Shortcuts

A paranormal superhero story with a supernatural twist

Life of a budding superhero

Comments have been blocked for this story but kudos and private messages are always welcome. Even highly critical private messages are welcome. I don't mind criticism when it's private.

Shortcuts
by Terry Volkirch

Chapter 4

Big Jim surprised everyone by keeping quietly to himself at lunch. It was only after school that he made his move.

The first half of Jim's plan seemed pretty decent. He didn't really want to fight Lester since, in his mind, it would be too easy to win. So instead, the large boy would wait until Erin and Lester went their separate ways on the walk home. Then he'd have Erin all to himself, and that's where his plan went astray.

Erin left Lester after walking only a block from school, as usual, and Jim jumped at the chance to get her alone. The eager boy ran to catch up to the girl and startled her as she strolled along the sidewalk. She shrieked, and she was just loud enough for Lester to hear.

Lester soon came running up the road, but he slowed down to a walk and hid behind parked vehicles to keep from being noticed. He wanted to see what would happen. His philosophy was to always give people the benefit of the doubt. If Erin rejected Jim's advances as expected and Jim left, there wouldn't be a problem.

He got just close enough to hear them and stopped to watch and wait.

Jim hadn't said much up to that point other than to introduce himself. He started out with all the same confidence that he'd shown in the lunch room when he confronted Lester. But as he looked at the girl's face, he didn't see any sign of encouragement, any sign of attraction or warmth. It threw him off his game and he stumbled over his words.

"Yeah," Jim told Erin. "I'm really sorry I scared you. I seem to do that a lot. Scare people, that is. But I mean well. Usually. Sort of."

Erin barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes like she'd seen so many girls do with boys. "Okay," she said slowly. "I've got to go home now. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"Really? I mean, that'd be cool. You wanna sit together at lunch then?"

The girl sighed. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Jim. You and Lester don't seem to get along very well."

"That guy again?! Are you two dating?"

"No."

"Are you dating anyone?"

"No," she said again, frowning as she realized where the conversation was heading.

"So, you wanna go out sometime then? I've got my own car and a job."

"That's very nice, Jim, but I don't date. Goodbye." She turned away and started crossing the street, but she didn't get very far.

Jim paused a few seconds to collect the few thoughts that rattled around inside his head. He couldn't understand why someone as beautiful as Erin wouldn't date and it bothered him, enough that he dashed to catch up to the girl and he did something he shouldn't have. He grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Come on," he said. "Give a guy a break. Just go out with me once and see if you like it."

"I don't like it now," she said. His grip was causing her a little pain. She felt sure that she'd get a bruise on her arm from it. "Please let go. You're hurting me."

Lester almost jumped out from behind the gray minivan where he hid. He didn't like how things were getting physical between Erin and Jim. Still, he'd give Jim one more chance to give up on the girl.

"Oh, sorry." Jim let go of her arm. "Damn. You're delicate. But don't worry. I won't do that again. And I promise to be good on our date."

"Please don't make promises that you can't keep. It's not good for the soul."

"Right," Jim said with a leer, getting his confidence back. "How about a free sample then? One kiss and I promise you'll change your mind about going out with me."

Erin's patience wore thin by that point, and she wished that she had access to more than just a very small fraction of her true power. As it was, all she had were words to defend herself. She had to think and she had to do it quickly.

"Please listen carefully, Jim. I don't date. I'm dealing with some serious personal issues and I can't let myself be distracted."

Jim still didn't understand. He just heard that she's not dating anyone. Nothing was said about kissing and having a little fun, and that led him to one last desperate act. He grabbed her again and tried to force a kiss on her.

Erin struggled but the boy's strength far exceeded her own. She couldn't get away and she found herself starting to cry. Since taking on human form, she'd become more and more like a human girl and it scared her.

Lester had finally seen enough. He ducked out from hiding spot and marched along the sidewalk, shouting to try to stop Jim as soon as possible. "Hey! I think she wants you to stop!"

Jim stood up straight but still kept a firm grasp on both of Erin's wrists since he had yet to meet the girl's lips with his own. The frustrated brute turned to see Lester and sneered. "What is this?" he asked. "Some kind of setup or something?"

"No," Lester said as he continued walking. "This isn't a setup. It looks more like a rescue operation. Let go of her. Now." He went past another parked car and slowly angled out into the street.

"Hah!" The brute did let go of Erin, and he waited for Lester to get within range of his massive fists.

Lester stopped short and asked Erin a quick question. "Are you okay?"

She simply nodded and he turned back to Jim. "Didn't your mother teach you how to treat girls?"

"My mother is dead," Jim snarled. "And so are you." The large boy lunged forward, forgetting about his concern of winning a fight too easily. He swung his right fist at Lester's face.

Lester ducked under the punch and pushed at his attacker with all of his enhanced strength, sending the larger boy sprawling across the pavement until he finally skidded to a stop and shook his head.

"Damn it!" Jim shouted before quickly getting to his feet and running at the smaller boy.

Lester didn't know any martial arts but he subconsciously tapped into his recently learned control ability, allowing him to focus solely on the fight. He gained a form of hyper awareness of Big Jim's movement, making the large brute seem like he moved in slow motion. Lester had all the time he needed to decide what to do and then act. With Erin watching safely on the other side of the street, he used a small but significant fraction of his enhanced strength to punch his attacker in the stomach. The flow of time then returned to normal, leaving Jim on his back in the street, gasping for breath.

"Please try not to hurt him!" Erin shouted, not at all surprised that her friend did so well in the fight.

"Only his pride," Lester muttered, looking down at the large boy.

After several minutes, Jim slowly got to his feet, checking out the scrapes he'd gotten on his bare arms as he did so. "Lucky punch," he said before gingerly walking back the way he came, leaving Lester to rush over to Erin.

"I'm so sorry, Lester," she cried. "I wasn't strong enough. I should've been able to protect myself."

The slightly taller boy wrapped her in an embrace, whispering in her ear, "It's okay." He let her cry herself out and backed off, gently rubbing away a tear on her cheek.

"Feel better?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Maybe you should start taking a self-defense class. I don't think Jim is going to give up."

Her eyes widened in fear. "But I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You might have to. You really need to learn some self-defense techniques." He thought a moment and added, "I think we both do."

She slowly shook her head no and started crying again.

"Listen, Erin. I was really lucky to hear you were in trouble. But what if I didn't hear you?"

"I don't want to think about it," she said, shivering in dread.

"There's no reason why you can't defend yourself. I wish all girls would take self-defense classes. There are too many boys like Jim in this world."

That made Erin think, and she soon got a vacant look in her eye. "Wait," she said after a minute. "There is a martial art called aikido. It means 'the way of harmonious spirit' and it's meant to protect an attacker from harm. I think that would work."

"It sounds perfect," Lester said. "For both of us. Shall I look into signing us up for classes after school?"

"Yes, please. I don't ever want to go through something like that again. I keep forgetting how easy it is for boys to give in to their darker nature."

"Ouch," he said.

"Oh! Not you, Lester. You're special." She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled his upper arm with her cheek. Lester was in heaven for a precious dozen seconds. Then Erin released him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for saving me," she said. "See you tomorrow." She quickly walked away, leaving the boy in a state of joy.

The smitten boy sighed and went the opposite direction to enjoy a very long and dreamy walk home.

* * *

Lester got lucky that night with the Akashic records. While dreaming about more romantic endings as a reward for saving Erin from Jim, he stumbled upon telekinesis, absorbing everything about it and using the new, powerful ability in his sleep without thinking about it. A pen, a dirty pair of socks, his wireless mouse, a USB drive, his smart phone and digital radio alarm clock with its power cord all floated above his bed, making out a crude heart shape. It would've been a cute expression of his feelings if his radio alarm clock hadn't pulled free of the electrical outlet and lost power. The lovesick boy overslept again.

"Huh?" he said, looking up at the odd assortment of his possessions floating over his bed. He lost the focus that he had in his dream and everything then fell on the bed. The radio alarm clock bruised his leg slightly, and as he healed his bruise, he noticed that the clock had no power.

"Not again!" he said as he started to get up. He reached for his bed covers but as soon as he thought about pulling them off of himself, they peeled away from him by themselves.

"Whoa," he said quietly. "This is getting seriously weird."

Lester shrugged off the weirdness and rushed to get ready for school in record time. Grabbing a banana and a handful of almonds to eat later, he shot out the front door just in time to catch the bus, causing the bus driver to shake his head.

The nearly late boy found his way to his usual seat in the middle of the bus and promptly went back to fantasizing about Erin until Brian got on at the next stop.

Brian could tell that Lester might prefer to daydream that morning, but his curiosity got the better of him and he sat down next to his friend.

"Morning, Lester. It's nice to see you still in one piece."

"Huh? Oh. Hi Brian. Yeah. I managed to get the best of Jim after school yesterday."

"What?! No way, dude!"

Lester nodded. "Yep. And the fair Erin rewarded me with a hug and kiss."

Brian cocked an eyebrow and got Lester to admit it was only a kiss to the cheek.

"But it was still a kiss!"

"Yeah. Okay. Fine. But I want to hear more about your fight with Jim. I'm not sure I believe it."

Lester went on to tell his friend how he ducked, pushed and apparently got lucky with a vicious punch to Jim's stomach. He felt like he couldn't fail. He wouldn't let himself, not with Erin being so vulnerable.

"Dude. I wish I could've seen it."

"Yeah. And I might just be getting close to the next level with Erin."

"Oh?"

"We're going to be taking a self-defense class together."

Brian laughed.

"What? It's almost like dating."

"All I can say is, good luck, dude. But it still sounds like you're stuck in the friend zone."

Lester sighed and the two friends sat together in silence for the rest of the ride to school.

* * *

Mister Guile carefully watched Lester as he leaned back against the front of his desk and lectured the class about how a bill became a law. Something about the boy looked different but he couldn't figure out exactly what it was. He couldn't devote too much time to it at that moment, but he made up his mind to definitely fish for a clue after class if he couldn't figure it out.

During his lecture, the substitute teacher didn't think to talk about special interest groups, even though they greatly influenced the creation of new laws in the modern era. Instead, he discussed the legislative process as it was originally intended and once again, he had Erin eyeing him more suspiciously than ever.

Erin still tried to protect the class from his words even if she couldn't physically protect herself. The girl had to be content with having Lester play the role of protector for her until she could do a better job herself. She looked forward to learning aikido.

Lester felt Erin's eyes on his back and smiled until he suddenly realized that he hadn't looked up aikido classes. That made him gulp. He wouldn't dare touch his smart phone during class but he'd try to sneak in a few searches between classes so he could be ready to discuss options with Erin during lunch. In the meantime, he had his imagination to keep himself entertained since Mister Guile's dry lecture couldn't hold his interest.

Just as he lost himself in his imagination, he thought he heard his name being called. It sounded like Erin speaking at first. Then it sounded male and made him think of Jim. It wasn't until his shoulder shook that he realized it was his teacher.

"Welcome back, young man," Mister Guile said, looking a little pleased.

The teacher's grin confused the boy. A teacher should be upset when a student didn't pay attention in class.

The short man got serious again. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to bring you back to reality. Better that than dreaming about attaining the impossible." He finally realized why Lester had trouble concentrating that day. Everything was progressing nicely. He especially liked Erin's inadvertent contribution. It put the man in a very good mood.

In accordance with his good mood, the teacher finished his current lecture and started a new one about one of his favorite subjects: war. He walked back to perch on the front of his desk and talked about the American revolutionary war, starting with the reasons behind it before moving on to the Declaration of Independence and eventually the formation of an early version of the government after the States won the war.

Mister Guile looked right at Lester as he spoke his next words. "From the darkness of war came something good, something worth fighting for."

Erin sputtered but didn't say anything. She couldn't find fault with the teacher's words, even though they felt wrong to her.

Lester quickly gave the idea some serious thought and interrupted with, "War itself is never good, and not every struggle for independence requires bloodshed."

The redhead suddenly stood up and shouted, "Mahatma Gandhi!" Then she blushed and quickly sat down.

The two students ruined Mister Guile's good mood. With a sour look on his face, he dismissed the class a couple of minutes early and sat down heavily in his chair to sulk.

* * *

Lester made good on his intention to find aikido classes. He found one being given less than ten miles away from the school. Only a few but important details remained, like what time to take the class and how to get there. Lester didn't have a car and he didn't think Erin had one either, not if she walked to and from school.

The two close friends ended up together in the lunch room, eating and discussing possibilities with Lester starting the conversation. "I'm guessing you don't have a car."

Erin shook her head no as she chewed a bite of her grilled cheese sandwich.

"I don't have one either so that only leaves the 'rents."

"What's a rent?" the girl asked.

The boy laughed and explained that 'rents was short for parents. "I think my mom can take us after dinner twice a week. You could come over for dinner, we could do a little homework and then go. Would that work for you?"

She briefly looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought before she answered, "Yes, I think it would work out nicely."

"My mom could give you a ride home too, if you want."

"I don't think so, Lester. But thanks anyway."

"Are you sure? How will you get home?"

"I'll walk from the class. I won't have far to go."

"How do you know? I haven't told you where the class is yet."

Erin simply smiled and took another bite of her sandwich, leaving the boy to wonder yet again about the mystery of girls.

The two of them talked a little more about their first aikido class and made a point of ignoring the hostile looks that they got from Big Jim. But still, Lester had to ask something important.

"How are you getting home tonight?"

Erin looked a little confused. "The same way I always do. Walk." Just after the last word left her mouth, she understood why he asked. "Oh. You don't think...."

The boy nodded. "I think it might be a good idea if I walked with you at least part way, if that's okay with you."

"Yes, please." She paused before thinking aloud. "I wonder how many aikido classes it will take before I can walk alone again."

"That's a good question. Self-defense isn't something you can learn overnight." He smiled when he suddenly thought about how easily he learned from the Akashic records. He wished physical skills were as easy to learn as the telekinesis that he learned last night.

Telekinesis would likely help deter an attacker, though he thought he should practice a lot before he tried anything. He really didn't want to hurt anyone and he hoped aikido would be easy to learn.

* * *

The weather turned cooler that day as autumn quickly approached. A misty haze hung low over the area, promising fog by next morning.

Lester and Erin had an uneventful walk home that afternoon. They walked several blocks together until the girl said they'd gone far enough. With his head hung a little low, the boy left his friend. He walked several steps and when he turned for a final look back, Erin quickly faded from view into the thickening mist. The boy sighed and continued his extended walk home.

When he got home, he went directly to his bedroom and sat down in his old chair.

"Hello, old friend," he told the chair after it squeaked from his added weight. "I'm sorry for neglecting you. I've been a bit preoccupied."

He shifted slightly and the chair let out a single, faint squeak.

"Yes, I know," he told the chair, as if it was speaking to him. "But I think Erin's worth it."

More movement and another squeak kept the one-sided conversation going.

"Don't worry. Angie will get over it. I never really spoke to her anyway. I doubt she really knows I exist. But Erin is different. She's special."

The boy sighed and lost himself in a daydream, gone from reality until his mother's piercing voice intruded.

"Lester! It's dinner time!"

With another sigh and loud creak from his chair, he told the chair, "Thanks for the company." Then he scuffed his feet all of the way to the kitchen.

* * *

During dinner, Lester talked to his parents about taking aikido classes and they liked the idea. They also grew much more interested and supportive when he asked if it was okay to have a girl join him for homework, dinner and the aikido classes. Their little boy was growing up.

After the mostly quiet meal, Lester returned to his room and remembered his intention to practice telekinesis. He didn't have any homework that night so with his door closed, he devoted the remainder of his time to some serious practice.

He sat cross-legged on his bed and started slowly, using his mind to lift a small beanbag dragon from the top of his dresser. The mostly brown toy rose quickly and stopped just as suddenly, all by the power of Lester's mind. It spun slowly at first and then fast enough to be a blur. Then the fun began.

"Dive, Scorch! Dive!" he told the toy.

The beanbag dragon stopped spinning and dove as directed, with its red-gold iridescent wings spread wide. It dove low over a ratty old floor rug, ruffling some of the rug's fringe as it passed over it.

"Now fly back to the tower and resume guarding the fair Princess Erin."

The dragon flapped its wings and flew up near the ceiling where it briefly paused. It gently descended to the top of the boy's tall dresser and sat still with only its small, red tongue flicking.

"Good boy, Scorch. Good dragon."

The dragon wagged its tail. Whatever Lester imagined, the dragon did. It seemed almost too easy. It was time to increase the difficulty.

The boy looked down at his smart phone next to him on the bed and with a thought, sent it up in the air and held it in place. He then added a couple of pens, various knickknacks and the wireless mouse off of his desk. All of the items floated motionless together for a bit before starting to slowly rotate in a horizontal circle. They moved faster and faster until the circle looked more like a blurry ring. The various items hummed and whistled as they created a breeze that ruffled the edges of some paper on his desk. While keeping the ring spinning, he added Scorch to the mix, having the toy dragon fly up and down through the center of the ring. So far, he kept everything moving with very little effort, as if the objects all had their own autopilot. His confidence soared and he grew bolder.

After another several minutes, every article of furniture hovered a few inches above the hardwood floor and slowly circled the room in the opposite direction of the small ring that still spun in the center of the room. Lester sat on his floating bed and choreographed the telekinetic dance, and he included his night stand so the radio alarm clock had pulled free of the electrical outlet, but the boy didn't care. He lost himself in the magical moment.

After another fifteen minutes, the only thing not moving was the floor rug, but that too was added, creating a magical flying carpet in the boy's mind.

'If only Erin could see this,' he thought at the amazing sight. 'Maybe then she'd date me.'

His concentration lapsed then and everything fell, making no small amount of noise. After several tense seconds, his mother's voice called out from the other side of his bedroom door. "Lester? Are you okay in there?"

She didn't wait for an answer and opened the door. "What?! You're rearranging the furniture at this time of night?"

"Just trying something new, Mom," he said carefully. He didn't want to lie.

"Well, I think that's enough for now. It's getting late."

"Okay, Mom."

She walked over and kissed her son on his forehead. "I'm going to bed soon so good night, honey. I love you."

"Good night, Mom. Love you too."

She left the room, shutting the door behind her, leaving her son to slowly shake his head. He accomplished something very difficult that night. He impressed himself.

After a little more rearranging of furniture, Lester plugged in his radio alarm clock and set the time and his alarm. Then he got ready for bed and crawled into bed. He flicked the light switch off with his telekinesis, and as he slowly fell asleep, he wondered what other paranormal abilities awaited him among the Akashic records.

* * *

© 2014 by Terry Volkirch. This work may not be replicated in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the Author (copyright holder). All Rights Reserved. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental.