late for my next class, and once I got there, the whole hour was sort of a blur, as all I could think about was my cowardice for failing to defend my sister, the ONE person left in this world who I truly felt connected to, and who I ran away from when she needed my help.
For once, I wasn’t sensing any emotions around me beside my own, since I was using all of my energy as I was mentally berating myself harshly.
“DAMNIT!! SERIOUSLY?!? SHE’S YOU’RE SISTER!!! AND YOU BAILED ON HER!!!…. I’m such a goddamn coward…”
It took a lot of mental strength to stop myself from sobbing in that moment, but I had to keep my composure, around all of these damn people, who I didn’t want to make uncomfortable by having them see me cry.
After an eternity of mental sorrow, when the hour ended, I headed to lunch, dried tear marks still quite visible on my face, as I dreaded the thought of running into Avianna.
I was a coward… and I didn’t deserve to be around her.
Ever since we lost dad, Avianna has always been there for me when I needed her. She helps me with the school assignment’s I struggle with in the best way that she can, and she doesn’t let any bully, even Frank, get away with picking on me.
I just wish I could’ve been the same kind of person to her…
After I got my lunch, I looked around and saw Avianna sitting at a table near the edge of the cafeteria, all by herself.
My thoughts raced over what I should do.
“I-I don’t want to run into Frank again!”
“Damnit, if Frank shows up again, we’ll give him all we’ve got!! It’s the LEAST we could do for her now!!“
“Eughh… I… I have to make things right with her, otherwise we’re going to avoid each other all week. I don’t want to leave her like this.”
Once I made my way over to her table, I slowly set my tray down and took a seat, before I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly.
After some mental contemplation, I gathered what little courage I had and looked at Avianna.
“Avianna?… I’m really sorry,” I said quietly.
She stayed silent, as she looked away from me, at the wall.
“Please, Avianna, I want to be strong like you… but I’m just… not,” I said, my voice becoming a bit more audible. “You’re an amazing sister, and I look up to you. I’m so sorry if I remind you of mom. I know you two weren’t exactly close after we lost dad.”
Avianna turned her head to look at me. Her expression was clearly angry, but it had a hint of sadness, too.
“Sorry doesn’t fix everything, James. Just leave me alone,” she said, as she stood up and headed for the cafeteria exit doors.
I stood up, as I was about to follow her, before I stopped myself, and slowly sat back down, before I laid my head down on the table.
“She needs time to herself. At least I told her sorry I am.”
I lifted my head back up as I looked to the exit doors.
“Not that it matters much. The best thing I can do for her right now is give her time alone like she said.”
I then stood up and threw away my lunch before I’d even started eating it, as this emotional rollercoaster hadn’t helped my appetite in the slightest, before I went to the nearby men’s bathroom to clean myself up.
I sighed to myself loudly as I looked in the mirror, at my pitiful reflection, before I washed my face with water, and heard the door to the bathroom open.
I looked to the side and saw Frank walking in, by himself, looking at me with a confident grin.
“So, I assume that you and Ave had a bit of a falling out, huh?” He laughed.
I blinked rapidly, as I clenched my fists.
“This… bastard has the gall to tease me after I failed to protect Avianna. He deserves to be punished…”
He then put his hand on my shoulder, patting me uncomfortably.
“But hey, at least now she finally see’s you for what you really are.”
I turned my head and looked at him directly, my eyes radiating fury as he spoke.
“A pathetic, quiet little boy, who just scared without his mo-“
He was interrupted as I just couldn’t hold my emotions in any more and socked him in the nose, causing him to take a few steps back, before he looked back at me and smiled.
“Heh, wow! Never thought you’d have the guts to even try nailing a single punch,” he said, stepping closer to me, as his smile grew more devilish. “You really want to do this?! Here?! Now?!”
I didn’t respond as I looked at him angrily and held my fists up, standing my ground.
He laughed for a second, before he quickly swung his fist at me, too quickly for me to respond to in time, as he slammed me in the side of the head, the force causing my head to smack into the sink, before I fell to the ground.
My vision was blurry, as he grabbed my shirt by the collar and gritted his teeth, as he punched me repeatedly.
Over, and over, and over, and over again, as his hand was being coated with more and more of my blood, before the corners of my vision were becoming a void of black.
Before my vision was completely overtaken by black, I noticed that Frank had stopped punching me and was looking at something behind me that was glowing a bright blue and purple, his eyes wide.
He then let go of my shirt collar and took a few steps back, before he ran out of the bathroom, at least I assumed, based on how little I could see, before I shakily lifted my hands to the sink next to me and very slowly pulled myself back onto my feet, and turned around.
I didn’t know if it was because Frank had hit me too hard or what, but this looked like some kind of a large floating crack, sort of like cracked glass, as the outlines were glowing blue and purple.
Before I had the chance to try to comprehend what the strange anomaly was, it opened widely, showing a void of white, before I was suddenly pulled into it, as the force caused me to fully black out, before I shut my eyes.