A New World

Chapter 2

Numbing

I approach the school. Already I can feel the emptiness leaving because I just caught sight of my friends from the massive windows that are everywhere through the school. I walk through the front door and immediately switch from my sarcastic depressed personality to my loud and energetic one. Sometimes multiple personality disorder is a good thing. Before any of them saw me I took a deep breath and I yelled at the top of my lungs, "WHAT'S UP B***HES?"

At the exact same time they all looked at me, and once they comprehended that it was me, grins broke out across all of their faces. I couldn't help but to relish the fact that the emptiness went away for now. When you spend your whole life feeling like there's a piece of you missing, it feels amazing to stop noticing the pain. Don't get me wrong, it's still there. I just don't have to feel it anymore. It's essentially just putting a band-aid over a bullet wound.

"AY YO WHAT UP HOMIE"

"AYYYY BOOOOIII"

"WHAT'S GOOD MY MAN"

Were all things that they yelled in response to me. They all practically worship me but none of them will openly admit it. I can't really see why they like me. I'm not complaining though, it feels good to be accepted.

Before I get a chance to say anything back the bell rings, and we all have to go to our classes. I don't have any classes with any of them, so I zone out until lunch. No one would ever suspect that I have depression as bad as I do. I do a good job of covering it when I'm around anyone, and my grades are almost flawless. I don't pay attention in any class even remotely, but somehow my brain absorbs all the information and perfectly spills it out when I need it. In other words without the desire to talk to anyone about how I feel I'm completely trapped in a prison of my own making all on my own.

-lunch-

As I'm walking to the lunch room, I noticed a note lying on the ground. Being the bored and nosey individual I am, I pick it up and read it. It says,

 Over and over, you live like no other

Every day feels like it's just the same

Little do you know that just around the corner

Lies something that will put normality to shame

Enough talk of the change in life

Now we speak of the change in you

Find for yourself the one meant to be your wife

And you shall receive power that you never even knew

This will be a power unlike any you've heard of

This will be a power that can take your problems away

This is a power that can only be activated by love

Now go, strider, and continue your day

"The f**k is this?", I say out loud not necessarily caring if anyone heard me talking to myself. And who is Strider? I think. For whatever reason, I felt extremely compelled to keep it, so I stuffed it in my pocket. As I rounded the next corner I got chills all over, but I had no idea why. I got an overwhelming feeling like there was someone right behind, breathing down my neck, so I spun around in the blink of an eye. Then before my very eyes I saw... absolutely nothing... I don't know if I'm more relieved or disappointed. Almost any break in the monotony of life would have been welcome.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!", I shrieked as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I squeezed my eyes shut tight out of fear from whatever is about to kill me. Then I hear laughter. An extremely amused hysterical laughter

"I got you good Lucas", my best friend Justin says in between his laughs, "You scream like a little girl". He's clutching his ribs from how hard he's laughing. I slug him hard in the shoulder.

"Ha ha, very funny", I say sarcastically, "You know how to touch someone's shoulder, you want a trophy?"

"Why yes, I'd love one", he replied equally sarcastically. He's probably the only person I know that's as sarcastic as I am.

"Well it's right over there, floating in water to keep it clean", I tell him as a point towards the bathroom.

"On second thought, I'll pass" He says with the biggest smile on his face.

I'm kind of tempted to ask him about the note, but I decide against it. It's probably just nothing anyways.

"Come on, let's get to lunch", I say after a few moments of silence. We walk together the rest of the way to the lunch room in silence because we're both unable to think of anything to say. When we get to the lunch room, and everyone has their food and is at the table, I pull out my chess board. Everyone likes to try to beat me, but no one can. Being as I'm a genius, I only get a reasonable challenge when they work together. We have a normal lunch, and the same applies to the rest of the day. Although, all day I couldn't get that note out of my head. What kind of power was it talking about? And who... or what is strider?

About half way through 5th period, out of nowhere there was a glaring white light completely engulfing my entire field of vision. It was accompanied by a high pitched ringing, almost like a shriek, but more robotic. Also, the sensation of floating. There was a whisper of a voice, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. After what felt like an eternity, it all went away just to be replaced with the bell ringing telling me to get to my next class. I just went along with it, and pretended that it didn't happen for the rest of the day. I couldn't get one thought out of my head though. What is happening to me? Who or what is Strider? What is the power?