Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

2: Abandoned Tale of an Origin

Word Count: 1878

(Kat)

Tugging the bubblegum pink polka dotted skirt off the shopping basket, Kat cursed under her breath at almost pulling a string undone from one of the dots. Her face scrunched up in frustration, golden brown eyes glaring, lips drawn into a tight line.

The musty smell of the thrift store was choking—most from the wall of old, forgotten books a few aisles away. The lack of circulating air created a stuffy environment, but the heat was a nice break from the chill of the day outside the doors. The fluorescent lights above, though, were abnormally bright, classic rock music playing from speakers in each corner of the small shop. Every pair of footsteps could be heard: they were all located from the shopkeeper behind the counter, an old woman in the puny dishes section, and Kat, who was meandering through the clothing racks that resembled a long, oak wardrobe you would find connected to a wall in a house.

Flicking through the clothing, a worn, deep green t-shirt and cozy brown scarf sat in Kat's basket as she continued to look for more articles. Her head methodically bobbed along with the elevator music mindlessly, eyes snagging at price tags with their red, marked down prices. There were dresses, bell bottoms, shirts mentioning old church gatherings from years past; but the lack of winter clothes dipped Kat's lips. The cold from the street seemed to be sneaking in through the door, circling at Kat's feet like lions, stalking around its prey to snatch it up in the end.

Her fingertips brushed against a long sleeve; she pulled the clothes on the rack back, exposing the shirt. It was a light gray with a faded, classic smiley face on the left breast where a pocket might sit. The texture was a comfortable cotton that had been worn over the years—but not enough to induce the creation of holes. Peeking at the size, Kat took it off the rack and dropped it in the basket at her side.

The old woman mumbled to herself as background noise in Kat's ears, but the raise of her voice startled Kat from her focus. In the dishes section, the old woman had her intense eyes plastered against the shopkeeper at the front, calling for help. Lazily, the shopkeeper peered upwards, sighed slightly, and meandered her way towards the old woman. Kat brought her attention back to the clothes, ignoring the pestering conversation held a few aisles away.

Another few flicks of the array of clothes, Kat came across a smooth-like texture: something between stretchy spandex and difficult-to-tear nylon. Her hands pulled the clothes away from the long sleeve that could be noticed in the collection, revealing a long, one-piece outfit that gave a superhero vibe.

The base was a black raven color with what appeared to be slim, bright yellow padded shoulders. At the elbows and midsection were strips of lime green, the yellow also on the collar and legs—large triangles going down each pant leg. The material said the outfit was no kid costume as it had more padding beneath the torso and was flexible, yet tough. It was something one of the heroes in the city could easily wear, but it being at the thrift store said that it had been tossed. There appeared to be no stains, no tears, nothing to reason why the outfit would be thrown away.

"Maybe it was too small?" Kat reasoned to herself in a mumbled, cocking her head to the side in puzzlement. Though, she pulled the hanger off of the rack and pressed the outfit against her figure. There, she found it to cover her entire frame almost perfectly; the only downside was the pant legs were just a little too long.

"Halloween costume I guess," she shrugged, placing the long outfit into her basket. The basket had grown to be half-full, her other articles disappearing into the void of the costume.

"You like that outfit?"

Jumping slightly at the new voice, Kat spun her head around to find the shopkeeper standing there, a few books in hand. Her blonde eyebrows were pushed upwards, her blue eyes studying the basket. Though, her presence had no threat in it.