Darryl Fischer easily picked up the car and tossed it twenty feet into a tower of cars.
“Wow, you can do that?”
He smiled down at his companion, his ten-year-old cousin Haley. Out of all the extended family, she was the only one that he heard had the gene in her, the same gene that he had to make him a telekinetic.
He had been telekinetic since birth, scaring his parents and teachers. In those days, they didn’t have the genetic tests like they did now, and it wasn’t until his science teacher, Mr. Kenny, had told him what he was. Kenny was a light telekinetic himself who went by the name Holder in super hero circles, but he was mostly telepathic.
In pure telekinetic abilities, though, very few surpassed Darryl. Since his parents’ divorce last year, he had been pretty wayward, using his abilities to bully other people around. It wasn’t until Mr. Kenny passed away just a couple of months ago in the line of duty that he decided to become a true hero.
His mother told him about Haley, so he took her to the junkyard to show her his abilities. He shoved two tons worth of items around like they were nothing. He picked up things and threw them around. He pushed items away from himself, or drew them forward.
“People are a lot more fragile than these things. With this, I can let loose. With people, I can snap their bones without meaning to. It took me a long time to learn how to crush people without killing them.”
“Do you like being a hero?”
“Of course,” he lied. Not that he hated it, but he didn’t like the control he had to exert every time he went up against a bad guy. They believed in rehabilitating people, and some times victims sued the heroes, which was why his insurance rate was through the roof. Luckily, PRIMUS paid the premiums.
“Try moving the tire,” he said, pointing to a tire next to one of the cars. “Make it roll.”
Haley opened her eyes wide. Darryl felt the push of air surrounding Haley, and watched as the tire wobbled from the shove, but not stand up, or move at all. Darryl grunted and walked over to the tire. “This time we’ll knock it over.” He righted the tire and turned back to her.
She opened her eyes wide again, and concentrated on the tire. He let go of it, and it toppled backward from the light shove of air. She had an average ability, but with practice, she could develop it, he thought.
He hoped. He didn’t want to be the only powerful telekinetic in the family.
She laughed and clapped at her success.
He started walking back to her. Something slammed into his shoulder from behind, spinning him forward, making him misstep and land on his back.
“Nice trick, kid,” said a voice, and Darryl came face to face with a gun’s barrel. He narrowed his eyes and pushed, but something stopped him.
“Kill him,” said that same voice, and the man pulled the trigger.
~~~~~~~~~~~
“You were almost dead,” said a voice in the blackness. “They think the telekinesis saved you.”
Sobbing.
“Oh, honey…” Another voice.
“Danny came by…”
Beep. Beep.
“I’m here, Darryl.”
“How’s the burger?” “You know hospital food…”
Beep. Beep.
“Uncle George died today…”
“They think they have a lead on Haley…”
“Danny got married this weekend…”
Beep. Beep.
“Your poor brother, Danny…”
“…pull the plug.” “Don’t talk like that!”
“Squeeze my hand. Something.”
“Your father’s really sick but he won’t…”
Beep. Beep.
“Cancer, they said. Not long, they said.”
“God closes a door but opens a window.”
“I’m bored, mommy.”
“…pull it.”
~~~~~~~~~~
A doctor shut off the machine and they waited for the young man in the bed to die.
Two hours later, the nurse screeched and ran out of the room, slamming shut the door. “Call Doctor Perkins! He’s awake!”
The nurse went back into the room while dressers, chairs, and machines from the room was flying around, banging against each other.
“Darryl. Darryl, can you hear me?”
The items stopped their whirlwind and settled. Everything banged on the floor twice.
Darryl’s mother threw open the door and stared. Everything was suspended above the ground for about a foot. The nurse looked at his mother, and his mother said, “Darryl?”
Bang, bang.
She put her hands to her mouth as tears started. A chair settled itself next to the bed. She walked over to the chair taking Darryl’s hand.
Bang, bang.
“Oh, my God. Call – call Harry.”
“Dr. Perkins is on his way,” said the nurse, checking her text. “He may be waking up.”
Bang, bang.
Three months later came his first croaked words as his mother sat beside the bed. “Water.”
Bang, bang.
Less than a week later he opened his eyes and everything in the room dropped.