The Unseen

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

My head pounded harshly as I clung to the edge of the bathtub. Then, in desperation, I clutched at my hair, cradling my head in raw agony. There was complete darkness for a moment, then my vision slowly returned, but it wasn't my bathroom that lay before my eyes.

A woman pushing a stroller, attempting to walk down some stairs at the book shop, which rested on a tall hill with no other easier way down. The parking lot lay at the bottom of the hill and posed a serious threat if the woman was to fall, since it was crammed with cars. Just as I thought this, the woman's fingers began to slip from the stroller, and she was unable to grasp on as it wrenched away from her grasp by gravity's pull.

Well, this was going to be difficult.

A second later, the vision faded away and I blinked rapidly to clear my head. I was still in the bathroom, alone. I rose quickly and ran to my room, slipping easily past the kitchen where my parents were finishing cooking. Hopefully I could be back before they were done.

It was only a matter of time before what I had seen actually occurred, and the woman actually slipped on her way down the stairs. What I had seen was a glimpse. A glimpse into the near future.

Once in my room, I yanked open my closet door and carelessly shoved aside all of my clothes until I found the outfit I had been looking for--dark, loose pants that were extremely easy to move in, a dark hoodie, and comfortable combat boots. It was a good thing I had an extra hoodie, since my other one I had shoved into my locker.

Then came the mask, since nobody could know who I was. It was a simple black cloth that covered my entire face except for my eyes. It hid my features pretty well. I had purchased it a dollar store a while back, once I realized I was in need of a disguise.

Quietly, I eased open the window in my room and scrambled stealthily down the tree right outside. Once I was out, I ducked into an alley that was outside of my house and kept running through the linked alleys. It was a normal path for me, one I used a lot, usually when people were in trouble - and sometimes when I missed the bus.

I used to be really scared of dark places when I was little, and I hated being left alone at night, resulting in my parent's bed receiving an extra person most quite often. I eventually grew out of that when I went into middle school, but I still had some insecurities about the darkness. Now that I had to go through dark, mucky, murder-scene alleys all the time, I'd completely grown out of it. This was easy for me.

The book store, I repeated in my mind, just in case I forgot. It was miles away, but this wasn't a problem. On my sixteenth birthday, over a year ago, I was blessed with an unnatural ability.

Speed.

In minutes, I reached the bottom of the hill. My eyes landed upon the baby in the stroller and the woman walking. And then the inevitable happened; the mother's fingers slipped from the stroller and it began to roll down the dangerous staircase. I could almost see it in slow motion happening before my eyes.

"No! Sam!" the woman belted, reaching out her hand to try to stop the stroller, but her fingers only swept empty air. She almost tipped over and lost her balance, but I didn't have time right then to check and see what happened to her. I was hoping she was fine for now, because she wouldn't be getting any help at that moment. Why do people have to get in so much trouble? I thought with a mental sigh.

Well, that was my cue. I dashed up the stairs, a blur to all bystanders who might have been watching, and caught the stroller before it hit the third stair.

As it turned out, the woman had taken a tumble as well while trying to get to her baby. Really, come on. I had nowhere to put the stroller where it wouldn't fall down the steps again. I didn't have super strength--I only had speed, which wouldn't do me any good in this situation.