Superhero Crash Course

29.5- B L I N K (short)

It's short but I didn't want to add another Flare's POV to the last chapter because so much things were already going on and that cliffhanger there was quite enough....

I think detailed monologue deserved a short chapter of its own after fast paced chapters.

And you guys can also take a break from 6 action packed chapters in a row :)

- Ida

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B L I N K

Jamie's POV

When I was about 6 years old, my grandmother gave me this palm sized toy camera because I helped her sweep up the fallen leaves in fall. It was salmon colored with 3 mint green buttons. Only one of them actually worked. There were only 6 pictures to see yet young Jamie Devlin was fascinated by it. There was a loud click when I tapped on the button and the picture I could see would change. From a picture of dancing teddy bear to an elephant in purple tutu dress.

Random things a kid would see in their imaginative dreams.

Back to the rainy Monday night spent free falling, fighting, and exploding airplanes.

I felt like I was looking at everything through a camera just like that toy one but my eyelids were shutter. However, it only projected abridged nightmares. And I couldn't seem to wake up from the terrifying trance. My consciousness was packed in a ball and trapped inside my body, bouncing furiously on the interior in an attempt to gain control back.

My head ached to the point where it felt like a numb glob of tangled strings of incoherent thoughts.

Blackness. Picture. Blink. Blackness. Picture. Blink.

Red and blue light shone down on white floor beneath me. Coldness stung my cheeks. The surface I was lying on was soft and damp. Snow? There was dark red liquid staining the pure white soft snow. I craned my neck a little so my vision would follow the trail of the liquid. I still felt slightly disorientated and needed to stitch the pictures I took in together in my brain to process

Blink.

The boy who was lying next to me had his eyes shut. A superhero. He was in a dark blue super suit that seemed as battered as himself. Somehow, the picture didn't seem quite complete.

Where's his mask?

My gaze lowered to the ground and noticed it was shattered to pieces, scattering on the uneven snow surface right in front of him. Some were stained with crimson blood that glistened and held reflection of bright star twinkling on blood red sky.

His dull blonde hair was plastered to his forehead by rainwater and blood.

I saw crimson gloved hands reached over to him, cradling his face gently. Trembling fingers wiped blood at the corner of his chapped lips and traced the dark bruises on his pale cheek.

Blink.

I heard someone calling the boy Les. Screaming at him to wake up in cracked voice almost drowned out by the sound of pouring rain. The dull pain in my throat, blood smears on my gloved hands, and sharp pang in my heart signified that someone was me.

All the wind seemed to be knocked out of me as realization hit.

I automatically felt for his pulse which was almost undetectable. His weak pulse sent mine skyrocketed in panic.

Blink.

Crouching over Cryonics, a loud sob escaped my mouth, hurting my ribs in the process. I let out a string of broken beseeching whispers almost intelligible between my sobs, begging him to
Just open his eyes.

Then laugh, telling me how silly I was to actually buy his acts.

Except this time I wouldn't get angry and try to get him back like I always did.

I would be overjoyed.

Wet strand of hair got into my eyes and my some stick to the side of my face with warm tears that were streaming from my eyes and dripping off my chin along with freezing rainwater. My mask was tattered and ripped at the edges to the point that it should be called a ragged cloth. My arms placed upon the concrete ground were trembling, almost unable to support my body weight.

But I couldn't care less about me.

His hand in mine was limp and cold. My worst fear.

Blink.

Camera flashes momentarily blinded me. Sounds of high heels and boots clapping on wooden paved terrace in staccato sent wave of dull throbs through my head at every beat. Everything seemed to have slowed down accordingly to the rhythm each bright flash shone.

My limbs felt all sluggish and detached as if this place was flooded with water.

And I was drowning.

A warm blanket was draped upon my shoulder and soothing words filled my ears, trying to calm me down to no avail. I felt vaguely that Les's hands slipped from my grip and I struggled, trying to get back to him. 

"No!" My voice was hoarse, almost unrecognisable even by myself as I shoved the person away. "I'm not going anywhere!" Another sob drowned out my word. I was out of breath. "Stay with me, Les. Just stay with me." My forehead rested on my best friend's as I mumbled it over and over, unable to think clearly. "You can do this, Les. I like you too. I really like you." I sobbed, holding him even tighter. "Please stay with me." 

"Let's get you fixed up, kid." Someone spoke calmly.

I glanced upward. Collin.

"It's okay, Jamie. It's over." He said in suave tone. "He will be okay."

I sure could notice how unsure my future uncle sounded when he assured me Les would be fine.

I took last glance at my broken best friend before I was carried away from him, wrapped in blanket like a little kid.

"He's not healing." I stuttered as Collin balanced us on the ice bridge. "Help him. I'm fine. Stay with Les. The bad guys--"

"We won." He assured. "We won, Flare. You and Les's effort didn't go wasted."

I couldn't see where we were heading clearly because there came another blink.

"You did well, hero."

Blackness consumed my vision. Again.

Only this time it lasted.

Maybe the toy camera was broken?

Maybe I was broken.

How could things go so wrong in a blink of an eye?
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A/N I may not be around for a few days. School and responsibility is taking toll on me ;-; but we are so closeeee to the ending!!!