Zeronia

Chapter 1: Stalked by an Alien

Toby (P.O.V)

Ever since I was little I loved superheroes. The way that they take down bad guys and fight for truth and justice. One would think that now that I was fifteen my love for superheroes would subside, but no. I began writing comic books of my own. I even created a superhero known as ImpossibleMan who had superhuman strength, can fly, shoot lasers out of his eyes, was indestructible, and had other superpowers. When I showed my comic to my art teacher he told me that he could get me an interview with a real comic book editor.

So here I was in the office of the editor of Created Comics Mr. Jenson as he looked over the comic book I brought him.

I sat patiently in my seat as I watched him look over the pages, trying to read his face, but it was impossible to tell if he like my comic or not. His expression remained serious and emotionless.

He then set my comic on his desk. Well," he began, "The artwork was fantastic and it had a working storyline."

I felt my chest swelled with pride.

"But..."

My heart sunk. It was the Buts that always mean you're done for.

"...my only problem is with the main character."

"You mean, ImpossibleMan?" I asked.

Mr. Jenson nodded. "He's too powerful and he has too many superpowers."

"Of course, that's why he's called ImpossibleMan," I protested.

"True, but I find that the readers like to see the hero struggle," Mr. Jenson explained. "Give him fewer powers, give him a weakness, or at least give him a foe who is equally as powerful as he is."

It was then I blew up. "But that's what makes him so amazing. Because he has no equal!"

Mr. Jenson just shrugged and said, "Even Superman had Kryptonite."

I left Mr. Jenson's office, slamming the door behind me. I mean, I was seeing red. Out of anger, I tossed my comic book into a nearby trash can.

I then noticed a girl sitting in the waiting room. She was wearing an oversized coat and an old man hat. She wore brown baggy pants that were also too long for her and shiny shoes peeking from the cuffs of the pants. It was as though she had borrowed her clothes from someone a foot taller than her. She gazed up at me from the magazine she was reading. At least I would have thought she was reading it, but she was holding the magazine upside down.

As I walked past her I said, "Let me give you a piece of advice, if you're here to plug a superhero make sure he's not too powerful."

I went to the elevator and pressed the down button. When the door opened I stepped inside. Right before the door closed I could see the girl still staring at me.

When I left the building I met my best friend Brian waiting for me outside.

"Hey, bud, how did things go?" Brian asked chirpily.

The look I gave him must have answered for me because he frowned and said,  "I take it that things didn't go so well."

I shook my head. "He said ImpossibleMan was too powerful."

Brian shrugged. "Even Superman had Kryptonite," he said.

I stared at him. Did Mr. Jenson talk to Brian?

Just then I looked past Brian and notice the same girl from the waiting room standing across the street staring directly at me.

Was she following me? I wondered. How did she even get out of the building before me when I have left her sitting in the waiting room on the top floor a few minutes ago? Could she have run down all those flights of stairs? Maybe she had a jetpack hidden beneath her oversized coat.