Our Superheroes

The Comic Book Club

Year 2000

The study was quiet. The window was open, and the curtains whipped in the wind that flowed in through the window. The white mug of coffee sat steaming on the oak desk next to papers that were scribbled with notes and the keyboard. She stared at the screen with blood-shot eyes. She had been up all night typing. Her son had fallen asleep before dinner and was still asleep in her double bed. Her fingers slightly hovered over the keyboard and she slowly reached for her coffee and then took a small sip. Her small, brown satchel bag was slung over the back of her chair. The alarm went off jolting her out of her trance. She stood quickly, scooped up the papers and grabbing her bag from the chair. She stuffed the papers into her bag and ran through the kitchen and down the hallway into her bedroom. She found Bruno lying on top of the sheets in his two-piece blue and white aeroplane pyjamas. She shook him awake and sent him into his bedroom to get dressed. After a few minutes he came out in a tree green, button-up top and black trousers. His red hair was spiky, and his freckles stood out more than anything behind his big black glasses. She grabbed his hand and dragged him out the front door into the apartment building hallway. She locked the door and pulled him into the elevator where her neighbor, Mrs. Blain shuffled into the elevator in her black satin dressing gown.

"Morning." She said brightly.

"Morning." Alda said quietly, staring at the elevator doors Bruno's hand still in hers. As soon as the door opened Alda hurried out into the foyer and then out the glass double doors. They hurried into the parking lot to a black, mini cooper. She clicked Bruno in and then got in the driver's seat buckled up and sat there for a moment with her hands on the wheels and her eyes closed. She took a deep breath in and let it all out. Then she drove through the city streets.

It took half an hour to get to the kindergarten that Bruno went to. They both got out of the car and when they got inside the foyer Alda turned to him leant down and kissed him on the head.

She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Be good." She let go of him and looked straight into his eyes green eyes and hugged him once more.

"I will, mum." He whispered back. She let him go and he ran to a little girl with dimples and two brown pigtails in a red, plaid dress and they ran off together after he put his bag with the other children's. Alda rushed back out into the car and started to make her way to the comic bookstore.

She stopped at a coffee shop and bought 4 lattes and one hot chocolate then started towards the comic bookstore once again. After a few minutes she pulled up outside. The comic bookstore had lights on inside but there was no one to be seen inside. She carried all the drinks in both arms and pushed the door open with her back. She stepped inside and placed the drinks on the counter. She locked the door then turned around to look at the comic bookstore. She remembered a time when each aisle of comic books had been teaming with life, people flicking through and talking and by the end of the day the cash register was full. Now it was just an old comic book graveyard on the corner of North street that no one visited unless they were as nerdy and alone as they looked. No one read comics anymore. She picked up all the drinks and walked through the middle aisle that housed the hero comics to the back room. There was a metal door that had the words "ENTER IF YOU DARE" plastered on it. She knocked twice and the door opened. A nineteen-year-old girl with black hair that faded into silver stood there. She had pale skin and a lip piercing. She smiled at Alda and welcomed her in. It was dark in the back room with a single light-bulb in the centre. There was a small coffee table with six chairs around it. Alda placed the drinks on the coffee table in the centre of the circle and took a seat. A young man, called Antony with cropped brown hair was seated next to Alda. He gave her a small smile. Everyone picked up their own drinks.

"Thanks, Alda." Said the nineteen-year-old goth known as Jesse. Alda nodded once.

"Okay, comics out." Ordered Antony. They all reached into their bags included a tanned young girl in her 20s known as Briar and a dark skinned boy that was around fifteen-years-old called Luke. "Alright, Jesse you can go first."