Invincible

Chapter Eight

The time is now midnight. Brad is sound asleep, I am sure of it. I grab my coat, and run quietly through the house, heading towards the backyard.

I remember when Brad picked me up from school, expecting another lecture. And yes, he was disappointed, but not as much as I thought he'd be. He said he saw it coming, and wasn't the least bit surprised.

After that, I spent all day in the waiting room at the dentist's office while Brad continued working, because he didn't want to leave me at home unattended. It was boring, but it gave me some time to think about Taylor.

Who was she to me now? A friend? Enemy? Neither? I wasn't sure. Of course, I had Jack, who I was starting to like, but there was just this weird feeling that things wouldn't be normal without Taylor.

Well, things weren't normal with Taylor either. I still had these powers that needed checking out. I've already conquered the super-hearing and super-speed, but what about my strength?

It ran through my mind when we got home, when I ate, when I sat outside, and when I waited in my bedroom for Brad to fall asleep.

It would be the next thing I'd have going to test.

---

I stare at one of the trees, thinking that would be a good place to start. I figured I would just climb up and pull one of the branches from its trunk. But it sounded easier said than done, as the tree was so big and tall.

I could tell this would be an interesting climb.

I walk towards the tree and stop, looking up at one of the highest branches. I take a deep breath and try to relax; telling myself there was nothing to worry about.

And then, with nothing to lose, I jump.

That is when something rather astounding happened.

I went higher than I thought I would. Instead of stopping at the middle of the trunk, I quickly scaled upon it, and before I knew it, I was shooting straight above the entire tree! I was so surprised that I couldn't help myself when I yelled. It was just something I couldn't hold in.

Soon after, I found myself descending towards the ground. I didn't want to break any bones, so I reached out my hand to the branch that I intended to pull, and grabbed onto it.

I catch my breath, relived at the fact that I was still alive. I then stare at the house. No lights turned on, and judging from my super-hearing, it didn't sound like Brad was awake. I was safe.

Suddenly, I hear a thunderous crack. I look up and see that the branch was slowly starting to snap.

Before I even had time to react to it, it breaks.

I start to fall again, letting go of the branch and closing my eyes, screaming. The wind slams against my face, and I could tell that I was going to land on it as soon as I hit the ground. I just hope things wouldn't end up broken in the process.

But just as I was—literally—ready to face the pain, the wind stops blowing. And I hadn't hit the ground yet.

What was going on? Why hadn't I fallen and hurt myself?

I open my eyes to see what the problem was, and I was stunned when I realized it.

The reason I hadn't fallen was because I was suspended three feet from the ground!

It was incredible, by far the most exciting thing I've ever experienced. This floating thing was so much better than trying to break some stupid branch.

Floating. The word hits me in the face in the same way I thought the ground would. The night I had the dream, the night I fell onto my bed. This was the reason why. I was floating in my sleep.