Something Strange: The Arsonist

III: Flint

        Flint McDowry launched his little body down the sidewalk. He ran as fast as he could possibly go, dodging ice patches and slushy corners. He narrowly missed a mailbox here or there as he rocketed down the side of the highway, chased by his big brother.

        Todd McDowry was a giant linebacker, tallest in his grade at six foot five. He wasn't exactly fit though, and shook a bit when he took off after Flint. Flint, on the other hand, was five foot one and skinny like a flagpole. He weighed about as much as a milk jug, or so it seemed. He didn't know why he was so small. He ate like a hog, ran about twice as much as anyone else. He had too.

        You see, Flint wasn't an entirely honest person. He nabbed things. Stole things. A little white lie here, a little big one there. He wasn't hurtful or anything, he just saw it as his duty to put disused objects back to use. And sometimes, that couldn't require an entirely honest individual.

        But, sometimes his little 'reclaimings' went bad. Like now. His brother's old Ipod nano in hand, he ran like he was in Madrid at that special time of year. Basically, he was in the same situation. He turned a sharp corner into the brambled woods and bare trees lining the road. Todd came thorugh the brush like an icebreaker, charging after his Ipod that lie in the sweaty hands of his brother. Flint threw the earbud backinto his ear as it fell out and dipped past a tree surrounded by litter. He came behind his brother and took off the other direction. Back home. Todd was a good six hundered yards behind him by the time the monster player emerged from the woods.

        Flint bit his lip as he slipped a little on the road. One fall, Todd would catch up, then game over. He turned his focus to the ground and started faster. He smiled at the wind in his face. He laughed at the fact he was basically doomed, since his brother lived in the same house as him. It was a lose-win situation.

        He turned another corner and bolted down the rough, ice-free drive. The stones flew behind him as he ran uphill. He hit the door trying to turn the handle and grimaced. He passed his father, laying on the couch, and bolted upstairs. He again hit the door of his room trying to open it and locked it fast. He picked the Ipod out of his pocket and waited to hear the thundering of elephant footsteps charging up the stairs. Then the banging on the door. He snickered, banged back, and slid the slim device under his door.

        Todd growled audibly and stomped off. That was always the routine. He'd nab something, Todd wouldn't notice, but then there were those times he actually went looking for it. Flint grabbed his own Ipod and sat at his desk. He took up his computer and began emailing his best friend, Evan.

       flint.mcdowry: Returned the Ipod. Got chased halfway down the interstate.

        

        evan.thomas: Go figure!

        flint.mcdowry: Dude! I got a package! Oh wow! So exiting!

        evan.thomas: Sorry dude gotta go. That was sarchasm, right?

        flint mcdowry: Yup. See ya!

        Flint shut the lid of his laptop and read the top of the brown paper wrapped package. SOTSM. Who was that? Probably something from school. He undid the bag and slid out the bubble wrap. He popped a few and unwrapped the bundle. A jewelry box lay in the middle.

        "Somebody got me jewelry? It probably got lost in the mail and is someone else's." He opened the box to find a small crystal about the size of a quarter and boxy and angular. It was a citrine colored yellow. He picked it up and felt a wave of nausea hit him. He watched, dizzy, as the gem began to turn to dust and float away. He watched, helpless, as it drifted out the cracked window. The  nausea passed. He stood up and looked out the window. The yellow cloud drifted over the trees and was gone.

        He stood back and furrowed his brow. It was darker. He turned to his desk to find his lamp was turned out. He turned it back on and sat down to think. He then thought of all the comic books he had read. Maybe I just got superpowers! The little kid in him said. The mature part of him shoved away the notion. Then he remembered the lamp. It was on before. How did it turn off?

        He jumped back as it blinked off again. He flicked his fingers. A small arc appeared off his hand and the lamp switched back on. He tried again. The electricity from the lamp flew to his fingers and left it dark. He spread his fingers and let the electricity thread through them like a spiderweb. He smiled like a fool, blowing up the lightbulb in the process.