Combustion: Captured

As I put the boy onto a nearby cot I conjured I the boy begins to stir. As he opens his eyes he sits up suddenly in a panic.

“Where am I? Who are you?” he asks.

“I am your new friend.”

“You, a friend? What even did you do to me?”

“Why are you in pain?” I pause for an answer but he offers none. I take his silence as a negative. “You have a lot of questions.”

I walk across the space I’ve found for myself in the underground tunnels. A local magazine published an article that covered these tunnels as a myth. For many years I’ve managed to keep a wall of protection up above this place to keep the homeless and nosey away.

I knew the terrain well. This was my home town after all. This was the place I’d grown up in, the place I’d always known until I had to leave. The place where I intended to raise my daughter. Things seemed to happen so slowly when I was here but here it was: change. Change was everywhere, new building and stores, new streets and new neighborhoods; the town sprawling out chipping away at the orchards and vineyards in the outskirts. This place, the boy, everything here was new in an old place.

“You’ll see I have a lot to offer you, my boy.”

“Yeah? Like what?” he asks.

I circle the bed while he sits up.

“You have wants. So do I.”

“What do you want?”

“The question is: what do you want?” I look him directly in the eye. His eyes look fierce and his fists are tight. I hold the gaze because I have nothing to fear. I’m in control here.

“Let me go.”

“You can have anything and that’s all you ask for? No, no. It’s not that easy.”

“Why?”

“You have access to something I want,“ I tell him.

“What could I possibly have that you want?”

“Ah ah ah no no. First you’ll agree to help me and then I’ll tell you what I want.”

We stand staring at each other. He towers over me at nearly six feet. I watch as his eyes study my features. I smile at him a wide honest smile. I need him to trust me. I wave my hand in the air to bring about a plate of food, something hearty like ribs or chicken, when he flinches and I stop.

“What’s the matter dear?”

“Nothing. I’m not scared of you.”

“Then let me get you something to eat.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“Not even a new car?”

“How do you know I need a car.”

“I have my ways. Now do we have a deal?” I ask, keeping my voice level.

He stares me in the eye, the wrinkles on his forehead beginning to come out. He’s up to something I can sense it.

“I want money, too.”

Of course the boy wants money. Who wouldn’t, slaving away at a part time job for how long now?

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. Now what do you want?”

“Now we’re talking.” The tunnels are carved out of the ground but I’ve decorated this area with red walls and stone floors. My heels click on the stones as I head to the far side of the room. When I approach the wall I look into the mirror so I can see his reflection.

“Well?” My, he’s impatient.

“My daughter.”

“Oh yeah, how am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know your daughter, lady. I don’t even know you!”

“I am Mayra and my daughter is Elizabeth and you will bring me to her and I will make good on my promises and you will tell no one. Are we clear?”

He wavers for a minute and I see his Adam’s apple bob up and down a few times before he answers, “Crystal.”

“Excellent, my dear boy. We have ourselves a deal.” I hold out my hand to shake on it and he accepts unwillingly, but nonetheless it’s an acceptance. And with that I send him back to the corner with the canal so he can head home to his precious grandmother.

I remain pacing the room I’ve created from nothing. A gesture here, a movement there and viola, my humble abode exists. First the boy must gain her trust and if he has already been out with her and protected her from that Miguel then I suppose he’s halfway there. Bringing her to me is going to be the tough part. He knows not what he can do. And obviously he can’t control it or he would never have approached me.

I hold my hand out in front of me and gaze at the ring as it shifts from red to its normal lavender. Something in the boy sparked the change. He possesses a power that I would never endure. He has the power to see into the future with the paradox of being predictable and unpredictable at the same time. It could, however be useful.

I walk throughout the tunnels that have been deserted since World War II and mull over the fact that they boy may not bring my daughter to me but that instead I’ll have to go after her. It’s getting late and I’ve been in these tunnels all day. My power makes me fearless in a town with so many homicides I go out for a walk anyway. I’m in downtown which is supposed to be dangerous but there isn’t anyone out here so that can’t be true. I head down the street toward the nearest street lamp where a group of boys seem to be playing some game. When I get closer I see what they are doing. It looks like they’re playing hacky sack but it’s floating from person to person before they can play it. I can ruin things, I can teleport things but I can’t quite levitate a thing.

I watch them a little longer to determine who it is that has this power before I head over to the boys and stride into the ring of light in the middle of the street.

“Good evening, boys.” They turn to look at me, a few of them start licking their lips and rubbing their chests.

“Hey, lady. What you doin’ out here alone?” one asks.

“Don’t worry about it,” I say, raising my hand. Before any of them can step toward me they’re frozen. “This won’t hurt a bit.”