Heroes of Phenomena Read online

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  IT WAS two and a half years ago, in the fourth grade, on the school playground. They had tackled and pinned me to the gravel. The more I struggled, the more rocks they stuffed in my mouth. Tears streaming down my face, I pleaded for them to stop, but they continued laughing as if we were all playing a sick game.

  “Hey! Gram! Russell! What are you doing?” The substitute teacher shouted.

  The two boys quickly got to their feet and in unison responded, “Nothing!”

  The teacher rose from her bench and approached the two bullies. I didn’t stick around to find out what they told her, instead, I got off my stomach, spit the rocks out of my mouth and ran as fast as I could, heading for the forest. The teacher had seen me running and was yelling after me.

  Still, I kept running, wishing that I were invisible…wishing the evil and the good would just forget about the monster boy who could no longer live in the light.

  In that moment I felt like an empty glass jar, so easily broken.

  Then it happened.

  A shutter of cold pain stung my muscles, causing me to plunge into the train. Slowly I lifted my head. My body ached and groaned with discomfort. All of a sudden it had come to me. In one painfully slow motion I sat up. The air had felt thicker and the world seemed so much smaller. Hesitantly, I lifted my hands to my face expecting to see claws. When I saw them, I was speechless. Aside from the luminous shine outlining their shape, my hands were completely transparent...and enormous! In fact my whole body was one gigantic translucent mass. I tapped my forearm. Like two wine glasses clinking together, they emanated an eery sound that echoed off the trees.

  A second monster?

  This is completely different from the monster I turned into when I was younger.

  I don’t want to be a monster!

  But how do I stop?

  Then I thought of how afraid I had felt in that darkened room and how sad I felt when I was attacked by those boys. In that moment, I discovered a connection.

  When I felt those strong emotions, I turned into monstrous creatures!

  I must contain my emotions!

  In fact I should stop them altogether.