The Spark.

Anthony Porter

The Spark

Evan is the spark because he has the spark. It's not tangible and he can't see it but he knows it's there. He knows because he's been forced to. Evan isn't like normal boys. For one he much older than he looks, but without any family and no real memory of how he came about it's hard to say. Secondly, earth isn't his home. Not that he has a necessarily has one but he isn't limited to our planet. He sees things that we don't see, he sees openings into other worlds and intruders from those openings, intruders that without he help would destroy our planet as we know it. Not that he's realized any of this of course because that particular chapter in his life is only just now about to unfold.

Evan sat alone in a chair above his apartment building smoking a Marlboro light listening to the traffic go by on a boring Sunday afternoon. The warm breeze from the May air ruffling his already erratic hair. This was a typical day for Evan being as though he didn't work today. As a matter of fact he hadn't worked a day in his life. See, things such as money just came easily to he. If he needed it, it was there for the taking and with money comes just about everything else. If Evan wanted to meet a girl it was too easy, if he wanted to make friends it was no problem. None of this really concerned him though because all he wanted really was to know what the hell was wrong with him. Evan had no family that he knew of, no idea even what his real name was. It humored him to think that he was built in some ridiculous lab made from a petri dish during some experiment gone wrong. If that had been the case though, wouldn't he remember? Then there was the mystery of his abilities. He was stronger than anyone he knew, and smarter as well by far. He could make incredible things happen with just his finger tips and that was just the tip of the iceberg but after having all these years to ponder with no results he'd just about given up on coming up with an answer and succumbed to the possibility that maybe this was all there was for him.

After bathing in the sun for a few hours Evan had started to feel hungry. He knew of this small Italian place a few blocks from his apartment that he hadn't been to in a while and he decided it would make a nice dinner. He got up, grabbed his cigarettes and went down to his apartment to shower and change. Afterwards, he looked in the mirror, deemed himself presentable then walked out the door.

As Evan stepped out on the street he was greeted with the familiar sounds of a big city. Car tires on the brick roads surrounding his building, horns, bar patrons shouting at one another. He loved the noises, he didn't know what he'd do if he was forced to listen to crickets and wind all day. As he rounded the corner and walked closer to the restaurant he saw that there were groups of people sitting outside checking their watches obviously irritated. Instead of standing there and waiting Evan decided to take a stroll down Douglas street and walk towards the water front. Maybe by the time he got back the line would be gone. As he walked over the bridge separating downtown from the riverfront district he noticed a sudden lack of noise. No people as far as he could see, no wildlife, even the usual splashing of the river as it flowed south was absent. He shrugged it off. Past the bridge was a levi. A barrier to keep water out of the city. A few years ago the riverfront held a few shops and small restaurants until the river finally flowed over the banks and all the businesses were forced to relocate. Now all that was left were empty, lonely brick buildings. Down the path from the top of the levi he took the walking path south to where it stopped and a tall brick wall started that protected the train yard from the water.

Evan easily hopped the wall, which was at least ten feet, and landed safely on the other side. Now all that could be seen for miles were train tracks and the loading houses for grain companies scattered in the area. This place was totally cut off from downtown by the high walls protecting it so no one should be down here but him but in the distance Evan could make out a bright blue light through a fence off in the distance. It was shining on the trees from a wooded area south of him separating the water from the yard.

What the hell? He thought. He took off at a run to investigate. He hopped over the fence again back to the other side and slowed down as the trees got thicker. As he got closer he saw that in a small alcove of the woods where the brush let up was a blue sphere sitting on the ground. At least five feet tall and just as big around and off to the side was... something. It wasn't human by any means, it's skin has a green tone to it and looked almost scaly but it was hard to tell from the distance. It didn't have a normal face either, it was elongated like a snout with air holes running the length of the nose. It was standing with it's arms spread and what looked like static electricity flowing from it's hands feeding the strange orb.

At this point the original shock of the scene had let loose from him and fear had started to bubble up in it's place. Evan was no stranger to weird things since he himself was some sort of anomaly but this was completely different. Seeing something inhuman with such obvious power was too much. Even as strong as he was he didn't want to take his chances with that thing but as he turned to run it looked up.

He turned to look back as a sound of pure energy shot to his ears and the thing was gone along with the orb but when he turned back to keep running it was there right in front of him. He stopped dead in his tracks. A fresh flood of terror hit him like a tidal wave. Time slowed down. Up close he could see it's black pupiless eyes examining him. He saw that it did in fact have scales for skin, and running the length of it's jaw were inch long teeth that were clearly waiting for a chance to tear into him. He noticed that standing up straight it was tall, taller even than him standing six foot two. It's muscular chest was rising and falling as it took shallow breaths as if it was nervous. He knew that he wouldn't be able to run. His only choice was to stand and fight.

Evan took a step forward to show he wasn't afraid even though inside he was quaking with fear. It took a step back. This thing looks like it could tear me apart. What's it's deal? Evan thought to himself, confused. As soon as that thought was finished though Evan's head split apart. It felt as though every part of his brain was firing on all cylinders. Through the chaos he heard a voice.

“Fight it, you know how. Look, it's afraid. I'll help you as much as I can. It's time you fully awoke what's inside you.” As soon as that voice was there it was gone and the explosion in his head left as abruptly.

The creature took his brief moment of semi consciousness and struck. It darted forward and dug it's claws across hit chest ripping his v-neck and tearing the skin underneath. Evan's skin was set on fire as blood flowed freely from the wound. It brought the claws up again for another strike but this time Evan was ready. As it brought it's hand down he took his chance and grabbed it by the wrist and by the waist pivoting left and using it's momentum to toss it fifteen feet behind him. It jumped to it's feet immediately but waited to strike. At that moment his hand started to vibrate violently and it felt like he had stuck it in an outlet. In his hand grew a sphere the same as he had seen in the woods on a smaller scale and a thought burst into his head that he hadn't put there.

Throw it.

Before the creature even had a chance to move Evan drew back his hand and hurled the bright blue ball with all his considerable might. It broke free from his hand and flew straight at the animal and disappeared in it's chest. The creature went still then suddenly it's chest began to sizzle and it started to emit a guttural, hissing scream as the skin on it's chest burst open with blue light. It remained standing for only a second more before falling lifeless to the ground.

Any triumphant feelings Evan might have had were drowned out by shock and fear. What had just happened was unexplainable on every level. Millions of thoughts were flowing through his head but it all became to much and just as he lost consciousness he thought he could hear footsteps approaching him and a voice saying “I knew you could do it.”