Alan Price and the Colossus of Rhodes

Chapters 15 and 16

Chapter 15

Four Years Ago

Alan’s whole body tingled. He felt warmth emanating from the very core of his being. Air leaked slowly, almost painfully into his lungs as his mind fought for an answer. The fall that should have killed him, the plummet from the business building dozens of stories up left him standing on his feet rather than a stain on the cold cement ground.

Alan’s eyes darted around him, above him, everywhere, anywhere that could provide an answer as to why he wasn’t dead. There was nothing that could have stopped him. Alan never felt so alone. No one would believe him even if he could explain what happened.

He searched desperately for any pedestrians, anyone to confirm that he wasn’t crazy, that he had flown or at the very least hovered. There was no one. The business district that teemed with human traffic during the day was a desert of tall buildings and empty windows.

Alan would have stayed there, stuck searching for an answer that seemed unexplainable if not for the wails of distant sirens. It came back to him in a second; the security guard on duty must have called the police. 

Waiting and trying to explain to the police what transpired seemed like a joke. Maybe they could have helped him but adrenaline was surging through Alan’s veins at a sickening pace. In that moment, he decided to run.

Tuxedo jacket trailing behind him Alan ran away from the sounds of the nearing sirens and to a future that seemed more bleak and alone than ever.

 

Chapter 16

Going home wasn’t an option. In a weird kind of way, Alan felt like he was starting his life from the beginning. He had nothing. Any money he once had, he had spent on the tuxedo and haircut that night for the school dance. He was alone, vulnerable and, above all, confused.

The wind that pushed him over the top of the building reminded him of how alone and helpless he really was. Even now, it buffeted him from side to side. Alan wrapped his slender arms around himself forcing his body not to shiver against the cold.

He was in the heart of the city. The business district was only a few short blocks from downtown. Alan made his way down the street. So wrapped up in how he managed to escape death only minutes before, his current destination seemed the least of his worries.

This is crazy. You’re going crazy. There is no way you should have survived that, no way. How… But…

Alan felt as though his mind was tearing. Synapsis were firing at a frenzied speed and theories ranging anywhere from some kind of cable or net he couldn’t see hindering his fall to an alien being catching him out of some kind of intergalactic pact with humanity filled his head.

Alan shivered despite his best efforts as cars drove by and lights passed him. The downtown district of the city played to its rough reputation with harsh brick buildings and cement walls. Hotel and motel lights blinked off and on, welcoming any visitor with signs of vacancy. Hot dog stands and all-night diners reminded Alan of the last time he ate and, at the same time, his current lack of money.

“Hey, hey, kid. Where ya going?”

Alan looked to his left. In a dark alley between two closed buildings stood two men. The one that had addressed him was easily twice as wide as he was. A hooked nose and deep scar on his left cheek told Alan all he needed to know. Alan was familiar with what a bully sounded and looked like even if he wasn’t at school.

Instead of trying to reason with the man or engage him in conversation, Alan put his head down and quickened his pace. His eyes searched up and down the block for anyone that could help, but much like his fall from the building, there was no one around.

“Hey, did you hear me!? I’m talking to you, clown.”

Alan refused to look back yet he could hear the footsteps of the two men as they started to follow.

“Stop walking!”

The footsteps behind him quickened turning into a run. Alan felt panic seize his heart yet again. Before giving any thought behind his action, he too began to run. As if fueled by some primitive instinct, his legs shot into action underneath him. An image of lions chasing an antelope flittered through his thoughts.

Even as he ran he knew he couldn’t outpace his pursuers. Not only was he wearing rented tuxedo shoes, Alan was anything but athletic. His body was attuned for events more resembling spelling bees and chess tournaments, not sprints.

Alan gritted his teeth. The cold wind blew across his face. The sound of pursuit was growing and he only had seconds before they were on top of him.

Just get to the next block. You can duck inside that motel. Don’t stop, run!

Alan didn’t make it: the motel was within shouting distance now but even as he filled his lungs to yell for help, he felt a firm hand grab his left shoulder.

Then it happened again. Fear, panic, adrenaline and the will to live surged from some hidden well, buried deep within—somewhere only recently discovered. Alan felt warm as he ran forward trying his best to shrug off his pursuer and make it to the next block.

Alan ran as though the very dogs of hell were behind him. In what seemed a second, the grip on his shoulder released, the pounding sounds of pursuit faded and the scenery around him blurred for the briefest second. He stopped, forgetting about his pursuers and wondering why his vision had been distorted. Alan found himself well past the motel that just before had only been a single block ahead of him.

Alan shook, his chest heaving as he sucked in cold air that stung on the way down to quivering lungs. He turned in a circle. The motel he was desperately trying to reach was now a block behind him. He had to squint to see the men chasing him. They stood barely visible in the dark, two blocks down the street.

Alan couldn’t see their facial expressions but the men weren’t moving. Their heads were moving from side to side as if they were talking to each other, just as confused as he was. Alan was shaking, not from the cold, but from what had just occurred.

He looked down at his hands that vibrated with the fear of what was happening. His heart was still racing, the answers he so desperately needed still not coming.

Breathe, relax, you’re safe. You’ll figure this out. Can you really move that fast?

Alan took a deep breath. There was another motel on this block. Apparently, he passed it while he ran. Alan took a step towards it now, a step towards the two men who had chased him.

They watched him approach. From two blocks away, Alan could hear them scream as they turned and ran.