Infinitely Gifted

2: Expect the Unexpected

After the incident, what got me thinkin' was this... I'm alive, but how? Am I the only 1 out there? And if the government does question for answers, should I tell 'em what happened with me after the blow? It's a lot to process... And the fact of attaining non-human like abilities along with it? Just sounds like a comic book if you asked me. As a kid, I thought the word "super" didn't really mean anything... Or "hero". 'Round my area? It's just the 'ops 'n other law enforcement takin care of business... This entirely? Well, there's a difference. Its now August 22nd, the day after when it happend 2 years ago, 'n here I am in Jackson Heights apartments, Queens, trippin' off randomised possibilities, even death. Suicide was not my thing, never was. But the flashing images in my brain, begged to differ. Somethin' strange happened to me that day, somethin' that'll HIGHLY change my life forever. It was peaceful that evening, gettin' ready to call it a night, and truthfully? I only got to sleep partially. "Aye!" I heard someone scream. Bangs followed. "AYE!" The scream intensified, more bangs followed. Me, groggily awakening from slumber, wonderin', is there a break-in happenin'? 'N is there more than 1 person? Thoughts were racin'. I got up, made myself presentable for the intruder, then to find myself almost becomin' SCORCHED ALIVE. Dude was pyrokinetic, literally blazin' in his path. Both him, and half of the apartment was on fire... And nobody has done anything, 'cept run in fear... Me? Well let's see where that went... "Why aren't you runnin'?" He asked me, "Ain't ya scared?" "Nope, not really" I blindly replied, "Just wanna know how 'n why you're doin' this" I mean, he's on fire! I thought, Why am i even messin' with this guy? "You're in for a whole lotta hurt, kid" he threatened, and with that, he starts throwin' flamin' projectiles at me! Like, if I was an Avenger, I'd take him on, but do know I only graduated a couple years ago... "Aye, man! Not your enemy! Not your enemy!" I shouted while sprintin' in the opposite direction, "Maybe somebody can help you!" "Neither you, nor anyone can possibly 'fix' what's given" the man retorted, still on the offensive. I had to dipp... This guy was in a real life movie! And I'm the victim! I kept runnin'. Legs and muscles giving out... Stamina depleting. Did I stop? Course not... 'n that's when it happened. "Look at you! I cant even keep up!" The man chanted, laughin' hysterically, "It's like you was born to run!" My adrenaline, already exceeded, I forced myself to a hault. "What did you just say?" What am I doin'? I thought, I'm not takin' this foo' on, am I? "Born. To. Run." The man chanted again, this time, howling with laughter, then lead to his palms opening which revealed a glow of orange and blue, which bursted 'n sparked all over with heat and flame. "Think your light show belittles me?" A wave of confidence hit me, 'n I thought runnin' ma whole life would be the answer to my problems... I was sincerely wrong... My fists clenched. I ain't runnin' anymore. "So, what're ya gonna do? Kill me?" "Whoa-hoa! The kid's smart too?" He answered, "I wanna play with you first" and with a demonic grin spread, he lunged right at me, fully ignited 'n speed. I stood my ground. Move! My thoughts shouted, movee! My hands at the ready, feet on a defensive position, he's still comin'. The man was despicable, heartless... angered at somethin'. I guess that's what made his spark lit. Mine? Savin' myself 'n those around me, cause I know people are here for a reason... And 1 of those reasons is to live. Like my old man used to say... His ass is grass. Without thinkin', I charge back at him, and without noticing, my body illuminated with blue sparks of lightning, startin' to flow throughout my viens. The man froze in his tracks. "W-what is this?" He exclaimed, "What are you?!" Why he scared for? I thought, now crackin' a lil smile, Thought sum was 'boutta go down. I walk towards him. "Stay away from me, you freak!" He blasted me with hellfire, all of his might... But somehow, I deflected? A crackling fills my hearing, my sight blurred, but what I felt? Unexpected... Like, literally, bolts of ELECTRICITY, okay? Like what in the... "Okay okay! You win!" The man screeched, "Just don't kill me..." "Kill you??" I replied, still in shock of myself... no pun intended, "You was tryna kill me!" I was freakin' out, 'n I knew he was too. "Look... What happened?" Tryna stay calm, I spoke, "I'm Princeton, 'n if you think you can't be helped with whatever you're goin' through? You was lied to" "How can you help this?..." tears dropping from his eyes, exposing a little flame from his finger, "Every corner I turn, it's burned to ashes..." I came up to him, he backed away a lil' but I gave the brotha a hug. His flame was out. With me? Pretty sure I'm not electrified anymore, but with that, I tol' him, "Dawg, we in the same boat. Ain't nothin' gonna bring us down, you feel me? Know I got your back, y'know?" "Yeah..." he's calmin' down a lil', "But how did you do that?" "Mann, I wish I hadda answer to that" I replied, then we both just started bustin' up, laughin'. "What's your name, dude?" I asked, "I bet we'd make somethin' happen together" "Yeah yeah, I get that" he said, "And it's Johnny. Johnny Storm." What's cool is that we was the same age, him maybe a bit younger. I never forgot that name, or the day. For the future? Always gotta hope for the best. Appreciate the little things. Think my life ended? Hell nah. It's just gettin' started.